The God Who Wants Us Near

Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 (ESV) Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

The answer to true companionship as Solomon has observed in Ecclesiastes 4 is the know the Lord and come to Him and enjoy fellowship with Him. But that approach must be done with great care and contrition, with seriousness and sincerity. 

The first command - listen. 

Think of how often we do NOT consider this. We usually approach God with words, saying whatever is on our minds. But the first part of our approach should be to hear what He has to say. Notice how in several different synonymous participles, the text calls on us to silence our speech. This is so counterintuitive. For most of us believe God is pleased when we vocalize our needs and prayers. But the truth is, God is most pleased when we listen and obey. 

Revelation 1:3 (ESV) Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

The great indication here is that God wants to speak and wants us to hear Him. This too, is counterintuitive. For many imagine a God who is disinterested in us and needs to be appeased before we could come to Him. No. He wants to speak to us and He wants to communicate His will to us. 

Notice also the place where we hear God. "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God." We hear God in the house of God. For Solomon, this is the temple, the public gathering place of the Jews. For us, it is the church, the public assembly of the body of Christ. We hear best when we regard this gathering with sacred honor and respect. The Church gathered is a place of great potential for our lives. One church gathering can change the course of our lives and fill our lives and bring healing or meaning or both to our lives. 

Solomon continues:

Ecclesiastes 5:4–6 (ESV) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Again the overarching emphasis here is on the fact that God does not need what we bring or promise to bring. He wants us. He wants us to be close to Him. 

To close this portion of Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon writes:

Ecclesiastes 5:7 (ESV) For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Dreams and words on our part do not accomplish nearly as much as God's purpose and plans on His part. He is doing something right now. God is accomplishing His work to redeem all things to Himself (See Colossians 1:20). 

This is perhaps the most profitable reason to approach God with an open ear and closed mouth. For before we tell Him what we want, we hear first what He wants, listening closely to His truth, experiencing His goodness and realizing His power.