“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.”
Ecclesiastes 5:1–3

Solomon turns his thoughts to man and his worship, and he gives some very instructive advice for approaching God. First, he addresses our walk; then he addresses our talk in the presence of God.

As to our walk, our conduct is to be prudent. This carries the thought of keeping watch or preserving. We might ask the question, “Preserving what?” The answer is: preserving the honor and character of the One we are approaching. Solomon warns us against having a casual attitude when coming into the presence of a holy God. We should never be flippant, careless, or irreverent. Notice how Solomon describes such people: as those who offer the sacrifice of fools, as those who do evil, and as those who are rash and hasty.

Twice he describes them as fools. The word fool here carries the thought of one who delights in not understanding. It describes someone who does not understand who God is and who has forgotten who he himself is. It is easy, in today’s atmosphere of familiarity and casualness, to forget that when we worship, we are approaching the God of the universe—the Creator, the all-knowing, holy One who has redeemed us to Himself.

Solomon is warning us about our approach to God in worship. Even in this day of grace in which you and I live, there ought to be reverence as we approach Him. We must not treat lightly that which is holy, or more to the point, Him who is holy. While the veil has been torn from top to bottom, allowing us access into His presence, we must do so “with full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19–22).

As we enter His holy presence, we must remember that the Lord Jesus is not only the “High Priest over the house of God,” but also the Son over that same house (Heb. 3:6). Everything done in His presence ought to be done with His authority, His rights, and His holiness in mind.

Anchor For Today:
We have the privilege of approaching God, but with every privilege comes responsibility.