Worthy Worship Series

WISE LIVING: WORTHY WORSHIP

Ecclesiastes 5:1-20

#wiseliving2022

READ ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 5:1-20 [person from the congregation]

As we begin this morning, I would like to dig into a few stories in the Bible that share some important truths with us before we get into Ecclesiastes 5. It is important for us to have a good foundation before we focus on the first 7 verses in Ecclesiastes 5.

BEING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: JACOB IN GENESIS 28

We start in Genesis 28 with an experience of Jacob the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham.

READ GENESIS 28:12-18 (ESV)

“And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.”

Jacob is travelling and he stays in a particular place and God gives Jacob a vision about the place he was staying. He sees angels and a peek into the spiritual world that is going on around him. The God of all Creation speaks to him in this dream and makes some wonderful promises to Jacob. God promises many children. He promises the land will belong to those children. He promises blessing and the presence of God in his life. Jacob wakes up and he realizes he is in no ordinary place. Heaven is touching Earth in this place! He calls it the ‘House of God.’ Jacob is humbled and afraid and excited all at the same time. He marks the place by making a small altar and worshipping there in the way he knew how. Jacob entered the House of God and his response was humility and fear and worship.

BEING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: SAMUEL IN 1 SAMUEL 3

We also need to make sure that we stop and look in on a little boy named Samuel who literally slept in the House of the Lord and tried to sleep as close to God as he could get.

READ 1 SAMUEL 3:1-5 (ESV)

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.”

Samuel was to be a great prophet for God, but this event in 1 Samuel 3 happens early in his life. He hears God calling him and he thinks it is the old priest who needs help in the middle of the night. It is not. God calls him several times and eventually the priest Eli figures out God is calling Samuel and making Himself known to Him. Eli tells Samuel what to do and Samuel obeys.

READ 1 SAMUEL 3:10-11 (ESV)

“And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.”