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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil. |
Keep thy foot – Take heed to your standing, your walk, your conduct. R3990:1
Not literal feet, but being circumspect in one's daily life. R5186:3
Do not go to the house of God as to the market place, or to some place of amusement. R5186:3
Decorum, reverence, is necessary in every place where God is worshipped. R5187:1
House of God – Whether we meet in a parlor, church, or opera house, the fact that God's people are there makes that building a holy place. R5187:1
Ready to hear – Listen; not full of mirth. All conversation should be of a kind that would edify, build up, along spiritual lines. R5187:1
We do not know any lesson the Lord's people need to learn more than that of reverence. R5187:2
Sacrifice of fools – Laughter, levity, foolish talk, jesting. R5186:6
Consider not – Many parents become so accustomed to the ways of their children that they do not realize that others are being annoyed. R5187:4
To come into the meeting late is out of harmony with the principles of both justice and love. R5187:4
He who is indifferent to the rights of others manifests that he is lacking in the spirit of love. R5187:4
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| 2 Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.
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Before God – In view of the fact that "All things are naked and open with him with whom we have to do." (Heb. 4:13) R1938:1
For God – Our Judge. R1938:1
Is in heaven – Upon the throne. R1938:1
Thou upon earth – Under trial before the bar of God. R1938:1
Thy words be few – Thoughtful, wise, as uttered before God; not rash, hasty and ill-considered. R1938:1
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| 3 For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words. |
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| 4 When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest complete. |
Vowest a vow – Makest a covenant or promise. R2081:1*
Our "consecration" or "baptismal" vow, if a proper one, was all comprehensive--involving the sacrifice of all that we possessed or ever would acquire. R4238:1
Defer not to pay it – The Lord expects faithfulness in each one who has taken his covenant upon him. R5855:5
One who consecrates cannot, by subsequently changing his mind, be released from the obligations thus incurred. R2080:6*
Pay that...vowed – Its observance tends to strengthen the entire life. R5613:6
"It is a snare for a man to devour that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry." (Prov. 20:25) R4265:5
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| 5 Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete. |
Better is it – Our Lord emphasized the same lesson. (Luke 14:28-33) R4238:2
And not pay – Its violation serves to weaken the conscience. R5613:6
It is not enough that we have consecrated. It will avail nothing if we prove unfaithful to it, except to rise up in judgment against us. R2154:5
If death is not voluntary the Lord will destroy our flesh. If we resist this it will mean the hopeless death of our being. R5855:5
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| 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it [is] an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands |
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| 7 For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God. |
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| 8 If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them. |
Marvel not – Take comfort that God's judgments will some day be manifest and prevail. R1532:5
That is higher – God is above all the judges of the earth. R1532:5
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| 9 And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served. |
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| 10 Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity. |
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| 11 In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes |
What good is there – Business prosperity he regards as an empty bubble and the excessive labor to accomplish it as laboring for the wind. R1532:5
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| 12 Sweet [is] the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep. |
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| 13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil. |
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| 14 And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand! |
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| 15 As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand. |
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| 16 And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage [is] to him who laboureth for wind |
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| 17 Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound. |
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| 18 Lo, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it [is] his portion. |
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| 19 Every man also to whom God hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God. |
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| 20 For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart. |
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