Watch your foot when you go to the house of God and draw near to listen separate from the fools giving sacrifice. For they do not know that they are doing evil. – Ecclesiastes 5:1
I don’t know what it was that created such a focus, but growing up in the 1970s, I believed that the worst accusation that one could make of another was that he was a hypocrite. This mindset must have been driven in part by pop lyrics of the 1960s (Barry McGuire’s Eve of Destruction, CCR’s Fortunate Son, Bob Marley’s Hypocrites, and Bob Dylan’s It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), to name just a few). It was a regular feature of sitcoms – Meathead called out Archie Bunker’s hypocrisy more than once. But, of course, the issue didn’t originate a generation ago.
Two thousand years prior, Jesus scandalized the religious establishment with His admonishment: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:13) As a young person, impressed with Jesus’ zeal and candor, I took this to heart. Young people love a good scandal, especially when old fuddy-duddies are taken to task. But it didn’t begin back then, either.
A thousand years earlier, David’s son King Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes in which he warned against religious hypocrisy. People (“fools”) were going through the rituals at the Temple without recognizing their double-mindedness. They were blind. Was this a big deal?
In 2 Samuel 7, God makes a covenant with David, telling him that Solomon will build His house for His name. Verse 8, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel.” David, the poor shepherd, became king. He would eventually be replaced by his son, Solomon. “Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Here, God is now referring to David’s descendant, Jesus.
God has a house. He dwells among His people. His holy nation is called to reflect His holiness.
The Sanctuary of the Lord is to be respected. If God’s Spirit dwells in you, then you are His temple, His house. “If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15)
Jesus does tarry. He does delay. Until He returns, the church of the living God is His household. This is not talking about the church building. The church, the people of God, is the holy place where God dwells. He established the church as a pillar and buttress of the truth.
God has a house and we are to worship Him as a holy people. And God pays attention to our worship within His church. Consider Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 in this light: “Watch your foot when you go to the house of God and draw near to listen separate from the fools giving sacrifice. For they do not know that they are doing evil. Do not rush concerning your mouth and your heart – let it not be quick to bring forth a word before God. For God is in the heavens and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.”
God is listening. He judges our worship. It matters what we say. One purpose of God’s holy Word is to instruct us in how to worship Him. Be careful. Watch your step. When you offer sacrifices, do so as an act of worship, not as a ritualistic act on your own. You don’t get points for worshiping with empty sacrifices and vain offerings. Instead, this makes you a hypocrite.
In Amos 5:21-22, God says, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.” There is worship that is false. God judges our worship. He judges by His standards declared in His Word. Jesus is building a house for His Father’s name. Will you repent and worship wholeheartedly as part of His household?
