Heavenly Father, thank You for your many mercies to us day by day. We thank You for your Word in our hand and in our mother tongue. As we come to look at it now, will You show mercy to us and give us understanding of it; will You speak to us through your Word. Amen

Today’s Hymn

Words: Daniel W. Whittle, in Gospel Hymns No. 4, 1883.

I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED
Click here for tune.

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
may be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

Thought Provoker

I don’t know about you, but I seem to have a bad memory. Sometimes it is easy to remember things that happened ages ago, and then forget something that happened 5 minutes ago. Or it might be visa vers
A. Some people have such poor memories that they tie a knot in the corner of their handkerchief in order to help them remember something. However, often is the case that they wonder why they have a knot in their handkerchief and cannot remember why they tied it there!!

Dad’s Study

Today, we are looking at one of those passages where we are told to remember something important. Ask the children can they think of any other passages where we are told to remember something important e.g. Remember the Sabbath Day; Remember Lot’s wife etc.

The opening verse reminds us to Remember our Creator in the days of our youth.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Ask the children why we must remember our Creator when we are young. Here are a few thoughts.

1. Because it is our duty to worship God.
2. Because even children need to be converted
3. Because children are only one breath away from Hell unless they believe.
4. Because we miss out enjoying God and His peculiar blessings for believers.

This is a wonderful opportunity to impress upon your children the need to repent and to believe the gospel.

Pastor Charles Collins – Kettering, UK

Catechism

Question 28

Q. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (John 1:12) by his Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, 6).

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Daniel W. Whittle, in Gospel Hymns No. 4, 1883.

I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED
Click here for tune.

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
may be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

Thought Provoker

Staring at death has a way of giving sharper focus to life. A few weeks ago I was stirred by my visitation to my Father-in-law’s gravestone. He was a career army officer who was laid to rest in a National Cemetery. There, along side of him, were five of his fellow soldiers who had all passed away on the same day. What a sobering reminder of the shortness of life and how many are departing from this life every day. I left with a fresh renewal not to waste what little life God has given me and to live each day for His glory. The Egyptians had a custom that drove home the same principle from a worldly perspective. In the middle of a party they would parade the figure of a corpse among the guests at a party to give them a fresh appreciation to enjoy the present while they were still alive! “Look on this!” they would cry; “drink and enjoy thyself for when thou diest thou shalt be such.” Today we are going to gaze at the darkness of death that we might have greater appreciation for the light of life (vs. 7-8).

Dad’s Study

The light of life is a great pleasure. Whether the preacher refers to the light figuratively, relating it to life itself, or more literally to the light of sun that warms the earth, both are truly a great pleasure. All around you is the light of God’s creation! It is so easy to miss the beauty of God’s creation that He floods with light. During the summer the sun peeks over the Rockies and floods into my bedroom window at about 5:00 a.m. Out of the darkness come the highlights on the mountains, crops, and trees. What a joy it is to be alive. However, it is so easy to forget the light of life that surrounds you. When I first moved to Wyoming every day was filled with sighs and gasps of the majesty and glory of God as I marveled at the majestic snow topped mountains that surround us. But over the years the majesty has lost its luster. Some days I have to remind myself that the mountains are still there. It is only when I leave and spend some times in some dark and dirty city that I return with a fresh appreciation for the light of life around me. That’s what we are reminded of in today’s chapter. It’s only when you daze at the darkness beyond the grave that you are reminded of the present pleasure that comes from a life of light. Keep in mind that the darkness of the grave here is viewed through the eyes of the non- Christian, who does not have any hope after the grave. Life here on earth is short. Life after the grave is forever.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

It’s possible to reach a false application from this passage. Many wrongly take it to mean, if life is short and death is a dark forever, “Let’s eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Instead, let us not waste the precious life that God has given us. He has graced you with a life designed to be full of His light and joy. It is not to be a life of self-consumption, rather a life that purposes to bring glory to God with every breath. Stop and give thanks to God for His gift of life. Discuss with your family specific ways you might glorify your heavenly Father and why it is that such a life brings eternal joy and delight!

Catechism

Question 28

Q. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (John 1:12) by his Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, 6).

O Lord, cleanse me from hidden faults within my own heart! Keep me back from blatant violations of your will, from purposefully silencing my conscience. Help me to walk in integrity before you all my days. Amen. (Psalm 19:12-13; Psalm 101)

Today’s Hymn

Words: Daniel W. Whittle, in Gospel Hymns No. 4, 1883.

I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED
Click here for tune.

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
may be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

Thought Provoker

Would you eat soup if you were told it came from a pot that had a fly floating in it? Would you put lotion on your face if you knew that a worm had somehow gotten into the bottle of lotion? Ecclesiastes 10 uses this kind of image in the first verse to talk about the importance of integrity.

Dad’s Study

Integrity is part of the battle of the Christian life that we cannot leave off even for a second. That is the point of this graphic illustration in Ecclesiastes 10:1-”Dead flies cause the ointment—- to send forth a stinking savor: so does a little folly to the one who has a reputation for wisdom and honor.” When we avoid sin, and live righteously, we are slowly and quietly gaining the respect of others for godliness. They recognize over time that we are committed to following the Lord, and striving to please Him. People cannot help but notice consistency and faithfulness to God. Even if they do not always acknowledge it, or praise it in some way, they sense and respect it. As one pastor pointed out, each day of faithful living before God is like a deposit in the bank of trust and respect that others have for you. It grows daily as you consistently strive to be well pleasing to the Lord. This is not saying that we are to live to please men, but that when we live to please God, we gain the respect of men.

But our passage has a stern warning. If we go off into an area of open sinfulness, however briefly, we have forfeited all respect. The bottom is broken out of the bank of trust and respect; it spills out empty, and the reputation is ruined. This is the point of the verse, you see. It is calling us to be sentry-like in our watchfulness over our souls. An evening of pleasure cannot possibly be worth the damage to our own souls, and the damage to our reputation before others. All that labor, all that striving after godliness, can become useless and even hypocritical to the eyes of others if we let our guard down, push past the barriers of a sensitive conscience, and commit open and blatant sin.

Do we not know people who have done this very thing? Many times, they end up in apostasy, having forsaken the Lord. We find that they never were the real thing. But what about those who actually do repent afterwards, and seek to turn back to the Lord? Their lives from that point on seem to be picking up the pieces of a shattered family, a shattered congregation, a shattered life. The damage has been done, and what can they do now? Yes, the Lord will forgive them if they return to Him, but that does not remove the sting of their offense in the hearts of all those who knew them. That does not make their reputation what it was before they fell into wickedness. The cost is too high, brothers and sisters! The pain is too great! Do not let the Devil lure you into forfeiting your integrity. It is not a reversible decision; it cannot be all cleaned up immediately afterward; it leaves permanent scars.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Let us be warned by the examples in the Scripture as well as in our own personal experience, and take heed, and fear, and humble ourselves, and live closely to Christ and His cross, that we may walk worthy of our calling, and finish well the race that is set before us. Dads, resolve before the Lord that, by His grace, you will not forfeit your integrity, and teach your wife and children the immense importance of guarding the heart.

Pastor James Williamson

Catechism

Question 28

Q. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (John 1:12) by his Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, 6).

Lord, as frail and feeble men we are in need of your daily measure of grace. We are in need of grace to love as you love, to prefer others over ourselves and to do good to all men. We especially need the grace to love those who hate us and harm us. To love such is unnatural, Lord; give us your supernatural grace that causes us to love you, our neighbor, and our enemy as Christ has loved us. Amen

Today’s Hymn

Words: Walter C. Smith, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life, 1876. Music: St. Denio, Welsh melody, from Canaidau y Cyssegr, by John Roberts, 1839.

IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE
Click here for tune.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish-but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

Thought Provoker

Have you ever done something good or kind for someone only to have them take it for granted and not really appreciate the good that has been done to them or the sacrifices required by others to do it? When this happened to you did you ask yourself, “Why do I bother?” or “Why go to all that trouble? It wasn’t worth it!”

Dad’s Study

In verses 13-18 we read of the poor wise man who gave of his wisdom to save the city. Solomon was impressed by this man’s wisdom and said it seemed great to him. What was it about this man’s wisdom that so impressed Solomon? What made this man’s wisdom great? It was not the content of the wisdom, but the motive of the wisdom. Solomon has declared the surpassing excellence of wisdom and how it profits a man, yet we find this wise man was poor. That indicates to us that his wisdom was not given the place of honor and respect it should have by the men of this city. The wise man was poor and despised, yet in the time of need he gave of what he had, his wisdom, for the benefit of the city. The wise man was not selfish; he was not motivated by hatred for the contempt that he had been shown, and instead he was motivated by affection for his home. He selflessly gave of that which he had to the benefit of those who had despised his lowly estate. He set aside his personal interests for the public good. One who can selflessly give of himself and what he has is a man who possesses wisdom that the wisest man to live has declared as great.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Self-sacrificial love is to be the hallmark of the Christian. We often think of this truth in the context of Jesus’ teaching to love one another in John 13:34-35. We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ just as Christ loved us, sacrificially. Jesus said that there is no greater love than that which causes us to lay down our life. But Christ-honoring, Christ-like love goes beyond loving brothers and sisters; it goes even to loving those around us who despise us and hold us in contempt just as the poor wise man did. We are to love those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). How do we love those who hate us and persecute us? We love them by doing good to them just as the wise man did (Luke 6:35; Romans 12:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:15). As Christians we are to set aside personal slights, injuries and persecutions, and we are to constantly seek to do good to all, including repaying the evil done to us by good done for the benefit of all, just as the poor wise man.

Catechism

Question 28

Q. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (John 1:12) by his Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, 6).

Dear heavenly Father, we ask that you would please help us to receive direction from Your Word today. We are hungry and thirsty for Your righteousness, and every word that proceeds from out of Your mouth. Forgive us afresh of our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, for Jesus sake.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, 1153 (Salve caput cruentatum); translated from Latin to German by Paul Ger­hardt, 1656 (O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden), and from Latin to English James W. Alexander, 1830.

O SACRED HEAD, NOW WOUNDED
Click here for tune.

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Thought Provoker

It is well known that when we travel outside of our home, especially with children, we need to think about where we are going, and what we need to take with us to be prepared. This past weekend I received a call from my mom telling me that my father had had a heart attack, and we decided after the ministries of the Lord’s Day to travel to Indiana so we could be with him and the family. We had to think before we got on the road what we needed by way of clothes, toiletries, bottles, toys, baby swing and porta-bed, etc. We had to consciously think “where are we going and what are we going for?” in order to be properly prepared.

The same is true as we weekly go to a very special place, the house of God. In our study from Ecclesiastes, we will see some direction regarding how we need to approach the Lord in our “visit” to His house.

Dad’s Study

Our focus today will be Ecclesiastes 5:1 which says, “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.”

First, let us consider this special name that is use: the house of God. This may strike us as odd, as the Scripture tells us that God is omnipresent, so that He is not contained or limited to any one place. As Augustine muses, He fills all and yet is not contained. While this is true, there are special places where God manifests His glory in a more intensified way. In the Old Covenant, the primary place was the tabernacle, and then later the temple. Under the New Covenant, there is not a geographical limitation, but it is where two are three are gathered together for the purpose of worship, and this especially on the first day of the week or the Lord’s Day. We are told in 1Timothy 3:15 that the house of God is also known as the church of the living God. So it is very appropriate, as we consider this verse, to find direction as to how we should prepare to go to church as His people.

The next thing we find is the general direction, and that is to “walk prudently” when we go. The verb is the Hebrew word “shamar”, and it means to keep, watch, or observe. This is combined with the Hebrew word for foot, so that it is an idiom which literally means “watch your feet.” The meaning of this phrase is that as you go, don’t go carelessly or thoughtlessly. It is the image of a person walking and not paying attention. So then, it is a call not to go to church carelessly or merely out of habit. “Well, it’s Sunday, and time to go to church kids.” Rather, it is a call to careful self examination and thoughtful preparation.

Solomon next writes a more specific direction on what he means. He writes that as one draws near to the house of God, that the primary objective is “to hear.” This is not surprising when we consider what the Scripture tells us about the meeting of God’s people. When done under the directions of Scripture, with a God-appointed ministry, we are told that through the ministry of the Word God is speaking to His church. There is more taking place in the house of God than merely men teaching Bible lessons, but God is in a living ministry teaching and directing His people. For this reason, we ought to have our hearts prepared to receive the seed of God’s Word into the soil of our hearts.

The last thing I want us to notice is the opposite of this disposition of readiness to hear, and that is to “give the sacrifice of fools.” A sacrifice is an act of worship, what one brings into God’s house. In this case it is a sacrifice of a fool. Just what does this mean? Well, at least a couple of things, and these we learn from Proverbs. First, a fool is not really teachable. Proverbs 18:2 tells us that that a fool is more concerned with telling others of what he thinks he knows than of truly learning. Also, since a fool already thinks he knows and practices what he believes, he is not open to rebuke Proverbs 17:10.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Our application is very simple. First, we should be sure not to go hastily to worship the Lord in church, but to think about our ways, to examine ourselves, and to seek with good consciences to come to Him. Second, we should understand why we are going: to hear. We should pray and seek to remove all things that will hinder our hearing God’s Word rightly. Third, we should be more interested in hearing what others, especially God’s ministers, have to say than to spout of our own ideas. Not that we shouldn’t be interactive and engaging, but as James writes that we be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1:19). Last, we should be open to rebuke and correction. We need to be ready to be told that there are areas in which our thinking and our living need readjustment.

may the Lord help us to do just that, that His Holy Spirit would not be grieved away from us, that the gathering of God’s people would be in truth the House of God.

Pastor Stephen Gambill, Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville

Catechism

Question 26

Q. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

A. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition (Luke 2:7) made under the law (Galatians 4:4), undergoing the miseries of this life (Isaiah 53:3), the wrath of God (Matthew 27:46), and the cursed death of the cross (Philippians 2:8); in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time (Matthew 12:40).

Benign Lord, I praise thee continually for permission to approach thy throne of grace, and to spread my wants and desires before thee. I am not worthy of thy blessings and mercies for I am far gone from original righteousness—. While I confess my guilt, help me to feel it deeply, with self-abhorrence and self-despair, yet to remember there is hope in thee, and to see the Lamb that takes away sin—. Preserve my understanding from error, my affections from love of idols, my lips from speaking guile, my conduct from stain of vice, my character from appearance of evil, that I may be harmless, blameless, rebukeless, exemplary, useful, light-giving, prudent, zealous for thy glory and the good of my fellow-men. Amen. (The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions)

Today’s Hymn

Words: Attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, 1153 (Salve caput cruentatum); translated from Latin to German by Paul Ger­hardt, 1656 (O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden), and from Latin to English James W. Alexander, 1830.

O SACRED HEAD, NOW WOUNDED
Click here for tune.

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Thought Provoker

Discuss with your children how they approach God in worship. Being raised in a Christian home they are familiar with worship both at home and in public, however this familiarity can breed a lax attitude toward worship. Because it is something we do all the time, it can become mundane if we do not contemplate whom it is that we approach and His great glory. To approach God in worship unprepared, without forethought, or lightly is to make our worship the sacrifice of fools.

Dad’s Study

In Ecclesiastes Solomon gives a dissertation on the vanities of this life. Have you ever asked yourself why? Why would Solomon want us to discern the vain things of the world? There could be many practical reasons for the Christian to discern these vanities, but the chief reason is to drive us to God to worship Him. But Solomon also gives clear warning that our worship of God is to be conducted carefully. If not, if we approach God hastily and without forethought our worship of Him can be as vain as our pursuit of the things of this world. Matthew Henry gave these warnings regarding our approach to God:

“Address thyself to the worship of God, and take time to compose thyself for it. Keep thy thoughts from roving and wandering: keep thy affections from running out toward wrong objects. We should avoid vain repetitions; copious prayers are not here condemned, but those that are unmeaning. How often our wandering thoughts render attendance on Divine ordinances little better than the sacrifice of fools! Many words and hasty ones, used in prayer, show folly in the heart, low thoughts of God, and careless thoughts of our own souls.”

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

The 1689 London Baptist Confession gives us guidance on how we are to approach God in prayer in worship so that we do not offer up the sacrifice of fools and fall into sin in our religious duties. Chapter 22, paragraph 3 says that we are to offer up our prayers with:

Understanding Psalm 47:7
Reverence Hebrews 12:28
Humility Genesis 18:27
Fervency James 5:16
Faith James 1:6-7
Love Matthew 6:12, 14-15
Perseverance Colossians 4:2; Ephesians 6:18

Catechism

Question 26

Q. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

A. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition (Luke 2:7) made under the law (Galatians 4:4), undergoing the miseries of this life (Isaiah 53:3), the wrath of God (Matthew 27:46), and the cursed death of the cross (Philippians 2:8); in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time (Matthew 12:40).