Day 237 - Do we Sometimes give the Sacrifice of Fools?

Today's Reading: Ecl. 4-5 and 2 Thes. 3

Now if I were to comment on my favorite verse in today's reading, it would be Ecl. 4:9-10.

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." (Ecl. 4:9-10)

I love that verse... the power of two working together! :-)

But... I'm not going to comment on these verses... Something new that jumped out to me in today's reading was Ecl. 5:1. It reads as follows: "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil."

As I read this, I thought to myself, "What is the sacrifice of fools?"

A cross-reference that I have in my Bible leads me to Exodus 3:5 which reads: "And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou staidest is holy ground." 

So here we are at the burning bush and Moses is told, "Don't come close unless you remove your shoes." What does removing the shoes symbolize? Putting away sin and defilement. Ellen White writes: "Moses at the burning bush was directed to put off his sandals, for the ground whereon he stood was holy.... Thus was constantly taught the lesson that all defilement must be put away from those who would approach into the presence of God." (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 350)

Back to today's reading in Ecclesiastes, when the Bible speaks of giving the sacrifice of fools, I think that the correlation is, "Don't presumptuously come to worship God while holding on to your known and cherished sins. This would be the sacrifice of fools. For they come to sacrifice not considering that they are doing evil against God..." Wow! 

Do we sometimes give God the sacrifice of fools? We come to worship at church or even in our own private time out of habit, forgetting that we are on holy ground and all known sin must be put aside... not just once in awhile, but daily... Sobering thoughts to consider on this Sabbath day! 

Tomorrow's Reading: Ecl 6-7 and Ps. 95-96