What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:7? For as many dreams bring futility • Solomon has just warned against rash vows in God’s house (Ecclesiastes 5:1-6). Now he links that warning to the emptiness of unanchored “dreams.” • “Dreams” here are not God-given prophetic visions like those in Genesis 37:5-10 or Matthew 1:20; they are the restless imaginings that arise from our own hearts (Jeremiah 23:25-28). • Such private fantasies promise fulfillment but deliver “vanity” or “meaninglessness,” echoing Ecclesiastes 1:2. • Isaiah 29:7-8 pictures people waking from a dream still hungry and thirsty—an apt image for hopes built on human imagination rather than God’s word. so do many words • Just as empty dreams leave a soul hollow, careless talk produces spiritual barrenness. Proverbs 10:19 notes, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking.” • Earlier in the chapter, Solomon said, “Let your words be few” before God (Ecclesiastes 5:2). The point is not silence for silence’s sake but reverence that keeps us from promises we cannot keep (James 1:26). • Ecclesiastes 10:14 observes, “A fool multiplies words,” displaying arrogance rather than trust. • The flood of speech often masks disobedience; it is easier to talk about serving God than to submit to Him (Matthew 21:28-31). Therefore, fear God • The antidote to futile dreaming and empty talking is the “fear of the LORD,” the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 111:10). • To fear God is to stand in reverent awe, taking Him at His word and living accordingly (Hebrews 12:28-29). • Ecclesiastes 12:13 will repeat this climactic call: “Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” • When God is rightly revered, imagination becomes subject to His will and speech becomes truthful, measured, and fruitful (Matthew 12:36-37). summary Human schemes and idle chatter promise satisfaction but prove empty. Real substance is found in a heart that treasures God above its own fantasies and tempers its words with reverent awe. Fearing God grounds our dreams in His purpose and turns our speech into sincere obedience, rescuing us from the futility Ecclesiastes exposes. |
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