Overcoming Hindrances to Humility [Family Worship lesson in Ecclesiastes 5:8–17]

What can be a hindrance to humility in worship? Ecclesiastes 5:8–17 looks forward to the call to worship in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that earthly position and earthly possessions threaten to hinder humility before God. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript: Pastor's devotional draws from Ecclesiastes 5:8–17 to expose the humiliation of power and wealth, emphasizing that both kings and the rich are ultimately subject to God’s sovereignty and the impermanence of earthly things. It highlights that oppression and injustice are not signs of divine abandonment but are subject to a divine order where even the highest authorities are accountable, and where true wisdom lies in recognizing one’s creaturely dependence on God. The text warns that the pursuit of wealth brings not satisfaction but anxiety, sleeplessness, and spiritual emptiness, as material abundance increases responsibility and fosters fear, sorrow, and anger, while ultimately yielding nothing at death. Pastor urges us to humility before God—rooted in worship and reinforced by the reality that all come into the world naked and leave the same way—urging believers to live not for status or possessions, but for God’s glory, which endures beyond death. This humility, cultivated in worship, becomes the antidote to pride and greed, transforming life from a pursuit of vanities into a life of lasting meaning and peace.