Ecclesiastes 12 Seek God in Early Life
12:1-4 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”: While the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain; in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow down; when the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows grow dim; when the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; when one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low.
5 Also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.”
One of the biggest mistakes people make is holding God at arm’s length while they enjoy “fun.” But none of us knows whether we will live long lives. Accidents, shootings, illnesses-all can strike without warning bringing a sudden end to our existence. There’s an old saying, “Only one life-twill soon be past. Only what’s done for God will last.” God has given us all good things to enjoy; why can’t we give Him our lives while we are young and strong?
This week we buried a close friend in America who had lived faithfully for God his entire life. The tributes given at our friend’s funeral were both awe-inspiring and humbling, for he had served God faithfully and the influence of this quiet man was vast-prayer group partners, fellow short-term missionaries, family members, former colleagues-so many people testified of the blessings of this man’s life.
This morning during my rounds, I cared for a man in his 40’s who had come in with a TIA-a transient ischemic attack. I warned this man that he had to be faithful in taking his antihypertensive meds plus low dose aspirin. I’m praying that he does well and never has an actual stroke, but we do see fairly young patients with incapacitating strokes.
The Whole Duty of Man
9-10 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.
11-13 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
This is Solomon’s final word on the matter. In this day of AI and pseudo-studies, it’s difficult to ascertain truth. Certainly, those of us who have carried back packs full of text books would agree that “of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.”
So Solomon ends Ecclesiastes by concluding “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Sadly, Solomon will fail to take his own advice and drift increasingly further away from God as he propitiates his idolatrous wives and concubines by creating places of worship for their demons.
Ecclesiastes is a fascinating and sometimes frustrating book. My advice remains: Chew up the meat and spit out the bones. Take the parts that point you toward God and follow those. But remember that when Solomon waxes negative, these are the thoughts of a man who has had it all and has found that things by themselves without God are not enough. May God help us to remember Saint Augustine’s observation and allow our hearts to find their rest in Him.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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