–Emerson Hough (54-40 or Fight)
“Therefore, though I have abundant boldness in Christ to charge you to do what is fitting and required and your duty to do.”
–Philemon 8 (Amplified)
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Solomon has been telling us all of the problems with the world. Everything, so far, has been vanity–hopeless. Now he is winding down. He says that he simply wanted to speak “words of truth.” In Ecclesiasts 12:11, he tells of his purpose, “The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.” (NKJV) “Goads,” refers to the “mental hooks giving stability and perspective to life.” (NKJV Study Bible) Notice also, that the NKJV capitalizes “Shepherd.” Kings were typically compared to shepherds, but here, “Solomon is claiming that the source of his ideas is God, the Shepherd of Israel” (Ps 80:1) (NKJV Study Bible).
When we go back to glean more from Ecclesiastes we find that there are actually three themes: 1) Solomon speaks honestly about life; 2) All is vanity; and 3) Life is an empty study in futility. Isn’t that uplifting? But remember from the beginning Solomon said that all is vanity, all is hopeless. What then do we do? Go eat some worms? No, the answer to a fulfilling life, one that is not vanity is found in Jesus Christ. Charles Swindoll said, “Life without the Lord is a pathetic hollow drag.” That’s what Solomon has been trying to tell us. Life without Christ is vanity–hopeless.
In verse 9, Solomon says we must “search out” or as he put it, “he pondered and sought out.” Literally this means like a “dog wrestles with a bone.” Have you ever thought about looking at life like that? Of course, the goad is a “well-driven nail.” Solomon searched, he wrestled with ideas and philosophies and thoughts and figured out the meaning of life.
“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.”
–Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NKJV)
Look at the conclusion! We see throughout the book, life is a stewardship (read Acts 17:24-28). “The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” (Corrie ten Boom) Consider the following acrostic. FEAR: the F–stands for faith in His existence. E–is the experience of His grace; A–is awe at the majesty, the wisdom, and the wonder of God; and R–stands for resolve to do what He says, to obey His words and commands. One of the greatest things missing from the church today is the fear of God. Joseph Parker wrote, “Fear God and no other fear will ever bother you.” Follow that up with the words of Solomon himself, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) Hmmm, ponder that–to a fool life is vanity–hopeless, but to the one who fears the Lord life is a wonder, a walk through life with Him by your side.
We are to keep His commands. Jesus said, if you love me keep my commandments (John 14:15) We will never understand all of life. We will never understand the mysteries of God with our finite minds. As we go through life our duty, our responsibility, our obligation is to “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (ESV) Let me end our study in Ecclesiastes with a quotation by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.
“No formula of legalism is this ‘keeping of His commandments.’ Neither is it a method of earning favor to be used when facing God. It is a summary of the beginning, middle, and end of life as we know it on this earth: coming to know and trust the living God; receiving the gifts of life’s goods; learning how to enjoy those mundane gifts; understanding the major part of the plan of God; and being guided into joyous and strenuous activity in the art of living, even while portions of life remain enigmatic.”
Solomon has been telling us all of the problems with the world. Everything, so far, has been vanity–hopeless. Now he is winding down. He says that he simply wanted to speak “words of truth.” In Ecclesiasts 12:11, he tells of his purpose, “The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.” (NKJV) “Goads,” refers to the “mental hooks giving stability and perspective to life.” (NKJV Study Bible) Notice also, that the NKJV capitalizes “Shepherd.” Kings were typically compared to shepherds, but here, “Solomon is claiming that the source of his ideas is God, the Shepherd of Israel” (Ps 80:1) (NKJV Study Bible).
When we go back to glean more from Ecclesiastes we find that there are actually three themes: 1) Solomon speaks honestly about life; 2) All is vanity; and 3) Life is an empty study in futility. Isn’t that uplifting? But remember from the beginning Solomon said that all is vanity, all is hopeless. What then do we do? Go eat some worms? No, the answer to a fulfilling life, one that is not vanity is found in Jesus Christ. Charles Swindoll said, “Life without the Lord is a pathetic hollow drag.” That’s what Solomon has been trying to tell us. Life without Christ is vanity–hopeless.
In verse 9, Solomon says we must “search out” or as he put it, “he pondered and sought out.” Literally this means like a “dog wrestles with a bone.” Have you ever thought about looking at life like that? Of course, the goad is a “well-driven nail.” Solomon searched, he wrestled with ideas and philosophies and thoughts and figured out the meaning of life.
“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.”
–Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NKJV)
Look at the conclusion! We see throughout the book, life is a stewardship (read Acts 17:24-28). “The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” (Corrie ten Boom) Consider the following acrostic. FEAR: the F–stands for faith in His existence. E–is the experience of His grace; A–is awe at the majesty, the wisdom, and the wonder of God; and R–stands for resolve to do what He says, to obey His words and commands. One of the greatest things missing from the church today is the fear of God. Joseph Parker wrote, “Fear God and no other fear will ever bother you.” Follow that up with the words of Solomon himself, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) Hmmm, ponder that–to a fool life is vanity–hopeless, but to the one who fears the Lord life is a wonder, a walk through life with Him by your side.
We are to keep His commands. Jesus said, if you love me keep my commandments (John 14:15) We will never understand all of life. We will never understand the mysteries of God with our finite minds. As we go through life our duty, our responsibility, our obligation is to “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (ESV) Let me end our study in Ecclesiastes with a quotation by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.
“No formula of legalism is this ‘keeping of His commandments.’ Neither is it a method of earning favor to be used when facing God. It is a summary of the beginning, middle, and end of life as we know it on this earth: coming to know and trust the living God; receiving the gifts of life’s goods; learning how to enjoy those mundane gifts; understanding the major part of the plan of God; and being guided into joyous and strenuous activity in the art of living, even while portions of life remain enigmatic.”