No matter how excellent your form is, no matter how well you launch off the blocks, the lap that determines your most durable memory is often your last lap around. That is not to say that other laps can be run badly – how we run the race of life counts. Yet, too many seem to run well for awhile and then “shut down” or end with a bitterness in their mouth to those who come behind. Spending time with my dad in this stage of life has helped me become an up close observer to a part of life I never considered when I was young.
Ecclesiastes offers some words that we should re-examine on the “finishing lap” of our lives on earth. Like other “Wisdom Literature” of the Bible, it explores life and draws from experience the truisms of the ages. While both life for self and life for God are both explored, both sides of the equation are measured. On the one hand, philosophy (man’s search for the underlying truths of life) is measured. On the other, the revelation of God during man’s life experiences is seen. The search for truth, reality and meaning comes in three ways: experiential empiricism (I made, I built, etc in 2:4-7); rationalism (I set my mind to know, etc in 1:16-17); revelation (God gave a man, 2:26). Key verse: 1:13 “And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with”. With the technical stuff out of the way, let’s take a quick look at some observations about the final lap of our earth walk!
Key Principle: Since our life on earth is very finite and time beyond this life does not exist, we must look at this time as a great gift to express our growing love and devotion to the God that created and saved us!
11:8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility. 9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
1. Settling matters inside of us…We cannot help anyone if we do not have ourselves in order! (11:8)
Observation #1: Not everyone is given the long life, and that is God’s Sovereign choice – the same as your sex, race and time in history. “Indeed, if a man should live many years..” Have you caught yourself at a funeral asking why someone who seems more vital and productive has left while God has kept you here? Christians say they believe in prayer, but they actually believe in working for God more than they believe in communing with God and interceding for others. If we believed in intercession as a higher calling, we who know and love the Lord wouldn’t question our remaining.
Observation #2: Long life is both a gift and a test of growing in obedience! (11:8b). The text offers, “…let him rejoice”. We will not naturally rejoice in the length of our years. Aches and pains increase as our spirit groans to shed this body. Yet, our obedience can drive us forward in rejoicing!
Observation #3: Rejoicing in days is a learned skill based on a deep walk. We must UNDERSTAND to live each day in JOY is a learned art of trust (11:8b). “Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all”. Hebrew has two common terms that are translated “rejoice” or “joy” (Gila and simcha). The term rejoice (saw-makh’) is figuratively used to BRIGHTEN, but comes from a root that has to do with assurance, not simply happiness. Assurance is learned, and is rooted in a track record with God.
Observation #4: As we age, it can become easy to disengage and stop our planning, leaving the problems to another generation. We must deliberately VIEW life in a balanced way (11:8b). “and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.” To focus on the darkness too much is NOT a true picture, but to ignore planning for future troubles is seriously unwise. To believe that the future will care for itself is foolish!
Observation #5: Though some disengage, more find it easy to get caught up in WORRY. We must SURRENDER our view of the future (11:8b). The writer warns not to get too caught up in the future worries, as they are transitory. “Everything that is to come will be futility.” The term futility is ‘heh-bel’ a term for quickly transitioning things. The idea isn’t that the future will be empty, but that it will not stay fixed in place, and should not warrant undue stress on us. God is Sovereign and He alone knows the outcome of the plan.
2. Relating to those who follow us…We all want to leave behind those who will carry on the work we have carried from those who went before us! (11:9-12:8)
Observation #7: We must encourage those who come behind us to live both ENTHUSIASTICALLY (11:9). “9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.”
Observation #8: We must encourage the young to remember to also live REFLECTIVELY – examining the truth carefully at every opportunity (11:10).”Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” Our young life gives us the opportunity to aggressively seek the things we believe will make us happy, for this is God’s gift to us. Remember in those days that we will reap what we sow!
Observation #9: We must encourage the young to remember to live GRACIOUSLY – by both example and word letting go of wrongs committed against us and surrender what we cannot solve or control in this life (11:10). “10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.” The text reminds us that we can prevent the pain of later by better decisions now, for the time will pass swiftly and “PAY LATER” is only a heartbeat after “BUY NOW”!.
Observation #10: Those who did not build a relationship with God in their youth, will find it difficult to initiate one in the latter years of life (12:1). 1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”.
Observation #11: The difficult days of life will soon come and only those who prepare with a walk with God will face them well (12:1b) – because our minds will eventually fade – and our “brightness” slip, as well as our bodies ability to recoup quickly (12:2). “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; 2 before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;”
- Growing too soon weaker and our hands trembling, our bodies are stooping, our teeth coming out and our eyesight failing (12:3). “3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim;”
- “Gumming” our food when the teeth fail (12:4a), failure to sleep well (12:4b) and failed hearing (12:4b). 4 “and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.”
- Fears of difficult physical challenges becoming very real (12:5) as our hair turns white. Limbs will grow stiff and sexual drives will fail (‘abiyownah: ab-ee-yo-naw’ – a stimulating taste), as a man yields this life and passes to eternity – and is remembered (12:5b). 5 “Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.”
- The spinal column weakens, the mind becomes dulled and the bowels become unpredictable, in addition to the accompanying heart problems (12:6). 6 “Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;”
- In the end, the body is laid to rest and turn back to dust and memories, while the spirit is whisked into eternity (12:7). 7 “then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”
- It all passes quickly, and much that appears to have meaning, really doesn’t! (12:8). 8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”
3. Settling the final conclusion of it all…(12:9-14). There is a point to this life, but without revelation that point is beyond our grasp.
Observation #12: Following God’s Word in life will draw us to a positive testimony NOW and a positive reward later! (12:9-13)
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Follow the words that have been carefully ordered by the giver of the Word (12:9-10). 9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
11The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12But beyond this, my son, be warned. The teachings should perform four ways in our lives:
- They should “goad and guide us”,
- they should “nail” us, and be applied to OUR lives to push us to do right! (12:11)
- they should always point us to the source of truth – the ONE Shepherd (12:11b).
- they should warn us (12:12a).
“…the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” Accumulating knowledge for the sake of theory is exhausting and unproductive (12:12b). Walk reverently and obediently to the Word of the Lord – it is what God really wants from us! (12:13). Make sure the obedience leads you to DO the right things! (12:14).
Since our life on earth is very finite and time beyond this life does not exist, we must look at this time as a great gift to express our growing love and devotion to the God that created and saved us!
