Ecclesiastes 12

Remember Your Creator

¹Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the days of adversity come

and the years approach of which you will say,

“I find no pleasure in them,”

• ECC 12:1[NOTABLE]Do not wait until you are old to get serious about God. Start now.
• ECC 12:1[NOTE]REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR. Remember means more than think about. It means to live for Him, before the hard years come.

²before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,

and the clouds return after the rain,

³on the day the keepers of the house tremble

and the strong men stoop,

when those grinding cease because they are few

and those watching through windows see dimly,

• ECC 12:3[NOTE]THE OLD AGE POEM. Many read 12:2 to 7 as a picture of a body growing old. The keepers who tremble are the arms and hands, the grinders are the teeth, the windows are the eyes, the almond blossoms are white hair, and the grasshopper that drags itself along is a stiff walk.

⁴when the doors to the street are shut

and the sound of the mill fades away,

when one rises at the sound of a bird

and all the daughters of song grow faint,

⁵when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,

when the almond tree blossoms,

the grasshopper loses its spring,

and the caper berry shrivels—

for then man goes to his eternal home

and mourners walk the streets.

⁶Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped

and the golden bowl is crushed,

before the pitcher is shattered at the spring

and the wheel is broken at the well,

• ECC 12:6[NOTE]THE SILVER CORD. Many picture a gold lamp bowl hanging by a silver cord. When the cord snaps, the bowl falls and breaks. It is a picture of death, when life is cut off.

⁷before the dust returns to the ground from which it came

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

• ECC 12:7[NOTE]DUST AND SPIRIT. The body goes back to the dust, as God said to Adam, Genesis 3:19. The spirit, the breath of life God gave, Genesis 2:7, goes back to Him.

⁸“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher.

“Everything is futile!”

The Whole Duty of Man

⁹Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. ¹⁰The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

• ECC 12:9[NOTE]A NEW VOICE. In 12:9 to 14 someone talks about the Teacher instead of as the Teacher. Many think this is the one who put the book together.

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd. ¹²And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

• ECC 12:11[NOTE]ONE SHEPHERD. The wise sayings come from one Shepherd. Many Christians think of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, John 10:11.
• ECC 12:12[NOTE]MANY BOOKS. Every student's favorite verse. Books never end, and too much study wears you out.

¹³When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

• ECC 12:13[NOTABLE]After trying everything, the Teacher lands here. This is the bottom line of the whole book.
• ECC 12:14[NOTE]EVERY HIDDEN THING. God will judge it all. Paul says, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10.