What is life about?
Ecclesiastes 12:1–14
As we come to the final verses of Ecclesiastes, Solomon has reached the end of his search. I love these verses. They are very simple yet powerful. The writer says, “The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person” (v. 13).
Think about that: “Fear God and keep His commandments.” Nothing difficult to understand there. Yet that is where Solomon was at the end of his life. When everything was said and done, after everything he had tried, he said, “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
Ecclesiastes is about Solomon’s quest for meaning. He tried wealth, he tried pleasure, but nothing gave him satisfaction. As he comes to the end of his quest, Solomon offers in Chapter 12 a conclusion of the meaning of life. He asks, “What is life about?” Lots of people are asking that same question.
As Solomon reflected on life he spoke of three things.
The Twilight (1–8)
Solomon speaks to the young and says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth.”
First, Solomon says whom they should remember. We are to remember our Creator. Young people are tempted to turn away from God and find purpose in other things. At times, they get wrapped up in their sin.
Second, Solomon tells them to remember “the days of their youth.” Statistically, if a young person does not give their life to Christ when they are young, the chances of them doing so diminish with time. For this reason, Solomon reminds us of the need to speak to youth about the end of life.
The Truth (9–11)
Solomon identified himself as the teacher, and evidently he explained to others what he had discovered. He emphasized that true wisdom comes from God.
This truth needs to be taught today. We live in a world of information and, unfortunately, much of it is bad. Social media is a major part of this. We need to be careful what we read and listen to. We need to be careful where we get information. Many of us are on social media, and we need to watch what we share. Whatever we post reflects us. We need to be sure we are sharing truth.
The Conclusion (12–14)
Solomon concludes with, “Fear God and keep His commandments.” After all the experimenting, after all the searching, “Fear God and keep His commandments.” As Solomon was reaching the end of his time on Earth, that’s what he had concluded regarding life.
It begins with trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Bob Buford was a businessman from Texas. His son, Ross, died while swimming the Rio Grande River, which led to a crisis in Bob’s life. He hired a “life coach” who was an atheist. Buford was a Christian. One of the first things the coach asked Buford was “What’s in the box?” meaning, “What’s important to you?”
Many people are asking that question. Some go through life pursuing the wrong things, yet they get to the end of life where they are preparing for eternity and they question what is important. They conclude they need to be ready for eternity.
What about you? As you reach the end of life, are you preparing for eternity? Solomon said the conclusion is to fear God and keep His commandments.
By Gregg Potts, D. Min.
Potts served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Mississippi and Georgia.
