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Summary

Ecclesiastes 12:1–8 – Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

What happens: Remember your Creator before the evil days of aging come. A vivid poem pictures failing strength, dim eyes, shaking hands, and the silver cord broken. The dust returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Teacher.

What it means: Life fades quickly, so seek God early and continually. Death brings us before our Maker, who gave life. God deserves priority while strength remains.

Ecclesiastes 12:9–12 – Words of the Wise

What happens: The Teacher is wise, teaching knowledge and crafting upright, true words. Words of the wise are like goads and nails given by one Shepherd. Many books have no end, and much study wearies the flesh.

What it means: God uses wise words to guide and anchor us. He is the ultimate Shepherd behind true wisdom. Endless learning without fear of God exhausts rather than leads to life.

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 – The End of the Matter

What happens: The conclusion of everything is this: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing.

What it means: Reverence and obedience are the center of a meaningful life. God is holy and just and will judge all. Living before His face gives weight and joy to our days.

Application

  • Give God your first and best years, not your leftovers.
  • Let Scripture’s wise words anchor you under the care of the Shepherd.
  • Fear God and obey Him, knowing He sees and will judge all things.

Bible

1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

8Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

← Ecclesiastes 11Song of Solomon 1 →

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