Ecclesiastes 12
WITHIN the few pages of Ecclesiastes the Preacher has given a truly remarkable picture of man, and of man without the saving knowledge of God. He has set down as his own observation five principal statements the truth of which cannot he denied. These are:
(1) That the human heart and soul cannot be satisfied with what the world can supply (chapter 1, verses 8 and 18; chapter 2, verses 4 to 22; chapter 6, verse 7).
(2) Where judgment and righteousness should be, wickedness is found, for though God made men upright, they have sought out many devices, and the heart is fully set to do evil; there is not a righteous man on earth that doeth good and sinneth not (chapter 3, verse 16; chapter 7, verse 29; chapter 8, verse 11; chapter 9, verse 3; chapter 7, verse 20).
(3) What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is wanting cannot be numbered (chapter 1, verse 15).
(4) All man’s days are sorrows, and his travail vexation. Even in the night his heart takes no rest; he eats in darkness and has much vexation and sickness and irritation (chapter 2, verse 23; chapter 5, verse 17; chapter 8, verse 6).
It is appointed unto men once to die (chapter 3, verse 19; chapter 8, verse S; chapter 9, verse 3).
Well may the Preacher declare, after having applied his heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
But now as he draws to the close of his work, the Preacher calls again earnestly to man. After death the judgment!
“Rejoice,” he says, “O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment” chapter 11:9.
“Put away evil ... . and remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” Chapter 11:10; 12:1.
Since happiness is not attainable in and from the world, seek it where it may be found! Let your restless, unsatisfied heart find the peace which only God can give, and freely gives, to those who come to Him through His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:2323Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; (Romans 4:23) to 5: 11).
Chapter 12, verses 2 to 7, looks at man in the evening of life, as the pleasures once enjoyed are ended, and sorrow quickly succeeds sorrow (verse 2); the keepers of the house are, of course, the hands; the strong men are the knees; the grinders are the teeth; the windows are the eyes (verse 3). The doors are the ears, no longer hearing well (verse 4); fears take possession of the mind; “the almond tree flourishes” refers to the white hairs of old age; the least weight, as of a grasshopper, is a burden; and desire has failed (verse 5); the silver cord is perhaps the spinal cord, and the golden bowl, pitcher and cistern wheel, have been spoken of as the brain, the heart and the blood,—the vital organs of life are undoubtedly pictured in this poetic language.
Ecclesiastes being limited to the experience and the reasonings of man in connection with what happens “under the sun,” has no word from God of comfort to the believer; it is a book of negatives recording on every page, there is no happiness here!
We thankfully turn to the positives of the gospel of the glory of God and read again Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 2:6-106Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:6‑10); Revelation 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5); blessing Him for showing us so plainly in Ecclesiastes that life without Christ as the peace and joy and hope of the believer is indeed folly.
ML 01/15/1933