Eccl 11:9-10; 12:1-7, 13
SS Lesson for 10/16/2011
Devotional Scripture: Ps 71:1-12
The outline of the lesson came from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator. It instructs how to Grow Old with Wisdom. The study's aim is to learn that our Creator God is our final Judge in all things and that we are to always remember Him. The study's application is to understand that old age can be a time of wisdom when we remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
No Age Discrimination Here
Chuck Swindoll, in his book The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, offers some observations on aging:
Your dreams are reruns;
The stewardess offers coffee, tea, or Milk of Magnesia;
You sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it started;
Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work;
A pretty girl prompts your pacemaker to lift the garage door;
You sink your teeth into a juicy steak, and they stay there.
We may add that another sign of aging is not knowing that the obsolete word stewardess has been replaced by flight attendant! Yes, changes do occur with growing older; quite honestly, many of them are not welcome! Solomon, the probable author of Ecclesiastes, describes some losses one experiences in growing older. Yet one important item does not have to be lost: wisdom. If anything, wisdom should become more precious as the changes that accompany aging become all too personal. God’s wisdom is meant for all ages and all seasons of life.
Lesson Background
Today’s lesson is the second from the book of Ecclesiastes. Thus, the background is the same as the previous lesson. We recall that Ecclesiastes is a kind of journal from Solomon, documenting his quest for the meaning and significance of life. The portion of Ecclesiastes covered in today’s printed text comes from the conclusion of the book.
Our society celebrates the exploits of youth. Much of our entertainment consists of amateur and professional sports, in which young men and women fascinate us with their skills. We are amazed as we see new records established and then broken. Older people at high school alumni reunions fondly remember the carefree days they once spent together, with their pranks, special celebrations, and athletic victories. Those were the "good old days." With this glorification of youth there often comes a denial of aging and eventual death. With euphemisms such as "golden years" and "seniors," we shield ourselves from the unpleasant realities of old age. Huge businesses thrive on products and medical procedures designed to preserve the appearance of youth even as it is slipping away. It is difficult for us to face our frailty and mortality. Solomon advised that if a person is to be wise in old age, he must properly prepare for it while young. That is the theme of this week's lesson. Many people dread the onset of old age. We fear the loss of muscle strength and independence. The first wrinkles on our faces can seem like an indicator of impending doom. But our lesson this week shows us that life is not just about physical fitness. What is most important is relating to a God who loves us, no matter what our bodies tell us. In fact, our lesson this week stresses that with the blessing of our Creator, our aging years can be a period of great wisdom.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity.
27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them":
2 While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain;
3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim;
4 When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low.
5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
1. Remember also your Creator (Remember God and use opportunities while I can. Also don't put off today for tomorrow- see also verse 6) in the days of your youth, before the evil days (Storms of life) come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them";(Give up on life because of its seemingly defeated end)
2. before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;
3. in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble (Bodily strength wane), and mighty men stoop (Bones decay and body stoops), the grinding ones stand idle (Teeth loss) because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim (Eye sight loss);
4. and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low (Hearing loss), and one will arise at the sound of the bird (Sleep loss), and all the daughters of song will sing softly.
5. Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road (Loss of risk taking, fear of falling); the almond tree blossoms (Gray hair), the grasshopper drags himself along (Crippled walk), and the caperberry is ineffective (Sexual desire diminishes). For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.
6. {Remember Him}(see verse 1) 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 (Two essential elements of life - Water and Light); Barnes Notes states the meaning of this verse (6) as the termination of life is signified generally by the snapping of the silver cord by which the lamp hangs from the ceiling; by the dashing in pieces of the cup or reservoir of oil; by the shattering of the pitcher used to bring water from the spring; and by the breaking of the wheel by which a bucket is let down into the well. Others discern in the silver cord, the soul which holds the body in life; in the bowl, the body; and in the golden oil (compare Zech. 4:12) within it, the spirit.
10 The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
8 However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. 28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. 29 Let him bury his face in the dust- there may yet be hope.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Now about the dead rising-have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.
9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
19 I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
16 Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf. 17 They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.
12 Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
22 Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. 23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. 24 They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.'
4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Solomon’s warnings about the coming of old age and eventual death may be compared with the warnings Ebenezer Scrooge received from Jacob Marley’s ghost in the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Scrooge, a selfish, miserly wretch, is warned one night by the ghost of Marley (his former business partner) that three spirits were to visit him. Scrooge encounters these visitors as promised. As a result of what the visitations tell Scrooge about himself, he becomes a changed man and learns how to “keep Christmas” truly. Solomon’s warnings at the close of Ecclesiastes do not include promises of any visits by spirits. But the warnings he does give should be sufficient to cause us to take stock of our lives and acknowledge our Creator while we are still in a position to do so. The fact is, someday I will come face to face with an individual who will remind me of the choices I made in life, whether good or bad. And that individual will be—me! Unless something happens to prevent me from reaching old age, I will experience the physical changes described by Solomon in today’s text. Modern medical advances may help to slow down some of the processes, but those problems will come my way just the same. What will it be like when I face that future version of me? Will I be grumpy or gracious, crabby or congenial, a burden or a blessing? The answer depends on whether I daily face someone else: the Creator in whose image I was made and who alone knows what is best for me. Only when I follow his directions will I be able to look my future self in the eye—with no regrets.
The text reminds us that the that is pleasing to God is one that characterized by fear of Him. It is easy to pass over this message quickly, since it is a message that common in the Old Testament, where numerous passages remind us be careful to observe all of God's commandments (cf. Lev. 19:37; Deut. 16:12). The New Testament too reminds us that our lives ought to be characterized by complete obedience (cf. Matt. 28:20). The message of the text, however, is far more striking when we realize that the preacher reached this conclusion after significant heartache, is a statement of faith that emerges the end of the deep struggle with God's ways that is described in all twelve chapters of the book. Ecclesiastes as a whole forms an intellectual and spiritual journey in which the preacher wrestled with the mysterious ways of God. He made a series of observations about the harsh realities of life and tried to reconcile them with the truths found elsewhere in Scripture. In particular, he wrestled with the truths found in Proverbs that wisdom brings prosperity while foolishness brings suffering. He observed that although the righteous do experience some prosperity in this life, death hangs over all human effort (cf. Eccles. 2:12-16). Although the wicked often suffer consequences for their actions, in many cases injustice is to reign supreme (cf. 3:16). The search for wisdom is deeply frustrating. Wisdom itself is elusive (cf. Eccles. 7:23). When one does find wisdom, it often brings sorrow rather than joy (cf. 1:18). These realities were so frustrating to the author that at one point in the book he even went so far as to say that he hated life itself (cf. Eccles. 2:19). Since the preacher had been struggling with the truths taught in the book of Proverbs, it is particularly striking that he ended his book with a confession that echoes Proverbs itself. Proverbs states that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (1:7). In the text, the preacher of Ecclesiastes affirmed this truth. Like the preacher, we must commit ourselves to fearing God and keeping His commandments, even when God's promises do not seem to us to be true. We may not be able to understand God's reasons for allowing various events to happen in our lives, but we place our faith in Him nonetheless. At the same time, as New Testament believers, we have begun to see glimpses of solutions to the problems the author raised. We can now clearly see that the suffering and injustice of the present time will give way to future glory (cf. Rom. 8:18). Further, we have seen*that injustice itself plays a crucial role in history. The murder of Jesus was the most unjust event in history; yet if this had never occurred, there would be no salvation for the world. One day we will see God face-to-face, but for now much is as if we were looking through a dark glass (cf. I Cor. 13:12). Still, when we grasp how much God has poured out His love on us in Christ, we press on in faith in spite of our lack of understanding. Knowing God's love, we fear and obey Him.
1. The pleasure of youth should be enjoyed only in light of eternity to come (Eccles. 11:9-10)
2. Faith should be established in good times so that hard times might be weathered (12:1)
3. Acknowledging that difficult times will come is a vital step in living life (vs. 2-5)
4. Death will always remind us that this life is transitory
5. Every earthly thing will fade with time, but your standing before the eternal God will not (vs. 6-7)
6. Man's highest and most satisfying dedication is to that which is eternal (vs. 13)
Solomon had seen about everything there is to see in life. He had enjoyed wealth and power and wisdom, and he had experienced life apart from God with all it its negative consequences. His conclusion to the book of Ecclesiastes presents life as it really is and offers the wise way of following the Lord as the only hope in a dark and sinful and empty world. It is especially important that one recognize this truth early in life.
Youth, Solomon said, is a time to enjoy life. The young are not burdened down with many of the responsibilities of life that will soon come. They should enjoy the life God has given them, doing whatever they desire to do. This does not mean living a carefree, self-indulgent life. Young people are to fully enjoy life while remembering that in the end, God will judge all actions. Thus, they must learn to reject those things that do harm to the mind ("heart") and body ("flesh") (Eccles. 11:10). In essence, Solomon is repeating the advice he gave to young people in Proverbs: Fear the Lord and walk in wisdom. The urgency of Solomon's advice is found in the fact that childhood youth is meaningless. That is, one's youth will not last long.
The author also says a person is to remember his Creator in the days of his youth. The call to remember, of course, means more than to call to one's mind. It means to recognize the Creator as the One who has claim on one's life; it is He who is to mold and shape the young person's actions and attitudes. In short, remembering Him is placing one's complete faith in the Lord. The young person should never put off faith in God till a later time. Too often that later time never comes. Statistics alone tell us that the longer one lives without God, the less likely it is that person ever will trust in the Lord. It is extremely important to begin trusting and following the Lord in one's youth, for challenging days lie ahead. The remainder of Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 describes the days of old age, which rapidly overtake us all and sometimes offer little relief. Wise is the person who learns to live a responsible, God-honoring life before those days arrive. Advancing age brings with it frustration. Like the changing seasons of the year, youth is replaced by adulthood and finally old age. Strength abandons us; the arms, legs, teeth, and eyes, poetically pictured by Solomon, soon weaken. The body loses its vitality, and sleep eludes the aged. With advancing age come newfound fears and loss of natural desires. The picture is bleak, but it makes the point. Our time on earth is limited, and much of it is filled with hardship—all the more so as we grow older. How important it is to know, love, and follow God before death comes and our bodies return to the earth and our spirits return to God! As believers, we can look forward to being in the Lord's presence. How much more joyful it will be to enter His presence knowing we have honored Him in this life! Let us strive to emulate the Apostle Paul, who could claim, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).