Read Ecclesiastes 12:1-14.
Sometimes the best part of a speech or a lesson is when the speaker says “In Conclusion.” A good conclusion means that the speaker is going to tie up all of his or her points into a bow and make sense of it all. Solomon had been engaged in writing his thoughts about the meaning of life and the things that make life worthwhile. Pleasure, labor, and wealth had left him with a sense of futility. At this point in the book, he seemed to be ready to say “In Conclusion.”
Age seemed to be a great concern to the Teacher. He had reached the twilight years of his life. He used several different metaphors to describe the process of aging. His admonition is to “remember” the Creator God in the earlier times of youth. The idea behind the word remember in Hebrew is an act of the mind which results in applicable action. We can do this by bringing to mind daily what God has done for us. It gives us the right perspective about time and helps us think about our legacy. Solomon did this by considering the wisdom that he wrote about, some of which we have in our Bibles. The conclusion that Solomon finally made was the only thing that was really valuable was to fear God and keep His commands. Living with an awareness of God’s holiness and following Him begins with trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. A life that is lived apart from a faith in Christ is truly futile.
If we were to write a short bio on Solomon we would include king, wise man, teacher, temple builder, and husband of many, among other things. If you were to write a short bio on yourself, what would you write? The main thing for each of us is to be and be known as a believer in Jesus Christ. Do people know you as a believer today?
Mark Riser - Apologist 