Lesson 13

School Is Never Out

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14

We have come to the final chapter of Ecclesiastes. The closing argument. The final summation. The time to put the verdict to the jury to be decided. Actually, chapter 12 is closely connected to chapter 11. Earlier, Solomon had argued that life was monotonous. But now he concludes that life is an adventure. Earlier he had said that life is miserable. But now, he believes that life is a precious gift. Earlier he had thought that life was a mystery which no one could figure out and that life was meaningless. But now, as we shall see in chapter 12, he has a new perspective, a clearer view of life.

The first seven verses have an interesting view of youth and old age. When should a person think about God? When is the best time to be saved? When should one prepare for eternity? The clear answer is "in the days of thy youth." Get to know God before you have had a opportunity to be exposed to the evil that life has to offer. The older a person gets, generally, the more hardened they become toward God and the gospel. One study indicates that 86% of all converts are saved before their 15th birthday. It is important to reach people for Christ while they are young. It is important to respond to Christ while you are young. Salvation is not just for old people. It is for young people too. How easy it is to neglect the Lord when you are caught up in the enjoyments and opportunities of youth. We should know that dark days (11:8) and difficult times (12:1) lie ahead, so we had better lay a good spiritual foundation as early in life as possible. During our youthful years the sky is bright (11:7) but as we grow older without God the sky grows dark and stormy (12:2).

I want you to notice the poetic description of old age and death found in verses 3-7. A house, a tabernacle, a dwelling place is one Biblical metaphor for the human body. Job 4:19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? II Cor. 5:1-2 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. II Pet1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up... In our text, Solomon seems to be describing a house that is falling apart and finally turns to dust. I am not sure about every phrase but some of them are easy to figure out.

"the keepers of the house shall tremble" - trembling hands

"the strong men shall bow themselves" - legs, back, shoulders are bent

"grinders are few" - teeth fall out

"windows be darkened" - eyesight is deteriorating

"doors be shut" - become hard of hearing

"rise up at the voice of the bird" - sleep is harder to come by so you get up with the chickens

"daughters of music brought low" - your voice begins to quaver and weaken; singing gets harder

"afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way" - the older you get the more afraid you become; things seem riskier; afraid of heights, afraid of traveling, falling.

"the almond tree shall flourish" - almond trees have a silvery white blossom. I suspect Solomon is referring to becoming silver-headed

"the grasshopper shall be a burden" - your movements slow down, it takes longer to get where you are going, you just drag along like a grasshopper at the end of the summer season

"the desire shall fail" - some of those things that you were strong drives, strong desires diminish

"long home" - you die and go to your eternal destiny and people mourn your death

"cord, bowl, pitcher, wheel be broken" - a sudden stroke or heart attack

Eventually there is death. The body becomes dust and the spirit departs into the hands of the one who placed in a body of clay. For the last time in this discourse the preacher says, "Vanity of vanities ... all is vanity" (v. 8). The book ends where it began (1:2), emphasizing the emptiness of life without God.

Life Is A School: Keep Learning, 12:9-12.

Someone has said that life is like a school, except that sometimes you don't know what the lessons are until you failed the examination. I've got some news for you graduates, you who are so anxious for school to be out - you never get out of school. All of life is an education. Solomon emphasizes that his intention in this book was to teach the people. In this verse, he explained the character of his own work as a teacher of God's eternal truth. His teaching was wise (v. 9), orderly (v. 9), appealing (v. 10), truthful (v.10), motivational (v.11), dependable (v. 11) and inspired (v. 11). In verse 12, Solomon reminds us that new information, new things to learn will never cease and that study is hard work. We should be committed to continuing our education throughout life.

Earlier in the course of the book, Solomon had spoken often of the mysteries of life (1:16-18; 3:11; 7:24; 8:15-17). These had been a source of frustration to him. Now, seeing them in the light of God, he concludes that life is not just a unsolved mystery; life is school and we all must keep on learning and growing. Are you continuing to grow?

Life Has Purpose: Live For Eternity, 12:13-14.

Throughout the book, as Solomon viewed life without God, he kept repeating the life is vain, meaningless, without purpose, futile. But now, his perspective has changed. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter."

We really don't own our lives, because life is a gift from God. We are stewards of our lives and one day we must give an account to God of what we have done with His gift. You can waste your life. You can spend your life; or you can invest your life. Corrie Ten Boom said, "The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation." If our lives are to count, we must fulfill three obligations.

Fear God, v. 13. Ecclesiastes ends where the Proverbs begins (Prov. 1:7), with an admonition for us to fear God. This is not the first reference to that in this book (see also 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13). This is an attitude of reverence and respect for God. "When you fear God, you fear nothing else; when you do not fear God, you fear everything else" (Oswald Chambers). Isa 8:13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. Psalm 112:1,6,7,8,10 ... Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD ... Surely he shall not be moved for ever ....He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid ...The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Keep His Commandments, v. 13. An attitude of reverence should be followed by actions of obedience. This is the whole duty of man. This is the whole of man (the purpose). To summarize the purpose and duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.

Prepare For Eternity, v. 14. (see also 3:17; 11:9). Six times in the course of this book, Solomon told us to enjoy life but not once did he encourage us to enjoy sin. Solomon closes the book with a reminder of accountability in eternity. Every work will be judged, every public deed and every private moment; every good thing and every evil thing.

Is life meaningless? Not if you have God and live for eternity! Life without God is futile. Life with God is fulfilling. Life without God monotonous. Life with God is an adventure. Life without God is miserable. Life with God is wonderful. Life without God is mysterious. Life with God is educational. Don't live another day without God.

"He who has the Son has life; and he who hath not the Son of God hath not life" (I John 5:12).