Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them…” – Ecclesiastes 12:1

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 brings the Teacher’s extended considerations to a end and serve as a striking conclusion that is intended to grab the attention of his audience. Throughout his writings he has exhorted us to remember God and to recognize Him as the source of all of the good things that we are to pursue in life (2:24, 9:7-9) as well as the one to whom we will give an account (11:9). As he brings his remarks to an end, he once again references the importance of knowing and worshiping God throughout the days of our lives, but does so with an element of warning.

The prior section concluded with the exhortation for the young to enjoy the days of their youth and to pursue the desires of their hearts. His final words underlie the importance of the young taking this to heart because of the fleeting nature of youth. Having stated in 11:9 that they should pursue the enjoyment of life with the reality of standing before God in judgment, He now encourages them to worship and enjoy Him in that season of life (12:1a) because of the difficulty that lies ahead for them. Specifically, there are days ahead where those who are no longer young find it exceedingly difficult to find enjoyment in life (12:1b).

Much of what follows in 12:2-7 serves to vividly illustrate the physical difficulties that await the young in old age. As he has done previously, he uses symbolic imagery to illustrate real-world truths. In describing the aging process (12:2-5), the image that he paints is of a large estate that falls into disrepair. In describing death itself, he describes the fall of a hanging oil lamp, the shattering of a water vessel, and the breaking of the wheel used to draw water from a well (12:6). Finally, with a double allusion to the imagery of man’s creation in Gen. 2:7 and ultimate fate in Gen. 3:19, he states that upon death our bodies return to the dust and our spirit to our Creator (12:7).

The Teacher then concludes the main body of the work with the familiar refrain that has served as the theme of all that he has written: “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.” With this simple statement, we are reminded once again that the fleeting nature of our youth and the eventual onset of age that leads to our demise are both exceedingly frustrating.

How are we to reckon with the frustrating realities of old age? How are we who desire to live, to reckon with our inescapable fate? We can do so only by allowing Solomon’s words to force us to look ahead. When we consider the revelation that God has given to us through His Son, we see that it is necessary for these bodies of our’s to return to the earth. We can take comfort, however, in the reality that resurrection awaits us. As we have born the image of the man of the dust (Adam), so we will bear the image of the man from heaven (Jesus Christ) (1 Cor. 15:49). By being united with Christ, our resurrection is assured and we can take joy in knowing Him, both in the days of our youth, as well as in our old age!

Join us this Sunday as we come together to worship Him and to set our minds on the things that are above where He is!

Soli Deo Gloria.

-Thomas