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The conclusion: Fear God!

Scripture reading for July 14th: Ecclesiastes 7-12

The quest of Solomon to find meaning is played out every day in our world.  People are going to and fro seeking pleasure, wisdom, meaning and purpose in life under the sun.  They are trying wine, women, sports, building, materialism, and fame to find happiness and fulfillment. Many laugh and appear to have fun, but they have found no meaning.   Many are in bondage to sins of the flesh and are miserable.  That elusive fulfillment can only be found in God Himself!

Solomon told us that the day of death was better than the day of birth.   Death will come to every man and their works will stand judgment.  This should give us motivation for righteous living here and now!   There was not a righteous man who did what is right and never sinned. (Ecclesiastes 7:10; Romans 3:23)  Solomon found that God had made men upright, but that men in their folly had gone in search of many schemes!  (Ecclesiastes 7:29)

“The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)  No one really knows the future or what it holds.  Accidents can come suddenly and death can snatch us from this life without warning!   “As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.” (Ecclesiastes 9:12)

“The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails–given by one Shepherd.  Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.  Of the making of many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.  Now all has been heard; her is the conclusion of the matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-13)  Let the fear of the Lord and obedience to His commands drive your life.  It is the beginning of all wisdom.  These are wise words given by our Shepherd to be pondered and applied!  True meaning will come at Christ’s judgment seat when every deed is judged!