The Words Of The Preacher

BEYOND THE BASICS | Jeremy Diestelkamp | Toronto, Ontario

“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'” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

This verse has been used by preachers over the years to exhort people, especially young people, to turn to God now while they can, because there will come a time when such will be too late. Hearing these types of sermons as a young person was important to me, for they got me to think about my position in this universe, how there is a God who created all things, and with that being true, I needed to serve Him. In short, it was sermons like these that convinced me that I needed to become a Christian. These words, however, were not written at the beginning of this book, they appear at the conclusion, so it is good to consider the whole context, to see if there is some deeper meaning to them.

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by “the son of David, king of Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1, 12). We would know this man as Solomon (1 Kings 1:32-35). In verse 1 of chapter 1, he describes what he was writing as the “words of the Preacher,” which is why the book itself is called “Ecclesiastes,” a term that means one who exhorts an assembly. When Solomon writes Ecclesiastes, he is seemingly an old man describing his own life and the results of his pursuit of happiness. He sought happiness in pleasure but found none there (Ecclesiastes 2:1-26). Solomon sought happiness in work but found none there (Ecclesiastes 4:1-8). He sought happiness in popularity but found none there (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16). Solomon sought happiness in money but found none there (Ecclesiastes 5:8-20). He sought happiness in all of the places where many people in this world seek happiness. However, just like Solomon, they too do not find happiness there. It is all vanity, not because these things are necessarily sinful, but because we will leave all of these things behind when we die, and thus will largely be forgotten by history as time marches on (Ecclesiastes 1:3-11). So true were Solomon’s words in that verse, for today, many in the secular archeological world doubt that he ever existed, in spite of his great wealth and wisdom.

If someone were to describe the reign of Solomon, one would conclude that it started righteously and with an eye towards God. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon said,

“…You have shown great mercy to Your servant David, my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore, give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:6-11).

Solomon demonstrated great trust in God as a youth, however, over time, in the pursuit of happiness, he left God and turned his heart after the gods of the many wives he had (1 Kings 11:1-13). His departure from God is the reason the kingdom of Israel would be rent in two during the reign of his son, Rehoboam. Solomon’s reign was the reign of what could have been, if only he had kept his eyes on God. It is with these things in mind that we now come to the twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes.

Solomon said to remember our Creator in the days of our youth because he had forgotten his Creator, Jehovah, and now regrets his life (Ecclesiastes 12:1). He was also facing difficult days not only because he was old, and it was harder to move, but because God was punishing him for his sins (1 Kings 11:14-25). Serving our Creator is easier in our youth than only beginning to do so after advancing in age. Why is that? For starters, those who are young have not yet had “the sun and the light, the moon and the stars” become darkened, meaning that a young person still has the full ability to see (Ecclesiastes 12:2). Our eyesight is of great value in the kingdom of God, for we can study the Scriptures quicker than those who cannot see, making it easier to continue to grow in the Word. Second, those who are youths have not yet had “the keepers of the house tremble or the strong men bow down,” meaning that a youth’s body remains strong and able to move with relative ease (Ecclesiastes 12:3). Having full use of our body is of great value in the kingdom of God, for we can travel farther than those who cannot walk, thus allowing us to go to more distant places in the spreading of the Gospel. Third, those who are youth have not yet had the “grinders cease because they are few” or “the daughters of music brought low,” meaning that a young person still has all of their teeth, and their voice is strong (Ecclesiastes 12:3-5). Having our teeth and a voice that is loud enough to speak is of great value in the kingdom of God, for we are more able to preach and teach the message than those who have lost such ability. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, those who are young have not yet had “the silver cord loosed” or “the golden bowl broken,” meaning that a youth’s body has yet to return to the earth as it was, nor has their spirit returned to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:6-8). Being alive on this earth is of great value in the kingdom of God, for only those who are alive can spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who are dead, though they may have lived great lives of faith, will leave everything they have done behind, and their deeds will largely be forgotten.

Death should not frighten those who have remembered their Creator, even if it wasn’t from their youth because God has promised to save those by grace who faithfully obey Him. He also promises for those who follow Him, that they have the hope of eternal life (Ephesians 2:8; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Solomon tells us what God demands of us. We are to “Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). This is our sole duty. Our purpose is not to become rich and powerful. Neither is our purpose in life to become famous. Our responsibility is to respect God and to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. Respect and love for God will manifest itself in doing all that He says. For people today, that involves our believing in His Son Jesus Christ as the Son of God, repenting of our sins, confessing our faith before others, and being baptized for the remission of our sins. Furthermore, we are expected to live a godly life unto death, fully trusting in the grace of God to save us (John 8:24; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 22:16; Revelation 2:10). Why is it so important that we do this? It is important for one day, “…God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Nobody will escape the judgment of God. Are you prepared for the Judgment Day? If not, then the words of the preacher are a warning for you to now consider your life and to obey God, for tomorrow is never guaranteed.

** All verses are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless indicated otherwise **

20.01.07 | GROW magazine