- [Narrator] The book of Ecclesiastes
as written by Solomon at the latter end of his life.
And it has a lot of lessons for us.
I say the later end of his life
because it is fairly easy to figure out
how old an author is based on his writing.
The Song of Songs
is one of the most well known works in the Bible.
We can tell how old Solomon was by looking at his words.
He lauded the love of a girl
in the Song of Songs
indicating that he was still in his youth.
Then, when you read Proverbs, he wrote,
"Now, son, keep an eye on the woman."
Now we see he's middle aged.
We can see that he's attempting to prevent his son
from repeating his mistakes,
but here in Ecclesiastes
he says,
"Remember your creator in the days of your youth,
before the teeth are few
and the eyes are dim and the legs shake."
Here, he is very close to the end of his life.
He's nearing the end of his life here.
The truth is, you only get one shot at life.
Yesterday has passed.
You won't be able to get it back.
You only have one chance at life
and it's dreadful to get at the end of it
and feel like you've missed it.
He could have anything he wanted
and do everything he wanted now.
For starters, he was king
which meant he could do whatever he pleased.
He was also rich.
He was a highly wealthy individual.
He was also famous.
Now, these are the things that the majority
of people desire.
Wealth, power and fame
are all things that people strive for.
Because this particular old man wrote it.
Ecclesiastes is worth reading.
Now, I'm gonna begin with chapter 11:9.
You who are young, be happy while you are young
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
So then banish anxiety from your heart and cast off troubles
off your body for youth and vigor are meaningless.
Remember your creator in the days of your youth
before the days of trouble come and the years approach
when you will say,
"I find no pleasure in them."
Before the sun
and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark.
And the clouds return after the rain
when the keepers of the house tremble
and the strong men stoop.
When the grind sees
because they're few
and those looking through the windows grow dim.
When the doors to the streets are closed
and the sound of grinding fades.
When people rise up at the sound of birds
but all the songs grow faint.
When people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets.
When the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is dead.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
Remember him before the silver cord severed
and the golden bowl is broken.
Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring
and the wheel broken at the well.
And the dust returns to the ground it came from
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
"Meaningless, meaningless."
Says the teacher, "Everything is meaningless."
Not only was a teacher wise
but he also imparted knowledge to the people.
He ponded and searched out and set in order many proverbs.
The teacher searched to find just the right words
and what he wrote was upright and true.
The words of the wise are like guards,
they are collected sayings
like firmly embedded nails given by one shepherd.
Be warned my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books,
there is no end and much study worries the body.
Now all has been heard.
Here is the conclusion of the matter.
Fear God and keep his commandments
for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment
including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
What an important message for young people to hear.
Just pay attention to what he says now.
"First and foremost." He continues,
"Remember God.
Keep him in mind."
And he's admitting that he forgot about him.
That is of course why God isn't mentioned in Song of Songs.
He forgot about God while he was young and in love
and all he could think about was this girl.
"Just remember God, while you're young,
before it's too late."
He advisors young people.
"Fear God."
He says the second time.
Not only should you not forget about him
but also fear him.
The fear of the Lord,
according to the Bible's wisdom literature,
is the beginning of wisdom.
The Bible will teach you how to be wise.
One of the first steps towards wisdom
is to fear God more than anything else.
It's incredible what people are afraid of.
They're fearful of a variety of things
but I assure you that if you fear the Lord
you will not be afraid of anything or anybody else.
That's a big fear and big fears cure little fears.
Why should we be afraid of God?
Precisely because he'll demand an account
of what you've done with the life is given to you.
And the fear of him saying you messed it up
is a legitimate one.
And it's important to fear God.
It's one of the biggest motivations to live right.
Jesus said to born again believers,
"Matthew 10:28, do not be afraid
of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.
Instead, fear the one who cannot destroy
both soul and body in hell."
When individuals on the inside don't fear the Lord,
those on the outside, don't fear him at all.
So remember God, be afraid of him and obey him.
Keep God in mind, fear him and study his way of life.
This is why the book of Ecclesiastes
is included in our Bible.
It describes where you will end up
if you do not his way of life
that if you don't comprehend the meaning of life
from both the perspective of heaven
and the perspective of the next world,
you'll end up disillusioned,
disappointed and dejected saying, "Well, it was all for not.
What was the point?"
Lots of people feel this way.
Christians, on the other hand, do not share the sentiment.
They understand that anything we do
for the Lord is not in vain.
It has eternal ramifications for good or evil,
that things could happen this weekend in you
that will last forever
cause our eternity is at stake.
That is why it is in our Bible.
God teaches us positively in the Bible how to live.
However, he also teaches us how not to do things
in an opposite way.
And he gives us both positive and negative instances
which together provide a good image.
Ecclesiastes is a primarily pessimistic book.
It's saying, "Don't finish up like this,
because if you ignore God, forget about him.
Don't fear him and don't live life
according to maker's instructions,
you'll come to the end and realize it's all been for not."
Do you wanna do that?
Or do you want to live God's way?
And then you get to the end of it and say,
"Thank you, God."
Let us pray.
Father,
I've heard so much about your son, Jesus Christ.
And I'm certain I want to be like him.
I understand that accepting him as savior
and Lord of all aspects of my life
is a first step toward becoming like him.
2 Peter 1:12-15.
"So I will always remind you of these things
even though you know them
and are firmly established in the the truth you now have.
I think it is right to refresh your memory
as long as I live in the tent of this body
because I know that I will soon put it aside
as our Lord,
Jesus Christ has made clear to me
and I will make every effort to see that after my departure,
you will always be able to remember these things."
Father, help us remember
that we're only here for a short time
and that we have a purpose.
Help us to be persistent in seeking you and your guidance
and to cling to the identity you have given us
rather than the one the world has given us.
Heavenly father,
we know that these bodies are simply tense.
Your kingdom and your children are what's important.
They're what last.
Help us remember that fact
and act in accordance with it.
Lord, reorganize our priorities
so that they in line with yours.
Assist us in seeing them as you see them
and treating them as you would with love and preference.
Assist us in treating others in the right manner.
All that matters is you God and your children.
God, thank you. We adore you.
I praise God for a new beginning in your life today.
Amen to that.
Jesus, Lord, I believe you're God's son
and that you died were buried
then rose again on my behalf.
I reject all forms of evil and I accept you
as my Lord and savior right now.
Empower me, Holy Spirit
to be a witness of diligence and fidelity.
Lord, help me to be pleasing to you by illuminating my life
with your love and trust.
Today, Lord, I pledge myself
to a new walk in you.
A walk of deliverance that yields fruit. Amen.
In closing, our question for the day
what is your favorite verse?
Put your answers in the comments below.
Thank you for listening and watching.