Friday, January 1, 2016

Ecclesiastes 12: The End Of The Matter

Interested in the bottom line of Ecclesiastes?  Solomon appears to leave us with two competing conclusions.

Verse 8 offers us the first summary of this book: "Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity."  This dismal assessment flows naturally from what we have heard elsewhere at numerous points through Ecclesiastes.  The Teacher has weighed in at several points to let us know that everything is vanity.  It is not surprising that Solomon would leave us with a reminder that life is pointless.

And yet...in the midst of his depressing analysis of meaninglessness, Solomon cannot help but to also maintain that there are also important spiritual considerations in life to follow.  For instance, we read in the final verses: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (vs. 13-14).  In spite of life's "vanity", Solomon's recommendation is to adhere to God's instructions.  This is especially important when you are young.  As Solomon also points out at the beginning of this chapter, "Remember your creator in the days of your youth" (vs. 1).

So take your pick as to the real conclusion: either everything is meaningless, or the only meaning in life is found in our connection with God.  As for me, I'm going with the second interpretation!

As a side note to this chapter, you may be interested to know that verses 2 through 7 contain an extended metaphor of the effects of aging on the human body.  "The women who grind" is thought to refer to diminishing teeth.  "Those who look through windows?"  That's about dimming eyesight.  The final verses in this section talk about the inevitability of physical death.

Of course, you might find another conclusion of Solomon's to be much more apt: "Much study is a weariness of the flesh!" (vs. 12)

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