PM Home Bible Study Group; August 25, 2010
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8
Theme: Solomon advises that, in the light of coming days of old age, people remember their Creator in their youth.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
In this section, Solomon continues to give sound, practical advice to his readers in the light of the apparent inequities of life and the over-whelming vanity of it all “under the sun”. And in many ways, our passage tonight is a climax to this section. Most commentators agree that it’s a masterpiece of analogy.
As the saying goes, “Too soon old, too late wise.” As others have said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” In this section, Solomon isn’t so cynical as to despise youth. Rather, he urgently warns the young that old-age is coming very quickly; and that one’s youth is the time to make proper preparation for what is ahead. It’s not a time to squander one’s strength on that which is clearly vanity. Knowing that the progressive limitations of old age are coming, and that the death of the body and the return of the spirit to God is immanent, Solomon reminds the reader repeatedly that life “under the sun”—that is, apart from God—is vanity (11:8, 10; 12:8); and that the wisest course is to “remember now your Creator in the days of your youth” (12:1, also 12:6).
Every older person who reads this section of Ecclesiastes will most likely wish that they had heeded it when they were young; and would feel compelled to tell the young people around them to heed it while they can! How good God was to include it in His word; but how foolish it would be to ignore it!
I. KEEP YOUTH IN PERSPECTIVE (11:7-8).
Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; but if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is coming is vanity.
A. Solomon recognizes the wonders of youth. He acknowledges how pleasant life is who live in its light. The time of youth is a great adventure—discovering one’s course in life, falling in love, having new experiences, forming one’s own opinions, looking ahead to the future. How sad it is when people don’t enjoy it. How wonderful it is to see someone who still retains their youthfulness in their old age! How tragic it is to find someone who is dead by thirty and buried forty years later!
B. But in order to keep the joys of youth regulated by a dose of reality, Solomon warns that the time of youth shouldn’t be taken out of context from what’s ahead. Even if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, the days of darkness will still come. In fact, he warns that they will be many. It doesn’t take an observant young person long to realize that age comes upon everyone—and the older he or she gets, the sooner it seems to strike. Before they realize that it happened, the young become middle-aged— and with it comes the shocking realization of what comes next! It’s the experience of everyone; and if this life “under the sun” is all that there is, the vanity of the coming years becomes powerfully apparent.
C. The apostle Paul likewise didn’t despise youth, but also saw it as an opportunity to invest in those days yet to come. He told Timothy; “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
II. KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE AN ACCOUNTING LATER (11:9-10).
Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.
A. It may be that Solomon was speaking in a facetious manner here. If so, it would almost as if he were saying, “Go ahead, young person; live it up! Give yourself over to your desires! Do you want an experience? Go ahead and have it! Do you want to try something dangerous, or daring, or even forbidden? Go for it! Do you want to grab- hold of the goodies of life? Seize them! But know that for everything you do, there will be a day of reckoning. You must give an accounting to God—who keeps careful record, and will bring all your works into judgment.”
B. The sobering realization of the fact of future judgment may cause a young person to think twice about giving-in to their youthful passions. The ‘live fast, die young, and leave a good-lookin’ corpse’ mentality doesn’t take into account that things don’t just end at the ‘corpse’ stage. He recommends that the young person removes “sorrow” from their heart—that is, remove the things from their heart that are sure to lead to future sorrow; and to put away evil from their flesh. Some would say, “But I want to party now; and slow down when I’m old and gray”; but Solomon uses different words for youth in verse 10 than he uses in verse 9; and he reminds the ‘young’ that if ‘sowing your wild oats’ is what they think ‘youth’ is for, they’re in for a shock come harvest time! “For childhood and youth are vanity”.
C. Paul, similarly, recognized the temptations that come from youth. And yet, he exhorted Timothy to pursue those things instead that would make for a future of usefulness: “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:20-22).
III. USE YOUR YOUTH TO LIVE FOR YOUR CREATOR (12:1-8).
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” . . .
A. Now comes the great dose of reality that Solomon brings to the joys of youthfulness. He doesn’t see youth as a wasteful thing—as some cynically might today. Rather, he sees it as a wonderful gift from God—a great opportunity to be seized hold of with all one’s energies, and to be put to the greatest possible use for the future. The greatest possible use of youth is to “remember” one’s Creator now in the days of that youth! It’s to acknowledge that we are made by Another for His glory; and not for our own pleasure. It’s to use the energies and opportunities that the strength of youth affords— and to use them now, before they’re gone! It’s to make sure one doesn’t waste one’s life in sinful rebellion against one’s Creator!
B. Solomon urges that the young person does this . . .
1. Before one loses the capacity to enjoy life (v. 2).
While the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain . . .
While one still has the opportunity to see the beauties of creation and give God glory for them, one should. These words may be a figure for the loss of the ability that old age brings on; as one discovers that the things one used to be able to do can no longer be done; or that the things one used to enjoy can no longer be accessed.
2. Before the strength of one’s limbs begin to fail (v. 3).
In the day when the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men bow down;
The “house” is the body; and eventually “the keepers of the house”—the arms and hands—begin to tremble and lose their steadiness. Soon, “the strong men”—the legs—begin to bow down and are not as strong as they used to be.
3. Before one’s teeth begin to fall out (v. 3).
When the grinders cease because they are few . . .
Not much comment needed here!
4. Before one’s eye-sight fails (v. 3).
And those that look through the windows grow dim . . .
One of the great frustrations of older age is that things grow dimmer. Books have to be held at arms length and read with a magnifier. The old person always has to hunt around for their glasses.
5. Before one’s hearing begins to fade (v. 4).
When the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; when one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low.
There seems to be two kinds of frustrations. One is the way that hearing begins to fade. Older folks are often struggling to hear what is said. A combination of noises becomes confusing; and the “daughters of music” just aren’t so clear and pleasant as they used to be (see 2 Samuel 19:35). The other is that the slightest noise wakens one from sleep. Whereas, back in youth, someone could sleep through anything, now a bird outside the window is enough to wake an older person up before sleep is done.
6. Before going out-of-doors becomes dangerous (v. 5).
Also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way . . .
There’s the constant fear—a legitimate one!—of falling. And there’s also the fact that the threats that may come along the way aren’t so easy to avoid or run from. Driving at night becomes dangerous. The older one gets, the more of a ‘shut-in’ they’re inclined to be.
7. Before a youthful appearance is gone (v. 5).
When the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails.
The blossoming of the almond tree turns it white; and so, this is a figure for the whitening of the hair. When the grasshopper or locust fills its belly, it drags it along on the ground; so this is a figure for the swelling of the middle, and the growing of a pot-belly. The failing of desire may be either that an older person isn’t interested any longer in the things that once gave them pleasure; or it may be that they themselves just don’t look as good as they used to.
8. Before funerals become more frequent (v. 5).
For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets.
Art Linkletter once said that the good thing about growing old is that there’s less peer-pressure. (This is because there are less peers!) Whereas weddings were often occurring among friends, now funerals become the far-more frequent social event.
9. Before the body fails and dies (vv. 6-7).
Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Many scholars see these as four analogies for the demise of the body. The loosening of the silver cord may be the failing of nervous system. The breaking of the golden bowl may the failure of the mind. The pitcher that is shattered at the fountain may be the failing of the normal bodily functions. The wheel broken at the well may be the cessation of the heart and the circulatory system. Physicians say that these are four basic ways that a body physically dies. As a result, the body returns to the earth (see Genesis 3:19); and the spirit returns to the God who gave it (see Genesis 2:7; Zechariah 12:1; 2 Corinthians 5:8).
B. Taking this all together—and with a strictly “under the sun” view; no wonder Solomon concludes as he does—repeating the very words with which he began his philosophic discourse (see 1:2):
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Compare this with Paul’s affirmation at the end of his life: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
May we each live our lives—whether still in our youth or near our older age—in such a way as to have the bold confidence Paul had at the end.