Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:12

Ecclesiastes 11:7–12:12 ESV

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. 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 the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

You are Falling Apart (12:1b-8)

Today Can Still be Sweet and Pleasant (11:7-10)

The Possibility of Rejoicing Comes from the Practice of Remembering your Creator (12:1a)

“Grace is the celebration of life, relentlessly hounding all the non-celebrants in the world. It is a floating, cosmic bash shouting its way through the streets of the universe, flinging the sweetness of its cassations to every window, pounding at every door in hilarity beyond all liking and happening, until the prodigals come out at last and dance, and the elder brothers finally take their fingers out of their ears.” Robert Farrar Capon

“Grace is the celebration of life, relentlessly hounding all the non-celebrants in the world. It is a floating, cosmic bash shouting its way through the streets of the universe, flinging the sweetness of its cassations to every window, pounding at every door in hilarity beyond all liking and happening, until the prodigals come out at last and dance, and the elder

“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed.... because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfullness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things...” ,

brothers finally take their fingers out of their ears.” Robert Farrar Capon

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

Jesus Christ, on the cross, was un-made by death, so that the world, and all who trust in Him would be re-made into a resurrected, sin-conquered, death-defeated new life with God forever.

“Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”