Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 11

8. Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

10. Therefore Remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12

1. Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2. before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

3. in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows shall be darkened,

4. and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

5. yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

6. before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

7. and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

The Lesson

• Directed to young people

• The three R’s– Rejoice– Remove – Remember

• An appeal to focus on.... What?

Thinking About Life

• Young people are encouraged to rejoice• Do whatever you want, enjoy life• Life is a gift from God• Be happy• But, REMEMBER

You will be Judged

Ecclesiastes 11:9

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Therefore, REMOVE

Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Ecclesiastes 11:10

Finally, REMEMBER

Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth...

Ecclesiastes 12:1

How to Remember?

• In ancient times lessons were often illustrated with “word pictures”– Ex. Matthew 6:26 Behold the birds of the

heaven– Also, Matthew 6:28 Consider the lilies of the

field

• The imagination was stimulated with a visual connection between the lesson and some “picture” from ordinary life

The keepers of the house shall tremble

Our bodies, our house

• The keepers?

the strong men shall bow themselves

The grinders cease because they are few

Those that look out of the windows shall be darkened

The doors shall be shut in the street

The Street?

• Blocked?• When the sound of

the grinding is low

One shall rise up at the voice of a bird

Easily Awakened?Older people often have trouble sleeping at night, or all night

All the daughters of music shall be brought low

They shall be afraid of that which is high

Terrors shall be in the way

The almond-tree shall blossom

Leviticus 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

The grasshopper shall be a burden

Desire shall fail

Because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the

mourners go about the streets

Before the silver cord is loosed

The golden bowl is broken

The pitcher is broken at the fountain

The wheel broken at the cistern

Two major systems

Kidney Failure

Heart Failure

The dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

Proverbs 31:30Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

Psalm 90

8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

9. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: We bring our years to an end as a sigh.

10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away.

11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?

12. So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children;

James 4

13. Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:

14. whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Ecclesiastes 12