REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR
Opening Prayer
Holy God, as I come to your Word today, fill me with your Spirit so that I can live each moment in ways that please you and bring you glory.
Read ECCLESIASTES 12
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
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”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 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 stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a]
“Everything is meaningless!”
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 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.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or Shepherd
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘Before the hills in order stood, / or earth received her frame, / from everlasting thou art God, / to endless years the same.’1
The final chapter of Ecclesiastes contains the Teacher’s conclusion and an epilogue by an unknown voice, presumably the same person who introduced the Teacher at the start of the book. The Teacher’s conclusion is a statement that God should be present throughout your life. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, rather than just when you are approaching death. The Teacher finally acknowledges in verse 7 that there is something beyond death as the spirit returns to God. For this reason, he affirms the value of knowing God throughout your life. Confusion returns, however, as his final conclusion is still the same in verse 8 – everything is havel – vapor – meaningless.
The word remember is an evocative command. It is used throughout the Old Testament as an exhortation to each new generation. Israelites were to remember who God is and what God has done in the physical acts of wearing Scripture and writing it on their door posts.2
Remembering requires recollection of the past but also active interpretation of those memories. As you remember and recall something, you can act more intentionally in the present. Biblical remembering is a collective experience. It is not just about individually recalling what God has done in your life, it is also about connecting into the wider biblical story. We see this most often in the psalms, many of which recall the acts of God – particularly those that took place during the exodus.
Ecclesiastes has a confusing ending. On one hand, the Teacher is wise, understanding the complexity of life, but at the same time we hear that much study wearies the body. The conclusion is still the same though: fear God and remember him. Spend time remembering God today.
Apply
Recall moments when God’s presence has been special to you.
Closing prayer
Lord God, thank you that you always have been and always will be with me, acting on my behalf, seeing to my good. Make me more aware of your presence that builds my faith and encourages me to follow you.
1 Isaac Watts, ‘O God our help in ages past’, 1708 2 Deut 11:16–21
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