Ecclesiastes chapter 12

It's been too long, really. I need to work out a way to both teach and do my devotions. They really shouldn't suffer like this, regardless of what I'm doing.

vs 1

What follows is a long poem type thing, the main theme of which starts here - to remember God while you are young, and things still seem joyful and fun. No doubt if you remember God while life is pleasurable, you will be better disposed towards him. That was the first impression I got as I read this. I suppose it could also mean that you should remember God while you're young and more likely to go around getting into trouble.

vs 2

Either this is a metaphor for darkness coming (like the darkness that comes over the eyes of an old person) or it is talking about a specific time and its weather - perhaps both. I think it is metaphorical, though.

vs 3

Certainly this is talking about the ageing of people.

vs 4

They lose their hearing too, and also seem to close themselves indoors. I think. This is a little difficult to understand, but I don't really think it's of devestatingly super importance, because it is just repeating itself for a few verses now.

vs 5

I love the idea that old people are afraid of heights and dangers in the streets. It's so true. Note that I don't think Qoheleth has any specific age in mind - more he has the time when people go from not old to old. When they start shuddering and complaining about law and order.

But then eventually they die, and they go to their eternal home (!) and mourners take to the streets to mourn them. That they go to their eternal home is quite a statement. It shows that Qoheleth obviously believes there is something after death. What is it? He doesn't see the need to expand. Obviously we should already know.

vs 6

Nope, don't have any idea about the silver cord etc. Although it is interesting to see the term silver cord used here - could it be that all the talk of astral travel's silver cord started here in Ecclesiastes?

vs 7

Dust obviously refers to Genesis. But the spirit going back to God - is that a new thing? That actually seems a rather odd idea to be included here. I don't think it means their spirit. I think it means the spirit of life breathed into the dust that makes us live - so again from Genesis. Where else does spirit go but return to God?

vs 8

We had to be told this at least once more, and in reference to the inevitable death of everyone, it seems fair.

vs 9

Why are we in the third person now? Could it be that the pseudonymous author is actually talking about Solomon now, who actually did write a fair number of proverbs? Could be.

vs 10

It could be that the author of Qoheleth based his treatise on the works of Solomon's wisdom, and of others, and sort of expanded from there. I mean, it is one of the things about Proverbs that strikes you - they are just little snippets of wisdom, but they don't create a great eternal picture. If you lived purely with that as wisdom, you would really see how meaningless life had become.

Anyway, the author certainly things that the works he is talking about are truthful.

vs 11

I assume what he is saying here is that the words of the wise prod us like a shepherd prods a sheep. They point us in the right direction, even if it hurts.

vs 12

I love this warning. Basically, it is better to accept wisdom than to soak in it. Better to drink it than to swim in it. Life is for living, not just for philosophising. A worthy reminder to those of us who like to over-intellectualise. Soon we'll all be afraid of heights.

vs 13

We're right at the end now, and Qoheleth finally lets us in on his secret application of wisdom. For those of us in modern times, who know the ending, it's a bit of an anticlimax. But as the argument goes, it's a great ending. Note that his argument is not based on enjoyment of life, or on some reward. It is humanity's duty to honour God by obedience.

vs 14

There is a little stick here, I suppose. I mean, judgement takes place, and there is no reward for doing the right thing - you merely don't get punished. But the point is that because eternity is the only true certainty and meaning, then we must live for it, and not for this life. Easy to say, but it is so often hard to do, because we actually do live here, and our senses tell us about now, rather than about eternity. It really is a great book, if difficult in parts. I'll look forward to preaching on it.