(“The Whole Duty Of Man”)¹⁵

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

(A) SOLOMON’S THEME(S)

(1) Solomon opened the Book of Ecclesiastes by writing in chapter one, verse two: “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity’” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 1:2). He has now closed it the same way, saying in chapter twelve, verse eight: “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity’” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:8).

(2) In between those literary book-ends, Solomon has drawn upon one example after another to make his case – showing us that apart from “fear(ing) God and keep(ing) His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b), “all is vanity and striving after wind” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 1:14b) – that even when a man “does not refuse the desire of his eyes, or withhold his heart from any pleasure” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:9a), in the end its: “all vanity and striving after wind and there (is) no profit under the sun” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:11b). Even when a man draws a measure of happiness from his endeavors, old age and death eventually rob him of everything (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:14-21; 9:2; 12:1-7). Hence, Solomon said at one point: “This also is a grievous evil – exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 5:16).

(3) I know there are Christians who don’t trust the Book of Ecclesiastes (even though it’s part of God’s inspired word) – who say Solomon’s perspective on life was distorted by what they believe to have been his backslidden spiritual condition.¹

I realize the biblical record of Solomon’s life ends on an idolatrous note – with “his wives turn(ing) his heart away after other gods” (c.f. I Kings 11:4) – so that he built places of worship for “all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods” (c.f. I Kings 11:8) – including “Molech the detestable god of the sons of Ammon” (c.f. I Kings 11:7).

(4) I don’t know if Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes before or after his terrible fall into idolatry – and neither does anyone else (for sure). But regardless of when he wrote it, I think God the Holy Spirit inspired Solomon to write with unusual candor.¹ I think he was inspired to “write words of truth correctly” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10b) about what life is really like in a fallen world – as opposed to what the voices of advertising, and commercials and billboards would have us believe. I think God the Holy Spirit used Solomon to lift the blindfold from our eyes, if only for a moment, in order to give us a glimpse of what life is really like for fallen human beings – to see what the curse has done to us (c.f. Genesis 3:14-19) – to show us that apart from faith in Christ (c.f. I Corinthians 15:58b), every man wastes his life on things that have no eternal value – and every woman begins and ends her life in vanity and futility.

(5) It hasn’t been all bad, however. As a matter of fact, Solomon has woven a secondary theme into the Book of Ecclesiastes – a parallel theme, if you will, that says even though we live in a vain and fallen world, we should enjoy the life God has given us, without making the mistake of thinking this is all there is – that we should enjoy the good gifts God gives us (c.f. James 1:17), without turning them into idols.

Hence, as early as the second chapter Solomon said: 24“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and … have enjoyment without Him? 26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and JOY …” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26a) – while more recently, in chapter nine, he told us to: “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which (God) has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life (From who? From God!) (this is your reward in life) and in your toil in which you have labored (in an) under the sun (world)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 9:9).

We need to remember that apart from “fearing God and keeping His commands” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b), any enjoyment people draw from God’s good gifts (c.f. James 1:17) will often be perverse. In fact, God sometimes makes it impossible for those who reject Him to enjoy what He’s given them – for Solomon talked about the man: “to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor … (while taking away his power to enjoy them)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2) – much like what happened to the rich man in Luke chapter twelve (c.f. Luke 12:16-21).

(B) SOLOMON’S EPILOGUE¹

(1) So, having restated his “vanity of vanities” theme (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:8), Solomon now adds an epilogue,² starting in verse nine – saying first of all that: “In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:9).

(a) This epilogue, which runs through verse twelve (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:9-12), is more than an autobiographical footnote.³ It serves a specific purpose – namely, to give weight and authority⁴ to the Book of Ecclesiastes as a whole – and, to Solomon’s conclusion in verses thirteen and fourteen in particular (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

(b) To that end, then, Solomon reiterates that he was “a wise man” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:9a) – despite his faults and failures. Nor is he saying, “You should listen to me, because I’m smarter than you are!” On the contrary, he is simply reminding us that God gave him an extra-ordinary measure of wisdom, unlike anything He ever gave to any other man (c.f. I Kings 4:29-34). And though God became angry with Solomon later in his life, because of some of the idolatrous things he did (c.f. I Kings 11:1-14), there’s no biblical record I know of that says God took His gift of wisdom back.

(c) Moreover, Solomon did not hide his gift⁵ “under a basket” (to use one of Jesus’ metaphors) – rather, he “put it on a lampstand” so other people could benefit from its “light” (Matthew 5:15). Specifically what Solomon said is that: “In addition to being a wise man, (he) also taught the people knowledge” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:9a). Hence, we’re told that “men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (c.f. I Kings 4:34a) – and that his own people marveled and praised God when they heard about the wisdom God had given him “to administer justice” (c.f. I Kings 3:28).

(d) More than that, however, Solomon “taught the people knowledge” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:9a) – which I take to mean, “knowledge” about God. The biblical record shows his great wisdom extended to things like “vineyards (and) gardens and parks” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:4-5) – that it extended to 4“… the house … he … built (for himself), 5the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire … and (the) stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord” (c.f. I Kings 10:4-5) – that “he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish” (c.f. I Kings 4:33).

BUT, his greatest contribution in terms of wisdom and knowledge – the labor which did not end in futility, but has eternal value, is Solomon’s inspired contribution to the knowledge of God we find recorded in the Old Testament books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon! Indeed, I would suggest Solomon’s life is an illustration of the truths found in the Book of Ecclesiastes and First Corinthians chapter fifteen – namely, that our “toil (in the Lord) is not in vain” (c.f. I Corinthians 15:58) – but everything else ultimately is (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:11).

(e) Note, too, that Solomon didn’t just sit back and dispense wisdom without effort – that God didn’t suddenly fill Solomon’s head with wisdom and knowledge, so that all he had to do was turn on the faucet (so to speak) and “let it flow”. On the contrary, he studied and did a lot of research – for he goes on to say in the last part of verse nine that he “PONDERED, SEARCHED OUT and arranged many proverbs” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:9b) (First Kings chapter four says he wrote “3,000 proverbs, and … 1,005 (songs)” – c.f. I Kings 4:32). To put it another way, God’s gift of wisdom didn’t eliminate the need for Solomon to WORK⁶ at being wise. All God’s gifts need to be developed – be they in the area of music, or athletics, or a spiritual gift like teaching – and God’s gift of wisdom to Solomon was no different. He was gifted – but he also had to work at his gift.

(2) Moving on to verse ten, Solomon goes on to say that he: “… sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10).

(a) The word “sought” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10a) underscores the point we just made – that Solomon had to WORK to find wise sayings – that he had to WORK at writing down what he learned – that he had to WORK at conveying these truths to others.

(b) Moreover, he “sought” for “delightful words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10a) – the NIV says he: “searched to find just the right words”.

Solomon was not interested in just dumping the truth on his readers – nor was he interested in tickling their ears (c.f. II Timothy 4:3). Charles Bridges said: “The most considerate human wisdom can never make the humbling truth of God acceptable to the natural heart. Yet crude and revolting statements may add needlessly and hurtfully to the offence.”⁷ Another writer said: “the word (of God) is not less faithfully spoken, just because it is more fitly spoken”⁷ (c.f. Proverbs 15:23; 25:11, NKJV).

The bottom line is that Solomon put a great deal of effort into trying to convey the hard truths found in the Book of Ecclesiastes – he diligently applied his great wisdom to try and find just the right words, so these truths could be expressed “with as much grace as possible” (c.f. Colossians 4:6) – he did everything he could to make the content of the Book of Ecclesiastes edifying (c.f. Ephesians 4:29), rather than being needlessly offensive.

(c) Solomon also goes on to say that he “sought … to write words of truth correctly” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10b).

Now this almost sounds redundant. How can anyone “write words of TRUTH INcorrectly”? Aren’t all “TRUE words” also “CORRECT words”? If what you or I say is “CORRECT”, isn’t it also “TRUE”? Is it even possible for a “CORRECT” statement be UNtrue?

It’s been suggested that some people water-down the Gospel (deliberately or otherwise) to try and make it more palatable to a wider audience – that some dilute the hard doctrines of Scripture to make them less offensive to their listeners⁸ – and that Solomon was letting us know this was NOT what he had done. He had not tried to be offensive – but he also had NOT “handled the word of God deceitfully” (c.f. II Corinthians 4:2, NKJV).

I think Solomon is simply EMPHASIZING the fact that he did everything he could to “handl(e) the word of truth (accurately)” (c.f. II Timothy 2:15) – that he used his great wisdom to write what was “true”, and “correct” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10b), and “accurate” (c.f. II Timothy 2:15), and right. So that, whoever reads the Book of Ecclesiastes can be sure they are getting the “truth”, the whole “truth”, and nothing but the “truth”⁹ (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:10b).

(3) We come now to verse eleven, where Solomon says: “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:11).

(a) The “goad” was a sharpened metal rod or wooden stick about eight feet long used to control work animals.¹⁰ The analogy, then, is that God uses “the words of wise men” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:11a) (like Solomon) to rouse us from our spiritual stupor, and “prod” us into obedient behavior. In the case of the Book of Ecclesiastes, He uses Solomon’s “words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:11a) to “awaken” us to the vain and futile aspects of life in an “under the sun” world – while also motivating us to do the only sensible thing anyone can do in a such a world, which is to “fear God and keep His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

(b) The phrase: “masters of these collections are like well-driven nails” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:11b) simple means those who take the time and/or put forth the effort to study the Book of Ecclesiastes, and put its truths into practice, will be enabled to live “securely” in an otherwise confused and unstable world.

Others, however, think the idea is more along these lines – that those who “master” the content of the Book of Ecclesiastes will be blessed by having its truths “nailed” into their hearts and minds,⁶ so they never forget them – or that those who “master” the truths found in the Book of Ecclesiastes will have their hearts “fixed” in the ways and service of their Savior.¹¹

(c) Finally, Solomon says that the words of wisdom he wrote were divinely inspired. Specifically what he said is that: “they are given by one Shepherd” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:11c).

Nothing can give more weight or authority⁴ to the Book of Ecclesiastes than that. The same Shepherd who inspired Paul to write the Book of Romans, and John to write the Gospel of John, and David to write a majority of the Book of Psalms, also inspired Solomon to write the Book of Ecclesiastes.⁶ That fact alone should allay any fear we have about not being able to trust what Solomon wrote. Indeed, it should “goad” us into wanting to read, and study, and “master” the content of this book.

The Great Shepherd is speaking to us through the Book of Ecclesiastes – and if we really are “His sheep”, we should be able to “recognize His voice” – indeed, if we really are “the sheep of His pasture” (c.f. Psalm 100:3), we should want to hear anything and everything our Shepherd has to say (c.f. John 10:27a)!

(4) In the final verse of Solomon’s epilogue¹ – verse twelve – he issues a warning, saying: “But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:12). One paraphrased version puts it like this: “People are always writing books. And too much study will make you very tired” (ICB).

(a) If Solomon wrote those words a thousand years or so before Jesus was born, what would he think now – given the advent of the internet, and such ready access to so much information (some of it totally worthless, yet available)¹² on nearly any subject we can think of.

Solomon realized (even in his own day) that there are a lot of books waiting to be read – with more and more being written all the time. And that a man could spend his whole life doing nothing but reading one book after another, and never be able to read them all.

(b) So, a decision has to be made – namely, who am I going to read? When it comes to spiritual truth, Solomon is warning us not to waste our time in useless reading and study – but to concentrate on those writings we know are divinely inspired¹³ – like the Book of Ecclesiastes. Another way to put it might be to say that we should not “wear ourselves out” looking for answers to the questions of life beyond those God has already given us in His inspired written word.¹⁴ To do so will simply bring “wearin(ess) to the body” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:12c), without producing any lasting satisfaction in the soul.¹² The Lord, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, put it like this: “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? LISTEN CAREFULLY TO ME, and eat what is GOOD, and delight yourself in abundance” (c.f. Isaiah 55:2).

(C) SOLOMON’S CONCLUSION

(1) We are now ready for the last two verses of the book (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), where Solomon gives us his inspired “conclusion” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13a), saying: 13“fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

(a) These verses (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) are the finish line toward which everything else has been leading¹⁶ – they are “the sum and substance of the whole matter”¹⁷ (as one writer put it) – the only acceptable way to live in a vain and sin-cursed world.¹⁸ Indeed, these two verses (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) are the key to understanding and interpreting the book – which is why we have quoted them so often during the course of our study.

(b) Solomon has hinted at this conclusion throughout the book¹⁴ – like in chapter three, where he said: “God will judge both the righteous … and the wicked …” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:17a) – and chapter five, where he said: “fear God” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 5:7b) – and chapter eight, where he said: 12“… I know … it will be well for those who fear God … openly. 13But it will not be well for the evil man … because he does not fear God” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 8:12b-13) – and most recently in chapter eleven, where Solomon told the young to enjoy their youth, but to also remember that: “God will bring you to judgment” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 11:9).

(c) So, Solomon’s conclusion should not come as a complete surprise to the careful reader. Nevertheless, the Book of Ecclesiastes – like the Gospel of John (c.f. John 20:30-31) – is one of those books where it’s better to see how it ends first (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), so we can better understand what we are reading.

(2) Jesus once summed up the entire law of God in “two words”, saying: 37“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind … (and) … 39You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (c.f. Matthew 22:36-40). In a similar fashion, Solomon used “two words”¹⁹ to sum up everything that can be said about how we should live in a vain and futile world, saying: “fear God and keep His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

(a) The word translated “fear” (“yare”) can either mean “to be afraid of”, or “to reverence”.²⁰ Both are applicable to God – depending on our relationship with Him through Christ. Any person “outside” Christ ought to be deathly afraid of who God is and what He can (and will) do (c.f. Matthew 10:28). For those who are “in” Christ (c.f. Romans 8:1), however, all reason for fear has been removed (c.f. I John 4:18) – BUT, there is still a need to reverence God and stand in awe of Him (c.f. Psalm 22:23). I believe this is what Solomon had in mind in verse thirteen when he said: “fear God” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

(b) The idea of “keep(ing) His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b) needs little explanation. It means we that we should “obey” His commands – that we should put His laws “into practice” – that we should be “doers” of His word (c.f. James 1:22a).

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that at one stretch in the Gospel of John, within the space of ten verses, Jesus said at least four times that the proof of whether or not we really do love Him is if we obey His commands (c.f. John 14:15, 21, 23-24). Solomon is essentially saying the same thing – namely, that the proof of whether or not really do “fear God” is if we “keep His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

(c) Several of the older commentators, like Charles Bridges and Edward Reynolds, note that the order of these “two words” is important.²¹ Nor can they be reversed, since only those who truly “fear God” have any interest in “obeying His commands” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b). As one of them said, “fear” is the root of which “obedience” is the fruit¹⁹ – hence, the psalmist wrote: “How blessed is the man who FEARS the Lord, who greatly delights IN (i.e. IN obeying) His commandments” (c.f. Psalm 112:1).

(d) Elsewhere we learn that reverence for God, coupled with obedience to His commands, are signs that His saving, sanctifying grace is at work in our lives. Indeed, these two things (reverential fear and obedience) are part of His covenant promise to “be our God, and make us His people.”²¹ Hence, through the prophet Jeremiah God said: 38“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may FEAR Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. 40I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the FEAR of Me in their hearts so that they will NOT TURN AWAY from Me” (c.f. Jeremiah 32:38-40) (i.e. “turning away” from following and obeying God’s commands).

(e) Charles Bridges summed up Solomon’s summation like this: “Quitting therefore the world with all its vanities, we betake ourselves to that, which alone is free from vanity – namely, the fear and service of God.”²²

(3) Solomon ends the Book of Ecclesiastes by giving us a strong motive¹⁹ for following the directives found in his “conclusion” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b), saying: “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:14).

(a) Everyone is going to answer to God.¹⁴ Moreover, we’re going to answer to Him for “everything” we’ve done – “whether it (was) good or evil” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:14) – whether “hidden” from human view, or known to the general public – both words and deeds (c.f. Matthew 12:36; Revelation 20:12). EVERYTHING will be “laid bare (before) the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (c.f. Hebrews 4:13b) – nothing will escape His judicial scrutiny – not even those things we have long forgotten. Nor will any escape – even though they cry to the mountains and rocks: “fall on us and hide us” – not “the kings of the earth (or) great men and … commanders, (not) the rich (or) the strong … (not) slave (or) free man … (not even those who hide) themselves in … caves” (c.f. Revelation 6:15-16) will escape.

(b) AND, since that’s the case – as the whole of Scripture makes quite clear²³ (c.f. Psalm 9:7-8; Revelation 20:12-15) – “what sort of people ought (we) to be” (c.f. II Peter 3:11b)? Should we not “fear God and keep His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b)? Should we not flee to Christ in repentance and faith (c.f. Galatians 3:24) – and then, by His enabling grace, strive to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, to please Him in all respects (c.f. Colossians 1:10)? Shouldn’t we strive to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that (our) toil (even in a futile and fallen world) is not in vain in the Lord” (c.f. I Corinthians 15:58)? Shouldn’t we do these things? Of course we should! The question is, “Will we?”

(c) Let me end, then, on a positive note. In the day of “judgment” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:14), we Christians will discover that we have not “feared the Lord” in vain (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b) The psalmist says that “the wicked will not stand in the (day of) judgment” (c.f. Psalm 1:5a) – but the rest of Scripture says those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (c.f. Galatians 3:27) will! The prophet Jeremiah said there will be “terror on every side” (c.f. Jeremiah 6:25d) for the wicked in the day of judgment – but the rest of Scripture says it will be a day of joy for all those who’s sins have been covered by the blood of Christ!

With that thought in mind, I’m going to let Charles Bridges close our study of the Book of Ecclesiastes. He writes: “while men’s hearts are failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming – now Christian – it is your time to ‘lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near’ (c.f. Luke 21:26-28). The indescribable solemnity of this day has no fear for you – it is your day of unshaken and joyous confidence. Those ‘secret sins’ which are set before your God ‘in the light of (His) presence’ (c.f. Psalm 90:8) are screened from the claims of His justice. If the Omniscient God lays them open – our Great High Priest (c.f. Hebrews 4:14a) covers them forever, or manifests them sprinkled with atoning blood. And when He comes sitting on the Great White Throne (c.f. Revelation 20:11), fear will find no place there. For He who sits upon that throne is no other than He who hung upon the cross – and will not the sunshine of the cross sweep away the terror of the throne? Yes, Christian, our Savior will be the Judge. We fear not – we faint not – in the assurance of his ‘coming quickly’ – on the contrary, we respond with a hearty ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus’ (c.f. Revelation 22:21).”²⁴

This is the hope of all those who: “Fear God and keep His commandments” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

¹Pritchard: Something New Under the Sun; p. 309.

²Morris: The Remarkable Wisdom of Solomon; p. 230.

³Unger: Commentary on the Old Testament; Vol. I; p. 1103.

⁴Bridges: Geneva Series; Exposition of Ecclesiastes; p. 301.

⁵Reynolds: A Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes; p. 251.

⁶Pritchard: Ibid; p. 298.

⁷Bridges: Ibid; p. 303.

⁸IBID; p. 304.

⁹Keddie: The Guide – Ecclesiastes; p. 328.