Fear God (Ecclesiastes 12:9-14)
What is the meaning of life? What is the answer to the ultimate question concerning life, the universe, and everything? In the science fiction novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this question is posed to a supercomputer named Deep Thought. “I’ll have to think about it,” says the computer. So, Deep Thought thinks about it—for 7.5 million years—carrying out complex computations to come up with an answer. Finally, the computer is ready to announce its discovery. With “infinite majesty and calm”, Deep Though reveals the answer to life, the universe, and everything. The answer is this: 42.
This is, of course, absurd, comic nonsense. Author Douglas Adams said he thought of the number “42” while looking out at his garden; it was the first thing that popped into his head. But humour aside, there is a deeper point: If life has no bigger meaning, then we cannot expect sensible answers to ultimate questions. If life has no meaning, then everything is random and purposeless. We do not know where we come from or where we are going. We are merely here today, gone tomorrow. If life has no ultimate meaning, we should just get on with things, hope for the best, and try to make the most of our brutally brief life before it ends. But is this all there is to life?
For the past two months, we’ve been on a quest for meaning with the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. We have heard his observations and reflections about life in a broken and fallen world, which he refers to as life under the sun. The Preacher is honest about the problem: Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. Everything is hevel or breath; it is futile and fleeting. Life is uncertain. Ultimately, we have no control over how life will turn out. Being strong or smart does not guarantee security, significance or success. What do we gain by all our toil under the sun? Nothing that will truly last. Life goes round in circles. There is nothing new under the sun. Everything is not enough to finally fulfil us — neither wisdom, work, wealth, nor pleasure. Time is not in our hands. The circumstances and seasons of our lives are beyond our control. Because eternity has been put in our hearts, we yearn for something bigger than our own little worlds. Yet, we cannot find it out. One thing is certain: We will all die. Death will surely come to every one of us; we just do not know when. We all live in the reality of our mortality.
All this sounds rather dark and dreary. But, the Preacher says we can still have joy amid the toil of this life. Realising everything is a gift helps us to enjoy everything with gladness and gratitude. Be thankful for the gift of life. Enjoy life and its simple pleasures like food and drink while we can; nothing lasts forever. And, here and there in Ecclesiastes, more light pierces through the clouds, reminding us that there is more to life than merely living under the sun. Vanity does not get the last word after all. We are made for more. God created us to worship him. Therefore, fear God, says the Preacher. “I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. (Ecc 3:14)” “God is the one you must fear. (Ecc 5:7)” “I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. (8:12)”
Ecclesiastes begins with a Narrator introducing the book’s main speaker and theme: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. (Ecc 1:1-2)” In the final verses of Ecclesiastes, we again hear the Narrator’s voice, this time summing up the Preacher’s message. He urges us to take to heart the Preacher’s words. Ultimately, they are the words of God himself. This is the big idea. Listen to the Shepherd’s wise words: Fear God. We will unpack this in three points: (1) Listen to the words of the wise; (2) Listen to the words given by one Shepherd; (3) Listen to the answer to vanity.
Listen to the words of the wise (Ecc 12:9-10)
The Preacher is wise. In Scripture, true wisdom means more than being smart or learned. For example, having a lot of Bible knowledge does not necessarily make us wise. True wisdom involves hearing as well as doing God’s word in all of life. Wisdom has to do with the posture of our hearts before God. As Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Wisdom flows from worship. Because we know and love God, we want to walk in his ways. To be wise is to have God-given insight, discernment, and skill to apply His truth to every part of life. Life is messy, unpredictable and uncertain. Not only do we need wisdom to make sense of the world and ourselves, we also need wisdom to understand God’s word and put it into practice. It takes wisdom to know how to live faithfully in a broken world. Wisdom acknowledges its limitations. The wise learn to trust God, and not lean on their own understanding.
True wisdom is not self-centred or selfish; it seeks the spiritual good of others. The Preacher is not merely wise for his own sake. He is no ivory-tower scholar. The Preacher also taught the people knowledge. Wisdom is not academic, but practical. His goal is to teach us, that we might know how to live under the sun according to God’s truth. His words are for us. The Preacher has done the hard work of weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. Ecclesiastes represents the fruit of his labour of love. It is not the easiest to understand, but it repays careful study and reflection. Hopefully, we have seen how Ecclesiastes helps us to navigate the complexities of life. Listen to the Preacher’s wise words, for they help us to make sense of our toil under the sun. As Romans 15:4 says, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Look at Ecclesiastes 12:10. Listen to the Preacher’s words, because he has written uprightly. His words are righteous and reliable. He has not resorted to underhanded means to make his words more popular or palatable. He has not been crooked in bending the truth to serve his own agenda. No, the Preacher has spoken the truth to us in a straightforward way. He has not sugar-coated or lied about the hard realities of life under the sun. The Preacher has spoken honestly to shake us out of our complacency. We would like to think we are in control of our lives, and that death is merely a distant possibility. Not so, says the Preacher. His message is urgent. Remember our Creator now, while we can.
Beauty and truth go together They are pleasant, pleasure-giving words that tell us the truth about God, about ourselves, and about life.
The Preacher sought to find words of delight…and wrote words of truth. His words are both beautiful and true. Beauty and truth go together They are pleasant, pleasure-giving words that tell us the truth about God, about ourselves, and about life. Do we want to be happy? Then, listen to the Preacher’s words for they bring us joy. Again and again, he has urged us to rejoice amid our toil under the sun. Why? Because of this truth about God: He is pleased when we take pleasure in his gifts. God is not a killjoy; he seeks his people’s joy. So, be thankful for the simple pleasures of life. God has generously given us good gifts like food, drink, and relationships for us to enjoy.
Life’s difficulties do not have to cause discouragement or despair. The Preacher has spoken the truth to turn us away from false joys and disappointing hopes, that we might truly rejoice. Everything under the sun is not enough to give us lasting satisfaction. But we can have joy if we rejoice in God, the Giver. The gifts come and go, but we can be sure that God will make everything beautiful in its time. Will we trust in his wise words?
Listen to the words given by one Shepherd (Ecc 12:11-12)
In Ecclesiastes 12:11-12, the focus shifts from the kind of words the Preacher has written to the ultimate source of those words. Where do the Preacher’s words come from? They are given by one Shepherd. Who is this Shepherd? In the original Hebrew, there is no capitalisation, but the translators of our English Bible have capitalised “Shepherd” to indicate that it’s a title for God. And, they are right. The Shepherd refers to God Himself. Elsewhere, the Old Testament speaks of God as the Shepherd of His people. For example, Psalm 80:1 says, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.” Perhaps “one” points to how only He is God. As Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
Therefore, listen to the Preacher’s words because He speaks for God. The words of Ecclesiastes are the very words of the only true God. The Preacher’s words come to us with God’s authority and also with the promise of His blessing. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says this of God’s word: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
For this reason, we must not add to God’s word. Look at Ecclesiastes 12:12 — “My son, beware of anything beyond these.” Speaking with love, like a father to his son, the Narrator warns us about going beyond what God has said. How might we be refusing to take God at his word? For example, we add to Scripture when we think it is not enough. So, we add to it worldly wisdom, traditions, our own thoughts, ideas or opinions. But we end up silencing Scripture. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for “leaving the commandment of God and holding to the tradition of men” (Mk 7:8). We also go beyond Scripture when we speculate about matters we simply do not know. Instead of humbly trusting God and acknowledging the limits of our knowledge, we proudly insist we can know it all. But in our arrogance, we fail to realise that God is God, we are not. Like Adam and Eve when they fell into sin, we want to be wise without God, that we might be our own gods. It is as Ecclesiastes 7:29 describes: “God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
The uncertainties of life ought to humble us. To engage in vain speculation is to embark on a fool’s errand. There is no end to the quest: Of making many books there is no end. It is a toilsome task, for worldly wisdom and learning, and human philosophies cannot finally fulfil us, or give us the answers we seek. As the Preacher said in Ecclesiastes 1:18, “In much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” Hence, much study is a weariness of the flesh. We have more knowledge now than we’ve ever had in human history. We live in a culture that values — even idolises — education. We assume academic achievements will lead to satisfaction and success. Yet, we are still stressed out, anxious and fearful. It seems like the more we know, the more we have to be worried about.
The Preacher shows us how we can leave the knowledge rat race. Do not worship wisdom and knowledge. Do not idolise education and learning. They can be useful tools for life, but we must not make them ultimate things on which we hang our hopes and dreams. Instead, know that God has spoken. Will we not listen to Him? Be content to rest in what He has revealed in His word. He is the Shepherd, which implies that we are sheep. It is not good for sheep to be without a shepherd. Without a shepherd, we are lost sheep who have gone astray. So, follow the Shepherd by listening to his words. “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. (Ps 95:7-8a)”
God shepherds us by His word.
God shepherds us by His word. Look at Ecclesiastes 12:11: “The words of the wise are like goads.” A goad is a staff embedded with sharp nails. A shepherd uses it to drive his animals, prodding and spurring them on. God’s word guides and guards us, keeping us on the right path. God’s truth leads to joy, but sometimes pleasure is accompanied by pain. Just as a goad stings an animal into following, so God's word disciplines us. God’s word says things to us that we will not like to hear. It warns, admonishes, rebukes, convicts and corrects. For example, the Preacher has spoken honestly about life and death under the sun. The painful reality of vanity and mortality is supposed to shake us out of our comfortable complacency. Otherwise, we will still selfishly strive for gain under the sun. God wounds in order to heal. The Shepherd’s discipline is good and wise, for He seeks the good of His sheep. The words of the wise point us to true happiness and hope.
The Preacher’s words are also like nails firmly fixed. They are stable and steadfast, trustworthy and true. Instead of leaning on our own understanding and doing what is right in our own eyes, we ought to rely on God’s sure word. His truth is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. In a dangerous and uncertain world, God’s word leads us home. All other paths are dead-ends. So, listen to the Shepherd who speaks that we might know and trust Him. He has the words of life. Our hope is found in God the Shepherd, who promises to come and save His sheep. He says in Ezekiel 34, “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep… I will seek the lost.” Will we trust Him?
Listen to the answer to vanity (Ecc 12:13-14)
How is salt obtained from seawater? Evaporation is one of the oldest methods used in salt production. Seawater is channelled into large, shallow ponds and left under the sun. Through exposure to the heat and wind, the seawater evaporates, finally leaving behind the salt crystals to be harvested. This illustrates what the Preacher has done. He has reflected on life under the sun. He has seen it all. He has been there, done that. Under the heat of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, the things of this passing world evaporate. We often trust in worldly things, thinking they can give us lasting gain. But like breath, they appear for a little while and soon vanish. Earthly wealth, wisdom, work, and pleasure do not last and cannot satisfy. Then, we, too, will pass. As Psalm 90 says, the years of our lives “are soon gone, and we fly away”. Hence, the conclusion of the Preacher’s quest can be summed up in one word: hevel, or vanity. Life and everything under the sun are fleeting and futile. We gain nothing from all our toil. Ecclesiastes 12:8 sums it up: Vanity of vanities… all is vanity.
Fear God. Worship Him, trust Him, and obey Him.
When all is said and done, after our earthly hopes have evaporated, what is left? The Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes has distilled life down to its essence. This is the most important thing. When everything else has faded away, this is what remains and endures. The Preacher has crystallised for us what truly matters. This is the heart of how we should live under the sun: Fear God. Worship Him, trust Him, and obey Him. This is the final answer to vanity. Everything under the sun is futile and fleeting, but life is not ultimately meaningless. God is the only one who can give meaning to our lives. Faced with life’s absurdities and perplexities, the only right response is to fear God.
What does it mean to fear God? It is not cowering terror, but reverent awe. To fear God means to honour and worship Him because of who He is. It is to remember our Creator. He is the sovereign God who made all things, who works all things according to His good and wise plan. Nothing is outside of His control. He knows us because He made us. To fear God means to humbly acknowledge that our times and seasons and lives are in His hands, not ours. There is much that we simply do not know and cannot control. God is God and we are not. So, we give up control and submit to Him. May His will be done, not ours. We stop insisting on living our way, for ourselves. Rather, we seek first God and His kingdom. To fear God is to gratefully receive life and everything as gifts that flow from His generosity. Instead of idolising the gifts, we worship the Giver, who graciously provides all that we need. We cultivate quiet contentment. We learn to be thankful and satisfied with the lot God has given us.
To fear God is to be convicted by His holiness. He is holy, holy, holy. When we behold His glory, we see our sin and mourn over our unrighteousness. To fear God is to have faith in Him to save us, and not to rely on our own works. To fear God means to marvel at His amazing grace and steadfast love. It is to rejoice in Him, because of His goodness and mercies towards us, although we are undeserving and unworthy. To fear God means to tremble at His word and submit to His truth. The fear of God moves us to keep his commandments. We obey Him because we love Him. Without true obedience, our religious rituals and activities are hypocritical and hollow. As the Preacher said in Ecclesiastes 5:1: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.” To obey is better than sacrifice, for God looks on the heart, not outward appearances.
To fear and obey God is the whole duty of man. In the original Hebrew, the word “duty” is not there. So, the sentence literally reads, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is all the man”. In other words, worshiping God is what makes us whole. This is what it means to be truly human. This is what we were created for. Our purpose is to know God and enjoy Him forever. But this world has been broken by humanity’s fall into sin. All is vanity because things are not what they are supposed to be; we are not as we should be. Instead of fulfilling our God-given purpose, we have rejected the Maker’s instructions. It is no wonder we struggle to find meaning in life. But God is calling us back to Himself, that we might live for Him who made us in His image. Knowing God gives us true meaning and significance. In The Confessions, the church father Augustine tells the story of his conversion. Describing how God saved him from a futile and frustrating life of sin, Augustine writes, “Because you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”
Therefore, the answer to vanity can only be found in knowing God: sow and reap for God, rejoice in God, remember God, receive from God, revere God.
Therefore, the answer to vanity can only be found in knowing God: sow and reap for God, rejoice in God, remember God, receive from God, revere God. Enjoy God’s gifts, trust God’s plan, obey God’s truth. And, know that God will make everything right. He will right all the wrongs and make all things new. He will resolve all the absurdities and injustices under the sun. God will finally and fully put an end to futility. All will be vanity no more. Listen to Ecclesiastes 12:14: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” God will judge. His judgement is universal and it will surely come. Every thought, word, and deed will be laid bare before him. Nothing will be hidden from God. His judgement is the solution to vanity. The reality of judgement means everything is not meaningless. Our lives are significant, for we will have to give an account to God. He cares deeply about how we live now. Our actions have eternal consequences. Nothing is too small to escape his notice. May the reality of the coming judgement make us urgent in returning to God. Do not delay; fear God and obey Him because you will have to answer to Him. May the reality of the coming judgement encourage us to persevere in living for God. Life is toil, but our labour in the Lord will not be in vain.
God’s judgement is good news for a fallen and broken world. But how is it good news for sinners? God will make things right, but how shall sinners be made right with God? The Preacher does not tell us. But when we zoom out and consider the rest of the Bible’s big story, we see that the answer is found in the Good Shepherd who has come to seek and to save the lost. All we like sheep have gone astray. We deserve God’s judgement against us because of our sin. But God, in His grace and mercy, has sent His one and only Son to save sinners like us. God keeps His word. Jesus is the climax of the Bible’s big story. He fulfils God’s promises. He is the Word made flesh, revealing to us the glory of God. God has spoken finally and fully in the person of his Son. He is the wisdom of God. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn 10:11)” At the cross, Jesus bore God’s judgement in the place of sinners. The end-time judgement was brought forward and laid on Christ. He died for all who trust in Him, so that we can be forgiven and brought back to God. Jesus rose from the dead to give us new life. Beware of rejecting the gospel and going beyond Jesus. It will only lead to weariness, not rest. Where else can we go? Only Jesus has the words of eternal life. So, listen to the Shepherd, who is good and wise. Repent and believe in Jesus. Live under the Son to live well under the sun.
Jesus will return to judge. The vanity of life under the sun will pass away, giving way to the joy and glory of the new heavens and new earth. Sin and death will be defeated. Then, if we are in Christ, we shall be raised and glorified with our Lord. This is our hope: When the chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the unfading crown of glory. “The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be (our) shepherd, and he will guide (us) to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from (our) eyes. (Rev 7:17)” What is the meaning of life? It is what Jesus the Good Shepherd prayed for his sheep: “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (Jn. 17:3)”