There is an appointment that every person will keep. It doesn't matter who you are or what you have or how young or old you are.... you will keep this appointment. Everyone has up to this point and everyone will from here forward. Death is sure. Hebrews 9:27 puts it this way..."And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment". The wisest of the wise, Solomon wasn't able to avoid death or aging and his writings as he grew old reflect the wisdom of his years and gives us sound advice as we face the same future.
His words are very meaningful to me as I am now a little past mid-life and am facing the pains of age. Getting up in the mornings is a little more difficult and doing the things that I once laughed at, is becoming more challenging. Solomon advises us to enjoy all the days of our lives, but he also advises the young to take full advantage of their youth. He warns them that whatever things they do, they will have to answer for, he says "God will bring you to judgement". So if you are young, have fun, enjoy your lives, but know that if you abuse the time, you will face your Creator in judgment. He calls on the young to "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth".
Solomon uses many symbols to represent the effects of aging. Read his words and let them wash over you as you consider the changes that come as we grow older. He talks about our sight, our posture, our level of energy, our fears, our physical limitations and the lose of desire. He closes this encouraging section with these words... "Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets." He says that our "dust returns to the ground it came from and our spirit returns to God who gave it". That is the future for some. It is the present for others and the past for billions of others. It is sure, you and I will share the exact same future. If we live, we will age, if we age, we will suffer the effects and death is an appointment that we all will keep.
He concludes this section with a few verses that he tells us are the conclusion of the matter. He doesn't leave us depressed with little to look forward to. Rather, he sums it all up and sends us on our way to live out the lives we have left.... with purpose!
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.(Ecclesiastes 12: 13,14)
He tells us that when everything has been heard, all has been said, that our entire duty, our purpose in this life is to "fear God and keep his commandments". When we understand that our lives are short and that we will give an answer for what we have done in the flesh, we will fear the one who will judge us. I know that is not popular Theology these days, but the Bible is clear on this matter... God is to be feared and He is to be obeyed. Solomon warns the young and old alike, you will die and you will face your Creator and answer for everything in your life. Everything hidden, everything known.... everything. That is a scary proposition for us.
Growing old, facing death, going to the judgment.... sounds pretty bad. If that were the end of the story, we would live lives of regret and depression. We would carry around guilt and live every day knowing that we have no hope. Sad. But, thankfully that isn't the end of the story!
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
(1 Corinthians 15:54-58)
Without Jesus, death reigns eternal; with Jesus, death is swallowed up in victory. What fool goes to court to face the judge without his attorney, his advocate? Even more important, who wants to face aging, death and the judgment without Jesus? As Christians, we should understand the fear of the Lord and because of that our hearts should be set on persuading others to come to Him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)
Tell it!
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