12:1 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth— before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
Solomon was the wisest man in all history. He studied and tried everything. Materialism, power, sex, entertainment, education, and getting back to nature did not solve any of his problems. As he grew to become an old man, his answer after many years of study and experience was that man needs to get back to God.
To get back to God, one must understand the mind of Christ. To understand the mind of Christ, one must study the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level.
As one grows old and nears death, one must remember his Creator. When a man grows old, he will lose pleasure in this earthly life of the satanic world system. He will seek something better. He will look to a better life in eternity. He will look forward to a second chance in a perfect environment with his Creator. God has placed this desire for eternity in all men.
Retirement is Satan’s deception. It is not all that it is cracked up to be. It deceives man into pleasing himself instead of serving God with every second of his life.
Therefore, Solomon reminds young men to remember their Creator rather than seeking wealth, pleasure, or fame. Solomon himself had forgotten his Creator for much too long. When a young person completely realizes that he has been created for a divine purpose, and that his Creator has also become his Savior, then it will change his life forever.
12:2 before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain;
As one grows older, he sees the sun, moon, and stars in a different light. The luster of life begins to dim. Time flies. Tragedy and death follow.
12:3 when those who keep watch over the house begin to tremble, and the virile men begin to stoop over, and the grinders begin to cease because they grow few, and those who look through the windows grow dim,
As one grows older, the parts of the old house begin to weaken. The old house is the aging body. The keepers of the house are the arms and legs. The virile men is the body frame. The grinders are the teeth. The windows are the eyes.
The body begins to fall apart. The arms and legs begin to tremble. The body begins to stoop over. The teeth begin to fall out. The eyes begin to lose sight.
12:4 and the doors along the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and one is awakened by the sound of a bird, and all their songs grow faint,
The shut doors represent the difficulty of speaking. The low sound speaks of the difficulty of hearing. The bird’s sound foreshadows the deterioration of the vocal chords. There is also the difficulty of sleeping.
As a man grows older, he begins to lose his hearing. He awakens easily, even at the chirp of a single bird. He loses his voice and his ability to sing a note.
12:5 and they are afraid of heights and the dangers in the street; the almond blossoms grow white, and the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry shrivels up— because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the streets—
As a man grows older, he begins to fear heights. Elders are afraid to cross the street. Just as the almond blossoms are white, one’s hair grows white with age. A little grasshopper will become irksome. Elders will shrivel up, just like the caper berry. Very soon, the elderly man will go to his eternal home. There will be people in the street who will mourn his death.
12:6 before the silver cord is removed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the well, or the water wheel is broken at the cistern—
Solomon metaphorically listed the organs of the body. As one grows older, they no longer function. The silver cord is the spinal cord. The golden bowl is head, which is the bowl for the brain. The pitcher is the lungs. The wheel is the heart. Life cannot be sustained without the functioning of these organs.
12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.
Many cults and isms misinterpret this verse to teach the false doctrine of soul sleep. According to the primeval curse of Genesis 3:15, the physical body returns to dust. The spirit returns to God who gave it.
2 Corinthians 5:8 clearly teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. This means that the soul immediately returns to God. The human body is just a tabernacle (or a tent) which houses the soul. The soul is the personality and the intellect of the individual. The soul is eternal. The flesh is just the outer covering. The soul goes to be with God.
12:8 “Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher, “All of these things are futile!”
If one lives for the here and now, then life is emptiness. The psalmist wrote, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Believers only have a set number of days to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Every second needs to be used to glorify God.
12:9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught knowledge to the people; he carefully evaluated and arranged many proverbs.
Believers should not despise the wisdom of the past. Believers should not refuse to be taught.
According to Ephesians 4, the Holy Spirit trains believers by other gifted pastor teachers. The Holy Spirit does not just pour knowledge into the the heads of lazy Bible students. The believer must dig for it. The Holy Spirit will provide human Bible teachers to train any believer who desires to know the mind of Christ. These teachers may come in person, through books, or through media.
12:10 The Teacher sought to find delightful words, and to write accurately truthful sayings.
Solomon affirms that his writings were accurate. The Holy Spirit allowed these teachings into the holy canon.
12:11 The words of the sages are like prods, and the collected sayings are like firmly fixed nails; they are given by one shepherd.
Solomon’s words are like goads to prod believers to want to know more about the mind of God. They are like nails to anchor these Bible doctrines into the souls of believers. They are given by God, who is the true divine shepherd of all believers.
12:12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. There is no end to the making of many books, and much study is exhausting to the body.
Over 3,000 years ago, there was already a plethora of books being written. However, Solomon warns against studying secular literature. Secular education will not solve the problems of life. It just simply pours more of the satanic world view into the souls of children.
Many cults, isms, and charismatic prophets add to the written Word of God. Most people will read lusty novels or watch hours of ungodly television or sit in the rain and watch hours of sports, but they will not even study the entire counsel of the Word of God in its entirety.
12:13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
Solomon tried everything “under the sun”, but it was all emptiness. His final advice was to “Fear God and keep His commandments.” His commandments are Bible doctrine. Those who really know God will study the Word of God and apply it in their lives.
When a person says that he loves Christ, but his Bible doctrine is incomplete and fragmented, then this is a person who does not love Christ. He loves the world, because he spends more time in the world than he does in the written Word of God.
12:14 For God will evaluate every deed, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
There are no secrets in heaven. Everyone has secret sins, but God knows every one of them. Everyone has frightful and sinful thoughts, but God knows those as well. God also knows all of the good things which are done for His glory.
The one who “believes in the Lord Jesus Christ” will be judged as righteous at the Bema Seat. He will receive eternal life with Christ. He may also receive other eternal crowns. Unbelievers will be condemned at the Great White Throne Judgment. They will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Carnal believers will make it to heaven, but they will lose many of their eternal rewards. Their sternal rewards will be given to others who were willing to serve Christ during their earthly life.
Pray that God will teach you the entire counsel of the Word of God and help you to obey it, apply it, and receive rewards in heaven. This is why you are here on this earth.