Advice for the Young in the Shadow of Death
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8

 

We made some progress in chapter 10 and the first part of chapter 11. The Preacher conceded that diligence and wisdom might sometimes beat the odds; shrewd living might bring results for a time. We haven't heard the word "futility" since 9:9. But now it comes back. At the last, The Preacher reminds us, it's still all futility, because we're all going to die.

  1. Enjoy Life but Remember Death (11:7-10)
    1. Life Can Be Pleasant, but Death Will Come
      1. Light is sweet and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun (7)
        1. The Preacher has never denied that life can be pleasant when things go well
        2. When this happens, this is our lot and a gift from God (5:18,19)
        3. And we are distracted from the thought that we will die.
        4. God keeps us occupied with the gladness of our heart (5:20)
        5. But we must not allow ourselves to be utterly distracted
      2. But it won't always be sweetness and light (8)
        1. We might enjoy life completely and for a long time
        2. But the darkness is coming and those days will be many as well.
        3. Death inevitably comes and renders all your efforts futile
        4. So far, though, he hasn't told us why we ought to remember those coming days. Why not just abandon ourselves to gladness of heart when we can get it?
    2. Rejoice in Your Youth but Remember the Judgment (9)
      1. Rejoice while you are young and enjoy yourself while you can.
      2. But do not forget the coming judgment
        1. This may just refer to death
          1. Certainly death is in The Preacher's mind here and throughout the book.
          2. But what sense then does it make to say that God will judge you "for [or concerning] all these things?
            1. Is he really just saying, Enjoy yourself now, but God'll kill you for it later?
            2. But what if you don't enjoy yourself? God'll still kill you.
          3. If all it said was "But know that God will bring you into judgment," this interpretation would make sense.
          4. But "for all these things" just doesn't fit that interpretation
        2. So I think this refers to the judgment of our works, whether good or evil
          1. The Preacher has expressed this sentiment before, at least on the interpretation I advanced:
            1. 3:16,17 - Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.
            2. 8:5,6 - He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man's heart discerns the time of judgment, 6Because for every matter there is a time of judgment, Though the misery of man increases greatly.
            3. (Both of these could be referring to death as well, in which case this whole speculation is a house of cards and chasing after wind.)
          2. And the Editor will sum up the book by saying "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (12:13,14).
        3. It's right that this eschatological note be introduced however faintly here
        4. Rejoice! he says. Seize the day! But don't live like a hedonist as though you'll never be judged. Seek pleasure, but not guilty pleasure.
    3. Still, Rejoice while You Can (10)
      1. Remove sorrow from your heart and put away evil from your flesh
        1. The NKJV "therefore" that begins this verse is misleading. A simple "and" would do.
        2. Don't be anxious about the future, you can't do a thing about it anyway.
        3. Enjoy life while you can
      2. For Childhood and Youth are Vanity
        1. One explanation
          1. Do this even though childhood and youth are vanity
          2. I.e. enjoy your youth even though it's futility.
          3. This is a possible translation
        2. My preferred explanation
          1. "Vanity" can also be translated "fleeting."
          2. It isn't elsewhere in Ecclesiastes, but it is elsewhere in Scripture.
          3. And it's usually in the context of beauty or youth that this translation prevails.
          4. So he's saying, put away sorrow while you can. Youth goes fast.
  2. Remember Old Age and Death when You Are Young
    1. Remember Your Creator Now (1,2)
      1. Don't rejoice so much that you forget your Creator.
      2. Specifically in this context, remember that he's coming to uncreate you (see 12:7 for confirmation of this interpretation).
      3. Right now you have pleasure in your years and it is easy to forget the day of your death.
      4. Remember the years are coming when you will not have pleasure in them.
      5. You have light now, but darkness is coming.
    2. The Misery of Old Age Will Come (12:3-7)
      1. A long description of death drives the point home.
      2. Read it once for impact. Even if the sentences don't all make sense, the overall effect is wonderfully heavy and burdensome.
      3. Old Age is like a decaying house
        1. The keepers tremble and the strong men bow down
          1. possibly refers to weakening of arms and legs, but may not refer to anything definite
          2. The overall picture is of loss of strength
        2. grinders cease because they are few
          1. Clearly the teeth
          2. Literal grinders don't cease because they are few, they work overtime
          3. But you lose most of your teeth in old age and you stop eating chewable food at all.
        3. Those that look through the windows grow dim
          1. Probably the eyes
          2. No longer can you behold the sun (11:7), the lights have been darkened
        4. When doors are shut in the streets and the sound of grinding is low. When one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low.
          1. Unclear when taken sentence by sentence
          2. But somewhere in there at least there seems to be the idea of hearing loss.
      4. Old age brings fear with it
        1. You are afraid of height and the terrors of the way
        2. No sidewalks or well lit avenues. You're afraid to walk through the hills to other towns. You might slip and fall or be attacked by predators, animal or human.
      5. The almond tree blossoms
        1. Usually the almond tree blossoming meant Spring was coming
        2. Perhaps its white flowers refer to white hair
        3. Or perhaps it means you've come full circle and are back at the beginning again.
      6. Grasshopper drags itself along - No idea. Cool image though.
      7. "Desire fails" (NKJV)
        1. Wimpy translation. You're old enough to know the truth.
        2. Correct translation "And the caperberry is ineffective."
        3. The leaves of the caperberry were used as an aphrodisiac and were widely held to stimulate sexual potency
        4. But when you get old, nothing works anymore.
    3. And then You Will Die
      1. Man goes to his eternal home (the grave, not heaven)
      2. And mourners go about in the streets (just what it says)
      3. The silver cord and the golden bowl
        1. Picture is of an expensive lamp
        2. The cord snaps and the bowl breaks
        3. So the light is gone
      4. The pitcher and the wheel
        1. The pitcher at the well is shattered
        2. And the pulley system by which the pitcher was lowered and raised is broken
        3. Water - i.e. life - is gone
      5. Dust returns to earth, spirit to God (7)
        1. This is not a statement about the immortality of the soul
          1. The next verse would make no sense if The Preacher is suddenly triumphantly affirming that we go to be with God when we die.
          2. It's not that the Bible doesn't teach this; it's that this verse doesn't teach this.
        2. This is a reference to man's creation (Genesis 2:7)
          1. He was created out of the dust of the ground
          2. And God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
          3. And man became a living being
        3. Now he is being disassembled
          1. The dust component goes back to the ground
          2. The breath goes back to God
          3. And man is no longer a living being
      6. Futility of futilities (8)
        1. We end the book just as we began it.
        2. We haven't really made progress after all
        3. Death still comes and wipes out all our plans and every remembrance of us under the sun.

Go on to Week 13b (12:9-14)

Go back to Week 12 (10:16 - 11:6)

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