The End of the Matter

Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14

Main Idea: We wisely live in light of our death by rejoicing in the gift of life and remembering God.

I. Rejoice in the Gift of Life (11:7-9, 12:1-8)

As we consider our own death, the Preacher urges and commands us to rejoice in the life we have been given. Despite the Preacher’s often bleak assessment of life under the sun, this is a consistent refrain throughout the book (cf. Ecc. 3:12-13, 22, 5:18-20, 9:9).

“The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord” ~ George Mueller

The sin of pride causes us to miss out on this rejoicing; when we treat life as “gain” or something to be mastered, we miss that it is a gift to be enjoyed. We are following in the footsteps of the first sin of Genesis 3:

“This was the nerve the serpent had touched in Eden, to make even Paradise appear an insult” (Derek Kidner).

Despite the hardships of life, there is joy to be found in the midst of the pain. The incarnation of Christ reminds us that although death and vanity mark our lives here under the sun, God himself is with us - even in the mundane, the disappointments, and the ordinary.

The Preacher urges us to rejoice in the gift of life while we still can:

For those who are “young” (11:9, 12:1), we must not look ahead to some uncertain time in the future to find joy. If we do, we will run out of time as the dark clouds of death gather (12:2-7).
For those who lived “many years” (11:8), we are to rejoice in them all, not looking back with nostalgia (cf. 7:10). Those who are old are to look forward to their “eternal home” (12:5) which draws close, remembering that the enemy of death cannot defeat those in Christ (cf. Isa. 40:28-31).

II. Remove Vain Pursuits (11:10, 12:9-12)

The Preacher urges us to “remove vexation from your heart.” This does not mean we must remove the feeling of vexation and frustration, but instead set aside the impossible and futile pursuit of trying to make sense of every detail of our lives of “smoke.”

We practically “remove” this kind of vexation by:

Listening to the Word of God (12:9-11)
God’s Word reminds us of what is true, good, and beautiful. It guides us through the “narrow gate” and the “hard way” of discipleship that leads to life (Mt. 7:13-14), like goads that keep animals moving in the proper direction. We must locate and prioritize the voice of our “Shepherd” amidst all the other voices in our lives.
Humbly embracing the limitations of life (12:12)
The Preacher warns us of the temptation to go “beyond” what God has given us to understand (cf. 2 Pet. 1:3, 2 Tim. 3:7). This quest will lead to vexation and weariness and we will never find what we are looking for.

“You will be tempted to think that you must move beyond the wisdom words of God in order to make a difference and find your purpose. His words will at times seem too small and quiet a thing amid the clamor and importance of the world. You will be tempted to think that you need something more than your relationship with God in order to prove worthy and credible under the sun. But I tell you, after everything is said and done, the end of the matter, the grand purpose for which we live, the ‘whole duty’ of your life is this: trust God, follow what he says, and this, right where you are.” ~ Zack Eswine

III. Remember Your Creator (12:1, 13-14)

As we contemplate our own death, the brevity of life, and all that the Preacher has said in Ecclesiastes, we are to remember our Creator. We do this by:

Fearing God
Keeping his commandments
Remembering our life beyond the sun

“If there is no God, and therefore no final judgment, then it is hard to see how anything we do really matters. But if there is a God who will judge the world, then everything matters. This is not all there is. There is a God in heaven who rules the world. There is a life to come. One day the dead will be raised and every person who has ever lived will stand before God. And when that day comes, it will become clear that there is eternal significance in everything that anyone ever thought, said or did.” ~ Philip Ryken

Philippians 1:21: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”