What can we learn from Solomon's concluding thoughts in Eccleastes 12?
Ecclesiastes 12:1 - 14
ESV - 1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them". 2 Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain.
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Asked April 04 2021
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Jack Gutknecht
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Ben Jones
After reading the entire book I believe that Solomon had a royal secretary that wrote down Solomon's daily exploits for his entire reign. Then, when he turned 60 or so, he read the entire thing and then decided to write down what he discovered so his sons wouldn't make the same mistakes he made. "The world" tells us that money is the solution to all problems. Solomon had wealth beyond comprehension. He took in through taxation 25 tons of gold every year he reigned! Which was 40 years. In 2019, one ton of gold was worth $46,500,000 (US). He had 300 wives and 700 concubines. He wanted for nothing "under the sun." He had it all in the material world. But looking back on his life, he realized that life without an eternal perspective is vanity of vanities. He discovered that life is short, like a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow. He is appealing to the reader of his sermon a universally observable fact: a pagan view of life doesn’t give you any hope of achieving very much. You might be rich and famous now, but who will remember your name in 50 years, and what significant legacy did you leave with all of your money? He built gardens like the world had never seen before, and discovered that nature could not answer his questions. History baffled his attempts to understand it. He marveled at the weather and even though he understood it, he felt it was still vanity. He suggests that we need to think about death, a lot; yet most people don't. People prefer parties to funeral parlors even though we will all end up in a funeral parlor someday. Christians live "under the sun" too (during our lifetime), but we also live under the "Son," so we have the hope of eternity in our hearts! The New Testament says that "all things become new" when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, the unsaved are only looking for lots of money, "good" times, fine wine and opposite sex companionship. Their mantra is "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die." This is vanity of vanities.
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