Part 1 of 3
We continue with our study of Ecclesiastes by looking at chapter 11:7 to chapter 12:7 under the theme “Rejoice and Remember.” These two words are key terms in this passage. Twice the preacher uses the word ‘rejoice’ and twice he uses the word ‘remember.’
The preacher is calling us to rejoice and to remember, and in particular, he wants us to remember in order to rejoice. Or to put it in another way, if we are to truly rejoice, then we must remember. And we must do so before it is too late!
This section of Ecclesiastes is especially suited for the younger people. Notice how the preacher says in verse 9 of chapter 11, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth…” and again in chapter 12 verse 1, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”
But how should we define “youth?” Under 20? Under 30? Under 40? Solomon doesn’t give us a specific age or age range but he does suggest when the days of one’s youth come to an end.
In chapter 12 verse 1, he says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, (before the evil days come)…when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” In other words, anyone is a “youth” who has not yet entered the stage of life that is described in verses 2-7 of chapter 12!
This passage contains two parts. First, we have a twofold command to rejoice and to remember in light of what is to come, and second, we have a graphic description of what is to come. We will consider the first part in this article and the second in the next.
A Twofold Command in light of what is to come
Verses 7-8, “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.”
What we find in these verses is a balanced assessment of life. On the one hand, life is sweet and pleasant and good, and you should enjoy it while you can. Life is meant to be enjoyed. But on the other hand, we are told to be mindful, even in the midst of rejoicing and enjoyment, that there will be days of darkness, particularly as one gets older.
The reason why I say that this is a balanced assessment of life is because on the one hand, it is very easy for some, especially young people, to get so carried away in the fun and enjoyment of their youth that they are not mindful of what is to come. And so the preacher tells us that even a person who rejoices for many years must not be unmindful of the dark days ahead. But on the other hand, it is also quite easy for some people to get so anxious or weighed down in their hearts with the cares of this life that they fail to rejoice every day and to make the most of their days.
Verse 8 ends with the words, “All that cometh is vanity.” Now the word ‘vanity’ can mean meaningless or it can also mean fleeting or transient or temporal. I think it is the second meaning that is in view here.
And so in context, the phrase means that the days of light and pleasantness and sweetness are like a vapour or a puff of smoke that is soon gone. They go by very quickly. Before you know it, the days of darkness will be upon you. And so you should not waste any time. Now is the time of rejoicing and enjoyment.
In these verses, the preacher implicitly calls us to rejoice and to remember. But then he goes on to make this twofold command explicit in the verses that follow. He says in verse 9, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.”
Here the young person is called to rejoice while he is still young. He is to follow the inclinations of his heart and the desires of his eyes. He is not to postpone rejoicing and enjoyment to a future time but to enjoy the present moment.
Now some weeks ago when we were looking at chapter 9, we saw how the preacher, speaking from an under-the-sun point of view, advised his reader to enjoy life while he can because death comes to all and is the end of all things. But that is not what he is saying here in chapter 11. He is not saying that we should simply enjoy ourselves without any restraint because life is short and death is the end of everything.
Instead, notice what he says in verse 9 – that in the midst of all his enjoyment and rejoicing, the young person should know or remember that there is a God who will bring him to judgment at the end. This knowledge of God’s final judgment is not meant to be a wet blanket or to pour cold water on the young person’s rejoicing. Rather, the thought of God and of future judgment ought to give direction and guidance to his present life. He is not to seek joy and enjoyment like what many in the world are doing. Instead, he remembers that he is accountable to God for all that he says, thinks and does.
Verse 10 continues with more advice on how the young person is to rejoice and enjoy life. “Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.” Childhood and youth are like a vapour. It is transient, here one moment and gone the next. Before you realize it, it is over. Therefore, the young person should seek to remove or banish sorrow from his heart.
The word ‘sorrow’ speaks of that which causes anxiety or anger or grief or irritation. He should seek to banish these things from his heart and mind if he is to live joyfully. And he should also put away evil from his flesh. The word “evil” may not necessarily mean that which is morally impure or sinful. It could also refer to physical pain.
So what the preacher is saying is that as much as possible, we should put away or banish anxiety from our mind and pain from our body.
The preacher then goes on in verse 1 of chapter 12 to give another command – one that will enable us to truly rejoice. He says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,”
Remember that He has made you and given you everything that you have. Remember Him, not just occasionally or from time to time, but daily, constantly, and continually. Remember all that He has done for you and is doing for you. Every moment that you live, you live because of His sustaining power in you and His kind providence over you.
And remember Him now. Now is the time to do so. Not 10 or 20 years later when you have finished your studies or when you have settled down in your career and have a family of your own and so on. Remember now thy creator!
The rest of verse 1 gives us a reason why we should do so. It reads, “while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” In other words, remember Him before it is too late. Remember Him before the days and years of trouble come upon you when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” What he is implying is that in those days of trouble and darkness, it will not be easy to remember your creator.
If you wait till then, it’ll be too late. Do it now. Develop the habit of seeking God while you are still young and able to do so. It gets harder when you’re older. And if you have not developed godly habits and ways of thinking and living in your youth, it may be all too late in your old age.
So rejoice and remember. Remember your creator, who has given you all things and who will someday call you to give an account of your life. Remember Him before it is too late. And remember Him so that you can truly rejoice and find true enjoyment in your present life.
Then having told us what we are to do because of the time to come, the preacher goes on to give us a description of what is coming, which we will look at in the next article.
Linus Chua
Westminster Confession of Faith with Pastoral Comments
Chapter II
Of God, and of the Holy Trinity
2.2 God hath all life,1 glory,2 goodness,3 blessedness,4 in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all–sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made,5 nor deriving any glory from them,6 but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things;7 and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleaseth.8 In His sight all things are open and manifest,9 His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature,10 so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain.11 He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands.12 To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.13
1 Dt 6:4; 1 Cor 8:4, 6; 2 1 Th 1:9; Jer 10:10; 3 Job 11:7–9; 26:14; 4 Jn 4:24; 5 1 Tim 1:17; 6 Dt 4:15–16; Jn 4:24; Lk 24:39; 7 Acts 14:11, 15; 8 Jas 1:17; Mal 3:6; 9 1 Kgs 8:27; Jer 23:23–24; 10 Ps 90:2; 1 Tim 1:17; 11 Ps 145:3; 12 Gen 17:1; Rev 4:8; 13 Rom 16:27; 14 Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8; 15 Ps 115:3; 16 Ex 3:14; 17 Eph 1:11; 18 Prov 16:4; Rom 11:36; 19 1 Jn 4:8, 16; 20 Ex 34:6–7; 21 Heb 11:6; 22 Neh 9:32–33; 23 Ps 5:5–6; 24 Nah 1:2, 3; Ex 34:7.
In this section, we continue to learn about the God of the Bible, especially about the relationship He has with all His creatures in this universe.
First, we learn that God is fully self-sufficient. This means that He is not in any way dependent on His creatures for anything. He has all life in and of Himself. He is the source and sustainer of life, and all creatures are totally dependent on Him for their being and continual existence. God also has all glory in Himself. Creatures do not and cannot add to or subtract from His glory. The best they can do is to bear witness to and make manifest His glory.
Second, we learn that God is sovereign over all His creatures. By sovereignty, we mean His absolute rule and control over all things. As Creator, He has the right to do with His creatures whatever He deems good and whatever pleases Him. No one has the right to question Him or the power to prevent Him from doing so.
Third, we learn that God knows everything about His creatures, including what they will do in the future. Nothing surprises Him or catches Him off guard. He does not learn anything new from anyone because all knowledge, whether past, present or future, already resides in His infinite mind from all eternity.
Fourth, we learn that God is worthy to be worshipped, served and obeyed by all His creatures. It has been said that worshipping God is a privilege, and that is true. It has also been said that worshipping God is very fulfilling and satisfying, and that is also true. But what must never be forgotten is that as His creatures, we have an inherent duty and obligation to worship Him because of who He is and who we are in relation to Him.