This chapter concludes the book in a powerful way as the author concludes their “under the sun” premise.
“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”; …because man is going to his eternal home… and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (v1,5f,7,13b-14)
It would seem the author’s “under the sun” premise, which has heavily relied upon this life on earth being meaningless, has a flipside: Honor God in word and deed and you will fulfill your purpose in life and see an eternity with Him.
This seems to indicate there are two paths – a temporary life of meaninglessness, and an eternal life of meaning. The first is a life fixated on what the world can offer, the second is a life spent serving God. Following lusts of the flesh, versus following God’s will and leading.
This epiphany seems to have come to the author late in life after having wasted a great deal of their time here on earth. Their motive for sharing this insight seems to be teaching others this truth before they too waste what little time they have.
I encourage us all to make this decision moment by moment: choose to pursue God rather than our flesh. This is incredibly hard, in fact it’s impossible without God’s help, which is why we need to fully rely on Him in this process. Yes we’ll still fail frequently (at least I will), but our merciful and compassionate Father will give us more chances to serve Him until He calls us home into eternity. As long as we still have breath in our lungs, it’s not too late to purposefully serve Him instead of ourselves.
Father God, our Merciful and Gracious Lord, You are compassionate and loving beyond description. We praise You for aiding us moment by moment through Your indwelling Spirit, and we embrace the guidance You give. Please help us to choose You over this world, and live a life of meaning and purpose. May we pursue that which bears eternal fruit, and ignore the dust in the wind. For Your honor and glory we praise You, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training