What Is It All About?

INTRO

Whenever we read or teach the Word of God, we are responsible for what we’ve heard and taught. As you think about the last few times you’ve been in the Word of God, what did you do with what you learned? How were you encouraged? Studying the Word in community with others gives us the opportunity to talk about what we have learned. Today, we are looking at the end of Ecclesiastes. Our word for Jesus in this book is Eternal. Life only makes sense when it is connected to the Eternal God. This book calls us to remember our purpose and to not allow ourselves to be distracted.

TEACHING

In the world today, people seem to be trying to answer the question, “what is it all about?” The writer of Ecclesiastes was dealing with purpose and what life is all about. Today, we are at the end of the book, and we will focus on “the conclusion of the matter.”

Ecclesiastes 12:9–14: Solomon didn’t skip the content about the meaninglessness of things in order to stress the command, “fear God and keep His commands” (v. 13b) because he knew that we would not blindly accept his statement. He knew each of us would go out, on our own search for meaning, trying to test if this was the truth. Solomon tested several different things before concluding those things were really just a breath that didn’t last very long. Let us recount some of those things:

• Ecclesiastes 1:17—chasing wisdom was like chasing after the wind
• Ecclesiastes 2:1—pleasure proved to be meaningless
• Ecclesiastes 2:2—laughter and pleasure (feeling good) also proved meaningless
• Ecclesiastes 2:3—wine and folly, but guided by wisdom, proved meaningless
• Ecclesiastes 2:4–6—made great works; built houses; planted vineyards, gardens, parks, fruit trees; made pools of water. He tried to accomplish something bigger than himself, but this was also meaningless.
• Ecclesiastes 2:7—bought slaves, amassed large herds and flocks. He was the wealthiest person around, but it proved to be meaningless.
• Ecclesiastes 2:8—gathered gold and silver, and treasure, singers and concubines, again meaningless.
• Ecclesiastes 2:9—became the greatest and most powerful man in Jerusalem, remained wise, yet that was like chasing after the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 2:10—denied himself nothing he desired, refused himself no pleasure. Even indulgence did not bring satisfaction.
• Ecclesiastes 5:7—Solomon started to realize dreams and words were meaningless, but God was to be feared.
• Ecclesiastes 6:2—God gives some people wealth, possessions, and honor so they lack nothing. But God doesn’t grant them the ability to enjoy them; strangers enjoy them instead. People today who have traveled to third-world countries seem surprised that people who have little can be happy. But the people in those third-world countries were never fooled by thinking such things could make them happy.
• Ecclesiastes 6:9—If every hunger were fed, wouldn’t that be the definition of satisfaction? Unless there is a hunger that cannot be fed here on earth. Ecclesiastes shows there is a hunger bigger than getting every appetite fed. Without God, there is dissatisfaction and emptiness.

Reflecting on all these things led Solomon to conclude: “Fear God and keep His commandments” (v. 13). You can look at this statement as if it is two separate things: “Fear God” and “keep His commandments.” Or you can read this as one connected statement: “Fear God by keeping His commandments.” In this latter approach, the definition of fearing God is keeping His commandments.

The fear of the Lord is discussed throughout the wisdom literature (and throughout the Bible).

Job 1:9—Even Satan recognized Job feared God. Satan could take away Job’s wealth, possessions, family, but he couldn’t away Job’s fear of the Lord.

Psalm 34:9—Those who fear God lack nothing. Why? Because you can chase everything but God, and you’ll be dissatisfied. But when you fear God, you end up satisfied. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

Revelation 14:7—Fear God by giving Him glory. We fear God by truly worshipping Him and giving our whole lives to Him?

The fear of the Lord is a very big deal. What characteristics of God do you think are most emphasized in our modern culture? Some say it is God’s love—His infinite love, His perfect love. But we need to understand for every quality of God, there are other qualities that are never diminished. Jesus is full of grace and truth. His grace does not shorten or diminish His truth. Neither does He emphasize truth so that it diminishes His grace. In God, there is both love and justice. You can have a fear of the Lord and you can have a tremendous love for the Lord. In Matthew 22:37–39, Jesus told us what it is all about: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love you neighbor as yourself.”

In Ecclesiastes, it is all about fearing God and keeping His commandments. Both statements are equally valid. The two go together completely. Loving God includes fearing Him, and fearing Him includes loving Him with everything in us. In fearing God, there is a way you can live that makes you want to run to Him instead of away from Him. When you fear God by keeping His commandments, then you are not afraid to be around Him. Conversely, when you do not fear God by keeping His commandments, then you are afraid of Him. The incredible thing about fearing the Lord—when you truly get it—is that you love Him enough to think He’s made this list of commands because He loves you, He believes in you, He wants a future for you, and He has great things for you. Truly, fearing God and keeping His commandments leads us to love God with all our hearts.

CLOSING

The sum of all things in Ecclesiastes—the conclusion of the matter—is: do not be suckered into pleasures, do not be suckered by possessions and thinking that what you have will make you happy, and do not be suckered by your work or things you have to do. Instead, understand that fearing God, keeping His commandments, and following His directions is the sum of it all.