Ecclesiastes 12:13 - The Whole Duty of Man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) Now all has been
heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear
God and keep his commandments, for this is the
whole duty of man.
COMMENTARY PEARL
I have a love-hate relationship with my
GPS because sometimes I think it takes me the
wrong way. In fact, Ive read some interesting
stories about people who followed a GPS and ended up
in some pretty strange places.
When the Israelites left Egypt, their GPS
system was very simple: they moved when the Lord
told them to move, and they went where the Lord
told them to go.
Today, God directs us through His Word.
Its our GPS system, so to speak, confirmed to us
by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We can find
everything we need to know about God and about life in
the pages of the Bible.
Psalm 1 summarizes this for us: Oh,
the joys of those who do not follow the advice
of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or
join in with mockers (verse 1 NLT).
If you want to be happy, according to
Psalm 1, then dont hang out with ungodly
people, go to ungodly places, and do ungodly
things.
The psalmist goes on to say, But they
delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day
and night. They are like trees planted along the
riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves
never wither, and they prosper in all they do
(verses 2"3 NLT).
God has laid out His parameters for our
own protection, for our own good. And as we get
older, we start seeing the repercussions of the
decisions people made when they were younger.
Solomon, the king of Israel, was renowned
for his wisdom. With his unlimited resources, he
decided to see for himself everything this world had
to offer. Eventually, he came to this
conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this
is everyones duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13
NLT).
It comes down to this: Gods way is the
right way. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
It is surprising how many Christians have
never read the book of Ecclesiastes. One woman
told me that Ecclesiastes was the one book in the
Bible she could not read. "I am put off by all
that pessimism and gloom," she explained. There
is, however a purpose behind this pessimism and
gloom. Dr. Cynddylan Jones, a famous Welsh
preacher, put it like this: "No Christian will be
ready to open himself up to God until he has been
gripped, as Ecclesiastes was gripped, by the
emptiness and pointlessness of life. It is only when
we see, and see clearly, that life is not to be
found in the world that we will be ready to move
closer toward God."
It is interesting to observe that most
philosophers, when they look reality in the face, come to
the same conclusion as Solomon. Malcolm
Muggeridge, for example, in the days before he found
God, saw the world as "an interminable soap
opera." Some graffiti found on the walls of Bath
University was even more to the point: "Do not adjust
your life, the fault lies in reality."
One of the reasons, I believe, that
Solomon used such vivid illustrations is in order to
break through our defensive attempts to avoid
reality. Life "under the sun," he has told us, can be
boring, fleeting, repetitive, and empty. Life will
never be meaningful "under the sun" until we make
contact with the One who is above the sun. Those who
try to find meaning without living their lives
to the Creator inevitably see life as an
"interminable soap opera." Is it any wonder?
Gracious and loving Father, wean me off
any idea I may have that life can be found
"under the sun." Grant that I might be gripped by
the truth that life, real life, is never found
in the horizontal but in the vertical. In You.
Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn
Hughes devotional re Ecclesiastes 1:9]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Everyone seeks fulfillment. Most of us have
some goal or dream that we think will bring
fulfillment to our lives. But God has wired us in a way
that we cannot truly find fulfillment by pursuing
things of this world. We can only find it by
pursuing him. Solomon, traditionally believed to be
the author of Ecclesiastes, gives us an eloquent
testimony to that fact. He pursued every avenue of
pleasure without hindrance and found them all empty.
In the end, he said that all is meaningless
except knowing God and obeying him. [NIV Once A Day
Bible]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - The Whole Duty Of Man
Is:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050304-1050.html
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - The Whole Duty of Man.
(updated)
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100905-1644.html
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - The Whole Duty of Man.
(addendum)
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20120906-0727.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio (currently live):
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
