An Exhortation to Graduates from Ecclesiastes
Do you know what life is all about and why you're in this world, in this particular place and at this particular time? After all your years of schooling can you finally say that you understand the meaning of life and why you're here and how you got here? May I be so bold as to say, that unless all your studies had the Bible as their very foundation, then you have no idea how to answer these questions. You see, these are questions that ONLY the Bible can answer because the Bible Alone is God's Word to man. Mathematics, Science, Geography, History & Social Studies are all meaningless apart from a foundation on God's Word. And language courses are at a loss to explain why there are so many diverse tongues in this world unless they begin with Genesis, the first book of the Bible. And that's why we read in Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth."
The Book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, and it's a book in the Bible that gives us the only true world and life view, and it answers all the questions which are in the heart of every person! The Bible Alone tells us why we are here, how we got here, what life is all about and what our purpose is in this life!
Your Pursuits and Purpose
And in Ecclesiastes, Solomon demonstrates that all the pursuits of man are vain and empty and add up to nothing, and bring only sorrow and suffering in a life that's lived apart from faith in God. If you read Ecclesiastes you'll see that Solomon gave himself for a time in the pursuit of materialism, which is thinking that life only consists in the things you possess. Solomon possessed houses, vineyards, gardens, fruit trees, water pools, servants, silver and gold, male and female singers and livestock-he had it all, but he soon discovered that this is only vanity. Jesus said in Luke 12:15: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
Solomon also pursued pleasure: sex, alcohol, laughter and partying, but he also discovered that apart from living for God, these things are only emptiness and vanity. Solomon then pursued academic studies and what we might call humanism: trying to do good. But again he came to the same conclusion;-that apart from living one's life in the service of God, all these things are empty, unfulfilling and only produce a life of misery that ends in despair and destruction. And so Solomon comes to a conclusion of the whole matter at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes-there's only one proper view of life. Because God is the Creator and we are His creatures, who are created as His image, there can only be one purpose for man and only one thing under heaven that is fulfilling in the life of every person-Solomon says: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man!"
The Bible teaches us that the whole purpose of life is simply to fear God, which is a holy reverence and childlike trust in God! And you demonstrate that you fear God by loving and serving Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, which means you bow to His Word! You see, love for God is demonstrated by obedience to His Commandments. Jesus said in John 14:21: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." And Scripture teaches that we only obey when we are reconciled to God by grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you have true faith you confess your sin and unworthiness, and true faith motivates you to praise, honor and worship God in all you do!
2007 Graduates: Are you trusting Christ? Have you been reconciled to the Creator through faith in Jesus Christ? You see, to remember your Creator means to trust Him in everything and for everything!
God's Judgement
Solomon also teaches in Ecclesiastes 11:9 that youth is a blessing and something to be enjoyed. But he also says the joy of youth must be balanced with the reminder that "God will bring you into judgment." In other words, your adult life is going to reveal the quality of your youth, so don't let your youth be days of vanity and emptiness. Don't think you'll become serious about worshipping and serving God when you get older and that today you can do whatever you want. If that's your outlook, your life is empty and vain. You must now begin serious thought as to your relationship to God and your place of service to Him in this world. Youth is not a time for following the idols of this present evil world or drifting along without a purpose. Solomon says "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth!" The most important thing for you to be focused on in the days of your youth is God.
Remember Your Creator
Solomon says: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth." What he means by remembering God your Creator is that all your life long, but especially in the days of your youth, you must remember that you have your existence from God. You did not develop by some evolutionary process, nor do you exist as a result of some "big bang." You are not a product of blind chance, nor a genetic code that somehow came into being through a process of millions of years. The Bible declares that God made you! We read in Acts 17:28: "for in Him you live and move and have your being." He determined your purpose and God alone can satisfy you! Remember this teaching as you go out into the world to secure a job or go off to college to gain more education. Whatever avenue you pursue-"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth!"
And you exist for one purpose: to worship and serve God. Therefore, you are accountable to Him in all that you think, say and do! Remember that! You have one purpose in life: to worship and serve the God of the Bible. If you miss this purpose, your life is empty and vain, no matter what you might accomplish in this life. Only in knowing God your Creator, through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, will your life have great significance and purpose!
Now is the Day of Salvation!
And did you notice the word now? "Remember now your Creator." It means that trusting in God for salvation is now-never later. You cannot say to God, "Later." Later may not come. "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:13-14) That's why we read in 2 Corinthians 6:2: "For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
Remember God now in your entertainment and in the friends you choose. Remember God now in deciding whom you should marry and what vocation you will pursue. Remember God now when you're tempted to sin, and in the clothes you wear, and in places you frequent. Remember God now in all that you think, say and do. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them."
Graduates, you must remember now your Creator in the days of your youth if you will have the strength to live in the days of old age, which are often days of trial and testing. Once again, the foundation for your life is laid in the days of your youth. Therefore, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." May God give each of you the grace to "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth" as you prepare to make your way out into the world!
