Day 164 - The Whole Duty of Man

Daily Reading:  Ecclesiastes 10-12

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.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

12:13,14

 

Footnote:

We should search for purpose and meaning in life, but they cannot be found in human endeavors. 

We should acknowledge the evil, foolishness, and injustice in life, yet maintain a postivie attitude and strong faith in God.

All people will have to stand before God and be judged for what they did in this life.  We will not be able to use life's inconsistenn his conclusion, Solomon presents his antidotes for the two main ailments presented in this book. 

Those who lack purpose and direction in life should fear God and keep his commandments. 

Those who think life is unfair should remember that God will review every person's life to determine how he or she has responded to him, and he will bring every deed into judgment. 

Have you committed your life to God, both present and future?  Does your life measure up to his standards?

The book of Ecclesiastes cannot be interpreted correctly without reading these final verses.  No matter what the mysteries and apparent contradictions of life are, we must work toward a single purpose of knowing God. 

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon shows us that we should enjoy life, but this does not exempt us from obeying God's commandments. We should search for purpose and meaning in life, but they cannot be found in human endeavors. We should acknowledge the evil, foolishness, and injustice in life, yet maintain a positive attitude and strong faith in God.

All people will have to stand before God and be judged for what they did in this life.  We will not be able to use life's inconsistencies as an excuse for failing to live properly. 

To live properly, we need to:

1.  recognize that human effort apart from God is futile;

2. put God first -- now,

3.  receive everything good as a gift from God,

4.  realize that God will judge both evil and good,

5.  know that God will judge the quality of every person's life.

How strange that people spend their lives striving for the very enjoyment that God gives freely, as a gift.

Keep reading -- 201 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV