Today you should read: Ecclesiastes 12
“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.”
We’ve heard this line in several different ways through out this book and we read it again in verse 8. However there really is purpose to the pointlessness Solomon keeps on pointing to and we find it in this chapter more then any other place in this book. In fact, many commentators point out how scary this book could be without this important chapter as Solomon concludes some things about this otherwise meaningless life without the Lord.
- The wisdom of the Bible leads us to the Lord.
We see this in verses 9-12 as Solomon shows us that true words of the wise will lead up to the Shepherd (Jesus) and how we must be careful of any other type of wisdom in addition to the wisdom of the Lord and what He gives us in Scripture.
2. God’s conviction and commandments keeps us with the Lord.
Verse 13 shows us how fearing the Lord and keeping His commandments protects us. Of course, we can’t do this without Jesus which Solomon hinted to in verse 11 but there’s a reason why God gives us the commandments as we see a picture of His perfection and how we can’t measure up to it without Jesus and how a healthy awe and fear of God will help us keep those commandments.
3. The judgment of our deeds proves how much we need the Lord.
Whatever we do in the dark will be exposed by the light. Even if that doesn’t happen on earth, it will happen in the final judgment and that can be scary for some people. Let’s be honest, that should be scary for every person concerning our thoughts and motives, even the most religious people. This is also why we know that we need Jesus in the end. For some that’s doing exactly what verse 1 says and that’s remembering the Creator in the days of our youth.
As we conclude this book, what did you learn from reading it?
By: Erik Koliser — West Campus Pastor
JumpstartCPC.com 
Thanks Erik, and all of our staff, for leading us through Ecclesiastes! Solomon’s conclusions are true. There are many joys in life accompanied with some deep sorrows as well. The ONLY thing that brings lasting joy to life is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The evidence for this truth is everywhere you look in our culture. People try to fill the void in their lives with alcohol, drugs, material possessions, fame, etc. I’m glad to be part of a church that is on mission to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to our city and the world.
Amen Mike!