Shabbat Shalom. Today we are going to read the last chapter of the book of Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, The word of King Shlomo, Melech Yisrael, the king of Israel, which he wrote in order to instruct our people, the people of Israel, about 3,000 years ago. Shlomo, that is King Solomon, is called Kohelet in this book of Ecclesiastes. The Hebrew word Kohelet come from the root word kahal, lehit kahel, to gather together the assembly, and he was assembling the people of Israel, and he was giving them instruction in order to help them to live for God, even in a world that is filled with vanity, vanity of vanities, he began the whole book, Hevel Havalim, saith the preacher, the preacher, Kohelet, realized that in this world in which we live in, there is much evil, there is much sin, there is vanity, everything is empty here for mankind, if he or she do not turn their hearts to God, and because of God, we are able to live in a vain world and serve him here in this world so we are reading the 12th chapter there are 14 verses so please follow me in the reading of the Scripture and so he began in verse 1 and he says remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shall say.

I have no pleasure in them, while the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders shall cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened. And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and the desire shall fail, because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth, as it was, and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, sayeth the preacher, all is vanity. And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, yet he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

And further, by this my son be admonished of making many books, there is no end and much study is weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Feel God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of men. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. And that's the end of Ecclesiastes, Kohelet, the writings of Shlomo HaMelech, the king of Israel. These are the last words that he wrote before you might say he shut the book. And he concluded with the word of the Lord to our nation Israel some 3,000 years ago.

To remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that Shlomo wrote three books. When he was young, he wrote Shir Hashirim, the songs of Solomon. When he was a bit older, he wrote the books of Mishlei, the book of Proverbs. And when he became an older man after he made many mistakes in his life he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in Hebrew we call it Kohelet. And as he writes these books by divine inspiration the words that the Lord used him to give to our people of old Israel and to you and I today he really is speaking the mind of the Lord seeking to help us to walk here in this world.

But I don't have to tell you that it's so true what he began to say here in the first chapter. The words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Yerushalayim. Vanity of vanity, says the preacher. Vanity of vanity, all his vanity. What prophet has a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? Under the sun, obviously, in Hebrew, is speaking about the events and the things that happen here, not in heaven, but here on earth. Under the sun, where fallen creation is here, where sinners live, where you and I live by nature. He looked around, and he tried everything in life, and he found out that without God, setting God aside, everything is empty is vain is that which will end at the end and will not give blessing to the one who follow after vanity but at the same time because this earth is filled with vanity under the sun all is vanity the believer the people of Israel historically the believers today the true believers in the living God should seek to live for God in spite of the fact that everything here under the sun is vanity.

So the people of God to whom he wrote Israel were called to be a chosen generation, a nation to be a testimony, a light to the nations of the world. In Hebrew we call it or lagoyim, light unto the Gentiles. The believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, we are also called to be light in this world. We are called to preach the message of the gospel, to share with people about the fact that the Messiah has come, to live a life that is honorable to the Lord. And this book of Ecclesiastes, of Kohelet, is essential for us. It's not only for Israel historically, But it is for us who claim to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, that Jesus is the anointed one, the Mashiach and the Savior of this world.

So he's drawing to the end of his writing. And he's now in the 12th chapter, began, I want you to see how it is so interesting, because he does not want us to forget God in our life. You notice what he says to Israel? He says in verse 1, Zechor. In Hebrew, the word Zechor is mentioned many, many, many times in the Tanakh. Zechor means remember. Remember that you were slaves once in Egypt. Remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy, Exodus chapter 20. Remember how God has led you for many years when he brought you into the promised land. Remember, Israel, don't forget who God is and what he has done for you.

And we are called, you remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, remember that in time past you were Gentiles in this world without hope, not having part with the covenant that God had made with the people of Israel. But now, because of the Messiah Yeshua, you have been brought in and you are part of the company of redeemed people. Remember, don't forget that. He said to Timothy in the book of 2 Timothy, Remember Yeshua, the Messiah of the seed of David. Zerah, David. Don't forget Yeshua, the Messiah. Don't think that because you have been part of the nation of Israel, don't you think because you are part of the assembly of the living God that you can carry on your life without your responsibility here in this world.

Because there is something that's going to happen to all humanity. And here is what he's dealing with in this 12th chapter. You and I are not going to live here under the sun forever. Time will pass by and we will leave this scene and pass away. And so Shlomo, Hamelech, King Solomon, is charging Israel. And he began, notice, as I read verse 1, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Now, first of all, notice he used the word Creator. In Hebrew, it's very interesting. It's a plurality. It doesn't only say Creator, but it has the Yud added to that, which is a plurality.

In other words, right here, And there always has been a conflict about this. Jewish teachers believe that it is a plurality of excellence. Our own Jewish people do not accept the fact that God is existing and consisting in his triunity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And that's why you often find that, no, no, we don't believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. We don't believe that he is divine. Therefore, we don't accept the fact that he was born of the virgin Miriam and that he is sinless and undefiled and that he is separate from sinners. No, no, no. We Jewish people believe in one God.

Here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. But that one, that word Echad in Hebrew is a compound unity. It's not a yachid. It is not a distinct unit, but it is Echad. Shema Yisrael, here, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is a compound unity. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. And this is important to understand. And so there are many deliberations over this verse by many scholars, whether it is Jewish scholars or Christian or believers in Yeshua scholars. Many kind of debate over this question. But we know that in the Godhead, the Father and the Son are co-equal.

The Holy Spirit is co-equal. We do not have only one person in the Godhead. We have three persons in the Godhead, and yet we have only one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. John, the apostle, said, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And John 1.14 teaches us, And the Word became flesh, became a man, and dwelt among us. That Logos, that Mimra, the eternal Son of God, took union with humanity and became a man in order to save us and to redeem us. And you will notice, beloved brothers and sisters, that every time the book of Colossians or the book of Hebrews or the book of John in the Brit HaChadasha speak about creation, It always attributed to Yeshua, this person who was born to the virgin Miriam, the Lord Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

So remember thy creators, plural we might say, one God, three persons, in the days of thy youth. In other words, Israel, don't forget your creator. Don't forget God. He created you. He is the one that gave you life. Don't forget him. I want to remind you that he's writing to Israel who already believe in God. He doesn't write it to the world who do not believe in God and that God is a creator. He is writing to believers, to the nation of Israel. And you and I who claim to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, we believe the Bible, we believe the word of God.

We've accepted that Yeshua is the Messiah. It's applied to us. He's speaking to believers. And he says, don't forget your creator in the day of thy youth. And notice he continue in the very same verse one. And he says, really, you really have to realize that old age will arrive very soon that's why he used the word in the days of thy youth in Hebrew when you are young and I think of some of our young people here you know when you are young and everything is well you might say and you are capable to run and you are capable to carry on life you have strength in your hands you are lifting up heavy things you are capable to do much things that the older one cannot do.

And we forget many times when we are young that we have accountability to the living God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We know that. From experience, right? We who were once younger, we know very well, well, you know, I will talk about God later on. I don't need you, God, right now in my life. I want to build a career for myself I want to have things happening in my life I don't want you to bother me right now God later on I will return to you God and then you will become an important part in my life we say but you see brothers and sisters Shlomo who is now older and he made many mistakes in his life He had turned away from God, married 700 wives, had 300 concubines, worshiped idols, provided for his own wives and concubines all kind of idolatry and worship systems or demonic and satanic things.

Now he looks back and he gives this counsel and he says, no, no, no, don't wait until you get older to remember God in your life. Remember your creator now in the day of thy youth. And then notice what he adds here in verse 1b, all the way from verse 1b to verse 5, he says, remember your creator when you are young before old age will creep in and come into your life. Don't wait because age and old age is coming very quickly. All of us can say, I remember when I was 20. I remember when I was 25. When I was 30 or 40, I remember. And we look back and we say, where did the years gone so fast?

How did I pass all these years? It seemed to be like a day that passed by and so Solomon Shlomo is saying notice what he says he says remember now thy creator in the day of thy youth why listen what he said while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when you shall say I have no pleasure in them you see what he's saying there are years that are coming and there are days that are coming that you will find no pleasure in those days and years why because you have aged your purposes in life are no longer as before you are not capable to do things that you used to do years ago your aspiration change Life has changed.

Many limitations come into our life. We cannot do what we used to do. I remember, again, here I am, I remember when my dear wife Irene and I were younger, we could pick up our three children, Shalom, Yoav and Netanel, put them in a car in 10 minutes and travel far away for a few days for ministry or whatever we had to do. It didn't take too long. Chik-chak, we could pick them up, get them. Irene was so fast, and I was arranging everything in the car, getting everything ready, and we could travel for a long time, and it doesn't take too long to get everybody in the car and go.

But today, we try to leave the house for a trip or something. Oh, we forgot that. Oh, don't forget that. And then when we finally get there, we say, Oh, yeah, I forgot this at home. I got to go back home. But we have to get to this place. How are we going to now turn around and go back home? We are not the same, beloved brothers and sisters, when the days of old age coming. Not that we are old. I'm not saying we are old as yet. We are still counted as mid-age, we might say. But beloved brothers and sisters, it's so real how Shlomo is saying, and he says, listen, the day is going to come, and the year is going to draw nigh when you are no longer going to have pleasure in them the way you used to have pleasure when you were younger.

Pain in the side, pain in the back. Your legs are not here. Your headache is there. These pills, I mean, some people have all these long plastic things with all kinds of compartments inside. Pills for that and pills for that. This is in the morning. This is in the afternoon. This is in the evening. Oh, gewalt, we say in Yiddish. Oy v'avoy we say in Hebrew when we think about it. So Shlomo is very practical. He says, Israel, don't neglect to remember your creator in the day of the youth because evil days are coming. There are years approaching when you shall have no more pleasure in them as you used to have in the years when you were younger.

And so now, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 2, 3, 4, and 5, He described to us how old age arrived and the process of decay that is found in every one of us, believers in God and unbelievers, people who are saved and unsaved. It comes upon all humanity, the process of decay and the process of old age that comes and creep in into the life of all mankind. And so it is so interesting, in verses 2, 3, 4, and 5, in fact, even verses 6 and 7, he gives us, you might say, he reminds us how old age will come very, very soon. And he gives us, you might say, almost using illustrations, because he was a man who wrote many Proverbs, he gives us illustration to show us how the human body is decayed and actually what he's doing here he reminds us of what God said in Genesis chapter 3 where he said to Adam from the dust you came and to the dust you will return he's really taking us back to the days of old to the promise of God because sin and disobedience came in God said this to Adam already in the garden of Eden because you have disobeyed my word dying you shall die with the sweat of thy brow you shall eat bread and eventually you are going to return to the dust from which you were created and notice that look at this list I just want to run by you this list first of all in verse 2 to show us how the sun and the light and the moon and the start will be darkened it's really this is an application.

To the mind and a mental capacity to be deteriorated not as it was before it's almost like you are returning to a second childhood. Notice what he says in verse 2, while the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be no darkens, nor the clouds return after the rain. Most Bible teachers who teach this book of Kohelet take this verse and apply this verse to the fact that the mind and the mental capabilities are deteriorating. The sun and the light and the moon and the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain. You know this expression that the clouds return again after the rain.

It's an expression that it's almost like we are going backwards you see that's why when a person when we get older we know it from our parents from our mothers and our fathers they were no longer the same as they became older you needed to feed them you needed to care for them they could no longer behave the way they were when they were younger The clouds, speaks of clouds of darkness returning after the rain. Everything changes. The sun and the light and the moon and the stars are becoming darkened. And your mind is not clear anymore. What I was supposed to do? What was the street I used to be living at?

And things are really changing. You know, it is sad to see how things change in a person whose mind is no longer there. Years ago and still today when we go to visit people at the hospital and we speak with them by their bedside, we seek to encourage them because of the need that they have. They got up in old age and they are in the hospital. Later on they are moved into the retirement home. And they need a full care, and they are no longer the same. And you sit by their bedside, and you try even to remind them who you are, and they don't even remember who you are.

Sad process of decay that happened to all of us, all humans, every one of us. You and I today as well, we realize that this thing is going to hit us one day as we get up in age. That's the process of decay. That is exactly what God said, that because sin came in from the dust, you came and to the dust, you shall retain. Dying, thou shall die. In Hebrew, mot tamut, the process of decay. And so he's saying, you know, don't forget God. Remember God, remember your creator when you are young. Why? Because the days come when the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are going to be darkened.

Now it's not darkened. It's still, you are able, your mind is sharp. You are able to accomplish a lot. The clouds do not return as it were after the rain because you're thinking, Padre, you don't go back to being like a child again. Don't forget God. Don't set Him outside of your life. You need God. I need God. We need God. Israel need God in our life. We don't only need God to give us salvation and hopefully one day we're going to be in heaven. We need God today, in our life now, wherever we are finding ourselves here in this world. Don't allow yourself to neglect your relationship with the Lord Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, because you will see that the days will come and the sun, the light, the moon, the stars will be darkened and the clouds will return after the rain.

You are going to go backwards and you are not going to be capable. You're going to need to be like a baby being treated when you are older and incapable to take care of yourself. But it doesn't stop here because in verses 3, 4, and 5, Shlomo gives Israel a figurative description of an old age. And notice, brothers and sisters, just, I'll pass through these verses. Notice, in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble. The keepers of the house represent the arms and the hands which are walking straight and able to keep and to work and to do things. But there is time coming when they will tremble.

You're no longer going to be able to hold yourself straight and your arms and your hands and to use them the way you used to use them in the past. And then he said, and the strong men shall bow themselves. These are the legs and the knees which are very quickly, you might say, diminishing their strength. They are no longer like before. You can't jump from a high place anymore. You are walking with your knees buckling and every time you have pain in your legs and pain in your knees. Then he continued and he said and the grinders shall cease because there are few it speaks about the teeth how oftentimes we can't even take a bite anymore because we have one tooth here and the other one there and 20 of them are missing of course today thank God we have dentures and we can go and we can fix and get some good set of dentures i took my mother to get the set i took my mother-in-law to take a set and so on but you know time is passing by and those teeth are not staying the same as they used to be the grinders are few he's saying here because there are few they are ceasing they are no longer like they used to be before he continued he said those that look out of the windows be darkened that's the eyes you know up till today you see a few times I could not even see the number of the song clear because I had to put my glasses on.

And how often, beloved brothers and sisters, our vision is diminished. Thank God for those that have good vision today. But look, most of us are wearing glasses. Most of us have gone already to the doctor to do cataract surgery and so on. Something to improve our eyesight but it's not going to be forever it is temporary he continued notice and he says in verse four he's saying and the doors shall be shut in the streets that's the ears that's the ears in other words even a time we are no longer capable to hear what did he say What did she say? You know, sometimes it's kind of sad, but that's the process of decay.

You know, we get hearing aids, and I'm still today with my dear mother-in-law, even with her hearing aids. She says, what? Because you don't hear as you used to be able to hear when you were younger. And then he continued, notice, and he says in verse 4, he said, when the sound of the grinding is low. In other words, your voice is no longer the same. You used to sing high pitch and you could sing and shout and call somebody. But now the voice, the sound of the grinding of what comes out of your mouth is low. It's no longer powerful and strong as it used to be before.

And then he continues, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird. That means that that person when we get older no longer can sleep in until 10 o'clock in the morning when the birds are starting to make noise already you wake up early in the morning can't sleep like you used to sleep before you see young men can stay in bed and sleep until noon or young women they can stay long in bed they can sleep and no problem but the older person rise up at the voice of the bird can't sleep as long as they could he continues in verse 4 and the daughters of music shall be brought low the inability not only the inability to speak but also the inability to sing not only our voice is low in speaking but our voice is no longer capable as it says here the daughters of music shall be brought low so inability to speak loud and inability to sing inability to sing this is of course there are exceptions to the rule there are some individuals.

That are great singers no matter what age they are at it seems to be but it's not the norm beloved brothers and sisters the process of decay verse 3 arms and hands and legs and knees and teeth and eyes will decay. Verse 4, ears and voice and early rise and inability to sing. This is the process of decay, of old age creeping in, in the life of mankind, I should say, whether they are God's people or not. He continues in verse 5a and he says, even there is fear of heights and fear of traveling. You see what he says in verse 5a, when they shall be afraid of that which is high.

In other words, everything you look here and you say, wow, it's too high for me. I cannot longer see, look at height, even steps. You have to be extremely careful how you walk. You need a cane to help you. And of course, it says in verse 5b, fear shall be in the way. There is a fear of traveling now some of us are traveling but we are not all of us are capable as we get older we have a fear of height the fear of traveling they are no longer things the same as it is in the past and notice what it says at the end of verse 5 it says and the grasshoppers shall be a burden what does that mean grasshopper there is everything every little thing is troubling us every little thing this grasshopper just small little thing they are becoming to us troublesome we don't like many things troubling us why is this why is that we are not anymore as we used to be when we were.

Younger and here at the end of verse 5 he's saying and the desire shall fail even physical desire between a husband and a wife as we get older is not the same as when they are younger somebody said it is interesting how the last thing that is found in this list is the desire for physical relationship between husband and wife. It's not like it used to be in the past. That's what is mentioned here in verse 5 at the end. And notice that, brothers and sisters, why all this? He says in verse 5 at the end, because, notice, man goes to his long home. The Hebrew word here for long home has to do with the place that he is going to be.

Eventually, the long home speaks of the time of death that is coming. And the mourners go about in the street. That represents the funeral. When in Israel's biblical days, the mourners will pass by, follow as a procession after the person has died and has gone to his long home. Now, I want to remind you, it is very interesting, because if you remember, we began in verse 3, in the day when the keepers of the house, he mentioned a house, the body is a house. It's a house that is housing the spirit and the soul. You and I are creation of God. We're made in the image and the likeness of God.

We have spirit, soul, and body. The body is merely a shell. It is a house that house the spirit and the soul of every individual. And when an individual is passing out of this scene, he or she are dying, it says that we're all eventually going to go to our long home in this verse 5 at the end. And we have to realize that every one of us will end up to go to this long home, to the place where we are going to spend eternity, either as believers in the presence of God or in Hades and eventually the lake of fire if we have not become children of God.

Accepting the provision of God, of course, through our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. That interesting long home, it teaches us that there is an eternity at stake. Every one soul and spirit is eternally going to be either with God, in the presence of God, forgiven or away from God. And the body is going to be placed in the ground after the mourners will follow the body walking up about in the streets, the funeral procession. How many times we have already been through funeral services? And whether we walk in the streets as in olden days, after the coffin of the dead individual, or whether we drive along envoy of cars until we arrive into the burial site and eventually a person is being buried and placed into the ground.

That expression, long home, speaks of really eternity. We're going to see this in a moment. The soul and the spirit never die, but the body is going to go down to the ground from which it came from. And so in verses 3, 4, and 5, Shlomo, this is Kohelet, the king of Israel, Ben David, the son of David, he gives Israel a figurative description of an old age until one actually dies and going to his long home and the mourners go about in the street. What a description, beloved brothers and sisters. Paul said this elsewhere. In fact, I want you for a moment to turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and I want you to see what Paul said about this house that you and I have, the body.

Look what he says. He gives us an explanation of the fact that every person here in this world a believer in Yeshua the Messiah is waiting for the day that God is going to give us a glorified body. Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 5 for we know that if or when our earthly house of this tabernacle was dissolved we have a building of God and house not made with hands eternal in the heaven. He continues in verse 2 and in this, this is this body of ours we groan. We earnestly desire to be closed already with our house which is from heaven. Now again, by the way, yesterday in our Bible study we have the thought of the fact that God is able to heal the body.

Hezekiah was sick and God had healed him and gave him 15 more years. But do you think that he didn't die at the end? You think that he didn't get older at the end? You think he eliminated the process of deterioration, the process of decay as Shlomo is mentioning here? Of course not. Even if God's going to hear from pain here and problem here and so on, It's always temporary for here and now in order to drive us closer to him. But the process of decay and death will never eliminate unless the rapture comes and take a believer to be raptured with the Lord before he or she dies.

But we all have to go through the process of decay, of aging. The eyes and the ears and the legs and the teeth and all the parts of the body will never remain the same that's why Paul Shaul by divine Revelation says you know that this earthly house that we have this tabernacle is ultimately will dissolve but he says we have a hope you know we groan here in this house but we have a building that is building of God a house that is not made with hand and it is eternal and it is not here it is in heaven that's what Shaul Paul and Shlomo the king of Israel co-held both of them by divine inspiration to the light that God had given them understood so Shlomo is saying in verse 5 at the end because men or women or people go to his long home and the mourners go about in the street.

The mourners pass by following the body of that individual and eventually this person will be buried. The body will be going to. The ground as the process that was promised in Genesis 3, from the dust you came and to the dust you shall return and so now look at this brothers and sisters just before we're going to continue i want you to turn with me to Romans 5 one more verse please because this verse is very important in Romans 5 and verse 12 Paul said wherefore as by one man sin enter into the world and death by sin? Even so, death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.

None of us will escape the fact that we will have to pass away out of this sin. Romans 6 and verse 23 says, the wages of sin is death but God gave us a gift and the gift is gift of eternal life through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah if we only turn our hearts to him and accept him as our Messiah our Messiah our Lord and our Savior so so far beloved brothers and sisters verses 1b to verse 5 remember your creator when you are young. Before old age will come, and now in verses 6 and 7, remember your creator when you are young before death will strike you very fast.

And notice verses 6 and verse 7, death will come, and notice how he described it. It's interesting the way Shlomo is using this expression. He said, or ever the silver cord be loose. That silver cord speaks of the spinal cord. And then he continued, or the golden ball will be broken. That represents the skull. And then he continued, and he said, or the pitcher be broken. Some suggest it represents the heart will be broken. And then finally, he says in verse 6, or the will is broken at the cistern. This is the pelvis. In other words, the time will come where the spinal cord, the skull, the heart, the pelvis, all these internal, you might say, parts of the body, they also will decay.

They also will decay. Notice he's using strong word. The silver cord will be loosed. The golden ball will be broken. The picture will be broken and the will will be broken at the cistern. Use the word broken and broken or cut. It's a sudden death that will come. It will be sudden. You and I think that we live and we carry on and the years pass by as if we're going to live forever but eventually it suddenly will come. It will be loosed. It will be broken, be cut off. It's going to come very fast. That reminds us of how serious it is because he's really speaking to the people of Israel and he's telling them, listen, how do you live your life?

Are you living your life without God as a major part of your life? Don't you realize that in a moment that something will happen and immediately it's going to be broken, it's going to be cut, it's going to be severed. Your life can be taken from you in a moment. That's why in the book of Genesis, chapter 15 and chapter 25, God said about Abraham that he will live and he will die in a good old age. Why? Because he was a man of God. And when he lived for God, his death did not come as a surprise for him. He knew that he's going to pass out of this sin one day, but he wanted to live for God, and he died in a good old age.

It was said about King David, the same thing in 1 Chronicles 29, how he died in a good old age. Yes, a time we failed, the Lord, but to live for God and to remember God as our Creator, it is essential. Even Gideon, of Gideon in Judges 8, It says that he died in a good old age, even though he had some failure in his life. But God wants us to live for him, to remember that he's our creator. And of course, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, he's not only our creator, but he's also our Savior. He saved us. He forgave our sin and our sins. And that's why we cannot neglect to remember our creator.

So remember your creator before old age come, but also remember your creator before death will strike you very fast. And so he says in verse 7, and notice that very interesting verse. Verse 7 says, Then shall the dust, that's the Hebrew word, afar. Then shall the dust return to the earth, as it was. And notice that second half, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Now here we learn something very interesting, that when a person dies, it's only the body that go back to the ground, but the spirit, the human spirit and soul return to the one who gave us. It is God who gave us the spirit, the human spirit.

In the book of Genesis, in chapter 2, we read that God breathed upon Adam and Adam became a living soul. But when Adam sinned, God said to him, from the dust you came, chapter 3, and to the dust you shall return. The verse that is found in Genesis 3 verse 19 For dust you are, and to the dust you shall return. And so, you know, he kind of gave us here a complete picture of young person whose age creeps in very fast, and eventually he returned to the dust where he or she was, but the Spirit returned unto the one who gave it. And you know, brothers and sisters, unfortunately, that those who teach of soul sleep, as if the spirit and the soul of the person who was created by God, their, you might say, existence ends a death.

But this is not what the Bible teaches us. You see how clearly Shlomo knew that. The body returned to the ground, yes, but the spirit shall return unto God, because it is God who gave us life existence began when God gave us life and he using this expression here in verse 7 of chapter 12 go back to chapter 3 for a moment please Ecclesiastes 3 look at verse 20 in 21 there he says all go unto one place all are of the dust and all return to the dust again he already said that earlier and then he says in verse 21 who knows the spirit of men that it goes upward than the spirit of the beast that it goes downward in other words the spirit of a man goes back to the God who created him.

We have been created in such a way, in the image and the likeness of God. We are a triune persons. God has given us spirit, God has given us soul, and God has given us body. The body is the house that we house the spirit and the soul. The soul is the seat of the emotion, the feeling. We are happy, we are sad, we are weeping, we are smiling, we are doing, there is a seat of the feeling. But the spirit, the human spirit is that that relate us to a living God. The difference between human beings and animals is this. Man has spirit, soul and body, but an animal have no spirit only soul and a body that's why an animal when it die it doesn't go back to heaven it doesn't live eternally but a man a woman a person who had been created 1st Thessalonians 5 with spirit soul and body we are going eternally to be with God if we are believers or away from God if we are unbelievers again to remind you Luke 16 and you don't have to turn there for now the rich man who dies and Lazarus who passed away Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom enjoy the presence of God in Abraham's bosom speaks of paradise but the rich man who deny God deny the Messiah he ended up to be in Hades and there from there he's crying Father Abraham have mercy on me.

I'm tormented here send Eliezer that he will come and dip the tip of his finger in my tongue because I'm tormented here and Father Abraham had to say to him the way he said you in your lifetime had everything he suffered when he was in his lifetime but he believed in God and you rejected God, you understand it from the text. So now you are suffering where you are, but he is in a good place, resting. This tells us of sin that we don't see daily. It's beyond us. We see it in Scripture because the Bible teaches us. Man is going to his eternal home.

The believer, praise God, are going to be in the presence of the Lord, forgiven, not because we are better than somebody else, but because God forgave us. Yeshua paid the price for our sins. He washed away our sins so great, so many. We repented and accepted the forgiveness of God. But the one who doesn't believe, what's he going to say to God? God will have to say to him, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. I have to judge you not because I want to but because you refuse to accept the offer of salvation. Man is going to go to his long home where he is going to spend eternity either in God's presence or away from the Lord.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Yeshua said at the cross Father I commit my spirit unto you this is his human spirit it was if you remember that we read in Acts chapter 7 when Stephen said at the end when he just about to die he said Lord Yeshua receive my spirit beloved brothers and sisters there is life after death let us not fool ourselves for a moment assuming that we are only here for a season. Here Shlomo knew very well that there is an end to life here but there is life after death for the believer is an eternal home of blessing for the unbeliever is eternity of judgment.

And how sad it will be for those who refuse the Lord. And so notice that brothers and sisters I want to lead on to the conclusion. We have the final verses that we have here in these verses eight all the way to verse 14 just that you will see that as Shlomo is going to conclude now his message to Israel in verses eight all the way to verse 14 Shlomo charges his people Israel with the final words and notice what he's saying in verse eight he says now in verse eight vanity of vanity, sayeth the preacher, all his vanity. Hevel havalim amar kohelet hakol who hevel. Hevel means empty here in this world.

Everything is empty. Everything eventually does not give us any eternal gain. Everything here in this world without God is empty. God must be in the life of each and every one. Otherwise, everything is empty. By the way, he used that word vanity many times. I didn't even count them, but from chapter 1 verse 2 all the way to chapter 12 verse 8, many times throughout the book of Kohelet, throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, he used the word vanity again and again and again. He used the word under the sun many times many times in this book of Kohelet and you can look at this for yourself in due time chapter 1 verse 2 chapter 1 verse 14 chapter 2 verse 1 11 15 and 17 you can just look throughout the book of Kohelet and you're going to see how many times he used the word vanity.

But now he's concluding. He's now giving a final charge to the people of Israel in verses 9 on to verse 14. First of all, Kohelet gave his own personal doings. Look what he wanted really to do. Even though he failed, the king of Israel, he's just opening his heart before his. People and he says in verse 9 he said really I taught the people of Israel I really wanted to teach them to help them in their life as the chosen people of God he said moreover because the preacher was wise God gave me this wisdom he still taught the people knowledge and he gave good heed and he sought out and he set in order many Proverbs he says really I meant I really intend to teach you my people Israel I really wanted to see I received wisdom from God he's saying I received wisdom I was a wise man by divine gift from God and I still wanted to teach you I know I fail I know my past but I really want to teach you Israel so notice it says three things about him he taught he warned and he set things in order he taught he warned and he set things in order in verse 9 he taught the people knowledge he gave good heed he warned them and he sought out as he.

Said and he said in order many Proverbs he was writing Proverbs over three thousand Proverbs Shlomo wrote and in the three thousand Proverbs it was not given for nothing it was given to teach lessons that's why if you read the book of Proverbs mishle you will see how many exhortations are given through Proverbs my son despise not the word of the Lord my son take heed to the words of your mother listen to the counsel of your father my son he's writing so many Proverbs and he says listen i set Proverbs in order in order to teach the people that God have given to me to lead as the king of Israel.

And then he said in verse 10, not only that I taught and I warned and I set in order things in Israel, but I really wanted to use needful words and truthful words. Words that will be edifying and truthful for the people of God. Notice I'm reading verse 10. And the preacher sought to find out acceptable words. That which was written was upright, even words of truth. You see, Shlomo gave us the truth. And if we are not going to give each other the truth, and using words that are acceptable, that are profitable, that are needful, You know, to speak a word in season. You know, sometimes we need to correct each other.

Sometimes we need to speak the truth to each other. But on the other hand, sometimes we have to be careful when and how we speak. We need to speak the truth in love. Needful words, sometimes we say things that are not needful for the moment. Are not needful in this occasion. But he said, listen, I really meant Israel. I'm opening my heart before you. The preacher, Kohelet, the word preacher comes from the Hebrew word Kohelet, the gatherer of the Kehillah, of the congregation. I really sought to find out acceptable words. I didn't just say things for the sake of saying. I wanted it to be acceptable because God and a blessing to you, But I also wanted to speak words of truth.

There are so many lies today that do not edify anyone. We need to speak the truth and to speak it in love to the brothers and sisters. And then verse 11, beloved brothers and sisters, Solomon admonished each one individual as if he or she was his son or his daughter. And notice, and I want to read this verse 11. He said in verse 11, the words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies which are given from one shepherd. You know, the words of the wise are becoming like goads. What is a goad? It's like a shepherd that uses a stick to prick the sheep so they will go in the right direction.

And you see, God's words are like goads that are pricking us in order to awake us and alert us and cause us to ponder. Am I going in the right way? Am I living for God? Is what I'm doing now is pleasing to the living God, to my creator? The words of the wise are becoming like goads. And not only that they are like goads, but they're also like nails that are fastened by the masters of assembly. What does that mean? You know, when you have a box and you put something inside and you nail it, good, good, good, it becomes like a keeping whatever is inside sealed and protected.

Why do you think God is constantly speak to us through his word? Because he wants to alert us, to awake us by these goals, but also to preserve us. Beloved brothers and sisters, how many are wrong ways we would have gone had the word of the Lord did not speak to us and kept us. Kept us from sins that we could have committed any time. Kept us close to the Lord. Kept us perfect peace because when the Lord speaks to us and we draw near to Him, but when we don't listen to the words of the wise and we are not humbling ourselves and accepting the Word of God as goads and as nails that are fastened, deep-rooted, we are wandering all over.

We are never able to continue to walk with God in our life in a world that is vanity full of vanity and sins here in this world you ask any brother and any sister and any godly man or woman they will tell you it is the word of the Lord that kept me unto him that is able to keep us from falling and preserve us unto the day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah God's word keeps us God's word stirs us up he speaks to us he corrects us He says, Gideon, you were wrong there. You need to correct this. He tells you and I with whatever the name that you can put is, you know what, if you would have only listened to what I have to say to you, it would have kept you from so many problems that you're experiencing in your life.

Had I listened to the word of God, one might say, I would have been kept from so much evil, but I didn't listen. And young people, I'm challenging you. I'm speaking from my heart. Take God into your life. Don't wait. Don't say, God, I'll need you later on. I don't need you now. I'm dealing with, I have a lot of schoolwork, a lot of friends. Don't neglect the Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah in your life now. Don't wait. Because we all know how failing we are in our lives as believers. And so in concluding now, this is just the final thing. Notice he used also the word it's given as from one shepherd that is the shepherd of Israel the shepherd who care for the flock the Lord Yeshua Jesus says I am the good shepherd the good shepherd give his life for the sheep he's a great shepherd David says the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he leads me by green pastures and still waters the Lord is my shepherd he's really you might say almost prophetically speak about the Mashiach the Messiah who is the only one shepherd that's the shepherd of Israel that he's speaking about of course Shlomo was like an under shepherd because he was a king he took care of the people of Israel when he was right with God of course he did the right thing but there's only one shepherd the Bible is filled with verses that deal with the shepherd of Israel, namely the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, of whom we read that he is the shepherd, the good shepherd who gave his life for the sheep.

Then he concludes now in verses 12, he said, and further, notice that in verse 12, Solomon is now admonished each individual as son, and he said, and further, by this my son, Be admonished, making many books, there is no end, and much study is the weariness of the flesh. He's confessing. He said, I can write many books, and I can, as it says here, there are many books, and much study, and study, and study. There is weariness. Yes, there is. I understand that. But you make sure that you study, that you learn from that which is for the Lord, and that which will help you spiritually. That's what he's saying, Shlomo.

He is admitting, he is confessing. He said, my son, listen, be admonished. Of making many books, there is no end. And of much study is a weariness of the flesh. And look at the conclusion, beloved brothers and sisters. Verses 13 and 14, Solomon's final word of conclusion. Look at the conclusion. He came to a conclusion and he said, Here now, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Here is all what I eventually want to teach you, Israel. Fear God, keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of men. Fear God and obey God. Because this is the whole of men. The word for duty is not found in the Hebrew text.

It's not a duty, it's a privilege. It's not something that we need to be forced to do, to fear God. It's not a matter of duty. Oh, I must, I must, otherwise God. No, it's the way God made us. He made us for his own pleasure. We were created in the image and the likeness of God. We are, you might say, the only ones that are able to relate to a living God. Not the plants, not the animals, but only human beings. We can relate, we can get up in the morning and say, God, thank you for giving me the fact that I can breathe.

You gave me a good night, you gave me a home, you gave me food, you gave me my life in whom we live and move and have our being, beloved brothers and sisters. This is the conclusion. Fear God, obey God, because this is the whole of men. We were made to be related to a living God. It's really abnormal for a person to reject God because he or she were created in the image of God. When somebody is an atheist or an idol worshiper, he's really not fulfilling that for which God has called him or her to be. This is the whole of man. That's it.

God and man. God and man. That's why Israel is called the wife of Jehovah, the wife of Yehovah. That's why the church, the assembly is called the bride of the Mashiach, the bride of Christ. We were made in such a way that we will live and enjoy God forever and ever. This is the whole matter. This is the whole conclusion. Fear God, keep his commandment, but this is the whole of men. And then he concludes by saying, listen, because listen, God shall bring, verse 14, Every work into judgment. With every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. Ah, you know what he said?

God knows everything. One day he said, God, we're going to stand before God. He's going to bring everything into judgment. The believer is going to be judged at the judgment seat of the Messiah. The unbeliever is going to be judged at the great white throne judgment. The believer is going to be judged only for his works because the Messiah already paid the price for our sins. But the unbeliever is going to be judged and be cast into the lake of fire. You know, he said, listen, God will bring every work into judgment. How we live our life, how we behave, how we conduct, Everything he's going to bring, unfortunately, we are not always pleasing to him.

We know that. But eventually, God is going to evaluate everything. Whatever good, we will be blessed and receive a reward. Whatever is evil, we're going to be cast away from him. Every secret thing. You know, sometimes I'm thinking, you know, everything we, nobody knows we even think about. It's secret. Yet God knows everything about us. Because He is the Creator. This is the whole thing, the whole of men. We have been made in an image and a likeness of God. We are responsible to a living God. And how precious it is when we remember our Creator in the day of our youth and we live life in such a way that we honor Him in spite of the failure.

You know, for all the sins that we have committed, Yeshua had to die for. He forgave our sins, but He doesn't want us to stay away from Him. He wants us to turn to Him. So my challenge is for us and I'm going to close now all of us who are believers may the Lord help us to realize this in a personal way say Lord help me to live my life in this world that is filled with vanity under the sun help me to live it for you help me to repent when I'm wrong help me to choose a better route in my life help me to conduct myself in a right way that is pleasing to you But if someone is not a believer, sad to tell you the truth.

Because eternity is going to come very, very soon. We're not going to live here forever. We need to turn our hearts to Yeshua, the Messiah, to thank Him for His love for us. So we will be eternally with Him, never to be separated from Him. Remember now, Thy Creator, in the day of Thy youth. May the Lord bless his word. Can we say Amen to that?