Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
INTRODUCTION
Well, here we have it, the final words of Ecclesiastes. As I mentioned last week, the Preacher’s words probably ended with 12:7. Vs.8-the end are likely the words of the man who complied the writings/sayings of the Preacher. They contain his God-ordained summation of the Preacher’s teaching, preaching, and publishing ministry.
Interestingly, but consistently with the idea that the whole thing was written in the voice of King Solomon, in vs.9-10 the narrator lets us know that in (and probably beyond) the under the sun wisdom communicated in Ecclesiastes, the Preacher taught knowledge. He wasn’t merely a wise person who kept his wisdom to himself, he determined to share it with others.
How did he come upon that wisdom? As far as it depended on him, he did so through great care and hard work. He did extensive research and experimentation. He studied what he found thoroughly. And compiled his findings and conclusions systematically. He wasn’t sloppy or lazy. He understood that this is God’s world and it matters how we live in it, both for ourselves and for God. Therefore, he gave himself to understanding as much of it as he could.
What’s more, the Preacher, we’re told, not only sought to discover and commend wisdom and knowledge, but he purposefully aimed to do so with integrity and an engaging eloquence. He was honest and winsome.
In many ways, all of that is the goal of every good preacher and teacher. I certainly aspire to teach truths about God’s Word and world after carefully studying them, to record my teaching for ongoing edification and scrutiny, and to do all of that with integrity, eloquence, and out of a desire to see you all filled with joy.
In these final verses (11-14), the narrator shares his thoughts on the Preacher’s thoughts on wisdom’s nature, origin, protection, and end (getting us above the sun in a significant way with this last one). From those things, we’ll see the big idea of this passage: The whole duty of man is to walk in wisdom. Doing so means fearing and obeying God in light of the certain judgment of God. The main takeaway, then, is to learn to walk in the fullness of wisdom with God’s help.
Before I pray, just to give you a heads up…Next week is Orphan Sunday (no Ecclesiastes) and then the following week I’ll give one final, summary sermon on Ecclesiastes before we begin an advent series on the songs of Luke.
Wisdom’s Nature (11)
Once again, vs.11-14 contain the narrator’s thoughts on the Preacher’s thoughts on wisdom’s nature, origin, protection, and end.
To begin, then, what does he say about the nature of wisdom? As we’ve seen, wisdom has limits, wisdom can’t predict results with 100% certainty, and there is a profound difference between under and above the sun wisdom. But as we’ve also seen, it’s impossible to live well without the kind of wisdom mentioned throughout Ecclesiastes.
Stated more positively, God designed the world to work in certain ways and we simply cannot thrive when are unaware of it or go against it. That’s the heart of wisdom’s nature in v.11.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings…
To explain certain aspects of wisdom’s nature as well as the futility of trying to live contrary to it, we’re given two images in this verse: Goads and nails.
Of goads, the ESV Study Bible says this: “Goads were long, sharpened sticks used to prod oxen when they were hitched to yokes. Not wanting to be jabbed again with the stick, the ox would kick against it. It would soon learn that it was better to accept the direction of the farmer than to ‘kick against the goad.’”
This is similar to the idea of “banging your head against the wall.” Nothing is gained. The goads and the wall always win. The basic lesson is that it hurts far more to go against wisdom than it does to conform to it.
You might not like the idea of gravity. You might even genuinely and passionately disagree that there is such a thing as gravity. But every time you jump off of your roof, reality holds.
I remember gravity causing a log splitter to accelerate towards my thumb at -9.8m/s/s—a hundred pounds of steel barreling down towards a hundred pounds of steel with my thumb in between. In the split second before the smash, wisdom flooded into me and I thought, “this steel doesn’t care about me at all.”
There are so many examples of this happening today that it’s fairly mind-blowing. I imagine that things were very similar when the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1 of mankind’s conscious and intentional suppression of the truth.
Any effort to get around the world as God made it is to kick against the goads; it is to bang your head against the wall. It is unwisdom. Like gravity, no degree of difficulty or sincerity can change that.
In that kind of way, Ecclesiastes is a constant prodding toward wisdom. We can, of course, ignore the Preacher’s prodding, but it will always be to our pain. We can live as if there is lasting pleasure to be found in the things of this earth, but if we do, we will always be left disappointed and wanting. Likewise, we can go against wisdom and live as if our health will hold forever or as if we won’t die eventually, but if we do, that folly will inevitably catch up to us in especially painful ways.
Again, the nature of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes (and wisdom in general) is such that it continually goads us toward properly ordered lives and away from the unnecessary hardships of living foolishly.
The other image, “nails firmly fixed,” points to the other aspect of wisdom’s nature highlighted in this passage. Like nails holding two boards together, once wisdom is grasped, it usually holds. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Once you’ve felt its effect, you can’t unfeel it.
In speaking of the recent NYC mayoral election results, World News commentators pointed out that with very little variation, those under 40 voted for the socialist candidate and those over 40 did not. The reason, they suggested, was that those over 40 were more likely to have experienced the painful failure of socialism around the world.
Similarly, it is often those who have fought in war that are the least likely to advocate for another war. They know that the cost almost always significantly outweighs the benefit.
Those who have fallen through thin ice will almost certainly avoid walking on it ever again.
Sunscreen and flossing make a lot more sense once you’ve dealt with skin cancer and rotten teeth.
And more to the point of Ecclesiastes, the wisdom that comes from having experienced enough failed promises of the things of this earth, of vocation, of worldly philosophies, of wealth, of honor, of novelty, of human justice, of friendships, of sex, of health and even of life itself, tends to stick.
Wisdom gained is like that. It’s in its God-given nature. When something about the way things truly are resonates in us (which is the essence of wisdom), the reverberations hold fast like two boards firmly fixed by nails. In a very real way, that kind of wisdom gets nailed to our heart.
And in that way, Ecclesiastes helps us to see that the nature of wisdom is that it is increasingly binding. It may be hard won, but it is also hard-lost. It may be difficult to come by, but it is also difficult to break from. And the more wisdom we gain (“the collected sayings”), the more this is the case.
The nature of wisdom is such that it prods us toward wisdom and holds us to wisdom. Seek it, therefore, Grace. With God’s help, learn to walk in the fullness of wisdom.
Wisdom’s Origin (11)
The second aspect of wisdom addressed in our passage, the second summary of the Preacher’s teaching on wisdom, concerns its origin. We just saw a bit about what wisdom is. Now we’ll consider where it came from. Look at the end of v.11.
11 The words of the wise … they are given by one Shepherd.
As is often the case in Ecclesiastes, which is also often the case in all poetry, we cannot be certain of the exact meaning of this clause (“one Shepherd”). However, although we’re lacking absolute certainty, it is exceedingly likely that the narrator was speaking of God as the “one Shepherd” (which is indicated by the ESV translating it with a capital “S”).
In that way, all wisdom is given by God. Grace, let me say that again: All wisdom is given by God. If it is not given by God, it is not wisdom.
This is true of all under the sun wisdom since the sun and everything under it were made by God. He created all that has been created. He designed it. He knows it and how it works perfectly.
Wherever we can grasp things as they truly are in the world around us, then, we are merely grasping that aspect of the mind of God by using the instruments given to us by God (our eyes, ears, and minds). That’s a remarkable realization, isn’t it? It means that when we grasp math concepts, or bug hatch patterns, or the earth’s rotation, or the differences in the way men and women tend to think, we are gaining wisdom from God.
While the Preacher’s wisdom was largely relegated to the under the sun variety, this is also true of above the sun wisdom as well.
It is a wonderful, mysterious, poetic aspect of the nature of Ecclesiastes that the Preacher shared under the sun wisdom given to him by God, as a part of the above the sun wisdom of God (which he didn’t really seem to grasp). In other words, in sharing the wisdom God gave him regarding the way the world ordinarily works, the Preacher was contributing to the wisdom God gave concerning His plan to save the world from our sin and restore all that sin had broken.
In that way, yet again, there is more in Ecclesiastes than its first authors understood. The words of the wise are indeed given by God; not merely the under the sun, proverbial words complied by the Preacher, but the entire cannon of Scripture.
When we combine this with what we saw in vs.9-10 (that the Preacher’s wisdom came largely through careful, disciplined observation, study, and work), we are reminded of an important truth concerning how God ordinarily works. He uses our faithful effort to accomplish His purposes. Ecclesiastes is the Word by God, but it was formed both by the guiding work of the Spirit and the conscious choices and discipline of the Preacher.
May we learn to function in the world with this mindset. May we work hard at the things God has given us—whether school work, babysitting, house-building, code-writing, teaching, etc. May we do so with care, prayer, and excellence. And may we trust that God is working in all of it to bear the good fruit He intends to come from it.
Again, then, under the sun wisdom is available to all who will, like the Preacher, observe, think about, and study God’s creation with care. But above the sun wisdom comes from God’s revelation alone and can be understood by God’s Spirit alone. It cannot be found out through any ordinary means.
Wisdom’s nature is goading and binding. Wisdom’s origin is God.
Wisdom’s Protection (12)
The third aspect of wisdom revealed in this passage is its protection. The simplest way I know how to state the point is this: Since wisdom is the ability to live in this world as it truly is, living with anything “more” or less than wisdom is always dangerous. And in that way, wisdom protects us from the pains of folly. That’s the heart of v.12.
12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
I’d like to share three observations from this verse.
Fathers Are Given to Give Wisdom
It is not an accident or a mere cultural expression that v.12 opens with the words, “My son.” Parents in general, but especially fathers, must be earnest in passing on wisdom and warning of folly.
In fact, and please don’t miss this, because all wisdom is from God the Father, giving wisdom is an inseparable aspect of human fatherhood. It is part of the definition of fatherhood. And in that way, fathers can’t not pass on their understanding of what it means to live in this world as it really is. Of course, fathers can be right or wrong about their understanding, but they can’t help from passing it on, whatever it is.
Fathers of Grace, do not take this lightly. And if you have, repent now. God’s grace in Christ is sufficient to forgive you all your sins and restore all that they have damaged. You can have a fresh vertical start right now, so that you can begin working on the horizontal implications in hope.
With that, settle on the fact that you are passing on your version of wisdom, so: (1) Make sure it is wisdom given by the one Shepherd (and not by anyone or anything else), and (2) Intentionally share it with your kids in both what you say and how you live.
To accomplish (1), making sure your wisdom is from God, you need to be thoughtful men as you go about life. You need to learn to think observe, study, and reason carefully. You need to pay attention to the world around you. The Preacher is a great example of this. Consider again vs.9-10 and do likewise.
Even more importantly, accomplishing (1) means being men of the Word. Read your Bibles every day. Memorize Scripture. Get the good tools you need (good study Bible, a good book on reading the Bible as you ought, etc). Put yourself under the elders God has given to help you with this. Come to Berea. Listen carefully to the sermons and ask good questions of them. Continually ask the Spirit to give you insight.
And to accomplish (2), passing it on in word and deed, you need to surround yourself with wise men and women who you will eagerly allow to teach you and hold you accountable. Become a member of Grace Church. Offer yourself up for correction to those in your DG. Ask God and His people to continually reveal your folly.
And then, take all of that and share it freely with your kids. Make sure you help them understand why you do (and don’t do) what you do, day in and day out. And make sure you have consistent times of formal instruction with your kids. Find the balance between using your wisdom to keep them from the consequences of their folly and allowing them to experience its pain.
The first observation on v.12 is that fathers are given to give wisdom.
All Wisdom Is Ancient
The second observation ought to flow pretty straightforwardly out of what we saw concerning wisdom’s origin. It is the fact that all wisdom is ancient. Indeed, it is, as the Preacher observed, an acknowledgement that “there is nothing new under the sun” (1:9). Ultimately, wisdom is as ancient as God Himself because all wisdom is rooted in His eternal nature.
The sooner we can settle on this, the better all things will go for us, Grace.
Beware of New Wisdom
The third observation I’d like to make from this verse is that it is because all wisdom is from God that we’re warned to “Beware of anything beyond these”—beyond the wisdom given by the one Shepherd. That is, since there is no wisdom outside of God, going beyond that which God has given us is always dangerous.
At best, “new wisdom” is simply a new way to describe old wisdom or a way to apply old wisdom to a new situation. This can be a good thing, but we need to beware of failing to recognize that it is still from God.
And at worst, “new wisdom” is a rejection of God as the giver of wisdom. Nearly my entire time in college was spent seeking this kind of “new wisdom.” The whole point of modern political philosophy is an attempt to rethink everything in light of the fact that “God is dead.” It is a conscious rejection of God as wisdom’s giver. And, of course, in this way we need to beware of going “beyond these” in that this kind of “beyond” is straight off a cliff.
Even in the Preacher’s day, thousands of years ago, there was a virtual ocean of non-wisdom posing as wisdom. Therefore, the warning is made even more specific. Where are we most vulnerable to going beyond the wisdom of God? In books and study.
12 … Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
I remember walking into Wilson library at the UM one day and being absolutely humbled by the knowledge that if I read non-stop for years, at most, I’d be able to read all the books on one of their shelves—one shelf of a dozen shelves in a row, out of dozens of rows, out of several floors of rows, out of one of many libraries on campus, out of countless libraries around the world. And in all those vast volumes, everything worth reading, is simply a restatement of the ancient wisdom of God.
As we saw earlier, this is not to say that we don’t study God’s world. But it is to say that we must always do so in light of His Word and in the humility and caution that comes from the knowledge that all wisdom is from God.
When fathers give themselves to passing on God’s wisdom, when we settle on the fact that all wisdom is ancient, and when we’re properly cautious of “new wisdom,” then we’ll find the protection God means us to have in wisdom.
Wisdom’s End (13-14)
We’ve seen wisdom’s nature (it prods us toward wisdom and holds us to wisdom), it’s origin (from the one Shepherd, God Himself), and its protection (a warning against new claims). Finally, then, in the end, we see its end—its aim, its goal, its purpose.
The final verses of this book are among the clearest of the above the sun passages in all of Ecclesiastes. Much of the book, as we’ve seen, contains under the sun wisdom. The wisdom of 12:13-14, however, cannot be discerned by ordinary means. It cannot be observed in nature. It requires a special revelation from God. What is that wisdom?
The narrator of Ecclesiastes introduces it by revealing the simple fact that the Preacher had rested his case. He was done offering witnesses and evidence. Having come to “The end of the matter;” he declared that, “all has been heard.” And, therefore, he was ready to render his final verdict.
Having considered it all, having studied carefully, having tested all matters, having seen and tried it all, having felt the profound the mystery of life, what are we to make of the Preacher’s observations and conclusions? Taking all of the first 220 verses of Ecclesiastes into account, what do the last two verses tell us about mankind and our place and purpose in God’s world?
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
In short, they tell us that three things rise to the surface. Living in this world in wisdom means living continually in light of judgment, fear, and obedience.
Judgement (14)
The two “for”s (one in the middle of v.13 and one at the beginning of v.14) tell us that it is good to work backward through these verses. Each one grounds the previous claim. Fear God and keep His commandments “for” (because) that is the whole duty of man. And it is the whole duty of man “for” (because) God will bring everything into judgment.
Working backwards, then, we begin with God’s judgment.
There are just wo things I think we need to hear about it. First, it is total. It will come to everyone for everything. Grace, the end of the matter is this: Every single thing you’ve ever said/not said, thought/not thought, felt/not felt, loved/not loved, done/not done will be judged by God and determined to be either good or evil. No one and nothing will escape that judgment.
“God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
The second thing we need to hear is that God’s standard of judgment is His holy name. We’ll come to that in the next point (fear), but for now let me simply say this: As a young man, before I became a Christian, I really did know (although I’m not sure how) that God would judge me. But the problem I had (without knowing it) was that I thought God’s standard of judgment was other people. I knew I was a jerk in a lot of ways, but I also knew that I wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. Those men were evil. I was basically a good person in my mind.
For that reason, because I was comparing myself to others rather than the Holy God, I did not fear the coming judgment. I assumed I would be judged among the good.
If you are going to live in wisdom, if you are going to live in this world as it truly is, you must begin with the idea that all you do in life will be placed before God and judged by God. Judgment is coming and it is impossible to live a life of rationality and reason in this life without a continual consciousness of that.
Fear (13)
The second key of Ecclesiastes is the first aspect of mankind’s purpose on earth. The whole “duty of man” (literally, “the whole of man”) begins with the fear of God. This is not unique to Ecclesiastes. More than 300 times this idea echoes throughout the Bible.
We saw this idea back in chapter 8. There, the Preacher helps us to see that the fear of the Lord means: (1) Standing in awe of His absolute power, majesty, and splendor (1 Chronicles 29:11-13), and (2) falling down in terror at His fierce and holy wrath (Psalm 68:1-2).
It means recognizing that God is God, perfect and holy, majestic and just, all knowing and all powerful. Compared to Him, we all fall short of His glory. And with eyes to see, we know that we are ruined.
This kind of fear of God was entirely missing from my tragically naïve consideration of God’s coming judgment.
Obedience (13)
Finally, then, the second aspect of the whole duty of man is obedience to God—to know and do all that He requires. To live entirely in light of his wisdom. To neglect none of it and to fully do all of it with the right heart and for the right reasons.
With that, much comes into focus. If judgment at the hand of a holy God looms for us all and if His standard for judgment is perfect obedience to all His commands, then my youthful folly becomes even more clear and the certainty of God’s judgment (rightly) becomes more terrifying.
Unless…
Grace, the mystery revealed in the NT is that God’s chief command to all the world is to trust in Jesus. To live in this world as it truly is, to have wisdom, will always lead us to recognize our need for a Savior and our inability to provide one for ourselves. Therefore, the whole of Ecclesiastes, the whole of man, and true wisdom always points us to Jesus.
1 John 4:14-18 … the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Our whole duty is to consider the just judgment of God, that we might fear God, that we might obey God, by turning to Jesus in faith and therein being freed from judgment according to the love of God, and then we may walk entirely in light of the wisdom of God, for the glory of God, the good of the world, and our highest joy.