Notes from Ecc 12

vv. 2-7 — A poetic picture of old age, but not a pretty picture.
v. 2 — Failing eyesight makes it appear that the sun, moon and stars are getting dimmer. Time flies and one sad experience follows another — clouds return after rain.
v. 3 — “Keepers of the house shall tremble” refers to the legs. The old person begins to totter.
“Strong men” are the shoulders that are no longer erect. “Grinders” are the teeth. “Those that look out of the windows” refers to failing eyesight.
v. 4 — “Doors…shut in the streets” refers to being hard of hearing. “Sound of the grinding is low” refers to the tongue. The voice of old age gets thin. “Shall rise up at the voice of the bird” — it took an alarm clock to wake him before, now the cheep of a bird disturbs his sleep.
“Daughters of music shall be brought low” indicates that he can no longer sing in the choir, cannot carry a tune.
v. 5 — “Afraid of that which is high” — things that formerly did not frighten him.
“Fears shall be in the way” — he no longer enjoys traveling.
“Almond tree shall flourish” — our senior citizen is getting grey haired, if his hair has not fallen out.
“Grasshopper shall be a burden” — little things annoy him.
“Desire shall fail” — romance is gone.
“Man goeth to his long home” — death comes.
v. 6 — “Silver cord” is the spinal cord,
“Golden bowl” is the head,
“Pitcher” is the lungs,
“Wheel” is the heart.
v. 7 — There is no soul sleep here. The body sleeps, but the spirit or soul goes to God.
v. 12 — Writing and study are not an end in themselves.


III. Result of experiment, Chapter 12:13, 14
All things under the sun are vanity.
When as a child, I laughed and wept,
Time crept;
When as a youth, I dreamed and talked,
Time walked;
When I became a full-grown man,
Time ran;
When older still I daily grew,
Time flew;
Soon I shall find in traveling on
Time gone.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
v. 13 — “Fear God” is the message of Proverbs also. In view of the experiment made “under the sun,” the wise thing is to fear God, which means to reverence, worship, and obey Him.
To “keep his commandments” would mean to meet God’s conditions for salvation — in any age — grounded on faith in God. For Cain it meant bringing a lamb; For Abraham it meant believing God’s promises; For the people of Israel it meant approaching God through sacrifice in the tabernacle and temple; For us it is to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
v. 14 — God will judge every man, for every man is a sinner who is guilty before God. Christ bore a judgment death. Our sins are either on Christ by faith in Him, or else we must come before the Great
White Throne for judgment.