Chapter 12 of Ecclesiastes encourages us to consider the frailty and short span of our earthly life in the context of our relationship with God. Like much of Ecclesiastes the message is presented in beautiful, drawn-out lyrical language. Then, finally, we come to the last two verses of the chapter (and, indeed, the whole book). What a contrast! A wham-bam, straight down the line, short, pithy and straightforward message: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (v13). There are times when we need the brutal simplicity of verses such as this to show us what really, really matters without leaving us space for wriggling or evasion. Jesus knew this when he responded to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22, telling him to “obey the commandments”. The young man tries to wriggle but Jesus eventually responds with just three words: “Come, follow me” (Matt 19:21).
Paul wrote to the Hebrews:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it
judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12).
Verses such as “Fear God and
keep his commandments” or “Come, follow me” show the word of God at its ve
(homegroup leader)