My Whole Duty Ecclesiastes 12 P

Ecclesiastes 12

Vanity of Vanities

I am in my youth

Aware of the sun that shines brightly, the wind that caresses my skin,

The taste of golden fruit, and the strength that surges through my limbs.

I am aware of my gifts that God has given for me to see

How his love has sustained and guided, Lifted me.

But in the day when I have wearied from my years that draw nigh,

Will I say that I have lived for wisdom, and given God my best try?

If I find myself alone when my silver cord shall be loosed,

Will my vanity of vanities shadow me from truth?

As my days grow long and my pleasures grow dim,

Will I have learned that my purpose

Was to grow closer to Him?

As the keepers of my house begin to tremble,

And my strong men bow themselves low,

Will I look upon my hands and stand upon my legs

And realize too late, what I don't know?

As my grinders grow few and cease,

And my window shades darken,

Will my teeth and mine eyes

Finally find courage to hearken?

As my doors shall shut up

And the sound of my grinders is low,

Will I remember what mine ears heard,

Or forget the taste of what his love did grow?

When standing on all that is high

Brings a fear of all that shall be in my way,

When my almond tree shall shed strands of grey,

And my grasshoppers shall bring a burden that stays,

Will the desire within me that once

Thought of God, fail to understand,

That the desire of youth see stars that are bright

And knows not of returning clouds rain?

Fear God, in thy youth, He alone can bring truth.

Fear God, keep his commandments true,

Fear God, in thy youth, and live a life

Fear God, Fear God, in thy youth.

Experience will tell you only what is wrong

It will never help you find right.

Experience will tell you what does not work

God's love will give you a joyous light.

Experience is limited to the earth bound life

It will never lead you to higher ground

Experience will only expose your small size

It will never show you to where God's love does abound.

God loved us so he sent us to earth

To see if we could but understand

How his plan is for us to draw nigh to him

and leave the vanity of vanities to man.

Solomon taught his conclusion on the matter

Fear God and keep his ways, find his plan.

Fear God in they youth, learn of his ways.

For this is the whole duty of man.

Linda Conkey Shaw July 13, 2010 copyright

Words and Phrases

vs.1 evil days come not - while in our youth we are truly protected from that which we cannot know. We think life is hard. We don't really understand what our parents and leaders do to protect us from the evil that is upon them.

vs2 keepers of the house - our hands

vs 2 strong men - our legs

vs 2 grinders - teeth

vs2 those that look our windows - eyes

vs 4 door shall be shut - ears

vs 4 shall rise up at the sound of birds - unable to sleep

vs4 daughters of musick - unable to hear well

vs 5 afraid of that which is high - older people tend to be afraid of heights

vs 5 almond tree shall flourish - almond trees bloom in white. this represents our grey hair

vs desire shall fail - no desire to live life, because of the discomfort and difficulty that our bodies bring us

vs 6 all of these metaphorical phrases represent death

vs. 8 all is vanity - without God in our life, we have lived a life that has only served to return the dust back to the dust. The purpose of life was to know God. To build strong relationships with those that we love and to prepare to meet God. If we have failed to do this, we have lived a vain life with no real eternal purpose to it. The work that we have done will return to the dust as well.

vs 9 good heed - listened

vs 9 sought out - asked

vs 9 set in order proverbs - understood what God wanted us to understand. God's philosophy of Man

vs 10-12 words of truth - books there is no end - The best study is the study of God's word.Revere God and all that he says and there is no need to study unto weariness. Gods words are the truth that we all need. Experience will bring truth but only through much pain. We don't need the pain if we will listen to God's words of truth

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