A visual examination of the text in Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:7

1. Ecclesiastes 12

2. Ecclesiastes 11
8. Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in
them all; but let him remember the days of
darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh
is vanity.
9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let
thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth,
and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the
sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all
these things God will bring thee into judgment.
10. Therefore Remove sorrow from thy heart,
and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and
the dawn of life are vanity.

3. Ecclesiastes 12
1. Remember also thy Creator in the
days of thy youth, before the evil days
come, and the years draw nigh, when thou
shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2. before the sun, and the light, and the
moon, and the stars, are darkened, and
the clouds return after the rain;

4. 3. in the day when the keepers of the
house shall tremble, and the strong men
shall bow themselves, and the grinders
cease because they are few, and those
that look out of the windows shall be
darkened,
4. and the doors shall be shut in the street;
when the sound of the grinding is low, and
one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and
all the daughters of music shall be brought
low;

5. 5. yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high,
and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-
tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be
a burden, and desire shall fail; because man
goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners
go about the streets:
6. before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden
bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the
fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
7. and the dust returneth to the earth as it was,
and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

6. The Lesson
• Directed to young people
• The three R’s
– Rejoice
– Remove
– Remember
• An appeal to focus on.... What?

7. Thinking About Life
• Young people are encouraged to rejoice
• Do whatever you want, enjoy life
• Life is a gift from God
• Be happy
• But, REMEMBER

8. You will be Judged
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and
let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy
youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart,
and in the sight of thine eyes; but know
thou, that for all these things God will
bring thee into judgment.

9. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
This is the end of the matter; all hath been
heard: fear God, and keep his
commandments; for this is the whole duty
of man. 14. For God will bring every
work into judgment, with every hidden
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be
evil.

10. Therefore, REMOVE
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart,
and put away evil from thy flesh; for
youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Ecclesiastes 11:10

11. Finally, REMEMBER
Remember also thy Creator in the days of
thy youth...
Ecclesiastes 12:1

12. How to Remember?
• In ancient times lessons were often
illustrated with “word pictures”
– Ex. Matthew 6:26 Behold the birds of the
heaven
– Also, Matthew 6:28 Consider the lilies of the
field
• The imagination was stimulated with a
visual connection between the lesson and
some “picture” from ordinary life

16. The keepers of the
house shall tremble

19. Our bodies, our house
• The keepers?

21. the strong men shall bow themselves

25. The grinders cease
because they are few

28. Those that look out of the
windows shall be darkened

32. The doors shall be shut in the street

34. The Street?
• Blocked?
• When the sound of
the grinding is low

35. One shall rise up at
the voice of a bird

36. Easily Awakened?
Older people often
have trouble sleeping
at night, or all night

38. All the daughters of music
shall be brought low

39. They shall be afraid
of that which is high

40. Terrors shall be in the way

41. The almond-tree shall blossom

43. Leviticus 19:32
Thou shalt rise
up before the
hoary head, and
honor the face of
the old man, and
thou shalt fear
thy God: I am
Jehovah.

44. The grasshopper
shall be a burden

45. Desire shall fail

46. Because man goeth to his
everlasting home, and the
mourners go about the streets

47. Before the silver cord is loosed

49. The golden bowl is broken

52. The pitcher is broken at the fountain

54. The wheel broken at the cistern

55. Two major systems

56. Kidney Failure

57. Heart Failure

58. The dust returneth to the
earth as it was, and the
spirit returneth unto God
who gave it.

59. Vanity of vanities, saith the
Preacher; all is vanity.

60. Proverbs 31:30
Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman
that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

61. Psalm 90
8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins
in the light of thy countenance.
9. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: We bring
our years to an end as a sigh.
10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten,
Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is
their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and
we fly away.
11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath
according to the fear that is due unto thee?
12. So teach us to number our days, That we may get us
a heart of wisdom.

62. Deuteronomy 4:9
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul
diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine
eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all
the days of thy life; but make them known unto
thy children and thy children's children;

63. James 4
13. Come now, ye that say,
To-day or to-morrow we will
go into this city, and spend
a year there, and trade,
and get gain:
14. whereas ye know not
what shall be on the
morrow. What is your life?
For ye are a vapor, that
appeareth for a little time,
and then vanisheth away.

64. Ecclesiastes 12