"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth" (Eccl. 12:1) is the difference between integrity and degradation, faithfulness and apostasy, and the righteousness that exalts a nation and the sin that will bring it down. Lest we think we are exempt from this passage because all of us are not youths, the principles gleaned will apply no matter how old we are. As long as we have breath and the ability to reason, we can obey the Lord. Let us consider four reasons why we should "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth."

Time of Youth Will Not Last Forever

Contrary to what some might think, God wants young people to enjoy the time of their youth. Solomon writes, "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 thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes" (Eccl. 11:9a). On the surface it seems dangerous to advise young people to walk in the ways of their heart and sight. This advice, however, is coupled with a reminder: "but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment" (Eccl. 11:9b). Yes, enjoy life now, but remember that we all will have to give an account to God of the things we have done (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10). Thus, God wants us, right now, to remove those things that bring sorrow and guilt and destroy our bodies. "Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity" (Eccl. 11:10). Are we living in full recognition that our days are numbered and nothing in this life compares to eternity?

Youth Have Ability and Opportunity Now

Solomon urges, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" (Eccl. 12:1). Generally speaking, as people grow older, the more difficult it becomes for them to remember the Lord. We can have so many "irons in the fire" that we have no interest and/or think we have no time to serve the Lord. "Evil" does not always refer to moral wickedness, but can refer to calamity (Job 2:10; Ps. 37:19). In this context, the "evil days" clearly refer to old age and death, as the description of a deteriorating house reveals. "I have no pleasure in them" shows a certain amount of misery because the "evil days" are less full of pleasure than one's youth and/or prime. God, however, wants the best for us; therefore, He urges us, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." Have we?

All Will Pass Away One Day
(Hopefully, We Will Live Long Lives, But There Is No Guarantee)

Death is the supreme frustration and vanity experienced in life "under the sun" (a phrase that occurs repeatedly in Ecclesiastes to refer to life without reference to God). Old age and death are here pictured as the collapse of a house (cf. 2 Kgs. 20:1; Isa. 38:1), possibly in the face of a storm. "While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3In 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 be darkened, 4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; 5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail" (Eccl. 12:2-5a).

Although the minute detail of every figure used may not be known, the overall picture is forceful. Verse 3 seems to describe trembling hands, weakening legs, loss of teeth, and eyes becoming dim. Verse 4 seems to describe the lips or maybe ears shutting down, the loss of hearing or the rustling voice through a toothless mouth, and the restlessness and loss of sleep. The beginning of verse 5 drops the figure of a house, giving four statements about growing old and dying. In old age, decreased abilities render the elderly fearful of adventuring. The "almond tree flourishing" refers to white hair. The "grasshopper" being a burden shows that even the smallest things are burdensome (cf. Num. 13:33). There is loss of desire (motivation).

With the description of the failing house and old age complete, there is left only to speak of the inevitable end-death. "Because man goeth to his long [eternal, NKJ] home, and the mourners go about the streets" (Eccl. 12:5b). The sudden, finality of human demise is spoken of in terms of the light going out and the source of water being unreachable. "Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern" (Eccl. 12:6). At death, there is a reversal of human creation. That is, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Eccl. 12:7 cf. Gen. 2:7; 3:19). This indeed is a depressing picture if life "under the sun" (without reference to God) is all there is. However, God intended much more for us if we will remember Him!

God Created Us to Fear Him and Keep His Commands

Solomon's message in Ecclesiastes is summarized: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Eccl. 12:13). "Fear God," which is the beginning of wisdom (Pr. 1:7), is also the conclusion! "Fear" is reverent awe that grows out of faith. It involves realizing God's unchanging power and justice (cf. Eccl. 3:14; 7:18; 8:12). This "fear" is expressed in doing God's will; hence, the command, "keep his commandments." The "whole...of man" lets us know that this applies to everyone! "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Eccl. 12:14). Are we fulfilling the purpose for which we were created?

Why "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth"? Because the time of youth will not last forever; the youth (and all of us) have the ability and opportunity now; we will all die one day; and God wants us to fulfill His purpose in creating us. Do we know our Creator? Have we submitted to His will? "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2).