View source for Ecclesiastes 12

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|[[File:Jesusteach.jpg|center|300px|thumb|Jesus was called teacher. [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], and [[Jesus]] were all teaching the people [[The Way]] of God and His [[righteousness]]. [[Jesus]] came to take the [[Kingdom of God|kingdom]] from those who were [[teach]]ing something different from [[Moses]] and [[appoint]]ed it to the [[Apostles]] so that they would bear [[fruit]] and the [[world]] might be [[saved]] through [[repent]]ance.]]
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| '''Audio'''
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[https://www.hisholychurch.org/audio/20230805ecclesiastes12.mp3 Download Recording Part 1] [[Ecclesiastes 12|Chapter 12]]<Br> <html><audio controls src="https://www.hisholychurch.org/audio/20230805ecclesiastes12.mp3"></audio></html>
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[https://www.hisholychurch.org/audio/20230805ecclesiastes12-2awake.mp3 Download Recording Part 2] [[Ecclesiastes 12|Chapter 12]]<Br> <html><audio controls src="https://www.hisholychurch.org/audio/20230805ecclesiastes12-2awake.mp3"></audio></html>
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| '''Comments'''
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| V1 Creator occurs as a Divine name in [[Isaiah 40]]:23; [[Isaiah 44]]:15 and we should remember that we were created by Him. This "days of thy youth" is also a reference to earlier days of the kingdom which the people in their [[vanity]] have strayed from.
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| V2-5 When the things of age approach and the end of life at its symptoms assure us that we will go to the ''long home'' and with the mourners who go about in the street;
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|  V3 "keepers of the house shall tremble". They are shaken with terror<Ref name="zuwa">{{02111}}</Ref>and this fear causes them to return to [[bondage]] because they fail to do the work and their windows are darkened so they cannot see.
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| V3 "the strong men shall bow themselves" because they will be under [[tribute]] and in the [[bondage of Egypt]] where the [[grasshopper]]s will become a burden.
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| V5 When we are afraid<Ref name="yare">{{03372}}</Ref>  of those exalted<Ref name="gaboahh">{{01364}}</Ref> over us,
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| V5 ''and fears'' (chathchath(חַתְחַת))<Ref name="chathchath">{{02849}}</Ref>  ''shall be in the way''(derek(דֶּרֶךְ‎))<Ref name="derek">{{01870}}</Ref> (from [[01869]]). [[Ecclesiastes 12]]:5 speaks of a ''fear''. This ''fear'' or ''terror'' which ''shatters'' the mind was a form of [[psychosis]].<Ref name="chathchath">{{02849}}</Ref> That ''fear'' will get in the ''way'' of the people and ''shatters and dismays'' the people so that they are subject to a [[Mass Formation Psychosis]] which causes their ability to function in the "course of life" according to an un[[degenerate]]d "moral character".
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|  V5 ''and the almond tree shall flourish'' ((נָאַץ‎) naats). Barnes' Notes on the Bible states, "Many modern critics translate "The almond shall be despised," i. e., pleasant food shall no longer be relished." But the problem may not just be with the translation of the word naats(נָאַץ‎)<Ref name="naats">{{05006}}</Ref> into ''flourish'' which is normally ''despise''. The common word for ''blossom''<Ref name="perach">{{06525}}</Ref> or ''flourish''<Ref name="parach">{{06524}}</Ref> is פֶרַח‎ perach or parach. The same letters translated ''almond tree'' which is שָׁקַד‎ shaqad<Ref name="shaqed">{{08247}}</Ref> also means "to wake, watch... be alert"<Ref name="shaqed45">{{08245}}</Ref> and the word we see for ''flourish''  is normally translated ''despise''. Is the author talking about a time when the people ''despise'' being ''awakened''<Ref name="shaqed45">{{08245}}</Ref>  to the whole [[truth]]?
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|  V5 and the [[grasshopper]], like [[locust]]<Ref name="locust">{{02284}}</Ref>   shall be a burden<Ref name="burden">{{05445}}</Ref>. This word ''burden'' is related to the idea of "forced or compulsory service" which is what we see in the [[Bondage of Egypt]]. It appears in the text as  וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶֽחָגָ֔ב (wəyistabbêl heḥāḡāḇ,) which are the letters VavYodSomachTavBeitLamedHeyChetGimelBeit. The [[grasshopper]]s which like the [[locust]] is a metaphor for the [[taskmasters]] of those "strong men" who "shall bow themselves"  under [[tribute]] like the [[bondage of Egypt]] which are mentioned in verse 2. 
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|  V5 Their ''desire''<Ref name="desire">{{035}}</Ref> ''shall fail''(break, make void... come to nought) because they despise being awakened to their status of failure of remaining free as they were in earlier days, their ''youth''. The effect is that ''man goeth to his long home'', and the ''mourners go about the streets'' bit because of their ''[[fear]]'' and ''[[vanity]]'' they are under a [[psychosis]] and cannot see [[The Way]] of [[salvation]].
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| V6 And the silver cord be loosed to shake off this mortal coil;
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| V7 we will return to dust and "the spirit shall return unto God<Ref name="elohiym">{{0430}}</Ref> who gave it."
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| V8 Is a repeat of the beginning premise that all vanity is vanity
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| V9 Yet the preacher/teacher ''taught the people knowledge''... ''he gave good heed''<Ref name="azan">{{0239}}</Ref>, and sought out<Ref name="chaqar">{{02713}}</Ref>, and set in order<Ref name="taqan">{{08626}}</Ref> many proverbs<Ref name="mashal">{{04912}}</Ref>.
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| V10 He struggled to find the ''acceptable or right or straight words''<Ref name="yosher">{{03476}}</Ref> to communicate the wisdom of righteousness and the ''[[truth]]''<Ref name="emeth">{{0571}}</Ref> about the [[vanity]] which does bring those "[[evil]]<Ref name="raah">{{07451}}</Ref> days"(see verse 1).
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| V11 The words <[[01697]]> of the wise  [are] as goads(כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹת)<Ref name="dorbown">{{01861}}</Ref> and well driven nails(וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת)<Ref name="masmërah">{{04930}}</Ref>.
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| V12 but just studying is a weariness of the flesh and the making of books there is no end.
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| V13 What is the conclusion: [[Fear]] God, and [[keep the commandments|keep his commandments]]: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man... which includes [[pure Religion]].
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| V14 God shall bring every work<Ref>[[James 2]]:14  What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?...17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.... 20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?... 24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way? 26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
: [[Revelation 20]]:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.</Ref> into judgment, good or bad.
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| What are the good? What are the bad?
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|Is it our duty to practice [[Pure Religion]] and set the [[table]] of the Lord and reject the [[table]] of [[Idolatry]]?<Ref name="Isidolatry">{{Isidolatry}}</Ref>
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|[[https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/ecc/12/1/s_660001]]
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== Remember Your Creator in Your Youth ==

1  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the [[evil]]<Ref name="raah">{{07451}}</Ref> days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

=== Return to bondage===

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 be darkened,

4 And 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;

===  Despise not the truth ===

5 Also when they shall be afraid<Ref name="yare">{{03372}}</Ref> of that which is high<Ref name="gaboahh">{{01364}}</Ref>, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree ((שָׁקֵד‎) shaqed)<Ref name="shaqed">{{08247}}</Ref> shall flourish<Ref name="flourish">{{05006}}</Ref>, and the [[grasshopper]]<Ref name="locust">{{02284}}</Ref> shall be a burden<Ref name="burden">{{05445}}</Ref>, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

=== Silver cord ===

6 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.

=== Spirit returns===

7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

== Preacher seeks his duty ==

9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

== The Goad ==

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies(''gathered/collection''), which are given from one shepherd.

12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

== The conclusion and call of duty ==

=== Fear God and Keep His Commandments ===

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

=== Every work jugged ===

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
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== Footnotes ==

<references /> 

[[Category:Articles]]

[[Category:Ecclesiastes]]