‘Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgement,

including every hidden thing.

whether it is good or evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

 

The book of Ecclesiastes cannot be interpreted correctly without reading these final verses. No matter what the mysteries and apparent contradictions of life are, we must work toward the single purpose of knowing God.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon shows us that we should enjoy life, but this does not exempt us from obeying God’s commandments. We should search for purpose and meaning in this life, but they cannot be found in human endeavors. We should acknowledge the evil, foolishness, and injustice in life, yet maintain a positive attitude and strong faith in God.
All people will have to stand before God and be judged for what they did in this life. We will not be able to use life’s inconsistencies as an excuse for failing to live properly. To live properly, we need to:
(1) recognize that human effort apart from God is futile.
(2) put God first- now
(3) receive everything good as a gift from God
(4) realize that God will judge both good and evil
(5) know that God will judge the quality of every person’s life.
How strange that people sepnd their lives striving for the very enjoyment that God gives freely.