Have you ever heard anyone say, “I have so much I have to do today, or maybe, “I have to do this and I haveto do that, too”? Yet, there is only one thing I have to do in life. Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Previously in the book, Solomon had conducted an intensive experiment of man’s purpose in life. He considered things that cannot satisfy, such as:
- Education/knowledge (1:11-18; 2:12-16, 21, 26; 7:11-12, 19, 23-25; 8:1; 1 Kings 4:30-34; 10:24).
- Work/career (2:4-6, 17-23; 3:9; 4:4; 5:18; 6:7).
- Possessions (2:7; 6:2).
- Pleasure/entertainment (2:1-11).
- Money (2:8; 5:8-17; 6:2; 1 Kings 9:28; 10:10, 14, 21).
- Political Power (4:13-16; 8:2-8).
- Fame/popularity (4:15-16; 1 Kings 10:1).
- Sexual pleasure (7:26; 1 Kings 11:1-ff).
In the end, Solomon found that the only thing we really have to do is to obey God. Serving Him ought to be the most important goal of our lives, because we are here for that very purpose. My ultimate task and your ultimate task is to live and die for Him. Consider what Moses said to Israel in Deuteronomy 10:12-13: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statues which I command you today for your good?” Later he would say, “For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). In the New Testament, Peter declared the ultimate aim of Christian ministry, “that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). So, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Yes, this is literally “man’s all”!
Solomon went on to say, “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). He added another reason to obey and serve God. Why? We must be mindful of the fact that one day we must stand before God to answer for what we have done (2 Corinthians 5:10). Is it possible to keep things that we have done secret from God? No, we cannot hide anything from the One who knows and sees all (Hebrews 4:12-13; Proverbs 15:3)! God will judge even the secret parts of our lives by the Gospel (Romans 2:16). “Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works in the dark” (Isaiah 29:15a). It is foolish to ask ourselves, “Who is going to find out?” or to think, “No one knows what I have done” (cf. Isaiah 29:15b). Do you have secrets? Even if all other human beings are clueless, God knows all you have done! If they are not forgiven on God’s terms, then they will be made open at the judgment on God’s terms.
Obeying the Gospel is what you and I must do before it is eternally too late. That’s what we have to do, above everything and anything else. How do we do that? We must believe in Christ (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess His holy name (Romans 10:10) and reenact His death, burial and resurrection by being immersed (baptized) into His death and resurrected to life (Romans 6:3-6). Then as a child of God, we have to continue to be obedient to the commands of the Gospel (Hebrews 5:9; Titus 3:8). “And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Now as you write your “to do list” today, remember what you have to do.
“The stars and life speak so loudly
That all men should seek their Maker
And none ever should live proudly
While en route to the Undertaker.”
