Introduction: Now the great debater nears the end of his time of teaching. He has shared his life story with those whom he loves the most, and his prayer now is that they will pay heed to what he has said. Notice Ecclesiastes 12:9, "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." This is the whole of the book of Ecclesiastes. He desired his followers not take the path he chose. He did not want them to learn the hard way, rather he wanted them to learn from the words of a truly wise man. God gave Solomon a wonderful gift when He gave him the gift of wisdom, but Solomon thwarted that gift and misused what God had entrusted him with. His misuse of this gift in no way negated the wisdom God gave him, but he did make foolish decisions because of misuse.
As an old man, he wishes he had never made the foolish decisions he made in his youth. He could never go back and erase what he did, but he could go on with his life having learned from his mistakes. He doesn't want his family and friends to make the same mistakes he has made. So, he uses the book of Ecclesiastes to teach the people knowledge.
In this study, we will concentrate on Ecclesiastes 12:1, "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." Solomon is the living personification of verse 1. He once was young, and now he is old. He now understands how important it was that he choose wisely in his youth. Now, he can only choose wisely in his old age because his youth is long-gone. Solomon had now entered into what verse 1 refers to as "the evil days" wherein he had "no pleasure." The overwhelming message here is "don't waste your youth on things that will make you an unhappy and regretful old person."
One might foolishly say that youth is the time to make mistakes in order to learn. I want to say there is no wise time to make mistakes. In fact, it is during the years of your youth you should want to make the least amount of mistakes possible. For example, for an old man to lose his sight at the age of 90 is a great loss but not nearly as great a loss as it would be for a young man of 16 or 17 years. With perhaps only a few years left, the 90-year-old man suffers little loss but the teenager will be blind for all the years to come.
The years of youth are not given in order for a young person to sow his wild oats or experiment with all that the world has to offer. The years of youth are meant to be years of learning, gathering, and living God's wisdom. I received a letter just a few weeks ago from a young person who had decided to live as far away from God as possible. Suddenly and quite surprisingly, the Lord got a hold of this youth and, as a teenager, this youth decided to go the right direction before everything was lost. The letter simply stated, "Fifteen years and still no regrets." Solomon found, as did this teenager, that the Devil has no happy old people.
Thus, Solomon's Holy-Spirit inspired advice is found in verse 1, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." I want to say at this point that chapter divisions and numbered verses were not in the original languages of the Bible. In actuality, 12:1 is simply a continuation of 11:7-10. In our last study, these verses taught us some very important lessons: while we rejoice in the light, we must remember the darkness; and while we rejoice in our youth, we must remember the judgment. We must also put away from ourselves that evil which will take away the sweetness of God's blessing.
It is at this point we find to "remember now" our Creator. The word "now" is a word which shows the continuation of the previous thought. It means to "remember also." In other words, while you are rejoicing in the light and remembering the darkness, while you are rejoicing in your youth and remembering the judgment, and while you are putting away from you that which removes God's blessing, you should also be remembering God while you're young. What does it mean to remember the Creator? The word itself means "to recollect or call to mind." It means to "constantly keep something or someone in your mind." It means to "make mention of it." Perhaps the most practical of the meanings given to this word is identical to the New Testament use of the word. It speaks of remembering with affection, celebration and commemoration.
All too often, the Creator is not remembered in the youth and is totally forgotten in old age. Solomon started out right, and God blessed him in an unusual way. Then, he forgot all about the Lord and lost everything important that a man could lose while gaining everything that was unimportant for a man to gain. Thus, his life was vanity. In love, he now says to those whom he teaches, "Learn what I've learned without walking the same path I've walked."
Why is it important to remember the Creator in the days of our youth?
1. Youth is the best time, for it is the beginning of life.
- Youth, under normal circumstances, have their entire lives to look forward to. Can a person remember the Lord too early in life? I do not think so.
- Remembering the Lord cannot begin too soon, but it can begin far too late.
- It is like the burning of two candles. One candle is long; one candle is short, and one will burn just as brightly as the other, but only one will have the opportunity to burn longer.
- Start out young remembering your Creator instead of sowing your wild oats. One will bring you joy while the other will bring you sorrow.
2. Youth is the best time to practice remembering the Lord.
- The mind is sharp, the body is strong, and much of life is yet to be lived.
- Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 describe the weakening of the human body. It describes how a man's vision becomes dimmed, and his ability to walk and remember and even chew food are diminished.
- Remembering the Creator is most practicable while you're young.
- What a shame that many young people refuse to serve God while they're young and plan to do so when they're old, yet Solomon teaches us the best time to serve God is while you have the ability to do so.
- This is why Solomon wrote, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) Notice also Proverbs 8:17, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:27, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth."
- The days of youth are best to practice doing the will of God because there's coming a day when you can no longer function as you once did.
3. Youth is the best time, because life is uncertain.
- James made this clear when he said, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14)
- I know of no person on earth who can guarantee, without question, his next breath. Solomon even taught us that death comes to all, whether they be wise or foolish.
- A young person, who plans to serve the Lord in the future, rarely does. But a young person, who serves the Lord now, will, more than likely, serve the Lord when he's old.
- Perhaps this is a poor illustration, but it is one I've used through the years. As a person, who loves photography, I have often said that you will never be sorry for taking too many pictures but will always be sorry you didn't take enough. All too often, you can never go back and recapture the photographs you missed by not taking the opportunity.
- Remember also your Creator while you're young, because you do not have the guarantee of remembering Him later.
4. Youth is the best time, because of the evil days that will come.
- Many adults testify that they wish they would have learned these important lessons in their earlier days. In so doing, they would have missed a lot of shame and heartache.
- It is much easier to teach a chid how to ride a bike than to teach an adult. This principle is borne out in nearly every area of life. There are some things you can and should only learn as a mature adult, but some things learned in life are best learned in childhood.
- Today, set a young child in front of a computer and he will learn quickly how to type and recall necessary information. However, set an older man in front of a computer and watch him struggle with even the basics. This is borne out in the many important lessons of life. It is easier to teach a child to do right than it is to teach an old man to change bad habits.
Conclusion: A lot of Christians are living totally empty lives because they have not taken the steps necessary to avoid a life of vanity. Solomon says to his little flock that he does not want them to go the way he has gone. He had lost many years of joy that he could have had had he chosen the will of God over his own. Only the foolish pay no heed to the words of the wise. As we hear Solomon's concluding thoughts on an empty life lived away from the will of God, may we pay heed to the wisdom he gained before we lose the opportunity we have.