Today we finish the 12 Chapter book of Eccleisastes, if you have been following along with us, we have learned that Solomon, who was considered the wisest of the wise, found zero happiness in the worldly pleasures of life.  Solomon was the probably the most wealthy ruler in the world at the time this was written, and had his fill of everything, as we learned throughout Ecclesiastes; wealth, fame, a myriad of different wives…basically all the same things that 2000 years later we are still after here in the Western World, yet none of that made him happy.  If we recall, he always says “vanity of vanity, all is vanity” meaning none of this stuff that i have spent my life indulging in brought me any kind of happiness.  Here now in these final two verses, does The Word reveal what does bring happiness and contentment:

Ecc 12:13  That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

Ecc 12:14  God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Instead of living to satisfy our own desires, which Solomon clearly did, he basically lived like a rockstar, Solomon tells us to live to please God, living a life of obedience is what matters, because the world is passing away.  There is a nice parallel verse in the 1st book of John that also underscores this and how these things like fame and fortune are ultimately worthless —

Jn 2:15  Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

1Jn 2:16  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

1Jn 2:17  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.