Eld Ko Swee Chay

Introduction

In Ecclesiastes 11:7-8, Solomon reminded us that we must constantly remember “the days of darkness” – the certainty of growing old and dying one day, the certainty of God’s judgement, while it is good to live many years and enjoy the things God has blessed us with. As children of God, we must be wise to think not just of the moment but of eternity, and to live right with God, and be prepared and ready to meet our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, Solomon gave pointed advice to young people. While they may enjoy their youthful years with blessings from God, they should always do so in a way that is acceptable and pleasing to Him. They ought to remember that they must give an account for all that they have done before the judgment seat of God. Solomon’s advice is to avoid living a life of regret and to keep away from anything that vexes the heart and brings pain to the flesh.

In the concluding chapter of Ecclesiastes, chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, Solomon earnestly and affectionately exhorted young people to remember the Creator, before “the evil days” come and physical strength and mental capacity decline. Solomon, the King of Israel, had “forgotten” the Creator, which he deeply regretted, and he paid the heavy price of sin. He wasted many years of his life living in sin, which he could have used to serve and glorify God and to bless Israel and His people. Those wasted years were gone forever.

Remember our Creator – understand Ecclesiastes 12:1-2

¹Remember 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; ² While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

To “remember” means to retain in the memory, to keep in mind, to recall to the mind, to remain aware of, based on the English dictionary. But this is not what God meant when the Bible speaks of God remembering someone. For example: “God remembered Noah” (Gen 8:1), “God remembered Abraham” (Gen 19:29), “God remembered Rachel” - it does not mean that God had forgotten them but that He was about to do something. Solomon did not “forget” the LORD. Solomon remembered God, but he failed to obey God’s Word.

“the evil days” or “the days of darkness” (Eccl 11:8) – refers to the days of old age when physical strength and mental capacity decline, and infirmities and illnesses increase. Such days will come, and when they come, they are days of pain, weariness and dark foreboding. They are days filled with regret for the many mistakes made when youthful strength could have been channeled toward God’s work; instead, carnality consumed youthful strength. In “the evil days” one cannot serve the LORD and do much good. The tired body will refuse to do what the mind desires.

“the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” – means that when you approach the end of life, you will have no pleasure in things under the sun, due to all the difficulties, infirmities and tiredness that come with old age.

“the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened” – pointing to the deterioration of physical health, particularly eyesight and mental clarity.

“the clouds return after the rain” – pointing to the recurrence of pain and sicknesses as one ages.

Solomon lovingly and earnestly exhorted all believers, especially young people, to remember to obey the Creator, in the vibrancy of life when we are still healthy, able, strong and energetic, and when we still have a so-called long “runway”.

Remember our Creator – our Lord and our God

What does it mean to remember our Creator?

We remember the fact that He created the whole universe out of nothing and is in sovereign control of all things. We remember the fact that He created all mankind in His own image and after His likeness (Gen 1:26); not only did He wonderfully and fearfully make man (Ps 139:14), but He also formed the spirit in man (Zech 12:1). We remember who God the Creator is: omnipresent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, unchangeable, holy, just, loving and a consuming fire. We remember He is a great and good God, a faithful and righteous God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the God of gods, and there is none other like Him. 

We remember Him as the author and finisher of salvation grace, the giver of spiritual and physical life. We remember His amazing grace and great love in sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live, suffer and die on the cross of Calvary for our sins, and for raising Him from the dead three days after He died for our justification. We remember all the works He had done in our lives, choosing and electing us and putting in us the faith to believe and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We remember all that we are and all that we have come from His gracious hand.  

Remembering our Creator is not just intellectual acknowledgment and admiration, but an active commitment to worship, honour, glorify and obey Him. It does not mean merely thinking about Him occasionally or once a week on Sunday. It means to study and learn God’s Word, know God and His will, pray to and commune with Him, and walk closely with Him. A life centered around God is fulfilling; it makes even “the evil days”, when sicknesses and immobility set in, satisfying because of the hope of eternal life in Christ.

Remembering our Creator will lead us to love Him with all our heart, mind and soul; and to have the desire to serve Him and to do all things faithfully, pleasing and acceptable to Him. Remembering our Creator will help us to be content, grateful and thankful to God, to relate well with others, and to be a good witness and holy testimony for Him. 

Remember our Creator – before it is too late

The phrase “remember now” emphasises the urgency to remember our Lord right now, while we are young, when one is healthy, able, strong and energetic before it is too late; and not to delay until “the evil days” set in when we are weak and frail, or immobile.

The Bible consistently teaches us the importance of seeking God and following Christ early in life. For example, Lamentations 3:27 “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”. Jesus affirmed this principle when He welcomed children, teaching that faith should begin early (Mark 10:14-15).

Why “remember now” before it is too late?

The youths have several advantages. Their minds are simple and innocent, not yet loaded with the things and teachings of the world. Their hearts are teachable and receptive to God and God’s Word. They can learn and memorise God’s Word faster and better. They don’t have many family duties and responsibilities to bog them down. They have time, strength and energy to do many things for the Lord. They have a long “runway”, i.e. God willing, many years ahead of them to follow Christ and to serve God. “The glory of young men is their strength:” (Pro 20:29a). Make your strength available to God during your youthful years.

Indeed, being young is exciting, but the excitement of youth can become a hindrance to closeness with God if one focuses on passing pleasures instead of eternal things. Christians must encourage their children and grandchildren to seek God, to be grounded in God’s Word and have fellowship with fellow youths by attending worship service, JW, fellowship meetings, Bible studies, VBS, camps etc., and to serve God wholeheartedly before the responsibilities, distractions and hardships of life make it more difficult. All believers, from the young to the old, are reminded to prioritize and focus on God now rather than seeking wealth, pleasure or fame, assuming there will be more time later.  

Knowing that “the evil days”, old age with all the troubles, are coming and have come for some of us, the time to remember the Creator is now. Furthermore, no one knows when his life will end, not even whether he has tomorrow.    

Conclusion

Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 is an appeal to all of us, especially the young people, to remember our Creator, our Saviour, our Redeemer, Our Lord and our God early in life. This means keeping Him in mind and thinking carefully and reverentially about Him: who He is, what He has done for us, and being mindful of our duty and relationship with Him. This will cause us to study His Word to know Him more and more; to put Him first in our heart and at the centre of our lives; to seek Him in prayer; to be thankful and grateful to Him; to worship, honour, glorify and obey Him; to love and serve Him; to live a life of godliness, holiness and righteousness according to Holy Scriptures, pleasing and acceptable to Him.  

Let us remember that life is a gift from God. Let us not waste it on meaningless or evil activities. Let us remember our Creator now, before “the evil days” come and it is too late, and we miss the opportunity to honour, glorify and serve God and to bless others.  AMEN.