Elder Ko Swee Chay

Introduction

In Ecclesiastes 12:11-12, Solomon used metaphors to emphasise the value and importance of God’s Word and wisdom, comparing them to goads that guide and lead us, and to fastened nails that provide stability and security. He highlighted that true wisdom can only come from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He warned against the endless pursuit of worldly knowledge and the weariness that results from much study of books written by man, emphasizing the limitations of human knowledge, and the importance of focusing on spiritual wisdom that can only come from studying and applying of God’s Word.

In Ecclesiastes 12:13, Solomon, after exploring every avenue of life in searching for meaning, satisfaction and happiness, summed up the teaching of the whole book of Ecclesiastes on what truly matters in man’s life – to know and fulfil the whole duty of man: “Fear God, and keep his commandments”.

The Whole Duty of Man

As the king of Israel, Solomon used his God-given wisdom and substantial resources to conduct a comprehensive exploration of human thought and experience. He sought to discover every avenue for success, satisfaction and happiness. He sought accomplishment, wealth, entertainment, pleasure, power and fame. He didn’t find fulfilment and satisfaction in any of his endeavours. The conclusion he made from his pursuit, observation and experience was that everything done “under the sun” apart from God was “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (Eccl 1:2 and 12:8). He said at the end of chapter 12: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Fearing God and keeping His commandments is a repeated theme throughout the Bible. The people of Israel were taught that fearing God and keeping His commandments and law are central to faithful and fruitful living. Deuteronomy 6:2 - “That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.”  [Emphasis added] Deuteronomy 10:12-13 - “¹² And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, ¹³ To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” [Emphasis added]

Life without fearing God, and without obedience to His Word and its guidance is vanity, futile and meaningless. Piety and obedience are far more important than accomplishment and wealth for eternity. Let us endeavour to fulfil our duty to fear God and keep His commandments for our own good.  

Fear God: Reverence, Awe and Respect

People encounter all sorts of fears and try to avoid them. A few examples of carnal fears – Fear of heights or travel by aeroplane: so they avoid high places or air travel; fear of the dark: so they don’t go out at night; fear of losing their job or not getting promotion or good increment: so they work very hard and are very nice, supportive and loyal to the bosses.

But in Ecclesiastes 12:13, the Hebrew word translated as “fear” refers to a genuine reverence, awe, and respect for God.  To “fear God” is to realise His absolute greatness, sovereignty, immutable power, holiness, and justice. To “fear God” is not a terror of Him in a bad sense, but to have a deep respect for Him and to fear Him for who He is. When we fear God, we acknowledge that He is holy and just, and highly exalted, the only One deserving and worthy of our worship, adoration, devotion and complete obedience. We live with awareness that God is far greater and more powerful than any human being, and that God’s wisdom and knowledge are infinite. We should be careful to guard and protect our hearts and minds, ensuring that our motives, thoughts and actions are aligned with God’s Word and will. We should quickly repent when we sin, for God hates sin. In a world that glorifies self, fearing God acknowledges the reality of human weaknesses, limitations and helplessness, and re-orientates us toward humility, dependence on and trust in God.

Throughout the Bible from the OT to the NT, mankind is exhorted to fear God. The meaning and importance of fearing God are taught extensively. In the book of Ecclesiastes, these six verses command the fear of God: Eccl 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13; 12:13. In the book of Proverbs, many verses teach that the fear of LORD is good, right and beneficial to the lives of believers: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge….” (Pro 1:7); “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom….” (Pro 9:10); “The fear of the LORD prolongeth days….” (Pro 10:27); “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence….” (Pro 14:26); “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life….” (Pro 14:27); “The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” (Pro 19:23); “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour and life.” (Pro 22:4).

When we fully understand who God is and what He has done for us and realise that He is the sovereign God and is in control of all events and things, we will naturally fear God. All of us need to cultivate this fear of God in our lives. When we have this fear of God, we will want to live lives that are pleasing, acceptable and glorifying to Him; then all areas and relationships of our lives will be in order. When we fear God, we will not fear man. We will want to love, honour and serve Him.  

Keep His Commandments – Obedience in Action

Obedience to God and keeping His commandments are not optional. It is a command given by God throughout the Bible, from the OT to the NT. Solomon describes it as the whole duty of man. The whole Bible, recorded for us, is God’s Word and law, and within it are His commandments, precepts, statutes, testimonies, ordinances or judgements. God wants us to keep them for our own good. The word “keep” means to put a hedge around, e.g. someone or something precious, so that no one can break through and take away.

Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Apostle John says that it shows we do know God if we keep His commandments; he who says he knows God and doesn’t keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; the love of God is perfected in the one who keeps His Word (1 John 2:3-5). Keeping His commandments is the expression of our love for God. When we know and love God, we desire to please Him by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:2).  

The first commandment given by God to Adam was: “¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ¹⁷ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:16-17). Sadly, Adam failed to keep this commandment, and all humanity fell into sin. The blessings of obedience and curses of disobedience are comprehensively listed in Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28 for our warning.

“Keep His commandments” is not separate from “fear God”. The two occur in conjunction with one another. Those who fear God will naturally want to obey God and keep His commandments. Psalm 112:1, “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.”. The fear of God is the hidden principle of love and obedience. Reverence, awe and respect to God must lead to obedience to God and His Word. By faith in God the heart is purified to fear God; and by that fear and love it is inclined to obey His commandments. The keeping of His commandments is the fruit of the fear of God. A truly born-again believer will be a godly and God-fearing person and will obey God’s Word.

 Conclusion

Solomon concluded that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. When we fully understand who God is and what He has done for us, we will realise that He is the sovereign God in control of all events and things, and we will naturally fear Him. When we love God, we will desire to please Him by keeping His commandments. All of us need to cultivate this fear of God and purpose in our hearts to obey His Word in our lives.

When we fear God and keep His commandments, we will have knowledge and wisdom from on high that will guide and lead us to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, a life of godliness, holiness and righteousness, pleasing and acceptable and glorifying to God. It is no longer a life lived under the sun apart from God and a life of regret and vanity. “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” (Psalm 128:1-2). AMEN.