Two Things

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV)

According to Ecclesiastes 1:1, these words were written by the Preacher, son of David, King in Jerusalem, and have been ascribed to Solomon, writer of Proverbs and Song of Solomon.

Ecclesiastes and Proverbs are great books for picking ripe verses for specific discussions. No need for pages of begats or reams of reading to get to a point. No deep theological discussions as to what ‘is’ means in a variety of languages.

And, this one verse lays the entire Old Testament on the bottom line. All of the people carrying the word of God forward needed to do but two things:

Fear God

Keep His Commandments

I’ve long past the time when this one is personally applicable: 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; (Ecclesiastes 12:1 KJV)

Instead, I find days where there is more pain than pleasure. Yet I’m not ready to complete this verse, though I do long for it: Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV)

Yet, we cannot know they ‘Why?’ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV)

Still we try to know what God has in mind. That is vanity. We cannot, though we are admonished to hear God’s in His house: Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. (Ecclesiastes 5:1 KJV)

While we will not know clearly, we are given hope. Solomon told us the spirit shall return unto God who gave it, and Paul tells us that For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV)

So, while great theologians debate tulips, rose of sharons and lilies of the valley, I shall read them, consider the sources, read the citations and Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. And woman.