Breaking Down of a Brief Life

What must we do, since our abilities and capacities are destined to fail? Ecclesiastes 12:1–7 prepares us for the hearing of God's Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord's Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must live unto our Creator, right now. The passage from Ecclesiastes 12 calls believers to remember their Creator throughout life, especially in youth, as a response to the inevitable reality of aging and death. Through vivid imagery of physical decline—failing strength, dimming sight, loss of teeth, diminished hearing, and frailty—it underscores the fleeting nature of earthly life and the body's return to dust. The text emphasizes that these signs of decay are not merely biological but spiritual reminders to live with joyful reverence and righteous obedience to God, Who is the source of life and the destination of the soul. Rather than viewing old age as a time of despair, the passage invites the believer to find enduring joy and purpose in God, even as physical abilities wane, because the spirit returns to Him who gave it. Ultimately, the call is to cultivate a life of continual remembrance, so that one may rejoice and remain righteous not only in this life, but eternally, in God's presence.