Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Fear God and Keep His Commcandments

Deuteronomy 4:2

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

What does God require of us? He requires us to: Be fair, Be kind and Be humble in our walk with Him. (Micah 6:8) If we love Him above all and love our neighbors as much as we do our own families we will fulfill all of the above…God loves all of us so much and He ask so little of us in return. Carla

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man’s all.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment,

Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil. NKJV

13 The last word, when all is heard: 

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all; 

14 because God will bring to judgment every work, with all its hidden qualities, whether good or bad.  American Catholics Bible

To fear God is one of the major themes of this book and of wisdom literature in the Old Testament. To fear God is to respond to Him in awe, reverence, and wonder, to serve Him in purity of action, and to shun evil and any worship of anything else in His universe. 

The commandments of the Law are in view here. Jesus summed them up as to “love the Lord your God” and “your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:34–40).

We are whole or complete only when we fear God and obey His commandments. What profit is there in living? If we follow what this book has said, we will have a relationship with God and find life in Him. This same teaching is echoed by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10. Death is not the end. All of life will be reviewed by our righteous Lord. Life must be lived through faith with the values of the eternal God in view. The NKJV Study Bible

In light of humanity’s limitation and God’s supremacy as seen throughout the book, the only proper attitude in life is one of trust and obedience to God.

This is the final message of the book. Life is difficult, and our understanding of it is limited (3:11, 14; 7:23; 8:16–17; 11:5). Injustice and oppression are prevalent (3:16; 4:1–3; 5:8; 7:15). It is impossible to achieve any kind of lasting gain in life since death eventually cancels all profits (2:14–23; 9:2–3). Despite this, the book does not end with a message of despair. Rather, the author encourages people to enjoy life to its fullest (9:7–10). Here, he concludes that people should maintain an attitude of fearing God and obeying His commands.

Fearing God and keeping His commandments are the duties of all people.

Even though injustice and oppression are prevalent on earth, the book concludes with an assertion of divine justice. Faith in God’s justice leads the author to encourage people to fear God and keep His commandments. Faithlife Study Bible

Ecclesiastes 3:17

I said in my heart,“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,

For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,

And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;

Walk in the ways of your heart,

And in the sight of your eyes;

But know that for all these

God  will bring you into judgment.

Ecclesiastes 5:7

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. 

But fear God.

Romans 2:16

in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

 Here’s what I know to be true. When the world tilts, it’s easy to spiral. To be at the mercy. And the news becomes the narrative for our emotional well-being and determines our motivation to say yes or no. To choose.

You see, when the world shakes, it can rattle our identity (I tend to live fearful and tight to the chest), and how we choose (it is easy not to trust, and I forgot the power of goodness and kindness and compassion).

I forget the fundamental truth that we are people on this journey together.

Yes. Here’s the deal: No one of us can make it alone.

No one of us.

And, even in the darkness, we can be a place of light.

I take heart when people stand up and say, “We get to say how the story ends.”

When life is on tilt, where do our marching orders come from?

Start here: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Fear says, "I'll make you safe."

But love says, "You are safe."

“Love is the only way to rescue humanity from all ills.” Tolstoy wrote at the end of his life in his forgotten correspondence with Gandhi about human nature and why we hurt each other, as the global tensions that would soon erupt into World War I were building.

How? I have an idea. Let’s start one meal at a time.

“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Gospel of Matthew)  Sabbath Moments

Jesus' presence gives us courage when fear tempts us to shrink back (Hebrews 13:5-6). His Spirit empowers us when our strength runs out (2 Corinthians 12:9). And His companionship assures us that we are walking with the One who has already overcome every obstacle imaginable (John 16:33). First5