Jim Gallagher

Ecclesiastes 12:13

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”

The book of Ecclesiastes is a bit like an experiment. Solomon looked at life the way a scientist does an experiment. He sought to discover the meaning of life by asking questions, doing research, creating an hypothesis, and drawing a conclusion. It is here, at the end, that he makes his discovery known to his readers. His conclusion, after years of experimentation, is that the purpose of life will be found in fearing God and keeping His Word.

Fearing God is a reoccurring theme in the Bible. It is first mentioned in the story of Abraham being asked to offer his only son to God. This was a test to determine if Abraham loved God more than anything else in life. The conclusion we draw is that fearing…