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There’s a story about a pastor who was at the airport. At the metal detector, a security guard asked him, “What do you have in that briefcase?”
The minister replied, “In my briefcase, I have a plumb line, a measuring rod, a hammer, bread, water, a crystal ball, a compass, a mirror, a sword, and my birth certificate.”
The security guard scoffed. “There’s no way you could get into all that into that briefcase.”
The pastor said, “Check for yourself,” and opened the briefcase.
The man looked inside. The only object in there was the pastor’s Bible.
Solomon concludes Ecclesiastes by telling us about the author, the book, and the reader. In verse 9, he tells us about the author—himself.
Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. – Ecclesiastes 12:9
Verse 9 says he taught people knowledge and arranged proverbs.
First Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon wrote thousands of proverbs to help his people navigate life. He didn’t just rule them; he led them.
Solomon reveals how he conducted personal study then provided the wisdom of a life well-lived.
Luke took on similar study. Consider his words from Luke 1:1-4, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. – Ecclesiastes 12:10
The book Solomon wrote is delightful and pleasing. Psalm 19 calls the words of the Lord sweeter than honey. First Peter calls them milk.
Solomon also says in verse 10 that these words are true and correct. When you read something in the Bible, you never have to worry about being misled by it. God will never lead you astray. You can bank on it. It’s God’s instruction manual for man.
The Bible is true because it addresses life as God created it. When you don’t have discretion in your life (that the Bible gives), you will steer right towards the enemy.
Get to where you can’t think independently from the Bible and God’s Word.
Later, in verse 11, he says that these truths “are given by one Shepherd.” Solomon recognized that these words did not originate with him—that the ultimate Shepherd of Israel was God.
We have a term for God-given knowledge in theology—inspiration.
Peter put it like this: “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21).
The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. – Ecclesiastes 12:11
Solomon continues his point with an illustration. Do you know what a goad is? Goads are the rods used by shepherds (about three feet long) to keep their sheep in place. When a sheep goes off the path, a shepherd takes his goad and gives him a pop. It doesn’t feel great to the sheep, but the shepherd does it because he loves the sheep.
You also use a goad on an ox. An ox goad is about six feet long and is used to poke the ox, so it will stay on the right path.
Goads help guide the movement of animals. Goads make you uncomfortable but can also get you moving…off dead-center.
The Bible is a goad. It will keep you from doing ignorant things. It also can be unpleasant. It can hurt sometimes.
Knowing you’re on the right path is a great comfort, and God’s Word will definitely keep you on the right path.
Solomon says people who master the words of wise men are like well-driven nails. When you entered Jewish homes in Solomon’s day, there wouldn’t be a coat rack; there would simply be a nail or a peg driven into the wall where a Jewish family would hang their most important articles. One of the names of the Messiah in the Old Testament is the peg that comes from Judah (Zechariah 10:3-4). The Messiah is a peg. You can rest in Him. You can hang your life on Him, and He’ll never give way. The Bible’s a goad, and it’s also a well-driven nail.
Psalm 1 says that a man who dedicates himself to the Word is like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water that yields fruit in its season. In whatever he does, he prospers. The Bible will make you rooted and strong
In the recorded 52-day ministry of Jesus, there are 1,943 verses attributed to Him. Out of those 1,943 verses, 179 of them are Old Testament quotations. Almost 10% of his recorded speech was Old Testament quotations.
If we recorded little snippets of you during the next 52 days, do you think 10% of your speech would be Bible quotations?
Has your knowledge of Scripture grown or stagnated in the past year? How can we “goad” each other towards knowing His Word better this next year?