Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV)
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Quest. 1. What is the chief end of man?
Answ. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.
Q. 3. What do the scriptures principally teach?
A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
Westminster Assembly, The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition (Philadelphia: William S. Young, 1851), 387–388.
We live in a day and age (not new to us), where we strive to find purpose and meaning in life. Most strive to find it in pursuits without any acknowledgement of God. Others, in the accumulation of security and wealth. And still others in food and drink. Perhaps the most common being, in oneself - their identity, in finding out their sexuality, their career, etc.
Yet, in all this, the preacher - who has had the luxury of doing it all, exclaims it all as Hebel - vanity of vanities. Purpose and meaning are not found in that which is passing away but in the eternal - God. He considers the evils of this age, where the man who secures for himself many riches and yet cannot enjoy it for himself; the one who toils but can not bring with him anything that he has wrought with his hands to the grave. Amidst all this meaninglessness, who has the will to live such a pointless life? Indeed the sea is never full despite the constant flow from the rivers! Neither can the eye or ear be satisfied with much seeing and hearing! What then is humanity left to do in this life?
The preacher notably closes his findings with his answer to this supposedly meaningless life. It is what the reformers would call "Coram Deo" or "Living all of life in the face of God".
That is the meaning and purpose of man is not found in his labour here in a creation that is passing away. We are meant to fix our eyes on that which is not passing away. That is to say that we are to live life in the fear of the one who is. We do this by keeping his commandments in all that we do here on earth. In doing so, we experience the rest from our labours, our purpose in Christ to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.
Unlike the answer that this generation claim is true - subjecting ourselves to our own fanciful interpretations of what our purpose should be, the preacher claims that in order for life to be meaningful, humanity must do its duty before God (Eccl 12:13) rather than liberating ourselves from it. The reason why life here on earth is meaningless is that we tie ourselves down in identifying with that which is passing away. That which is passing away includes the mortal man that is created in the image of the impassible God. Therefore to find purpose by making much of oneself is to miss the point. Neither can the Christian make much of himself for it is no longer they that live, but Christ - who is eternal. The man who has made much of himself in gaining the accolades of the richest man knows that it is ultimately vainglory. He can no more bring a penny with him when his lights go out from this life - who then will take all that he worked for with his life? His accountants and Time Magazine may put him on the front cover, but surely his glory is but for a moment. But the man who has worked Coram Deo does so with the impassible glory and acknowledgment of the God who holds all our works to account.
Our desire for greatness (purpose) is not wrong, but the telos for where that greatness meets its end is the problem - for too many of us, it is found in something that is created and therefore passing away. The testimony of Holy Writ beckons us to look further - that is that which is created - which we are so tempted to spend our lives chasing - is pointing us toward its own origin and purpose, "All of creation declares the glory of God"(Ps 19:1). Let us not fall short in our thirst for purposeful glory in missing the mark (Rom 3:23). Let us not spend our sweat in vain, using the hose to spend the water of our life watering the weeds of our fleshly desires - rather let us spend it on the good work of practicing Godly fear and joyful obedience in all that we are tasked to do.
Indeed Jesus himself testifies to such in that those who practice godly fear and obedience are thereby sanctified by it (the word of God) (John 15:3). Such is the duty of reverent fear and obedience that sanctifies our work before God who has ordained us to do on behalf of His Kingdom (Eph 2:10). Let us build on the great foundation stone, and let us set our hope and purpose on the King whom God has set on his Holy Mount! Let all our works be accounted for and rewarded on the last day. Let the one who has set his hand to work the plow do so as on an altar before the LORD. Nothing done under the sun is done in vain when it is done, Coram Deo.
May the LORD strengthen the work of our hands today, in order that we may live in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.
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