Single lesson
Ecclesiastes 12: Remember Your Creator
Ecclesiastes 12:1–8; Ecclesiastes 12:9–14
Ecclesiastes 12 ends with two linked parts: a call to remember the Creator while young, and a closing summary about wise teaching, God’s commandments, and God’s judgment. This lesson helps children hear both parts and connect them.
Before you teach
In Ecclesiastes 12:1–8, the Preacher urges young people to remember their Creator before weakness, trouble, and death. In Ecclesiastes 12:9–14, the passage speaks about the Preacher’s wise words and gives the closing conclusion: fear God, keep his commandments, and remember that God judges every work.
Students will be able to name the main command in Ecclesiastes 12 and explain how the closing verses summarise the chapter’s wisdom.
Welcome: What should we remember early?
5 minBegin by asking children what sorts of things people use reminders for. Then explain that this passage gives a very important reminder for life: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth.” Point out that “your youth” means while a person is still young, not only when they are much older. Read verse 1 aloud together.
Ecclesiastes 12:1
Read and explain: A picture of life getting weaker
8 minRead Ecclesiastes 12:1–8 slowly. Explain that the passage uses many pictures: darkening lights, trembling keepers, bowed strong men, fading music, fear on the way, and broken objects. These images build towards death: “the dust returns to the earth” and “the spirit returns to God who gave it.” The repeated word “before” shows urgency. Remember God now, not later.
Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Ecclesiastes 12:3, Ecclesiastes 12:4, Ecclesiastes 12:5, Ecclesiastes 12:6, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Ecclesiastes 12:8
Discuss: The Preacher’s words and the final conclusion
7 minRead Ecclesiastes 12:9–14. Show that the passage now speaks about the Preacher and his teaching. He taught knowledge and words of truth. Wise words are compared to goads and well-fastened nails because they guide and stick with us. Then comes the conclusion: fear God, keep his commandments, and remember that God sees every work, even hidden things.
Ecclesiastes 12:9, Ecclesiastes 12:10, Ecclesiastes 12:11, Ecclesiastes 12:12, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Ecclesiastes 12:14
Make and respond: Reminder card
7 minChildren choose one key verse or phrase from the passage, such as “Remember also your Creator” or “Fear God and keep his commandments.” They make a small reminder card to place near a bed, desk, or lunchbox. Invite each child to explain how their chosen words connect with the chapter’s ending and why this reminder matters now.
Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Ecclesiastes 12:14
Closing: Summing up the wisdom
3 minFinish by reviewing the two voices in the chapter. First, the Preacher calls young people to remember their Creator before old age and death. Then the closing words describe the Preacher’s wisdom and give the final lesson. Ask the group to say the main teaching together: fear God and keep his commandments.
Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:9, Ecclesiastes 12:13
Questions to explore
Why does verse 1 say to remember the Creator “in the days of your youth”?
Guide children to notice the many “before” statements that follow, showing that the passage urges people to remember God before weakness, trouble, and death come.
Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Ecclesiastes 12:6, Ecclesiastes 12:7
What do the pictures in verses 2–7 help us understand about life?
Encourage them to observe that the chapter uses images of dimming, trembling, failing, and breaking, ending with dust returning to the earth and the spirit returning to God.
Ecclesiastes 12:2, Ecclesiastes 12:3, Ecclesiastes 12:4, Ecclesiastes 12:5, Ecclesiastes 12:6, Ecclesiastes 12:7
How do the final verses summarise what wise teaching is meant to do?
Point children to the words about knowledge and truth, then to the conclusion that wise teaching leads to fearing God, keeping his commandments, and remembering God’s judgment.
Ecclesiastes 12:9, Ecclesiastes 12:10, Ecclesiastes 12:11, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Ecclesiastes 12:14
Make, think or respond
Remember Your Creator Card
What you’ll need
- card or paper
- pencils or pens
- colours or markers
- scissors
Try it together
- Read Ecclesiastes 12:1 and Ecclesiastes 12:13 again as a group.
- Ask each child to choose one short phrase from the passage to copy onto a small card.
- Let children decorate the card with simple symbols that match the passage, such as a heart, a path, or a nail firmly fixed.
- Invite each child to say where they could place the card as a reminder during the week.
The card turns the chapter’s main commands into a visible reminder to remember the Creator and keep God’s commandments.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, offer two choices only for the reminder card text: Ecclesiastes 12:1 or Ecclesiastes 12:13, and complete more of the writing together.
- For older or confident readers, ask them to compare the first part of the chapter with the closing summary and explain how Ecclesiastes 12:9–14 helps interpret Ecclesiastes 12:1–8.
An optional closing prayer
You might pray: “God our Creator, please help us remember you while we are young, listen to wise words, and live in a way that honours you.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”
2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
3 in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
4 and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be on the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6 before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”
9 Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12 Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.