The Doors Shut in the Streets - Ecclesiastes 12:4

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said, “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 that look out of the windows be darkened”, and in chapter twelve and verse four of his book Solomon said, “the doors shall be shut in the streets” where we read,

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, 

and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low.

The verse reads, “And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, …” Solomon began this verse with the words, “and the doors” which means “and the openings and opportunities” “shall be shut” or “will exist as closed and stopped” “in the streets” which means “within the traveled roads or paths”, “when the sound of the grinding” or “at the time and moment that the noise belonging to the hand mill” “is low” which means “exists as humbled, base and depressed”. Solomon referred to the time that opportunities dwindle and the noise of the mill is base and depressed. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “… and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low.” Solomon continued with the words, “and he shall rise up” or “and he, the older person, will arise and stand forth” “at the voice of the bird” which means “at the noise and sound belonging to the feathered fowl”, “and all the daughters of music” or “and each, every, the whole and everyone of the female offspring and progeny belonging to lyrical religious songs” “shall be brought low” which means “will bow down, crouch, be humbled and prostrated”. Solomon said the older person would arise at the sound of the “bird” singing, however every one of the female offspring belonging to lyrical religious songs would be humbled and prostrated. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Solomon about more of the decline that happens to people as they age. Their opportunities become less, and their hearing begins to fade. Although they are able to distinguish some sounds such as a “bird” singing, music often needs the volume to be turned up to hear it. God knows our bodies will indeed perish, but our spirits will go on living forever. For this reason, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life”. (See John 3:16) When we receive Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead after three days, as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and help us manage our lives while our outward man perishes and our inward man is renewed day by day. (See John 16:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16)

Next time Solomon shares about, “when they shall be afraid of that which is high”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".