13 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 deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
It sounds as if Solomon is saying these temporal things are all going to end in judgment when God calls every secret thing, whether good or evil, into account. Also, did you notice what Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, highlighted in his conclusion?
He said:
… Fear God and keep His commandments … For God will bring every deed into judgment …
Everything is vanity or is meaningless in this life if it is not connected to eternity. Our whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. In other words, work for eternal things. Work to store up real treasure that will last forever and ever, safe and secure, far away from inflation and thieves. In other words, it is meaningless, a vanity of vanities to work for treasures that do not last and are not secure.
Solomon is advising young people not to get caught up in things that will not last because not even your youth will last. The days will come when the pleasures of life will no longer yield their bounty for you. Your eyes will grow dim. Your hands will tremble. Your legs will grow weak. Your teeth will fall out. Your taste for good food will fade. And you will no longer desire marital pleasures. Temporal things are like chasing after the wind. It’s all meaningless, utterly meaningless. Unless, of course, you’re working for eternity, which lasts forever. For without Jesus, everything is vanity, meaningless, utterly meaningless.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Flee Vanities.