“… and the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:7)
He who formed man from the dust is also the One who gave him his spirit. It is not the body that defines us, but the breath of life breathed into us by the Almighty. When man became a living soul, it was by the very breath of God Himself for the Lord is not only the Creator of the world but the Father of spirits. He formed Adam from the ground, but it was His breath that made man live (Genesis 2:7). Thus, our true life flows from the life of God. “The very life of the saints is called, the life of God.”[1]
He is not merely the sustainer of physical breath but the One who gives life to the soul. All people owe their existence to Him, but only those who are born again by His Spirit partake of eternal life in Christ. God is Spirit (John 4:24), and those who are His are born of the Spirit (John 3:6). He fathers not only flesh but the inner man—the spiritual nature that returns to Him when the body dies.
Life here is brief and fragile. “Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away” (Psalm 144:4). The body returns to the earth, but the soul does not die. It returns to God who gave it, whether to life or to judgment. And the believer, made alive by the Spirit through the Son, is comforted by the glorious reality that eternal life is his possession now. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). For the life God gives is rooted in His own eternal being.
The unbeliever also bears an eternal soul, but without union to Christ that soul remains spiritually dead and shall face eternal separation from God. For the grave does not extinguish the spirit; it merely dissolves the body. God alone, the Father of spirits, determines the destiny of every soul. Either one is born of the Spirit and shall live with God forever, or he remains in his sin and must face God’s eternal justice.
Yet for those redeemed by Christ, God is not only our Creator—He is our Redeemer, Sustainer, and Father. He is the One who gives life to our spirits, renews us day by day, and guarantees our everlasting inheritance. For the One who gives life also preserves it, perfects it, and welcomes it back into His presence at death.
This God is worthy of all adoration. So let every living soul glorify the Father of spirits, who gave us life, gave us His Son, and grants us eternal life through the Spirit.
Contemplations:
- Lord, I adore You as the One who breathed life into my soul. You are not only my Maker, but the One who has given me a spirit that will never die. Though I was formed of dust, You made me a living soul, and in Christ, You gave me life eternal. My heart bows in awe before You, the living God, whose Spirit has awakened mine to know and worship You.
- Lord, You are the Father of spirits, and I glorify You. I am not like the beasts that perish, for You formed me in Your image. You made me to reflect Your glory and to walk in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. I bless You for creating me with an immortal soul and calling me into eternal fellowship with Yourself through Christ.
- Lord, I acknowledge You alone give and preserve life. The breath in my lungs and the life in my soul are both from You. I can sustain neither, so I depend wholly on Your mercy. When I die my body will crumble, but my spirit will return to You who gave it. Let me live each moment as one who belongs to the living God.
- Lord, I marvel that You gave me eternal life in Christ. It is not enough to live on this earth for a time; I need new birth by Your Spirit to live forever with You. That You sent Your Son to give life to dead sinners, and sent Your Spirit to apply that life to me, is cause for endless adoration.
Prayer (Adoration):
O eternal and almighty God, we lift our hearts to adore You as the One from whom all life flows. You are the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Maker of all that lives, and the Father of spirits. From Your hand comes breath and being. From Your will comes the soul of man. In You we live, and move, and have our being. You have made us, not as the beasts of the field, but as creatures bearing Your image. We were formed of dust, yet endowed with spirit; shaped from the ground, yet breathed upon by heaven.
Lord, we adore You for the dignity You gave us in our creation, and the greater glory You bestowed in our new creation. Though we fell in Adam and became subject to death, You did not leave us in ruin. In the fullness of time, You sent forth Your Son, born of a woman, to redeem us who were under the curse of sin. By His blood we are reconciled. By Your Spirit we are made alive. By Your sovereign love we are made sons and daughters of the living God.
We bless You, Father, for the mercy that caused You to send forth the Spirit into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.” You have regenerated our souls and sealed us unto the day of redemption. We adore You as the Father of spirits, who not only created us, but redeemed us, who not only gives us life and breath, but also life eternal through Jesus Christ.
Let the knowledge of Your power humble us. Let the revelation of Your grace overwhelm us. Let the certainty of our eternal soul returning to You deepen our worship. You are the God who made man from dust and crowned him with glory and honor. You are the God who sent Christ to raise man from death to life. You are the God who sends Your Spirit to dwell within and prepare us for glory.
May our every breath be used to exalt You. May our hearts never tire of lifting praises to the Father of lights, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of spirits. Let angels adore You in heaven, and let us join them on earth. For You alone are worthy. All life flows from You. All praise returns to You. All glory is Yours forever.
We adore You, living God, fountain of eternal life. We rejoice in You, our Father, who made us, saved us, and will welcome our spirits home. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Further References for Ecclesiastes 12:7
Ecclesiastes 3:20; Genesis 2:7; Job 34:15; Zechariah 12:1; Psalm 103:14; Numbers 16:22; Hebrews 12:9.
[1] William Bridge, The Works of William Bridge, vol. 1, (London: n.p. 1845) eBook, 301.
