James & Ecclesiastes - What is Wisdom?

[SilverFox7]

Do you see what is now done for you presently and forever from God to you or not?
Doubt is kicking you around the podium, Am I good enough? No, no one is, and that be why Father sent Son for us all. Those in that first testament could not understand.Could not enter Father's rest, because of "Unbelief" completed in Son.

Yes, brother, we see, experience, and understand what God is doing for us now and what his eternal plans are for us in the future. It appears Solomon didn't have that type of relationship where we walk by faith that God has our best interests at heart and loves us deeply. We love Him in return. We are His children, His workmanship being molded and shaped into the image of Christ, our Lord and Savior.

I'm not saying that Solomon had it all wrong on His views of the Eternal. He had some good insights to share as well:

"I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God" (Ecc. 3: 12). Amen. We absolutely should rejoice and do good in our lives to the best of our ability, working hard and expressing the gifts God has given us. I'm appreciative for the food and drink the Lord provides to sustain our lives and give us the energy to contribute in a positive way to our families and the organizations we serve within.

I like what Solomon does from a literary angle in chapter 3 by mixing poetry with prose to express his thoughts and feelings. He goes from poetry in verses 1-8, prose in verses 9-13, and back to poetry in verses 14-17:

I know that whatever God
does,
It shall be forever.

Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should
fear before Him.

That which is has already
been,
And what is to be has already
been;
And God requires an account
of what is past.

Moreover I saw under the sun:

In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there.

I said in my heart,

“God shall judge the righteous
and the wicked,
For there is a time there for
every purpose and for every
work.

It seems Solomon understands that God is in control, and He is a righteous Judge. I think what's giving him the most anguish is captured in chapter 2 verses 17-19 - all the work he has done to lead Israel to the height of power and wealth is going to be left "...to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?" Youch, Solomon doesn't know at this point how well the succession plan will work out after he dies? That is not a good thing, and it turns out the one who came after him was a fool.

I'm going to need to brush up on the history of Solomon's reign a little more to understand what happened during his reign. It started out with such promise, Israel was a diamond in the rough during the peek of his reign, but oh how it's fall was swift and tragic during the latter part of his reign to those who came after him. The poetry above gives us a hint of what was likely going on in his own leadership and priestly circle:

In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there. (Ecc. 3: 16)

 

[homwardbound]

Yes, brother, we see, experience, and understand what God is doing for us now and what his eternal plans are for us in the future. It appears Solomon didn't have that type of relationship where we walk by faith that God has our best interests at heart and loves us deeply. We love Him in return. We are His children, His workmanship being molded and shaped into the image of Christ, our Lord and Savior.

I'm not saying that Solomon had it all wrong on His views of the Eternal. He had some good insights to share as well:

"I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God" (Ecc. 3: 12). Amen. We absolutely should rejoice and do good in our lives to the best of our ability, working hard and expressing the gifts God has given us. I'm appreciative for the food and drink the Lord provides to sustain our lives and give us the energy to contribute in a positive way to our families and the organizations we serve within.

I like what Solomon does from a literary angle in chapter 3 by mixing poetry with prose to express his thoughts and feelings. He goes from poetry in verses 1-8, prose in verses 9-13, and back to poetry in verses 14-17:

I know that whatever God
does,
It shall be forever.

Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should
fear before Him.

That which is has already
been,
And what is to be has already
been;
And God requires an account
of what is past.

Moreover I saw under the sun:

In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there.

I said in my heart,

“God shall judge the righteous
and the wicked,
For there is a time there for
every purpose and for every
work.

It seems Solomon understands that God is in control, and He is a righteous Judge. I think what's giving him the most anguish is captured in chapter 2 verses 17-19 - all the work he has done to lead Israel to the height of power and wealth is going to be left "...to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?" Youch, Solomon doesn't know at this point how well the succession plan will work out after he dies? That is not a good thing, and it turns out the one who came after him was a fool.

I'm going to need to brush up on the history of Solomon's reign a little more to understand what happened during his reign. It started out with such promise, Israel was a diamond in the rough during the peek of his reign, but oh how it's fall was swift and tragic during the latter part of his reign to those who came after him. The poetry above gives us a hint of what was likely going on in his own leadership and priestly circle:

In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there. (Ecc. 3: 16)

thank you for what you see, past, present and not future yet
Who, Lord will believe our report?The wickedness and iniquity still here on earth
There are those that glory in their iniquity, seeing they need God and that God's grace presently is sufficient for them today. Which makes God Father and Son as Won (One) perfect. Especially with the "I", me out of the way, not interfering with the love and mercy given us, spreading that Holy Fire to all, at least me, I see this after such a long walk of a short pier daily, in angst over trying to be good enough and couldn't and can't. So I see let go, trust Father to do the done work of Son through me, me out of the way
I saw to free my mind, and gave God my IQ too thanking Father, I am nothing, Father and Son as Won for me and all people is the greatest of the greatest, forgotten a lot in people looking at people and excusing and judging one another not good for my Soul
As we each grow new in God's love and mercy given us through Son that is risen where art gets given A gift that produces work. New work of the done work done by Son for us all to rejoice in
Thanking God for this love and mercy, without that, no one stands a chance, so I quit self works

 

[SilverFox7]

For the balance of chapter 3 in Ecclesiastes, Solomon turns has attention and monologue to death:

Ecclesiastes 3:18-22

New King James Version

18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.

20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 Who[a] knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? 22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his [b]heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Solomon doesn't appear to have a whole lot of hope in an afterlife, and he equates humans with animals in their common end: mortality. Man and beast survive in part by the breath of life, and once that breath is gone, flesh and blood cease to exist. We don't have any advantage over the animals in that respect, "for all is vanity," temporary. I'm reading a good essay on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes that I will share in more detail later, but one observation that stood out is the word vanity can also be translated as "breath." Life is a breath that lasts but a short time.

Some point to verse 21 expressing trust in the spirit returning to God "upward" in heaven, but there are other translations that probably better capture Solomon's morose musings on the fate of man at death: "Who knows whether the spirit...goes upward...?" From his point of view, death may be just what it literally means - cessation of life. Solomon doesn't seem to share his father's sense of confidence and hope in an afterlife:

...But those who wait on the
Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.

For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His
saints;
They are preserved forever...

The righteous shall inherit the
land.
And dwell in it forever. (Psalm 37: 9, 28-29)

David's words echo those of Jesus',

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the
earth. (Matt 5:5)

 

[SilverFox7]

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the
earth. (Matt 5:5)

Going back to Psalm 37, David says:

But the meek shall inherit the
earth,
And shall delight themselves in
the abundance of peace. (v. 11)

James joins in on this conversation and has a lot to say about meekness, humility, and the importance of being a good listener. "So then my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1: 19). Meekness is a trait where we listen carefully, especially to God, and we seek to empathize with others. Having a humble heart allows us to lift others up above ourselves and causes us to continually learn and grow in our spiritual dependence on God.

James admonishes us to "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (v. 5). Solomon had it all and was one of the richest men on earth, yet he didn't have faith and apparently had little hope in the kingdom that God has promised us as His heirs "who love Him." Where Solomon was focused on the here and now of his vast kingdom that he would no longer be able to rule beyond the grave, we as Christians have our greatest hope beyond this world to the life we have in Jesus Christ forever.

One of my pastors gave an entire sermon about humility, and his main thrust was that humility comes from God. It's not something we can well up by our own strength. Our prayers and desires should include asking our Father to help us become more meek, willing, and open to serve more fully for His kingdom. Like faith, meekness is a gift from God, and James tells us to "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10). Solomon was focused way too much on pride and power later in his career. As the shadow of death looms closer, Solomon doesn't like what he is seeing or feeling about the end of his life.

I wonder if Ecclesiastes is in part a lesson for Solomon in meekness and repentance?

 

[SilverFox7]

Ecclesiastes 4 has a pessimistic tone, yet there are some good things to consider as well:

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

New King James Version

The Uselessness of Selfish Toil

4 Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun:
And look! The tears of the oppressed,
But they have no comforter—
[a]On the side of their oppressors there is power,
But they have no comforter.

2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead,
More than the living who are still alive.
3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed,
Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

I'm about half way through Solomon's reign in I Kings, and on the whole, it was a prosperous time for Israel. Solomon was still communing with God, and the kingdom had a brand new temple and palace with abundance and prosperity. There was peace on every front of Israel. Yet, later in his career as expressed in this chapter, the tide was turning. There was oppression that was apparently beyond Solomon's control to reign in, and he praises the dead more than the living.

Worse yet, "he who has never existed" is better off than the living and the dead? Talk about the depths of depression seeing mankind and their viscous human nature at its worst. I see no reference to God in this chapter and apart from Him, this life can be filled with a lot of emptiness, suffering, and hopelessness. As Solomon strays from God, the kingdom of Israel enters into turmoil, and he is crushed by the degradation.

Jesus teaches us that life should be filled with purpose and hope in our relationship with Him. Although we may not always fully realize the work Jesus is doing in and through us, we are having a positive impact on those who are a part of our lives. We are lights, and the power of Jesus should shine brightly through us. Life in Jesus Christ is far from vanity.

 

[SilverFox7]

The Uselessness of Selfish Toil

I like Bible Gateway's subtitle to this section of Ecclesiastes, and Solomon certainly has a lot to say on this topic:

Ecclesiastes 4:4-8

New King James Version

4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

5 The fool folds his hands
And consumes his own flesh.
6 Better a handful with quietness
Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:

8 There is one alone, without [a]companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
But he never asks,
“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?”
This also is vanity and a [b]grave misfortune.

The "fool" is lazy and can't even open up his hands to work and take in sustenance. "The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth" (Pro. 26:15). It's better to be quiet and grateful for the work we have that pays the bills and keeps food on the table. It's funny that Solomon, the personification of excess, is critical towards those who have "both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind." Who would know better than Solomon on the worthlessness of working hard for material gain and leaving God out of the picture?

Or, how about the workaholic described in verse 8 who is alone toiling for riches that he is never satisfied with? I had two family members who were millionaires, yet they were never content with living a comfortable life. They always had to have more and had dreams of ease in retirement. One wanted to spend all of his time out at the country club enjoying golf and fine dinners afterwards. The other was a genius engineer who wanted to tinker in his shop when he retired. Both became ill shortly after they retired and died at relatively young ages, and the kids fought over the estates.

Solomon asks a great question: "For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?" He calls this "vanity and a grave misfortune." Why? We can't take our material "riches" to the grave with us. And in the instances I've witnessed, including Solomon's, those who have built up wealth in this life who do not have a relationship with God are left empty and miserable, especially about the ungrateful folks who are going to fight over their "inheritance" of the estate.

My focus is on striving to put Christ and His kingdom first (Matt 6:33). I'm grateful for the wonderful career I've had, and my family has lived a comfortable and happy life overall. There is nothing wrong with that - God wants us to prosper (III John v.2). But, it's becoming clearer to me later in my life that I need to spend more time on the work that lasts forever, working for the kingdom of God. And right now that means encouraging people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and develop a relationship with Him, proclaiming the gospel as Jesus admonishes:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen" (Matt 28: 18-19).

This is work that yields lasting fruit, especially having Jesus with us laboring together to do the will of the Father!

 

[SilverFox7]

I'm about half way through Solomon's reign in I Kings, and on the whole, it was a prosperous time for Israel. Solomon was still communing with God, and the kingdom had a brand new temple and palace with abundance and prosperity. There was peace on every front of Israel. Yet, later in his career as expressed in this chapter, the tide was turning. There was oppression that was apparently beyond Solomon's control to reign in, and he praises the dead more than the living.

I finished reading the accounts of Solomon's kingship in I Kings chapters 1-11 and II Chronicles chapters 1-9, and there isn't a great deal of detail given on the 2nd half of his 40 year reign over a united Israel. Seven of the nine chapters of Chronicles cover the first 20 years that highlighted the accomplishments of building "...the house of the Lord and his own house" (II Chronicles 8:1).

Chapter 8 summarizes Solomon's other building projects, keeping the Sabbaths and yearly feasts, establishing a priesthood, and gathering wealth for his mini empire. Chapter 9 highlights the famous visit from the queen of Sheba and ends on a positive note summarizing Solomon's career as a smashing success of material wealth and wisdom. There is no mention of his fall from grace into idolatry with his wives and concubines.

I Kings helps fill in some missing gaps of that 2nd half of King Solomon's reign, and his prayer of dedication after the temple was complete is quite impressive. He praises and thanks God for the accomplishment of building the most beautiful temple in the world, "but will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!" (I Kings 8:27). It's interesting that Solomon uses the singular "I" instead of giving credit to the thousands of others who completed the building project by using "we" instead.

Again, it is quite a prayer, but it's like Solomon is reminding God to follow through on His covenant and promises to His people. It's never been God's problem keeping His covenant with His people. We are the ones who haven't kept up our end of the bargain. Yet, Solomon showed reverence to God "...before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven" (v. 54). God was impressed, His glory filled the temple, and He responded personally to Solomon.

More to come on that in the next edition.

 

[SilverFox7]

Again, it is quite a prayer, but it's like Solomon is reminding God to follow through on His covenant and promises to His people. It's never been God's problem keeping His covenant with His people. We are the ones who haven't kept up our end of the bargain. Yet, Solomon showed reverence to God "...before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven" (v. 54). God was impressed, His glory filled the temple, and He responded personally to Solomon.

1 Kings 9: 1-9

New King James Version

God’s Second Appearance to Solomon

1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he wanted to do, 2 that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.

3 And the Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.

4 Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

6 But if you or your sons at all [a]turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will [b]cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

8 And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore the Lord has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”

God reaffirms the covenant and promises He has made to Israel that are summarized in Deuteronomy: blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. On top of that, he tells Solomon, "Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’" (v. 4-5).

This is the classic if/then conditional statement that not only reemphasizes the covenant God made with His chosen people, but additionally for Solomon that his throne would be established forever if he walked with God, maintained a relationship with Him, and was obedient to the law. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. It looks like Solomon is the one who enjoyed being exalted: "So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart" (I Kings 10: 23-24).

The adage that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" seems to apply to Solomon as described in chapter 11 of I Kings. I'll get more into that next time to close out the history lesson that is certainly helping me to better understand Ecclesiastes, which was likely written during the latter years of Solomon's reign.

 

[GWH]

"...spiritual wisdom and understanding..." Amen!

And I just so happened to arrive at this verse in the Key OT Teachings thread:

PR 1:7 states that “The fear [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction”,
(and v.8 warns children to respect their parents’ teaching.)

 

[SilverFox7]

We've already touched on Solomon and his "foreign women" leading their willing captive into idolatry, and here's what happened as a result:

1 Kings 11:4-10

New King James Version

4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not [a]loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom[b] the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. 7 Then Solomon built a [c]high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.

Kings were not exempt from keeping the commandments of God going all the way back to Israel's wanderings in the wilderness. God told them to stay away from hooking up with people worshiping demons. In fact, he told them to wipe them out completely when they entered the promised land. Yet, they couldn't resist the temptation, and it corrupted their relationship with God. I'm sure Solomon brought many of these women into his fold to form political alliances, but that backfired, too. So, the Eternal speaks to Solomon a third time:

11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

I had lunch with a close friend and mentor of mine who is a passionate Christian, too, and when I was telling him about what I was learning from Ecclesiastes and Solomon's history, he said, "why did Solomon need 1000 women?" I answered something to the effect: "no doubt, my one wife is more than enough for me to handle."

 

[SilverFox7]

11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

My friend and I also discussed how quickly the united Israel fell apart as a result of Solomon's disobedience. He inherited the throne at 15 years old, took 20 years to build the temple and palace, and Israel had peace with their neighbors on all sides. Once Solomon strayed from God, "...the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite..." (I Kings 11: 14). Then God raised up another adversary, Rezon, who "...was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria" (v. 25).

Solomon's woes were just beginning as Jeroboam the Ephraimite rises to power and "...rebelled against the king" (v. 26). Jeroboam becomes the leader over the ten tribes of Israel in fulfillment of what God said in verses 11-13 noted above. Apparently, Solomon was not only aggressive and put a great burden on the "forced labor" (chpt. 9, vs. 20-21) from the foreigners who were conquered, he also became harsh towards Jeroboam and Israel in general.

We are given a good glimpse of this after Solomon dies and his son, Rehoboam, becomes king. Jeroboam and "...the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you" (I Kings 12: 4). It must have been pretty bad for Israel under the latter half of Solomon's reign for Jeroboam to emphasize the "heavy yoke" twice in this request. Rehoboam's response:

5 ...“Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [a]scourges!’ ”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13 Then the king answered the people [b]roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [c]scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.

17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

After Solomon's rebellion, his kingdom crumbled quickly. The latter half of his reign was filled with trouble outside of Israel to division within the kingdom that Solomon couldn't control. And his son, Rehoboam, may have been the "fool" Solomon references in Ecclesiastes who would succeed him, one of his greatest fears. Israel was one of the richest if not the richest nations on earth per capita after the first 20 years of Solomon's kingship. The latter 20 years were still prosperous for Solomon and his household, but many in Israel were suffering heavy taxation and hard physical labor with threats from adversaries on the borders.

After the kingdom split shortly after Solomon's death (he was only 55 years old), the northern 10 tribes fell into heavy idolatry, and the southern kingdom (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) had a roller coaster ride with a lot of bad leadership and a few good kings who held the kingdom together a little longer. The 10 "lost" tribes of Israel were eventually conquered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., and Judah fell to Babylon in ~586 B.C. So, in the matter of about 350 years, Israel went from being a world power to a wasteland and exile for it's inhabitants. That is a swift fall from a historical perspective.

Ok, now it's time to head back into Ecclesiastes with some good historical context to hopefully shed some more light on Solomon's laments.

 

[SilverFox7]

Back to chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

New King James Version

The Value of a Friend

9 Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.

10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Despite Solomon's character flaws, God allowed him to keep the gift of wisdom, and he shares some excellent proverbs in Ecclesiastes like the advice given above. Teamwork is important. If we build good relationships, we are stronger together than we are by ourselves, and we can accomplish great things. As much as I'm a loner by nature, I appreciate the companionship I have been given in my marriage, family, friends and colleagues. It's a great blessing.

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Popularity Passes Away

13 Better a poor and wise youth
Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

14 For he comes out of prison to be king,
Although [a]he was born poor in his kingdom.

15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun;
They were with the second youth who stands in his place.

16 There was no end of all the people [b]over whom he was made king;
Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him.
Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

With all of his accomplishments, Solomon is likely referring to himself as "...an old and foolish king..." and "...those who come afterward will not rejoice in him." That's certainly what happened to Solomon immediately after his death. His son, Rehoboam, rejects the advice of the elders who counseled Solomon, and Jeroboam referred to work under Solomon as a "burdensome service" (I Kings 12:4).

Prosperity and popularity perish with the wind. Solomon's work is but vanity with God out of the picture, yet chapter 5 has Solomon turning his attention back to his true God for some answers and perhaps some comfort, too.

 

[SilverFox7]

13 Better a poor and wise youth
Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

The "old and foolish king" reference reminds me of the rich fool Jesus talks about in Luke chapter 12 who thinks he has it made with the bountiful harvest he yielded: "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (vs. 20-21). It seems that Solomon fell into this trap and put his trust in his power, wealth, and wisdom at the expense of his relationship with God.

James has something to say about this as well:

James 5:1-6

New King James Version

Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged

5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches [a]are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of [b]Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and [c]luxury; you have [d]fattened your hearts [e]as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

Solomon has the dream life handed to him on a silver platter from David and the Lord, and he turns it into an absolute nightmare with his infidelity and idolatry. We see a lot of weeping and howling by Solomon throughout Ecclesiastes, his riches were corrupt putting God in the background, and his temporary abundance ate his "flesh like fire." He oppressed his laborers, and Solomon "...lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury."

How different would the kingdom of Israel have been if only Solomon was faithful to the Lord like his father David was. It wasn't like he had to be perfect (David certainly wasn't). Solomon just needed to follow what he knew was right and keep his eyes on the Lord, who admonished him twice to simply obey His commandments, which would bring blessings upon the nation with the added blessing of David's throne enduring into eternity.

That throne of David will be reestablished when Christ returns, thankfully, but it has been absent from my point of view since Josiah's reign from ~640 - 609 B.C. He was the last "good" king of Judah.

Jesus teaches us to learn from Solomon's mistake:

Matthew 6:19-21


19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

[SilverFox7]

Prosperity and popularity perish with the wind. Solomon's work is but vanity with God out of the picture, yet chapter 5 has Solomon turning his attention back to his true God for some answers and perhaps some comfort, too.

Solomon shares some good thoughts about God in chapter 5 of Ecclesiastes, but it appears to me at this point that he never really had an intimate relationship with the Lord like David did:

Ecclesiastes 5:1-5

New King James Version

Fear God, Keep Your Vows

1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed—
5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Listening is a key part in our relationship with God. He is infinitely wiser than we are, and it's wise for us to open our ears, minds, and hearts to the Word of the Lord. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deut. 6: 4-5). Listen, God is one, the one and only true God, and my purpose should focus on loving Him with every ounce of my being. I never get into any trouble listening to God.

My trouble comes when I don't think through my thoughts and emotions carefully before spouting off something I regret saying, especially when I'm angry. And if I make a commitment (i.e. vow) to God or other people, I need to do what I can to follow through and deliver on my promises. Do I fail at fulfilling my vows? Of course, but I always apologize, explain why I failed, and try not to make the same mistake again. It's relationship building with active listening as one of the key foundations.

Ecclesiastes 5:6-7

6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your [a]excuse and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

Solomon gets to one of the key lessons he learned from all of the mistakes he made: to fear God. It is a theme, perhaps the thesis, of Ecclesiastes as the last chapter solidifies. While Solomon doesn't appear to grasp the love and mercy of God here, he does understand the importance of reverence, awe, and respect for the Eternal's Word, listening and carrying ourselves before God with "prudence." To "fear God" does not mean shaking in terror at His power and judgement:

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4: 16)

 

[UnoiAmarah]

you will see if you are sincere in belief to God in risen Son seriously, not for any self gain here on earth.

So you would follow Christ even if there was no promise of afterlife?

 

[homwardbound]

So you would follow Christ even if there was no promise of afterlife?

Absolutely. For everything I have experienced here on earth, I want no part of earth. Been stabbed, beaten harassed and stolen from and used by others also., and have done wrong all by myself also.
I see no flesh, including my own is no good
So, I turned to what I do not see physically to lead me in love and mercy for all to all through Son Jesus, the only true exact representation of God in flesh ever as perfect ever, being one with his Father that he is One with. Now I stand in belief to this done work of Son once for us all. And God has given all the knowledge to know, that God loves us all, even those in unbelief as of yet, God continues to love, amazing grace to appreciate and not take for granted to me at least.
Yes even if I did not know this was to be, as those in the first Testament waited in hope, not knowing how the Messiah would arrive, much less go to death once for everyone to give new life in his risen Life to us that believe God freely gives this, wow, woe is me
God is Love to me and God goes on forever, nothing else does, to me
God just loves you also, unconditionally, otherwise that cross would not have ever happened. Find that out and see if you will willingly change to live new in love to all too or not too
It is up too you personally, between God and you love to all from God is the call in the risen Son for all thanks

 

[SilverFox7]

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deut. 6: 4-5).

James has some excellent things to say about love, listening, and following through on our vows to obey the Lord with our whole being:

James 2:8-13

New King James Version

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you [a]show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Jesus made it clear that the two great commandments are to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbors as ourselves: "...There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12: 29-31). During his final days on earth, Jesus criticized hypocritical religious leaders for neglecting "...the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" (Matt. 23: 23). These verses sum up the "law of liberty" James references where "mercy triumphs over judgement." Thank God for that!

James 1:21-25

New King James Version

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and [a]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

God's word is implanted within us as Christians. In fact, it's the living and active Word of God because his Spirit dwells within us to throw out the filth and replace it with "the perfect law of liberty." We are liberated from sin to live a new life in Jesus Christ, walking in faith to complete His work within us and to help save this fallen world.

People struggle with this concept of works versus grace, but they are not in opposition. With God's word actively at work in our hearts, minds, and souls, we are compelled to be "doers of the word" but not by our strength - that work is vanity as Solomon expresses and is in conflict with grace. The power and salvation come from the Lord! We are inspired and energized by Him to live lives of faith, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ with love, mercy, and justice: doers of the Word through His strength, not ours. There is no vanity in that!