James & Ecclesiastes - What is Wisdom?
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What Solomon seems to be missing during the latter phases of his life is God's Spirit living within him. He was given great wisdom to govern and lead the nation well, and God even spoke to him directly on a couple of occasions. However, if Solomon had an intimate relationship with God, he ultimately became consumed with wealth and power.
The many foreign wives he married for treaty purposes primarily became a stumbling block into massive idolatry. Solomon wasn't very wise ignoring God's clear guidelines for marrying foreigners who followed strange Gods. Although there is still hope for him from my point of view, I don't think he'll be in the first resurrection with David when Christ returns. I see Solomon among the vast multitudes of Israel who will be resurrected after the millennium.
After the beautiful and thoughtful poem that ends with verse 7, Solomon muses in proverbial prose to close out this incredible reflection. Solomon had a lot of faults - isn’t that true for all of us to one degree or another - but his honesty, expressing the truth, and reaching a level of repentance and hopefully seeking forgiveness, too, is encouraging.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-12
King James Version
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
The NKJV uses “Shepherd” for verse 11, which is more appropriate – God is our Shepherd. David’s most famous and well-know psalm begins by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23: 1). Solomon seems to be understanding what he has learned and preached for many years: it all goes back to God and His wisdom ultimately. Anything apart from that truly is vanity and a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-12
King James Version
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
The NKJV uses “Shepherd” for verse 11, which is more appropriate – God is our Shepherd. David’s most famous and well-know psalm begins by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23: 1). Solomon seems to be understanding what he has learned and preached for many years: it all goes back to God and His wisdom ultimately. Anything apart from that truly is vanity and a chasing after the wind.
Solomon’s proverbs are absolutely astounding, and wisdom is a key theme. If you haven’t read the book of Proverbs or it’s been awhile, I highly recommend it. Here are a few kernels I picked out:
Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 3:13–15 – Blessed are those who find wisdom, for she is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
Proverbs 13:20 – Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
And, our friend James from the background adds:
James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Let’s not forget about the ultimate wisdom we should be seeking. I asked Google AI about a verse from Paul that talks about the wisdom of Christ:
In 1 Corinthians 1:24, the Apostle Paul writes, "But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Paul explains that God uses the cross—an event the world sees as foolishness—to show a wisdom that is far greater than human cleverness.
I thought the first resurrection is for the saved and the second is for the lost?
There are different perspectives on the resurrections. The lineup that makes the most sense to me is:
1. The resurrection of the saints at Christ's return (I Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 20:4-5)
2. The resurrection after the Millenium (Rev. 20:5; 11-13) "great white throne"
3. The final resurrection occurs after the great white throne period (some theorize ~100 years for those who never knew Christ). Those who are in the third resurrection will be cast into the lake of fire because they willfully rejected Christ in their first life (Rev. 20:14-15).
A few quick thoughts as I look to wrap up this study in the near future: how do I best summarize this incredible inspirational insight into human nature and God’s redeeming plan? I always told my students that sometimes it’s best to set our research and writing aside and let it marinate a little. Then, put the finishing touches on the dish.
It’s been a busy few weeks as summer is winding down here in Michigan. I was at a Polish festival last night spending time with family and a great community. We listened to two dynamite Polka bands and shared sorrow and joy through our shared experiences. We have many loved ones who are no longer with us physically, but their presence was there.
I had one of the leaders of the community ask me how my family is doing. “Well, Kate – my parents are in their 80s now, and it has been a challenge. But we are getting through it with the grace of God. This is my last beer of the night because I’m the DD.” “Oh” she said, and her genuine concern was deeply appreciated.
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
Dante and Tennyson.
It’s been a busy few weeks as summer is winding down here in Michigan. I was at a Polish festival last night spending time with family and a great community. We listened to two dynamite Polka bands and shared sorrow and joy through our shared experiences. We have many loved ones who are no longer with us physically, but their presence was there.
I had one of the leaders of the community ask me how my family is doing. “Well, Kate – my parents are in their 80s now, and it has been a challenge. But we are getting through it with the grace of God. This is my last beer of the night because I’m the DD.” “Oh” she said, and her genuine concern was deeply appreciated.
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
Dante and Tennyson.
As twilight blanketed the dance floor and audience lining the tables, I knew the “Sturgeon Moon” would be rising from the East. A quick glance over my shoulder to my wonderful beacon on the hill portrayed a slice of that sphere taking shape quickly above my community college building where I spent many years as a student and teacher.
The top three floors were filled with light. That light from the orb in the background continued to move upstream, enjoying the polkas, the obereks, the waltzes, the fellowship below and above. It's a journey from the depths of Lake Michigan penetrating inward through the winding river systems to the spawning shelves.
How could a poor burnout teenager being raised on a farm have any hope of reaching for something higher like that moon? That light on the hill that I gazed at from the river valley below became the answer. Not only was I welcomed into that light and given guidance: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. I gained confidence and friendship.
One day I would return again as a teacher to provide that hope and vision for that which rises above. Rises above from the dung in the fields to the sound of music and voices in communal sorrow and joy. And, all the while, that terrestrial light on the hill with celestial Light from above is there waiting and watching for our pilgrimage to the Promised Land.
The top three floors were filled with light. That light from the orb in the background continued to move upstream, enjoying the polkas, the obereks, the waltzes, the fellowship below and above. It's a journey from the depths of Lake Michigan penetrating inward through the winding river systems to the spawning shelves.
How could a poor burnout teenager being raised on a farm have any hope of reaching for something higher like that moon? That light on the hill that I gazed at from the river valley below became the answer. Not only was I welcomed into that light and given guidance: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. I gained confidence and friendship.
One day I would return again as a teacher to provide that hope and vision for that which rises above. Rises above from the dung in the fields to the sound of music and voices in communal sorrow and joy. And, all the while, that terrestrial light on the hill with celestial Light from above is there waiting and watching for our pilgrimage to the Promised Land.
Like any good thing, research and writing can be carried to an extreme. Solomon learned this the hard way, and I’ve been down that road myself throughout my academic career. With all of Solomon’s wisdom that he gathered throughout the years, he was a man of deep sorrow in the end. He made the most of his fame and fortune, yet he sacrificed the true Gold, our Lord, for his lust for materialism, “success”, and erotic pleasure.
In George Eliot’s outstanding Victorian novel, Middlemarch, Edward Casaubon is a character filled with fear and emptiness over the perceived vanity of his vocational pursuit. Casaubon dedicated his life to making a “Key to all Mythologies,” yet his efforts on this singular focus only yielded sadness and frustration when his goal wasn’t realized.
Casaubon lived an unbalanced life and wasn’t fit to cope with a young, beautiful, and loving wife. As much as Casaubon desired to escape into his narrow, scholarly pursuits, his world was turned upside down after marrying Dorothea and dealing with the complexities inherent within an intimate, emotional relationship.
On his honeymoon in Rome, Casaubon spent most of his time in the library trying to crack the code for the common thread that weaves all mythologies, religions, and beliefs together. Instead of enjoying time with his beautiful young wife who adored him, his quest for solving this mystery and achieving recognition and fame in the academy was an obsession. In the end, Casaubon dies and never achieves his goal.
I wrote a paper in graduate school about this character, Casaubon. I felt a connection with him because I was a hard-core scholar as well. I would spend long hours reading and taxing my brain to the extreme where I could barely think straight. My brain was exhausted, and I struggled with sadness, depression, and hopelessness.
Thank God for one of my professors who helped me achieve balance in life. He was a devout Christian who made his beliefs clear throughout the Mythology class I took with him. I ended up taking a T.S. Eliot class and Renaissance literature class learning some deeply spiritual Christian literature that helped clarify what’s really important.
Casaubon and Solomon were spending their time pursuing worldly wisdom and fame in this life, which they accomplished in their fields. However, they never realized the “Key to all Mythologies” is Jesus Christ our Lord. Without Him, life doesn’t make sense, and it is a hopeless and empty experience. With Him, we have the key to the Kingdom of Heaven, and everything that happens in this life, good and evil, fall within the context of our life in Him.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
King James Version
13 Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his
commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work
into judgment,
with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
What a great conclusion – I think there is hope for Solomon because he came back to the whole purpose of life. We should stand in awe and reverence towards our Creator and strive to keep His commandments to the best of our ability with His help and strength.
Solomon just didn’t get the relationship side of learning to love our Lord like his father David, who understood the fear factor yet intimately loved God, too:
Psalm 25:12
King James Version
12 What man is he that feareth the
Lord?
him shall He teach in the way that he shall choose.
I love you, O Lord, my strength. (Ps. 18:1)
We certainly don’t want to have the same type of fear towards God that the demons do like our friend James points out:
James 2:19
King James Version
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We shouldn’t quake and “tremble” before our God who loves us so dearly. I’ll let our loving Lord close this study out:
Luke 12:4-5
King James Version
4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Matthew 22:37
King James Version
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Revelation 3:18
King James Version
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Matthew 13:43-46
King James Version
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
I have really enjoyed this journey through the book of Ecclesiastes, one of my favorites. As a footnote going back to that pastor who gave that great sermon that inspired this study, he didn’t think Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. There are other scholars who believe that as well.
Whether Solomon wrote those verses or not, they are the right conclusion for this “God-breathed” book of the Hebrew bible. It’s one of the masterpieces in world literature, too.
I’m off to the book of Ruth now, folks – really looking forward to that one also!
King James Version
13 Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his
commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work
into judgment,
with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
What a great conclusion – I think there is hope for Solomon because he came back to the whole purpose of life. We should stand in awe and reverence towards our Creator and strive to keep His commandments to the best of our ability with His help and strength.
Solomon just didn’t get the relationship side of learning to love our Lord like his father David, who understood the fear factor yet intimately loved God, too:
Psalm 25:12
King James Version
12 What man is he that feareth the
Lord?
him shall He teach in the way that he shall choose.
I love you, O Lord, my strength. (Ps. 18:1)
We certainly don’t want to have the same type of fear towards God that the demons do like our friend James points out:
James 2:19
King James Version
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We shouldn’t quake and “tremble” before our God who loves us so dearly. I’ll let our loving Lord close this study out:
Luke 12:4-5
King James Version
4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Matthew 22:37
King James Version
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Revelation 3:18
King James Version
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Matthew 13:43-46
King James Version
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
I have really enjoyed this journey through the book of Ecclesiastes, one of my favorites. As a footnote going back to that pastor who gave that great sermon that inspired this study, he didn’t think Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. There are other scholars who believe that as well.
Whether Solomon wrote those verses or not, they are the right conclusion for this “God-breathed” book of the Hebrew bible. It’s one of the masterpieces in world literature, too.
I’m off to the book of Ruth now, folks – really looking forward to that one also!