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SOLOMON vs JESUS
● 2Tim 3:16 . . All scripture is inspired of God
Followers of Islam claim that the entirety of the Koran was given to
Muhammad word for word via voice dictation; but Christians dare not make
the same claim for the Old Testament, viz: though it's all inspired, it was not
all given word for word via voice dictation.
Bible students are often baffled as to why Solomon's remarks in the book of
Ecclesiastes sometimes contradict Jesus' teachings in the New Testament.
Well; the answer to that is actually pretty simple.
Solomon wasn't inspired to record his observations from the perspective of
an enlightened man who's privy to knowledge beyond the scope of empirical
evidence and human experience; rather, from the perspective of a man
under the sun; viz: a down to earth thinking man whose perception of reality
is moderated by what he can see for himself going on around him in the
physical universe; which of course results in an evaluation of life on earth as
seen from the earth rather than an evaluation of life on earth as seen from
heaven.
In other words: Ecclesiastes is one man's world view-- his personal
philosophy of life --rather than a book of either history, revelation, or
prophecy; and it's loaded with pessimism; which is basically a mindset
inclined to dwell on the negative in human experience rather than the
positive. For example:
"You only go around once, so do it with all the gusto you can get!"
That was a Schlitz beer advertisement some years ago. It's worldly wisdom
thru and thru rather than heavenly. Compare it to a couple of Solomon's
remarks:
● Ecc 9:5 . . The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead,
they are conscious of nothing at all
● Ecc 9:10 . . All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for
there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place
to which you are going.
That's the same wisdom as Schlitz beer wisdom.
Solomon was a very wise man; in point of fact, he was the brightest
intellectual of his day. But Solomon's knowledge and experience were
limited. He didn't know everything there is to know, nor had he seen
everything there is to see, nor been everywhere there is to go.
● Matt 12:42 . .The queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment
with this generation and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but, look! something more than
Solomon is here.
In other words; Jesus' wisdom trumps Solomon's.
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