In 1 Kings 3:9-12, King Solomon asked for and received wisdom from God and because God was so pleased with this humble request, in 1 Kings 3:13 God said,
"And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days."
King Solomon's wealth was unrivaled, his knowledge was known the world over. 1 Kings 4:32 says,
"(Solomon) spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs were one thousand and five." We know that royals visited him from all over the world to test his great knowledge, including the Queen of Sheba, who according to 1 Kings 10:7 said,
"...Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard."
1 Kings 5:4-5 tells us that his reign was peaceful and he built the Temple first envisioned by his father, David. Even Jesus, many generations later, talks about Solomon's great splendor in
Matthew 6:28-29:
"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin: 29. and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Jesus also referred to Solomon in describing Himself, saying, "a greater Solomon is here,"
in Matthew 5:42
" The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."
and in Luke 11:31
The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
The King Disillusioned?
So this king, honored by God, given a long peaceful reign, untold riches and splendor, and untold wisdom, referred to by Jesus, wrote the "wisdom book of the bible, the book of proverbs," turned around in Ecclesiastes and said life was all "a vanity" and meaningless. The reader's response is "what ?" I heard a minister say that Ecclesiastes was written later in Solomon's life, after his heart had been turned from God by his many foreign wives. (See 1 Kings, 11:41.) Solomon himself reflected on how life changes as you get older. In Eccl. 12:1, he wrote, "Remember now your creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come."
Even though the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes are really "down" portions of scripture, and indeed the tone of the book could be summed up with Eccl. 9:11 when he laments that "time and chance happens to us all," Solomon has not truly given up on encouraging reader to find contentment in God.
In fairness to all the writers of the Old Testament, we have to remember that they didn't have the risen savior as a source of hope. We have to view the "down parts" of the bible through the lens of the hope we have in Christ. It's only while keeping this hope in the forefront of our minds that we can even try to understand how Solomon may have felt when he wrote that life had become boring and repetitive. In Eccl. 1:9, he wrote,
"...that which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun."
In Eccl. 1:14, he goes further, saying, " I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and indeed all is vanity and grasping for the wind." In verse 16, he says all the wisdom he had obtained was "grasping for the wind." Remember he had asked God for that wisdom, and he was world renowned because of his great wisdom, but here he says it was "grasping for the wind." In other words, it was a futile exercise.
He goes on to say he sought all kinds of entertainment, and it ended up being nothing. Then he sought to collect all kinds of things and it ended up being nothing, but near the end of Eccl. 2, specifically in verses 24 and 26 he comes out of his negative reflections to say that there is contentment in God.
Eccl.2:24-26
24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? 26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
It's funny that he ends that statement with, "This also is vanity and grasping for wind." Is it futile because the sinner wasted his time gathering and collecting or is it so unfair that those collections will be given to us who are good before God?
The most popular passage in Ecclesiastes is chapter 3 verses 1-8: Everything Has Its Time
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace
Verse 11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."
Eat and Drink and Enjoy Life
Eat and Drink and Enjoy Life
At four different points in Ecclesiastes Solomon wrote. "...every man should eat and drink and enjoy the goods of all his labor, it is the gift of God." Perhaps these passages should be the overall tone of the book. Certainly they are more spread throughout the book than the "grasping for the wind passages" with which the book begins.
Eccl.2:24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
Eccl.2: 12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
Eccl. 5: 18 Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. 19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
Verse 20 above implies that too much time for introspection leads to disillusionment in life. Note that Solomon writes "God keeps us busy." Truly it is one of God's gifts to us that we enjoy our families and our blessings.
Eccl. 8:15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
Avoid Greed, Avoid Anger, Use Moderation, Don't Become Easily Offended, Clean and Groom Your Clothes and Body, Avoid Immorality
Eccl.2: 12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
Eccl. 5: 18 Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. 19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
Verse 20 above implies that too much time for introspection leads to disillusionment in life. Note that Solomon writes "God keeps us busy." Truly it is one of God's gifts to us that we enjoy our families and our blessings.
Eccl. 8:15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
Avoid Greed, Avoid Anger, Use Moderation, Don't Become Easily Offended, Clean and Groom Your Clothes and Body, Avoid Immorality
Later Solomon starts to write the truisms recalling the kinds of things he wrote in the book of Proverbs. He talks about greed:
Eccl. 5:10:
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity.
Prov. 1:19:
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
Prov.23:4-5
4 Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!
5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.
He talks about anger:
Eccl. 7:9: "anger rests in the bosoms of fools."
Eccl. 5:10:
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity.
Prov. 1:19:
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
Prov.23:4-5
4 Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!
5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.
He talks about anger:
Eccl. 7:9: "anger rests in the bosoms of fools."
Proverbs 14:17
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated
And a man of wicked intentions is hated
Proverbs 14:29
New King James Version (NKJV)
Proverbs 15:18
New King James Version (NKJV)
18 A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
Solomon urges moderation in Eccl. 7:16
There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness,
And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.
16 Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
Why should you die before your time?
and gives practical advice about not being easily offended. Eccl. 7: 21-22.
21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others
And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.
16 Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
Why should you die before your time?
and gives practical advice about not being easily offended. Eccl. 7: 21-22.
21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others
He also revisits his warnings from the book of proverbs concerning deceitful women. For example, Eccl. 7:26:
"And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her."
Prov. 5:3: "For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. 4. But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell."
King Solomon wrote a very interesting commentary concerning how the lack of speedy punishment causes criminals to not fear punishment in Ec. 8:11.
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
He tells us to groom ourselves and take care of ourselves with joy. (This doesn't really sound like a disillusioned king to me.)
Eccl. 9:7-8:
7 Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
8 Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
8 Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.
He tells us to speak wisely., a recurrent theme in the book of Proverbs.
Eccl. 9:17 tells us:
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
Prov.12:18 "There is one who speak like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health."
Prov. 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
"The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (Eccl.1:1) may have begun this book with "Vanity of vanities," but the end is not vanity at all. Chapter 12 verses 13 and 14 sums it all up:
Eccl. 9:17 tells us:
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
Prov.12:18 "There is one who speak like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health."
Prov. 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
"The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (Eccl.1:1) may have begun this book with "Vanity of vanities," but the end is not vanity at all. Chapter 12 verses 13 and 14 sums it all up:
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment