Chapter 7

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon uses the word, "elohim" for God. He uses this word 41 times. It is a little less personal than his use of the word, "Yahweh" or Jehovah for God that he used in Proverbs 86 times which was written in his middle age, a more respectful term. I think that Solomon was very disappointed in how all of his personal accomplishments, pursuit of and accumulation of things ended up being described as vanity. The term's usage here means emptiness. Solomon invested his life in pursuit of all of life's pleasures and he was empty. God did not love him as he did his father, David. Remember this as we start reading Chapter 7.

Verse 1: A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 2: It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart. 3: Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5: It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6: For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: this also is vanity. Sounds a little rough, doesn't it? What virtues lie in a man's good name? Keeping his word, a little humility, not hanging out with the wrong people, a reasonable temperance and temperament, etc. To behave in such a way that our name is good in the eyes of others to our grave is better than foolishness.

Verse 7: Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8: Better is the end of a thing (the lesson) than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9: Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 10: Say though not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely. Do you know any angry people? I was very angry at the times of my first divorce and the betrayals by both of my wives. It started to consume me. My life was failing. At one point, in therapy trying to understand my behaviors and sadness, some wise soul took me aside and whispered in confidence, "You can change the way to feel about these things." Really? It took awhile for that to sink in. I had been carrying this around with me for quite a long while. My anger was consuming me. Sure enough, it works. It took time, but it worked. Do you have one of those situations? Give it a try. It is the hardest things we live through that build our character and make us more valuable in this world. Don't let that anger destroy you or the time you carry it in your life, you can't get that time back.

Verse 11: Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 12: For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 13: Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked. 14: In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. Similar to Proverbs, Solomon's writing to this point states a man's good name at death is better than his birth. A visit to a place of mourning is better than a festive occasion. Sorrow builds one's character more than laughter. Influential people should not let it go to their head. Patience is necessary to see the success of a venture. Hold your temper, fools go in to rages, and this builds wisdom which puts one's life into perspective. Next Solomon elaborates a bit about what he has witnessed in his lifetime. It is quite compelling when you think about it.

Verse 15: All things I have seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. (Have you ever wondered why every good soul that comes to man to change things for the better gets killed?) 16: Be not righteous over much: neither make thy self over wise: why should thou destroyeth thyself? 17: Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish, why shouldeth thou die before thy time? 18: It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 19: Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city . 20: For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. In explaining the nature of man, the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5: 17 - 18, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to another: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. but if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." We are in constant conflict as man, thought and spirit. Don't strive, like the Pharisees, to look righteous when you aren't. This bothered Jesus tremendously. Here, Solomon is not stating be a little good and bad. He is acknowledging our sinful nature against those who present themselves above others. Remember Oral Roberts statement that if we didn't send him a million dollars, God told him he would die? Jimmie Swagart? Jim and Tammy Faye? It goes on. It drives me up a wall.

Verse 21: Also take heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. 22: For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. From here, Solomon makes some pretty fascinating statements about finding wisdom. 23: All this I have proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. (Don't deceive yourself) 24: That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25: I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even the foolishness and madness: 26: And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. (Remember 700 wives and 300 concubines?) 27: Behold, this I have found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: 28: Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among 1,000 have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found (really?). 29: Lo, this only have I found, that God that made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

I can barely stand this. Solomon has been miserably deluded in his searches. He is speaking with Godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape, the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He discovers more than ever the evil of the great sin of many women. The many women he loved led him astray from God and caused his fall from grace. All of those wives and concubines and he declares not one of them was wise? The Bible does not tell of his marriage to a Hebrew woman, though it seems impossible that he did not marry at least one. His only son mentioned, Rehoboam, was with a wife from Ammon. Oh, if you married a good woman, be very grateful. He warns us of the sins in which he was betrayed. All men fall short of the goodness God made him the image of. All men, all women. Do not delude yourself into thinking you are more righteous than others. We need to be so grateful that Jesus gives us forgiveness and opportunity to live as righteously as we are capable. One last observation upon this chapter for me is which of his wives could be expected to be devoted to a man with that many women at his command? Which of them might feel his desire for more than one night? I read that each of his wives would cook elaborate meals each night, hoping that he would come to them for dinner. Can you imagine? I cannot.

The Matthew Henry Concise Commentary and Bible Track were used in this blog.

Solomon, pt. 2

Nearly all that is known about Solomon comes from the Bible, I and II Kings, II Chronicles, vrs. 1-9, II Samuel, I and II Kings, and Matthew. There are different accounts of the time he reigned as king of Israel, but it was around 965 B.C. to 925 B.C. when he died, probably of exhaustion. His reign lasted for 40 years and he was the third ancient king of Israel. His wisdom is proverbial and there is very, very little to see archeologically as proof he existed. Israel reached its height of power in his reign, 1000 B.C. It was the greatest it has ever been. He was also named Jedidiah (beloved of the Lord). You should know that his father, David, was God's greatest love. It was through him that God bestowed so much to Solomon and gave him such wisdom. He commanded a salary of 666 talents of gold a year. That is 39,960 lbs. of gold! Let's see, gold is 12oo.oo an ounce right now, 16 oz. in a pound. One ton is 2000 lbs. You get the idea. He was famous as a wise and evenhanded judge. He reign was peaceful. He is infamous historically and fictionally. His kingdom stretched from Tiphsah on the Euphrates to the Philistine Gaza on the southwestern border. Upon his death, the Northern state succeeded and split his kingdom in two.

Solomon authored Ecclesiastes in his later years, Proverbs in his middle years, and the Song of Solomon in his youth. There are other books in the Jewish faith claimed to be authored by him. 3000 parables and 1500 poems according to the Bible, I Kings, Chapter 3: 5-14. There are accounts of Solomon (Suleiman) in the Qur'an and many fictional stories, including 1001 Arabian Nights. The story of the Genie he commanded to a bottle because of his dislike for him was sealed with the Seal of Solomon. It is said he had command over demons and animals and bid them to do his work. There is a story that he died in a position, kneeling at his staff, which kept the Jinn (Genies) working on a building project. They did not realize he was dead until a worm at at the staff and when he fell, they were upset at having worked that extra time. There is a story he had command of a worm which carved the building blocks out of rock.

Solomon married outside of his faith to secure peace to daughters of the kings of Ammon, Moab, Sidon and Heth against God's wishes (it is said God spoke to him twice on the matter) and Solomon acted as though he was above the law and God. It got him in to trouble. It is probably why there are other accounts of him outside of the Bible as well. There is particular detail to his relationship with the Queen of Sheba. It is said they had a child and Ethiopia has been a strong center as a Jewish and Christian center ever since. It is said he gave this son the Ark of the Covenant as a gift, which is still housed in Ethiopia. They refuse any offers to view this icon. I wish God had spoke to me in my matters. I think I might have listened, but who knows. He was a man and we should remember that as we sift through legend.

He needed the money because he expanded Israel to its greatest territory. That is one reason he had so many wives. He married many of these women to make peace to territories that would not have happened otherwise. His most known marriage is to Pharaoh's daughter. They consider that a weakness of Egypt in that Pharaoh did not allow foreign marriages but it gave him the finest builders he needed to build that kingdom. It secured trade routes and copper iron mining endeavors there and kept the peace during his reign. There was a political change in Egypt half through his reign and it changed the relationship between Egypt and Israel. Egypt granted asylum to Jeroboam, one of Solomon's enemy. Because of the extensive building, he taxed the people quite heavily. He divided Israel in to 12 districts, but not in accord to the area of the 12 tribes of Israel. Each district had a court, officials and an office to see to the taxation. His biggest accomplishments were the Temple of the Ark of the Covenant and his own palace which took 13 years to build. He also fortified Jerusalem from attackers with defense walls. The Wailing Wall or the Western Wall is the last remnant of this structure built 3000 yrs. ago. The sacredness to the Jewish people is in touching a wall that Solomon had built. It was their greatest time as a country and has not reached this stature since. He enslaved many people to bid his building program and taxed the people heavily. Though there was peace, there was much disgruntlement. His chief builder was Hiram, which the Masons can be directly traced to.

He was a brilliant and sometimes a ruthless leader. He had mines and refining smelts, a fleet of ships, a trade route of caravans on the spice route. His wealth grew considerably from his industries. This may have developed the spice route which is still visible by satellite, he amassed a large amount of horses (which was forbidden by Jewish law, also). From the Jewish perspective, he had too many wives and horses. When he married the daughter of Pharaoh, a sandbank formed and out it grew the "great nation of Rome" who destroyed the second Temple. Solomon lost more and more prestige until he became a commoner. Some say he regained his status and some say he did not.

From the Christian perspective, Solomon turned his heart toward other god's of national deities to whom Solomon built temples, persuaded by wives from the regions forbidden. This incurred the wrath of God, who waited until his death because of David, to divide the kingdom in half when his son Rehoboam refused to ease the taxation from the northern states. Near the end of his life, Solomon contended with several enemies including Hadam of Edom, Rezon of Zobah and Jeroboam, one of his officials.

There is much to read about Solomon and condensed accounting of these different perspectives can be found at Answer.com. I have rambled a bit to blog this information, I apologize. There is much more to write about, his meeting with the Queen of Sheba, his throne and the Islamic Solomon, but I will return to that later in the blog. I hope you are finding this of value. I find it interesting to better understand who Solomon was. God bless us, everyone.