Solomon is the wisest man mentioned in the Bible. Almost everyone is familiar with the fact that Solomon is the wisest man who ever lived. In fact, the Bible mentions some men who were considered wise that lived around the time of Solomon, but you've probably never even heard of them!
I Kings 4:29-31- And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
Solomon is a person that we can go to if we want to get some understanding. We can gain some wisdom of our own from the things he wrote about.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon looks at various aspects of life from a human perspective, life under the sun, and he comes away with some interesting insights.
In Chapter 1, he speaks of the circuit of the sun, the water cycle, and the atmospheric circulation patterns of the wind. He is giving us just a glimpse of how smart he is, and he is living around the 900's BC!
What is his conclusion regarding his knowledge?
Ecclesiastes 1:13-14- And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Basically, having a head full of knowledge can't bring you happiness.
Ecclesiastes 1:18- For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Moving on to Chapter 2, he speaks about all of his possessions that he came to own. Anything he wanted, he acquired it. I mean, he was the richest man to ever live!
I Kings 10:23,27 - So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
I've never lived in a place where there was so much silver that it looked at as a common commodity! But, life was like that under Solomon's reign.
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11- And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Solomon's end conclusion to possessions was that they couldn't bring happiness. Eventually, you will die and leave them all behind, and you don't know who will benefit from them.
Ecclesiastes 2:18-19- Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Solomon seems to be a real downer in this book! But, he is just pointing out the end conclusion of matters. Anyone who has devoted their life to the pursuit of knowledge or possessions will eventually come to the same conclusions.
In Chapter 3, he expounds on the limitations of time. There is an ebbing and a flowing. There are joys and sorrows. There are victories and defeats. And, what is his conclusion?
Ecclesiastes 3:19-22- For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Everyone is bound by time. We are all locked in the present. We can look back and see where we messed up, but we can't look forward to see what will come next.
Next, he turns his attention to humanity. It's not a pretty picture. Our history is riddled with oppression, sickness, and travail.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 -So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Solomon can only say that it is best to live life with someone than to live it alone. That really shouldn't come as a surprise. Loneliness is a terribly depressing thing.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10- Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Solomon goes on to point out the folly of riches.
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11- He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
That saying, "He who dies with the most toys wins" is foolishness, because you can't take any of that stuff with you!
Solomon seems to be pretty depressed. The next chapter talks about the futility of life. And in Chapter 7, he contrasts some paradoxes that he has noticed.
Ecclesiastes 7:1,5,8,20,29- A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Then Solomon makes an interesting statement.
Ecclesiastes 7:26-28- 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. Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
I don't think Solomon is pulling an arbitrary number out here. He had a thousand wives! He knew something about women.
I Kings 11:3- And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
Solomon knew that women had a certain power over the men in their life. They could use that power for good or evil. Solomon certainly had a lot of regret where women were concerned!
In Chapter 8, he goes back to his consensus regarding judgment.
Ecclesiastes 8:6,11- Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. Because 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.
You can choose to live life however you please, but you cannot escape the consequences of your choices. Every person alive will one day battle with death, and they will lose.
Ecclesiastes 9:3- This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
We all know that will die, but not everyone is conscious of the judgment that he will face after death. He comes to the conclusion that how you will be judged by God is the main thing that should guide your actions.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14- Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Solomon observed many people, and he knew about many things. If all his knowledge boiled down to this one point, don't you think it would be wise for us to ponder it, too?
Revelation 20:12- And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Daniel 12:2- And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
How have we lived our lives? Are we ready for what comes after death?