Vanity

Solomon was the richest, wisest king that ever lived and he had it all.  I don’t think there was anything that he wanted that he didn’t have. Solomon had 700 wives (Princesses) and 300 concubines; he sure didn’t have a shortage of women.  He had influence and prestige and probably more riches than he could spend, so you would think he would have been one of the happiest people in the world.  He saw and experienced many things and, in the process, he learned many things.  He also learned the most important thing and that was this; “Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)  

Probably most of the men in the world would have loved to have been in King Solomon’s shoes with all the money and women he had, but they could learn a great lesson from King Solomon; these things are not what make you happy.  Happiness doesn’t come from external things it comes from within one’s self.  True happiness, peace and joy are obtained from the Lord at the time of rebirth, when a person is born again.  Everything else is temporary; depending on the person’s mood at the moment and doesn’t last.

I think King Solomon was very happy when he became the king in his father’s place and when he asked God for wisdom, God spoke to him and said these words in 1 Kings 3:10-12, “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.’’”  

Like I said, I think Solomon was very happy at the start of his reign but as time went on Solomon’s wives led him away from the Lord to serve their gods and because of Solomon’s idolatry, he made the Lord very angry. This is what it says in 1 Kings 11:4-10 about Solomon’s sins, “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.”

Having felt separated from the Lord myself for many years, and feeling terrible about it, I would think that Solomon would have felt somewhat the same way.  I learned from my experience, and I think King Solomon did to.  There is something about living in sin, as a believer, that causes the person to feel miserable until repentance and confession take place.  I think it brings you to the realization that everything means nothing without that relationship with the Lord.

When Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, he knew firsthand that all things were vanity unless the Lord was in the center of it all.  The Word says this in Psalms 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Without God life is meaningless and senseless and Solomon knew it, even though he was lured away from Him because of idolatry.  Solomon knew that everything man runs after whether it be riches, a career, home and family or anything else man seeks, none of these things will give them the love, peace, joy and contentment they are intended to, unless the Lord is in the center of them.  Solomon wasn’t saying these things were bad and you shouldn’t seek them or have them, he was saying without the Lord being first in your life, no matter what you have, you will never truly be happy.  Seeing as he had it all, he should know and we should be thankful for his wisdom and learn from him.  Something to think about; may the Lord bless you and yours and have a super day!!