Subscription Lists

Solomon wrote, “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1.12-14). A materialist is someone who believes that “... physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes and phonomena can be explained as manifestations or results of matter." (Merriam-Webster Online DIctionary). Solomon was, at some point in time, a materialist at heart. He attempted to rationalize all things through earthly observations and processes.

The rest of the book of Ecclesiastes reflects Solomon's search for meaning through the philosophies of men. Even his statements about God in much of the book of Ecclesiastes are statements that do not recognize the true nature of Creator God; rather, they reflect a mixed theology that probably came from the multitude of heathen religions that influenced his life by means of his pagan wives (see 1 Kings 11.1-8 and similar passages). However the end of the book reflects the fact that Solomon's thinking came “full circle.” This text has been cited countless times as evidence of man's true reality before Creator God; mark the passage!! “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12.13-14).

From believing that “all is vanity and grasping for wind,” Solomon came to believe that nothing is vanity; God will bring every work into judgment. This position simply holds that not even the smallest deed goes unobserved by the eyes of heaven. This would include things as insignificant as a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple, the death of a sparrow, and even the loss of a hair from the head of one of His elect (see Matthew 10.42; Luke 12.6-7). From believing that God sees but is indifferent to the plight of man to believing that God cares to the extent that He will reconcile all things (every work) is a long, long journey. In Solomon's case, he did not make this journey overnight; it apparently consumed much of his adult life. That is but one tragedy of this case.

Another tragedy is the fact that he took the journey at all. Like the man who sought diamonds all over the world only to find that his backyard held the treasure all along, Solomon had the truth, turned his back on the truth, and finally came back to it. All the heartache that Solomon suffered and those associated with him could have been avoided had he but held to the truth rather than trading it for the glitter of materialism; he wanted so much to find the answers to life's greatest questions in the material universe, but he could not! When all was said and done, there was doubtless joy in heaven over his rediscovery of truth, but think of the broken lives strewn along the way. Had he only had the sense of self to take what God had revealed, the experiential journey he took would have been seen as totally unnecessary and risky.

Here is the moral lesson involved: We may experiment with all sorts of human philosophies but the truth cannot be discovered in any of them. The best that we can say from such a dead end journey is, “This wasn't the way.” Try enough ways and we might finally be able to say, “None of these was the way!” Why not save the emotional wear and tear and expense of such trips and follow the route that God has already mapped out in the Scriptures? He wrote the book for that express purpose!

Questions:

1. Why can the answers to life's most important questions not be found in the material universe?

2. If question one makes a correct observation, what hope is there that science will make discoveries that will improve our spiritual condition?

3. What effect did Solomon's wives have on his faith in God and resolve to follow Him?

4. Do you think that each person must find his own way? In the absolute sense, can any of us find our way? If we find the way, who should receive the ultimate credit?

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

The Saints Who Slept