2 Chronicles 9:22-23 "And king
Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
(23) And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon,
to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart."
2 Chronicles 9:30-31 "And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. (31) And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."
As I write this morning, I am trying to imagine what it must have been like for Solomon to have the kings of the earth come to him seeking wisdom. The Chronicles account does not go into all the details concerning the time of Solomon's reign and the effect it had upon him as an individual. We know from the various writings of Solomon that with the great gift of wisdom given to him, there also came great responsibility. Solomon handled it well at times and not so well at other times. He was human. That is not to try to justify any of his actions; rather it is just a statement of fact. Solomon, like you and me, was human and prone to mistakes, failure, and disappointment.
The Holy Spirit inspired Solomon to write the book of Ecclesiastes to share the greatest wisdom to which he had arrived. He began the book by stating his thoughts concerning wisdom: "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." (Ecclesiastes 1:18) We take a very quick side trip this morning in thinking of the life of Solomon. As you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you realize that Solomon had tried to use all his silver and gold to buy happiness, fulfillment, and contentment. At the end of the book, Solomon shares the one most important thing for which we all should attempt to find our purpose in life. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) In all his wisdom, in all his possessions, in all his accomplishments, Solomon was made to understand peace is only found in our relationship with the Lord God Almighty. "Fear God." That is not to say we are to sit around in fear. This word, fear, means to honor and reverence the Lord. We are to seek His relationship on a daily basis, for in Him we have fulfillment. Only that daily walk with the Lord can fill the empty hole that is in all of us. Solomon tried to fill it with "things", only to come to the realization that God is the only One Who can complete us.
Solomon was born. Solomon lived. Solomon died. We all shall travel that same road. We all have and will make mistakes in life. We cannot go back. We cannot stand still. We keep going forward, praying and trusting that each day enables us to gain a little more Godly wisdom that we can share with others to help them along the way. But we shall all go "the way of all the earth". We shall all die. Aren't you thankful that One greater than Solomon came to the earth to die for us? Aren't you thankful that the greatest wisdom we could ever hope to attain in life is found in the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Let us use the time on this earth to honor and hold in reverence our blessed Lord and Saviour.
2 Chronicles 9:30-31 "And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. (31) And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."
As I write this morning, I am trying to imagine what it must have been like for Solomon to have the kings of the earth come to him seeking wisdom. The Chronicles account does not go into all the details concerning the time of Solomon's reign and the effect it had upon him as an individual. We know from the various writings of Solomon that with the great gift of wisdom given to him, there also came great responsibility. Solomon handled it well at times and not so well at other times. He was human. That is not to try to justify any of his actions; rather it is just a statement of fact. Solomon, like you and me, was human and prone to mistakes, failure, and disappointment.
The Holy Spirit inspired Solomon to write the book of Ecclesiastes to share the greatest wisdom to which he had arrived. He began the book by stating his thoughts concerning wisdom: "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." (Ecclesiastes 1:18) We take a very quick side trip this morning in thinking of the life of Solomon. As you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you realize that Solomon had tried to use all his silver and gold to buy happiness, fulfillment, and contentment. At the end of the book, Solomon shares the one most important thing for which we all should attempt to find our purpose in life. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) In all his wisdom, in all his possessions, in all his accomplishments, Solomon was made to understand peace is only found in our relationship with the Lord God Almighty. "Fear God." That is not to say we are to sit around in fear. This word, fear, means to honor and reverence the Lord. We are to seek His relationship on a daily basis, for in Him we have fulfillment. Only that daily walk with the Lord can fill the empty hole that is in all of us. Solomon tried to fill it with "things", only to come to the realization that God is the only One Who can complete us.
Solomon was born. Solomon lived. Solomon died. We all shall travel that same road. We all have and will make mistakes in life. We cannot go back. We cannot stand still. We keep going forward, praying and trusting that each day enables us to gain a little more Godly wisdom that we can share with others to help them along the way. But we shall all go "the way of all the earth". We shall all die. Aren't you thankful that One greater than Solomon came to the earth to die for us? Aren't you thankful that the greatest wisdom we could ever hope to attain in life is found in the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Let us use the time on this earth to honor and hold in reverence our blessed Lord and Saviour.