God blessed King Solomon with wisdom to judge his people rightly. Additionally, God orchestrated a time of peace within the kingdom and with all the surrounding nations. The nation of Israel was exalted and highly favored for their cultural, architectural, literary, and musical advancements. King Solomon, blessed with bountiful riches and wisdom, was honored by the kings and queens of his day. Having everything, one might think, King Solomon would without fail worship God perfectly. At least. We want to believe that, because we want to believe that if God would give us everything we think we desire, then we would bow before Him always, obeying His every Command. But that is not the case with human nature. Sometimes the more we have, the more we think we deserve.
King Solomon built the temple and assembled the people, just as a preacher would. He prayed for them, acknowledging the weakness of the people, fearing they would sin against God. Deep within, perhaps he knew that he also could sin too easily. Overwhelmed by the grace of God he dedicated the temple with great humility and instruction. He wrote over 3000 proverbs to guide the people toward righteousness and over 1000 worship songs of praise to God.
Yet, as the years passed, content with all he had; he slipped away from seeing God’s absolute righteousness. And when one forgets God’s absolute righteousness and His wrath against sin, the wonder of grace slips away. What is then left behind is an empty vapor or whisper of truth.
2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1 (NKJV)
Vanity is translated from the Hebrew word הָֽבֶל׃ hā·ḇel meaning futile, a fleeting breath, like a vapor here and then gone.
A Stark Contrast of Two Men—Solomon and Jeremiah-the Command of God
I Kings 11 (NKJV)
But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely, they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
4 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. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. 7 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. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 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.
11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
The Response of Solomon to the Command of God
Solomon became restless, as we find in the book of Ecclesiastes. This book is an autobiography of how he strayed away from the very truth that had made him great. His journey led him into deep despair as he chased after the wind in this world. He found that there was no peace or joy to be found in the pleasures of this world apart from God’s presence in them. By breaching the command of God, he no longer felt the joy of God’s presence in life. With God, we may enjoy all the beauties and pleasures of this world. Yet, when we seek them apart from God, they are empty and futile—vanity of vanity, a vapor that quickly disappears leaving only sadness behind.
This is the book of Ecclesiastes. The teacher wants us to know the truths of true wisdom, comes from a proper view of God as supreme righteousness. It is seeing God through our brokenness and realizing that He is Majesty and Righteousness. It is learning as had David.
Psalm 8 (NKJV)
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have [b]ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit[c] him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than [d]the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
A Command of God to Jeremiah
God called Jeremiah to speak his word to the people, when He did this is what God said to Jeremiah.
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”….
7“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to tear down,
Destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1 (NASB)
A Command that Seems too Hard to Follow
God told him no one would listen. And even his family turned their backs on him for the message God gave him.
27 “Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you. Jeremiah 7: (NKJV)
Furthermore, Jeremiah was forbidden to marry or to have children. He was jailed, beaten, and very poor. His was a message of judgement. God’s wrath would be poured out upon the nation because they had forsaken the command of God to seek after other idols. Yet, despite his seeing only despair around him, Jeremiah preached God’s word to the people. And then what were his words?
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day.19 Remember my affliction and roaming,
The wormwood and the [g]gall.
20 My soul still remembers
And [h]sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
39 Why should a living man complain,
A man for the punishment of his sins?40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven. Lamentations 3 (NKJV)
And so it was that Jeremiah saw God’s goodness amid all the sorrows that surrounded him. He understood that God’s grace far exceeded what anyone deserves. Why should a living man every complain, knowing what our sin truly deserves is God’s wrath? When we keep a right view of God’s righteousness, then we keep a truer view of grace.
In A World of Futility, Let Us Seek to Follow the Command of God
13 The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12: (NKJV)
Concluding Thoughts
We sometimes think that we know what would make us happy but do we. Many want to preach a gospel that has no brokenness, a feel-good prosperity gospel that does not really address our sin. We whitewash it all with God’s mercy and grace. Oh, yes were it not for His mercy and grace, I would have no hope. It is that if I forget His goodness despite my sin. I wish I could forget the brokenness of my life, forget the sins of my past. But to do so would cause me not to see the magnificence of His grace that has carried me thus far.
So, this is what Solomon meant by these words: “11 The words of the wise are like goads, and masters of these collections are like driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.” One Shepherd who truly bore the nails of wrath from God that I deserved. The words remind me of my own failures, but also of His magnificent grace toward me. His mercies are new every morning. And one day, He will return to set every justice right and I shall ride beside Him on that day, not because of my own righteousness, but His. That is what Solomon had learned in the end of His days. God’s spirit never departed from Him, even during the dark days in which his own life led him to utter despair.
Jesus is Coming Again to Righteously Judge–Never Forget
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He [a]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in [b]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a [c]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
Are you ready for His return?
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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