Year One, November 8

The LORD Your God…Is a Jealous God1

1 Kings 13:11-30

11Now an old prophet lived in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told to their father the words that he had spoken to the king. 12And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he mounted it. 14And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16And he said, “I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, 17for it was said to me by the word of the LORD, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’” 18And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. 19So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20And as they sat at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, 22but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” 23And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. 25And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.

26And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD spoke to him.” 27And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28And he went and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. 29And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city to mourn and to bury him. 30And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”

This is a very frightful illustration of the great truth that the Lord our God is a jealous God. He expects those he honors, by making them his servants, to obey him. He has clearly stated, “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified.”2 To treat any of God’s commands as unimportant may bring God’s chastisement3 on even the best of people. The old prophet at Bethel must have backslidden very far from God, or he would not have tempted the man of God so wickedly. However, the man of God should not have been so quick to believe a story that contradicted what God had personally commanded him. The Lord saw it necessary to take his life. Let us hope that as a righteous man he had hope in his death. Let us hope also that the death of the prophet from Judah became a warning to the old prophet at Bethel and was the means of restoring him to his right state before God. This may have been one of those terrible, but righteous acts where the Lord calls back his wandering followers. It is a lesson for all of us to walk before God with a fear of offending him and a holy jealousy that his name is honored.

^{_______________}

¹ Deuteronomy 6:15

² Leviticus 10:3

³ chasten, chastening or chastisement - The act of discipline which may include scolding, criticizing or pain inflicted for the purpose of correction or moral improvement.

Year One, November 7

Do Not Be Afraid of Them, for I Am With You1

1 Kings 12:26-33

26And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. 27If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah” (Jeroboam was afraid that when the ten tribes went up to the temple in Jerusalem every year, their old love for their fellow Israelites would return, that they would see the magnificence of David’s palace and be sorry they had rebelled against the ancient line of kings. He thought that allowing his subjects to worship in the Lord’s temple would endanger his position as king. He was a clever man, and like Ahithophel, he had no fear of God. So he decided to set up a new religion. God’s honor meant nothing to him. Efforts to conform with worldly desires and other attempts to satisfy human nature have often been the reasons for starting false religions.)

28So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” (People naturally love things that require little effort. They prefer a religion that will not trouble them or interrupt their lives very much. That is the reason Jeroboam appealed to the shameful tendencies of their human nature. But how disgraceful it was for Israel to forsake the living God and bow before the image of a bull just as an excuse to not have to travel so far. May we never leave the good old paths of truth because it would be convenient, or give us a better chance of advancement in our job or better opportunities to make more money. Let us hold tightly to the Lord with all our heart.)

29And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. (At both ends of the land, so that no one would have far to travel.) 30Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. 31He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. (The true priests remained faithful to the Lord, so Jeroboam appointed other men to be priests. This speaks well for the Levites. Even if all other people become idolaters, God’s ministers must not.) 32And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.

33He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings. (He dared to make himself a priest and change the seasons God had appointed for worship. He was not afraid to set up an altar to compete with the true one or to adore God by bowing down to the image of an animal. All of this is disgusting in the sight of God. We fear that many in our day are also guilty of Jeroboam’s sin. They invent rituals and ceremonies of their own and desert the Lord, who is a Spirit, and must be worshiped in spirit and truth.2 Oh for grace to be faithful to the Word of God in all things.)

  

1 Kings 13:1-10

1And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 2And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” (This was bravely spoken. The prophet did not fear the wrath of the king or the anger of the crowds around him. Messengers of God must not be afraid of how people might react to their message.)

4And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying. “Seize him.” (He was greatly irritated to have this first and greatest ceremony of his new religion interrupted by this zealous messenger of the Lord. “Seize him!” cries the king, as he puts forth his own hand to order the arrest.) And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” (The Lord can soon bring down the strongest heart. This proud ruler went quickly from threatening to begging. The God who shriveled his hand could just as easily paralyzed his whole body, but in his wrath he remembered mercy.) And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before. (God’s servants are very willing to pray for their enemies and return good for evil.)

7And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” (Notice that Jeroboam never said a word that indicated he had repented or was humbled by this experience. He was hardened in his proud rebellion against God. He might have been willing to reward the prophet, but he would not thank the Lord who sent him.) 8And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

It was not proper for God’s servant to have any fellowship with rebellious Israel. No, not even so much as eating a piece of bread or taking a sip of water with them. The true believer’s duty is to avoid all unnecessary fellowship with people of sin. “What harmony has Christ with Belial?”3

^{_______________}

¹ Jeremiah 1:8

² John 4:24

³ 2 Corinthians 6:15 NASB updated

Year One, November 6

Be Kind to Everyone1

2 Chronicles 9:31

31And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. (The wisest man in the world died and so must we all. There is no getting around it. What a change came over the nation when the great ruler passed the scepter into the hands of his unfit successor. It is sad when great fathers have foolish children.)

  

2 Chronicles 10:1-8; 10-16; 19

1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3And they sent and called him. (The people had felt the government of Solomon had been too dictatorial. They had decided to demand more compassionate laws before they would allow Rehoboam to be their king. They hoped they would be given more liberty if they threatened to set up another king instead of him.) And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away.

He did the right thing to take time for thinking about his decision. Important steps should not be taken in a hurry. We can do in an hour what we cannot undo in a lifetime.

6Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” (Lowering our expectations will often win over those who oppose our ideas. To give in a little in order to gain much is wise policy. The people had a right to what they asked. If the young prince would have agreed to their demands with a graceful spirit, he would have been the beloved ruler of an enthusiastic people.)

8But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.

10And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. 11And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

These young advisors thought it would be dangerous to give the people what they asked for. If the king agreed to their request, would they not be encouraged to ask for more later? Let them be put in their place immediately with an iron fist. To consent to their demands would only inflate them with pride and lead to even more rebellion. We have heard men talk like this in our own day, but we judged them to be conceited fellows. If the people ask for right things, let them have them. No harm can come from it.

12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents.

19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. (The sin of Solomon inflicted his son Rehoboam, but God was not unjust. The unwise action of Rehoboam led naturally to the ten tribes breaking away. God’s ways are always just. We may be confident that if he seems to act unjustly, it is not really the case. God’s ways are fair, and in the end people will acknowledge that it is so.)

^{_______________}

¹ 2 Timothy 2:24

Year One, November 5

At Evening Time There Shall Be Light1

We shall read once more in the book of Ecclesiastes. This selection is the wise man’s famous words to young people.

  

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

9Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. (Solomon seems to dare the young man to throw caution to the wind and seek his own pleasure. But he warns him there is a price to be paid if he does. The cost will not be worth it! It never pays to sin, because the truth is, every sin will face punishment.) 10Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. (There is a way for youth to have true joy. Let the wise young person try it. Our young days will soon be over, let us make them as happy as we can. Enjoy life while we have it. Everyone agrees with this advice, but few know that the best way of accomplishing it is to be given salvation by believing in Jesus.)

  

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7; 13-14

1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; (Youth is the best time for serious thinking about important things and deciding to believe in Jesus. Old age robs much of the incentive and ability to consider the crucial subject of eternity. The mind is not as sharp as it used to be and the body is weakening. Both make examining subjects that have been ignored for a long life all the more difficult to consider. Young people should beware of delay and give up the idea that they can wait until they are older to think about giving their lives to Jesus. No tree is so easily bent as the green sapling.) 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, (meaning that in old age, sicknesses are many and are felt more sharply than when we are young.) 3in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, (the arms are no longer powerful) and the strong men are bent, (the old person’s legs are unsteady beneath their weight) and the grinders cease because they are few, (their teeth are almost gone) and those who look through the windows are dimmed, (the eyes grow dim) 4and the doors on the street are shut—(the senses are gradually fading, both ears and eyes become like doors closed to the outside world) when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, (their nights are tiring, the first crowing of the rooster wakes him.) and all the daughters of song are brought low—(their own voice is gone, and they are no longer able to hear the voice of others) 5they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; (elderly people are full of worry, boldness and courage vanish)  the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— 6before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, (The spinal cord, the skull, the heart, and the circulation of the blood are pictured here in beautiful imagery; all these fail us in death.) 7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (This, then, is the heart of the matter. But the question is, how are we to fulfill “the whole duty of man?” We may rest assured that we are quite powerless to do it ourselves. Only in Christ Jesus can we find the law fulfilled. He is ours if we believe in him. This is true wisdom. Solomon would have been wiser even if this were all he knew.)

^{_______________
1} Zechariah 14:7

Year One, November 4

Put Devious Talk Far From You1

Ecclesiastes 10:1-14

1 Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

No matter how beautiful the jar or how excellent the fragrance, dead flies will destroy the precious lotion. And even so, what seem like unimportant faults will spoil a fine character. Being rude, having a short temper, making jokes about serious matters, unwillingness to give or spend money, self-centeredness, and a thousand other harmful flies have often turned the wonderful perfume of a Christian’s life into a destructive odor to those who were around them. Let us pray for grace to avoid the smaller errors, so that they will not do serious harm to us and the gospel. When something is really good it is a shame to spoil it by not correcting our small faults. Little things can ruin our influence for good. Watch out for little flies!

2 A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,

but a fool’s heart to the left.

The wise person is sensible and applies themselves to accomplishing their goals. The foolish person may have good intentions, but does not make the effort to achieve them.

3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,

and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,

for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.

5There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: 6folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

Kings are not always wise in choosing whom they honor. Sometimes the best people experience the pain of seeing less qualified people promoted over them. Sometimes God gives the least worthy people positions of power and influence, while people of character and grace are left to suffer in the cold shade of poverty. The Lord is behind this. He has wise reasons for bringing it about. Therefore we should cheerfully submit to his will. Let us not envy or flatter the great or be dissatisfied with our own situation. Wrongs will be righted in good time. God’s people can afford to wait. Meanwhile it is better to be in the lowest condition and enjoy the love of God, than to sit among princes and live without our Father’s presence.

8 He who digs a pit will fall into it,

and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.

Never set traps for others or disobey beneficial laws because they are unpleasant. Evil will come of it.

9 He who quarries stones is hurt by them,

and he who splits logs is endangered by them.

There is some risk in any kind of job. This is a good reason to ask the Lord to keep us safe every day, however free from danger our work may seem to be.

10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,

he must use more strength,

but wisdom helps one to succeed.

Knowledge is power. A little common sense will save a lot of effort. It is good to have our wits about us. Christian people should never be stupid. Let us sharpen our axes.

11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed,

there is no advantage to the charmer.

12 The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor,

but the lips of a fool consume him.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,

and the end of his talk is evil madness.

14 A fool multiplies words,

though no man knows what is to be,

and who can tell him what will be after him?

Quiet rivers run deep, but the babbling brook is shallow. Great talkers are usually little doers. People of many words are rarely people of great deeds. No one person really knows all that much. If we talk a lot, we will most likely get into subjects that we do not understand and so reveal our foolishness. An ignorant person, if they are quiet, may pass for wise; but a talkative person advertises their own lack of common sense. A quiet tongue shows a wise head. We seldom get into trouble by silence, but noisy tongues often bring grief to their owners. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”2 We should aim to edify with our words. However, this is often forgotten and people talk as if their tongues were their own. They forget Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”3

Oh Lord, keep our lips, so that we will not sin against you.

^{_______________}

¹ Proverbs 4:24

² Colossians 4:6

³ Matthew 12:36

Year One, November 3

In the Day of Adversity Consider1

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14

1 A good name is better than precious ointment,

and the day of death than the day of birth.

Almost everyone would like to have a good reputation. To be known as a righteous person is a good reason for choosing to live a life of integrity. And to have died as a martyr for the faith, or to have lived as a persecuted believer, or endured poverty rather than undermine Christian principles is a great blessing. To die being remembered for holiness and kindness means the difficult trials of life were worth it. To these, the day of death is the completing of a life of honor, the celebration of a life lived well.

2 It is better to go to the house of mourning

than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind,

and the living will lay it to heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter,

for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Experience has proven to all wise people that the trustworthy lessons they have learned in the house of mourning are more valuable, more strengthening, more comforting, and more joyous than the shallow, thoughtless activities of so many. People who live superficial and irresponsible lives are only wearing a mask to hide the sadness in their hearts. Their lives shined for an instant and then they were gone, leaving a deeper unhappiness behind. They are like thorns that blaze for a moment and leave only black spots where they once grew.

5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

than to hear the song of fools.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fools;

this also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

A bribe twists the judgment and kills the conscience.

8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,

and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,

for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

The best person feels the occasional flash of anger, but bad people feed the flame. Their anger smolders long. It is ready to burst forth whenever the breath of memory fans it. To be angry and not sin2 is very difficult. May God give us grace to rule our temper, or it will be our ruin.

10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Those who wish for “the good old days” should think before they speak. It is a great question whether things were ever better than at this present moment. Let us stop pointless complaining and try to make our present days better. And if we cannot improve them, let us leave them to God.

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,

an advantage to those who see the sun.

People who have an inheritance and no wisdom are in a sad situation. With wealth comes great responsibilities, but they have no grace to measure up to them. The truest wealth is true religion. The richest person is the one who has God for their inheritance.3

12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,

and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom   preserves the life of him who has it.

If we understand that the wisdom Solomon is talking about is true wisdom, which is real godliness, then his meaning becomes clear. There is no real life apart from faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith is our best protection in this life, as well as the greatest way to live.

13 Consider the work of God:

who can make straight what he has made crooked?

14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

Troubles and afflictions are part of this life. On this side of heaven there must be thorns with the roses and clouds with the sunshine. Wisdom acts correctly in all situations. We should bless the Lord when his mercies overflow and repent4 when he strikes us with the rod. The Lord does not intend that his Birds of Paradise should build their nests on any of the trees of this life’s forest. Therefore he sends his roughest winds to rock the branches back and forth so that his chosen may take wing and fly upward to the heavenly land where they may light on the tree of life and sing forever, never more to be disturbed.

^{_______________}

¹ Ecclesiastes 7:14

² A reference to Ephesians 4:26

³ Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”

⁴ repent, repentance - The act or feeling of remorse, regret, sorrow or shame that results in a change of heart or purpose.

Year One, November 2

Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness1

Solomon gives a description of the ways that he searched for the greatest pleasure, but without success. Everything seemed to be in his favor.  He had a great mind and almost unlimited resources at his command. If Solomon could not find satisfaction when he had the whole world at his command, how much less can common people hope to find it with far less money and much more limited knowledge? There is no satisfaction apart from God.

  

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

16I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. (He did not limit his research to serious subjects, but investigated all he could of the silly and insane things of human nature. Even if we assume that he gorged himself with the lighter as well as the heavier literature of his times, including the humorous side of life, the result was the same. The hunger of the soul was not satisfied with laughter any more than with hard study. It will always be that way. The library is not heaven. Neither are the amusements of the world a paradise.)

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,

and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

  

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” (In his mental madness, he tried one thing after another, from serious to carefree. From clearheaded thinking to wild excitement. But he did not find rest. How could he? True joy is found only in God.) 3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. (But in wine there is madness and not happiness. Drunkards prove this.) 4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. (He became preoccupied with building. But it only amused him until the works were finished. Then he was as dissatisfied as before. If he had built as high as Babel’s tower he would still not have reached heaven.)

5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. (But in all his gardens he could not grow the tree of life or the plant of content, and therefore he failed here also.) 7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

But in all his treasure houses and halls of music, he could not possess the pearl of great value2 or hear the song of sweet peace.3 The poorest person of faith in Solomon’s kingdom was far happier than he was. Alas, poor rich Solomon!

9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. (But it only remained to make him feel more deeply the emptiness of earthly joys. His wisdom only served to make him feel the hollowness in his heart more intensely. The light from his learning only helped him to see more clearly the “darkness visible”4 in which he stumbled around.) 10And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (The little joy he felt in chasing after any one of his various desires vanished when he finally got hold of it. He became a worn out man; a man tired and bored, but unable to rest after getting what he thought would make him happy. He went round and round like a mill horse, harnessed to his work, but never getting beyond the weary circle of unrest. To know Jesus, to love God, to find satisfaction in heavenly things; this is wisdom. The foolishness of Solomon should force us to seek Jesus. May God allow that to be true about us.)

  

^{_______________}

¹ Matthew 6:33

² Matthew 13:45-46 , “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

³ Perhaps a reference to Luke 2:14, “and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

⁴ “No light; but rather darkness visible, served only to discover sights of woe.” From John Milton’s Hell in Paradise Lost.