Yes, brother, we see, experience, and understand what God is doing for us now and what his eternal plans are for us in the future. It appears Solomon didn't have that type of relationship where we walk by faith that God has our best interests at heart and loves us deeply. We love Him in return. We are His children, His workmanship being molded and shaped into the image of Christ, our Lord and Savior.
I'm not saying that Solomon had it all wrong on His views of the Eternal. He had some good insights to share as well:
"I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God" (Ecc. 3: 12). Amen. We absolutely should rejoice and do good in our lives to the best of our ability, working hard and expressing the gifts God has given us. I'm appreciative for the food and drink the Lord provides to sustain our lives and give us the energy to contribute in a positive way to our families and the organizations we serve within.
I like what Solomon does from a literary angle in chapter 3 by mixing poetry with prose to express his thoughts and feelings. He goes from poetry in verses 1-8, prose in verses 9-13, and back to poetry in verses 14-17:
I know that whatever God
does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should
fear before Him.
That which is has already
been,
And what is to be has already
been;
And God requires an account
of what is past.
Moreover I saw under the sun:
In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there.
I said in my heart,
“God shall judge the righteous
and the wicked,
For there is a time there for
every purpose and for every
work.
It seems Solomon understands that God is in control, and He is a righteous Judge. I think what's giving him the most anguish is captured in chapter 2 verses 17-19 - all the work he has done to lead Israel to the height of power and wealth is going to be left "...to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?" Youch, Solomon doesn't know at this point how well the succession plan will work out after he dies? That is not a good thing, and it turns out the one who came after him was a fool.
I'm going to need to brush up on the history of Solomon's reign a little more to understand what happened during his reign. It started out with such promise, Israel was a diamond in the rough during the peek of his reign, but oh how it's fall was swift and tragic during the latter part of his reign to those who came after him. The poetry above gives us a hint of what was likely going on in his own leadership and priestly circle:
In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there. (Ecc. 3: 16)
I'm not saying that Solomon had it all wrong on His views of the Eternal. He had some good insights to share as well:
"I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God" (Ecc. 3: 12). Amen. We absolutely should rejoice and do good in our lives to the best of our ability, working hard and expressing the gifts God has given us. I'm appreciative for the food and drink the Lord provides to sustain our lives and give us the energy to contribute in a positive way to our families and the organizations we serve within.
I like what Solomon does from a literary angle in chapter 3 by mixing poetry with prose to express his thoughts and feelings. He goes from poetry in verses 1-8, prose in verses 9-13, and back to poetry in verses 14-17:
I know that whatever God
does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should
fear before Him.
That which is has already
been,
And what is to be has already
been;
And God requires an account
of what is past.
Moreover I saw under the sun:
In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there.
I said in my heart,
“God shall judge the righteous
and the wicked,
For there is a time there for
every purpose and for every
work.
It seems Solomon understands that God is in control, and He is a righteous Judge. I think what's giving him the most anguish is captured in chapter 2 verses 17-19 - all the work he has done to lead Israel to the height of power and wealth is going to be left "...to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?" Youch, Solomon doesn't know at this point how well the succession plan will work out after he dies? That is not a good thing, and it turns out the one who came after him was a fool.
I'm going to need to brush up on the history of Solomon's reign a little more to understand what happened during his reign. It started out with such promise, Israel was a diamond in the rough during the peek of his reign, but oh how it's fall was swift and tragic during the latter part of his reign to those who came after him. The poetry above gives us a hint of what was likely going on in his own leadership and priestly circle:
In the place of judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of
righteousness,
Iniquity was there. (Ecc. 3: 16)
