20150530 Saturday, May 30 2015
Ecclesiastes 01: Solomon's Ballad To Losers

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity"

During the time that King Solomon's wisdom was guided by the Light of the LORD, Solomon was a winner. He recognized and celebrated the Creation that he knew was the Work of the Creator - the LORD God (see The LORD God Our Saviour).

"4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 4:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

4:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom." (1 Kings 4:29-34 KJV)

But Solomon, in his later years, lost sight of what he had known better than anyone. He become a lecherous old idol worshipper. The looser he became, the more of a loser he became.

"11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods." (1 Kings 11:1-8 KJV)

While many blame his hundreds of "wives" for his fall, the immoral attitude that created the situation obviously existed before their presence. When the rebuke came, the LORD didn't blame or punish the women - He laid it all upon Solomon's failure of wisdom.

"11:9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 11:10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant." (1 Kings 11:9-11 KJV)

Solomon's attitude descended along with his faith in the sure knowledge of the LORD. He went from being a man who recognized the Creator and His Creation to a despondent liberal whiner who preached ("The words of the Preacher," verse 1 below) that everything is wrong and worthless - "everything," except the wrong and worthless behavior that poisoned him to think that way.

Ecclesiastes is a stark testimony of what happens to those who turn from the LORD and wallow in the state of mind that produces, and is produced by, dead-end carnality. It's a ballad ("A narrative song with a recurrent refrain") to those who choose to be losers (see also It's Getting Much Easier To Be A Winner).

"1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 1:7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 1:10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 1:11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." (Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 KJV)

Fact Finder: What is going to happen to those who either refuse to stop denying the LORD, or who fall back into denying the LORD?
See What Prophecy Do Atheists Fulfill For Themselves?; see also The Only Place That Denies God's Existence and Rescuing Charles Darwin From The Atheists