Ecclesiastes Chapter Two continued... Character, holiness and charity!

9    So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 

I want to zero on this phrase: “...also my wisdom remained with me.” Solomon departed from the Lord did not keep His commands and yet his anointing of wisdom remained with him. This anointing was none other than one of the seven Spirit anointings of Isaiah 11:2. Solomon was not unique in this regard, we see another O.T. character that did not walk uprightly and yet he too retained the anointing; that man was Samson. 

So what does that teach us? What is the instruction to be gained? Is it not that one who demonstrates the power of God through the gifts and anointings of God is not necessarily approved of God. Does this not also teach us that the gifts and callings are without repentance even when the vessel is not upright! Therefore, there are several virtues that one must look for in a man or woman of God before we know they are approved of God:

Character – at the top of the list is character; one who is true and approved of God puts uprightness and the keeping of the commandments of God first in his/her life.

Holiness – Secondly, they who are approved of God are in pursuit of holiness, they are seeking a spotless life. They are not seeking to excuse or ignore character flaws. They are in their own personal life seeking to walk in the Fear of the Lord.

Charity – Charity or love is the bond of perfection and best reveals the true nature and character of Jesus Christ.

One who has these three virtues will be able to sustain the anointing and to live a spotless life; let us pursue Character, Holiness and Love!

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two... replacing the spiritual with the natural!

7    I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

Solomon's calling was first and foremost to be the shepherd of men; the nation should have been his flock that he cared for and influenced in the path of righteousness. Instead he dabbled in the buying and selling of slaves, cattle and flocks. God had much more in mind for this great king. God wanted him to be an influence for good in the kingdom. This is what happens when a leader backslides he begins to try and reproduce in the natural what he has lost in the spiritual. This is a tip-off for a leader; if he is being diverted to a natural representation of his call then perhaps he has lost sight of his calling. It should be a wake up call when this happens! The apostle Paul said to the Galatians (Gal 3:3) “…You began in the Spirit do you now resort to the flesh”? He also said 1 Cor 15:46 the natural first then the spiritual; we progress from the natural to the spiritual not spiritual then the natural; this pattern of Solomon's of replacing the spiritual with the natural violates spiritual precedence. When one sees their activities turning from spiritual things to natural things then it is high time to seek the Lord.

8    I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

“I gathered me also silver and gold...”; Solomon was a man of great wealth and treasure but we can see in this mournful book that his treasures had hold on him and added greatly to his sorrows (Eccl 2:18-19; 1 Tim 6:10). Whilst we must be good stewards of money learning to value every penny we also must have no place in our heart for wealth we must not be possessed of money, we must in fact at a certain level actually have a disdain for it. After all, it is referred to five times in the scriptures as filthy lucre (1Ti 3:3; 1Ti 3:8;Tit 1:7;Tit 1:11; 1Pe 5:2.)

“...and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces...” Solomon became a collector of peculiar treasures. One should be very careful in this area, careful that their collections do not become idols. An idol is anything that one devotes themselves to taking time, resources and more importantly our devotion and affection away from the Lord. God wants us to be His peculiar treasure, wholeheartedly devoted to Him.

“...I gat me men singers and women singers and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts”. Note this one phrase, “the delights of the sons of men”; another translation puts it like this, “...I had many wives who gave me great pleasure”. Solomon became addicted to pleasure; he would have participated in many orgies. Pleasure can be a real snare to those who are not careful; in fact it was Solomon himself who said, “he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man” (Prov 21:17). In regards to pleasure we are told in 1 Thess 4:4 to learn how to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor. The man or woman of God should learn what it means to bring their physical body into subjection to the will of God lest when they preach to others they themselves become a castaway (See 1 Cor 9:26-27), lest they end up like Solomon addicted to pleasure.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two... What works really matter?

5    I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

The garden Solomon is talking about is now an external one, this is not the garden of spices it once was, a place of communion and fellowship. Like the Ephesians church he has lost his first love (Rev 2:4). When the life ebbs out of a relationship it becomes an unsatisfying religious exercise and often busy work replaces it.  When one is empty in their soul external works are one of the means of ignoring what is missing inside. In other words, they cloak themselves in great works; “look at the great work they are doing” and yet they are totally missing Christ, this is Solomon. Solomon is the man who missed Christ! He tries to recreate with his hands what he has lost in his soul.  We have seen this time and time again in Christians who lose the anointing; instead of maintaining an intimate relationship with God they turn to external things. It can be worldliness, it can be hobbies and it can be religious activities but it is not what God is looking for (Ps 40:7-8) God is looking for those who delight in doing His will; in order to do His will we need to get close enough to hear it!

6    I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

These pools would have been like the broken cisterns of Jer 2:13. Instead of drawing from the fountain of living waters Solomon spent all his time making his own pools of water to water his orchards. Seeking the Lord that the pools of water would have been in his own heart would have been a better way of spending his time and energies but instead of being truly satisfied he was vexed and empty (Eccl 2:11). O' how empty one can be when they are wasting their energies on things that cannot satisfy! The critical point here is that Solomon was called to influence the world for righteousness, to set forth to the world a pattern of not just wisdom but also righteousness. He was called by the name of the Lord and yet, like so many others, he allowed himself to be distracted by his own works. The man or woman of God needs to separate themselves from distractions such as unprofitable projects. They need to distinguish between good and evil, the fruitful and fruitless and pursue first and foremost the kingdom of heaven (Matt 6:33).

The Blessedness and Power of Meekness

It is much easier to flow with the stream than it is to try and swim against it and yet we are taught that swimming against the stream is exactly what we are to do to survive, fight, fight, fight! It is not my intention to entirely change that thinking because there is merit to it (after all the kingdom itself is taken by force, Matt 11:12). However, I do want to suggest to us that there are distinct times when God wants us to just let the stream carry us to places we would not choose to go (See John 21:18). Let me give you a few examples:

The first is Moses in the basket as a baby, as a child in this little ark all he could do was simply flow with the stream and that was Gods will. Although Moses the babe could not know it, God had a plan and purpose for him and while he drifted in the current away from his mother and family it was leading him to the circumstances that would fulfill Gods will. There was absolutely nothing this babe Moses could do to either make it happen or to hinder it; all he could do is go with the flow. You might say this is not a very good illustration because he was powerless to do otherwise but let me ask you this; what about his mother? Was she powerless, did she not have to release him with her own hands and give her son to the flowing stream? Did she not see the Pharaohs decree and realize the handwriting was on the wall, that she would have to make a decision that no mother should ever have to make; yielding her son to the dangers of the Nile? The more one would agonize and fight against this inevitable conclusion the more internal suffering they will have; it would not be until they, in meekness, surrendered to this situation that they would find the grace to triumph and ultimately fulfill Gods will. She simply, in meekness, accepted the circumstances she was confronted with and gave him to the stream of the Nile and ultimately to the plan of God; she “Drank the cup” that had been given her to drink.  

The second example is our Lord Himself at his trial. He was being unjustly accused yet He was capable of calling down thousands of angels who would have aided Him in the destruction of His enemies. Yet he chooses, in faithful obedience and meekness, to drink the cup His Father gave Him to drink. I have of recent found myself sitting in a court room before a judge and there is something within you that cries out “Someone please listen to me” there is a profound sense of anxiety as the judge drops his or her gavel and rules against you, your heart bleeds for someone to listen to you and understand what you are trying to say. Our Lord who was innocent was being sentenced to death being completely misunderstood; what emotions He had to control, He said not a word in His defense. In meekness He “Drank the cup” that had been given Him to drink and He found peace and rest in it. (Psalm 25:9 – the Lord guides the meek in judgment; He shows them His way)

 

Let me say this is where mankind struggles; he is full of self-vindication, full of wrath and desires to be justified. One must be careful because at times of being misused and misunderstood the cry to be vindicated can produce anger and bitterness. Let me plainly state that the remedy to anger, resentment and bitterness is meekness. Meekness, like the babe Moses drifting down the stream, accepts the events God is taking them through without a fight or a hint of resistance, it is like our Lord saying: “The cup the Father has given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11). It is being at rest in circumstances that normally would cause panic; it is peace in the midst of the storm. The Word of God tells us that there are certain fruits that accompany this blessed meekness or this “surrendering to the stream”. Psalm 37:11 – the meek are satisfied with peace, no matter what the circumstances. Also, Isaiah 29:19 tells us “The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD…” Let us seek the Lord for this blessed meekness and fulfill God plan for our lives crossing the finish line with peace and with joy!

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two... A divided heart

4    I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

We need to understand what Solomon meant by “Great works”. As we seek to understand this we will discover something about this king; we will discover he was not a “Kingdom first” king. He was not all about the building and promoting of the Lord’s kingdom. He was an industrious king full of ambition and ideas for sure but he is not using his talents to build God’s kingdom or securing a godly line for future generations; he is using his energy and talents to build his own kingdom.

I am sure that the Lord would have much more preferred a king who sought Him with a whole heart and one who would use his God given worldwide influence to produce a righteous kingdom and lay a foundation for future generations; one that would have been an example to the rest of the world. Solomon exceeded all the kings before or after him (in terms of worldwide power and influence) but he did not walk a single eyed temperate life governed by the fear of the Lord. His divided heart is evidenced for us through these so called “Great works”. In 1 Kings 6:37-35 we learn one of his “Great works” was building the house of the Lord. Solomon spent seven years in building this magnificent structure, seemingly a notable task. However, it pails when we read 1 Kings 7:1 that he spent 13 years building his own house. Obviously to this ambitious king his own house was the real “Great work”.

Do you think it hard of me to conclude that because Solomon spent twice as much time building his own house than he did the house of the Lord that he was divided in his commitment? Then consider men and women today; how many are spending more time and labor today building their homes and buying their cars and acquiring their toys (boats, trophies, TV’s, sports, computers, stereo’s etc…) then they are in their service to the Lord. Take a good look at their spiritual lives, are they really people who you would consider men and women committed to their call (5 fold ministry or ministry of helps it does not matter)? Are they men and women who would drop what they are pursuing and lovingly obey the Masters call, are they the ones who don the prayer meetings or heed the mission call? No, I think you like me conclude they are not. Solomon too fell into this category of the half hearted but it was more pronounced because he was the king.

Herein lies one of the great problems in the life of king Solomon (and many today); he was more interested in his own “Great works” than in the “Great works” of the Lord (developing God’s kingdom and God’s house). We find that there is a very weak commitment in him. This example of Solomon is a warning for us, a warning to keep our own priorities straight. We want to be a “Kingdom first” Christian, one whose main goal is to walk in the fear of the Lord and to build His house and build His kingdom and to secure a godly influence for generations to come. We have seen good men and women get caught up in meaningless time-consuming projects while they carelessly let their spiritual life dwindle away to nothing. Let us be warned from the lessons of this ambitious yet poor king.

Ecclesiasties Chapter Two... Nothing replaces a sanctified life.

2    I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?    

The interesting aspect of this verse is this; our society is passionate about one thing and that one thing is entertainment. We are obsessed with it. But many times the most miserable people on the planet are those who make their living at mirth. Actors, comedians and entertainers are frequently checking into rehab being treated for depression and the like. Whilst laughter is considered to be good medicine it only works when the conscience is free. For the one who has a blood washed conscience laughter can be therapeutic but for those who make a living from laughter many times the laughter that they bring to others does not help them.

3    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

Solomon reminds us of those of vanity fair from Pilgrims Progress; he dabbled in vanities when he should have been instructed by his fathers prayer in Psalm 119:37 “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way”. Good and right judgment turns from vanity. Pilgrim and Faithful plugged their ears at Vanity Fair and cried aloud “turn our eyes from vanities!”

Solomon had the commandments to know what was good for the sons of men; this pursuit was completely unjustified. There is tremendous mixture in Solomon (half in the kingdom and half in the world); it will eventually cost him his good judgment. True wisdom is first pure...(James 3:17); Solomon began mixing wisdom and folly. One must not think they can behave in such a fashion and retain the favor and blessing of God. The Lord seeks those to worship Him in Spirit and in truth not mixing wisdom and vice. Solomon becomes for us an example of how mixed up one can get if they do not guard their heart diligently and make the commandments their guide. One must break all attachments to this world and seek to love and obey His commands with all their hearts. True wisdom is to flee folly and vice and to choose the fear of the Lord.

Ecclesiasties Chapter Two... Solomons exposed heart

1    I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

Here we see where Solomon began to lose good sense and good judgment; it is amazing that a man with such incredible wisdom could be so duped, one would think he would have the power to reason out the end of the path of mirth and folly without having to actually walk it out. When someone chooses to do something irrational, something that defies good sense and logic you have to look deeper into the force pushing them down that road. There is something in them, either a mindset (an irrational fear), an idol, or an agenda that is skewing their thinking causing blindness in that area. So what is the "issue" with Solomon here? I think plain and simply we see Solomon has issues with an uncircumcised heart; he craved the life of parties and excess and so he pursued it under the guises of “seeing what is good for the sons of men” (Eccl 2:3). If he truly loved the Lord and was devoted to pleasing him he would not have been driven to such excesses but rather would have pursued a more chaste life!

Ecclesiasties Chapter One... Wisdom, knowledge and joy for the upright.

18    For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

This isn't really true of heavenly wisdom, is it? Solomon, through previous statements, told us his wisdom and knowledge were corrupted by madness and folly. This will also be true of a saint of God who tries to mix the wisdom of God with the folly of this world, tasting of heavenly things then gorging themselves on worldly entertainment and worldly activities. This kind of mixture will taint and cloud the wisdom that is from above. Let me interject something else Solomon said in this very book; Eccl 2:26 that God gives wisdom; knowledge and joy, in other words wisdom and knowledge flow together with joy, they are compatible. Solomon had wisdom and knowledge but not joy, instead he was depressed because he was not living uprightly, he had lost the "good in His sight" aspect to his walk. We cannot violate Gods standards and expect all to be well; there will be consequences. God may bless one with wisdom and knowledge but only one who is pure will we have joy?

Ecclesiasties Chapter One... We must remain humble before the Lord.

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.

"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..." We detect here Solomon had a little problem with pride; what he is saying is somewhat reminiscent of the pride of Nebuchadnezzer in Dan 4:29-30. Such boasting is not glorifying to God 1 Cor 4:7 "...And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?". Solomon seems to have lost the humility he once had when he asked God for the wise and understanding heart (1 kings 3:7-12). When God gives one a great gift or talent or ministry there needs to be great humility.

17    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

"And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly" - Solomon erred greatly in judgment, in fact, one marvels that a man of such wisdom could have concluded that one could mix wisdom and folly. Simple math tells us that if you add two numbers together you get a product of the two. Wisdom plus madness can equal nothing but confusion or vexation.

"I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit." – its no wonder he was vexed, wisdom and folly do not mix any better than oil and water, they are complete opposites! Unfortunately many saints go down the same road today trying to hold on to godliness and worldliness but the two are opposites and do not mix. Trying to mix Christ and the world will never produce godliness, it will always produce disappointment and vexation.

Ecclesiasties Chapter One... Never loose hope of being changed!

15    That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

 "That which is crooked cannot be made straight..." This is horribly wrong; it is the very mission of the Godhead to make the crooked straight. This comment is the direct result of backsliding; it has a note of despair. When people backslide they loose hope of things getting better even though it is at the very heart of the Christian message. In Ecclesiastes We never once read about the repentance of Solomon or him seeking the Lord to break the curses in his life, just indulgence after indulgence. It is no wonder he formulated such opinions. His father, David, knew the secrets of true repentance and seeking the Lord how that would straighten out the crooked areas of his life!

"...and that which is wanting cannot be numbered." that which is deficient cannot be numbered, again is he talking of his own experience how that deficiencies in his own life overwhelmed him? We pity this poor king because he spent no real time seeking the Lord to have these deficiencies resolved. This thought of deficiencies reminds me of Hebrews 12:13  “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed”. Solomon should have sought the Lord for a healing of deficiencies in his fallen life then it would not have ended short and with such a question mark.