Jun 21 (1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chronicles 9) Our reading begins with a reminder of what God can do for man: “So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart” (1 Kgs. 10:23-24). It ends with the truth of how sin can lead a man to turn his back on God. God had warned Israel about marriage with the women of foreign nations who did not know God: “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods” (1 Kgs. 11:2). Solomon did not heed that warning. “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God … (he) did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done” (1 Kgs. 11:4, 6).
This perspective gives support to the idea that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes close to the end of his reign, and some of the things he wrote make more sense. He described in chapter 2 (NIV) all the “great projects” he undertook (v. 4), all the wealth he accumulated and all “the delights of the heart of man” (v. 8). But he concluded: “Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (v. 11). He understood that “a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor” (Eccl. 10:1). He learned that “He who digs a pit may fall into it” (Eccl. 10:8), or as we say, “You made your bed, now sleep in it!” He could only say as he looked back on his life: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person” (Eccl. 12:13).
– Al Gary
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