Almost 3000 years ago King Solomon lived. His reign was extraordinary. Solomon was and has been the richest man ever to live on earth. The Temple was clad in gold. His guards were dressed better than any king or queen. All of his gold was kept inside the walls of Jerusalem. The silver was dumped on the ground outside the walls. He control the known world. His rule stretched from China to Britain. Solomon is the only man to do this, because of God’s gift to him. God gave Solomon wisdom beyond any man including today. Kings and Queens would travel to Jerusalem just to hear him speak. He wrote the book of Proverbs in one day.

Yet with all this wisdom, He said, that with much wisdom comes great sorrow. Solomon could see what people were thinking about as they went about their daily lives. He could see their suffering and pain and understood why. The wisdom didn’t control him, but it began to weigh heavily on him. Reading what he wrote in the beginning of his reign and what he wrote in the end, you would say it isn’t the same man.

The book of Ecclesiastes was written before his death. It is a no nonsense approach to living. It is very matter of fact. There is hardly any emotion in the book at all. Solomon had become jaded of life. It is because he saw too much of the good and bad in life. The book is true none the less.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. What had gone before shall be again. Thus the saying that history repeats itself. What Solomon saw in humanity is the sin nature of man. That nature that always wants to do evil in this world. It brought him much sorrow. Solomon saw that education, enough food and a stable government didn’t change anything. And people weren’t willing to listen to God and follow Him. There were some, because God has always had His people. But people looked to Solomon as their savior.

Solomon understood the truth. That man can’t live without God. As God spoke to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” What was true 3000 years ago and is true today. For you see, there is nothing new under the sun.

Crain Blanchard

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com