As Wise as the Foolish

Just sharing the Logos article I wrote for CQ.  This lesson was for Sunday, January 14, 2007. 

Sunday
January 14

As Wise as the Foolish
LOGOS

Prov. 3:13–28; Ecclesiastes 2

Wisest of the Wise

King Solomon may have been the wisest man to ever walk the planet. He may well have been the richest man. He was renowned throughout the world of his time for his wisdom, wealth, and righteousness. He brought honor and glory to God’s name for the use of his God-given talents, skills, and wealth. He brought peace and harmony to Israel. And he scattered the light of God’s truth to neighboring kingdoms.

However, Solomon, the wisest of the wise, did not remain true to God. He allowed his cravings for flesh to overcome him. He succumbed to his passion and love for women and committed grave offenses against God. This created a period in his life which was filled with the darkness of a life lived in sin.

Fortunately for us, God knew it was necessary for Solomon to include his deep, dark secrets in the book of Ecclesiastes.

From Glory to Disgrace (Eccles. 2:3–10)

“Raised to a pinnacle of greatness and surrounded with the gifts of fortune, Solomon became dizzy, lost his balance, and, fell.”1

Solomon fell from glory to disgrace. His mistake was in forgetting the One, True Source of his wisdom and power. In vain, he thought himself “strong enough to resist the influence of heathen associates.”2 Self-glorification, by making Israel the most powerful and grandest nation on earth, became his motivation. “In seeking to glorify himself before the world, he sold his honor and integrity.”3

Imagine Solomon, wise as he was, falling prey to temptation and sin. His downfall was gradual; his apostasy almost imperceptible—at first, anyway. He allowed his possessions and relationships to draw him away from God. As his priorities and concepts of what constitutes true greatness changed, so did the manner in which he governed his kingdom—and not for the better.

As he turned from glorifying God to glorifying himself, his craving for pleasures grew exponentially. It was in Solomon’s grasp to acquire riches, pleasures, and everything his eyes desired. And acquire he did, with reckless abandon.

From Despondency to Comprehension (Eccles. 2:11–26)

Was Solomon happy? After acquiring and experiencing everything under the sun, was Solomon truly happy—with himself and with his life? Did he have peace and joy in his heart? Solomon said it himself, “Therefore I hated life . . . for all is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccles. 2:17).

The world gathered at Solomon’s feet. Yet it left him chilled to his very soul. Vexation and discontent were all that filled his spirit. He was the world’s richest . . . He was the world’s wisest . . . He was the world’s most powerful man alive. Yet his soul was filled with gloom, sadness, and despair.

Solomon’s life was extraordinary at the onset. It would have remained so had he preserved his virtue. As long as he made God the Lord of his life and accepted His guidance, his wisdom and power were insurmountable. Yet knowing what he knew, he willfully left the safety of God’s Lordship to indulge his passions.

Fortunately for Solomon, he learned the one lesson he had to learn before his life came to an end: Life without God is a hopeless end; but life with God is an endless hope. Solomon eventually understood that even if he had amassed all the riches the world held, even if he was the wisest of all men, there always would be that nagging emptiness in his heart if he lived apart from God.

As Foolish as the Wise

Are we not just like Solomon? Do we not always seem to think that having just a little more of this or that would bring us happiness?

Solomon had everything the world had to offer—certainly a whole lot more than we could ever have or hope for in this life. Yet, he still did not find peace or joy. He had more wealth, more honor, more glory, more fame, more power, and more pleasures than any other mortal ever had; but all of it left him parched.

So it is with us. We may not surpass Solomon in riches, fame, honor, power, and pleasure but the result of our craving for these things will be the same as it was for him.

At the end of the day, we only will be truly happy if we have an unbroken connection to the living God. “The greatest men, and the wisest, will surely fail unless their lives are marked with trust in God, and obedience to His commandments.”4

REACT
1. Why does material wealth not bring lasting happiness?
2. What should be our attitude toward the things of this world?
3. How do we remain true to God amid the blessings He showers upon us?
4. How do we keep ourselves from becoming a “victim” of relationships, as Solomon was, yet still be actively interested in the salvation of the people we encounter?
5. What does it mean to allow God to become the Lord of our lives?

1. Prophets and Kings, p. 68.
2. Ibid., p. 54.
3. Ibid., p. 55.
4. The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 398.

Malou Escasa, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Blurb: Solomon had the world at his feet. Yet it left him chilled to his very soul.