Solomon's World View

[Olde Tymer]

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Ecclesiastes is the Bible's fun book because it's chock full of rational thinking
instead of heavenly revelations. Ecclesiastes requires very little interpretation as
anybody who's been around the block a time or two can easily relate to it.

Solomon composed his comments from the perspective of a philosophical man
who's understanding of life and the hereafter is moderated by empirical evidence
and the normal round of human experience. It's a handy book of the Bible for
showing that not all religious people are kooks with their heads in the clouds and
unable to see things as they are through the eyes of normal people.

* According to Matt 12:42, Luke 11:31, John 1:1-14, and Col 2:3; Christ trumps
Solomon, so beware of using proof texts from Ecclesiastes to refute, moderate,
and/or water down Christ's teachings.

In addition: Christ is the voice of God (John 3:34, John 8:26, John 8:28, John
12:49, John 14:24) whereas there is not the slightest textual evidence in the book
of Ecclesiastes that Solomon was anybody's voice but his own when he wrote it.

To my knowledge, Solomon had never seen the afterlife for himself, viz: he wasn't
an expert witness; whereas Christ had seen the afterlife for himself and knew what
he was talking about.

● John 3:31-32 . . He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is
from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
What He has seen and heard, of that he bears witness.

Christ is also highly recommended, whereas to my knowledge, Solomon isn't.

● Matt 17:5 . . This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him.

So then, when encountering remarks in the book of Ecclesiastes that are out of step
with Christ's teachings in the New Testament; my unsolicited spiritual counseling is
to go with the wisdom of the supreme being's son.

● John 8:12 . . I am the light of the world. He that follows me will by no means
walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.

FAQ: Doesn't the apostle Paul say that all Scripture is God breathed?

REPLY: There is a difference between inspiration and dictation.

Solomon was no doubt inspired to record his personal world views in the Bible, but
we shouldn't assume his world views quote God word-for-word the way Christ does.

● John 3:34 . . For he is sent by God; he speaks God's words, for God's spirit is
upon him without measure or limit.

● John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

● John 14:24 . .The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent
me.

Buen Camino (Pleasant Journey)
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 1:1 . .The words of Koheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Koheleth is apparently a transliteration rather than a translation. The Hebrew word
is qoheleth (ko-heh'-leth) which means an assembly gatherer (i.e. a lecturer). A
qoheleth isn't a mechanic on a factory assembly line, but rather, someone who
assembles a group together for a speech, a seminar, a sermon, or classroom
lecture.

Christ was a koheleth. Just about everywhere he went, Jesus set up a soap box and
drew crowds.

The lecturer obviously isn't female because Koheleth was a son of David and a king
in Jerusalem. Sons and kings are eo ipso male.

Tradition accredits Ecclesiastes to David's son Solomon, the brightest intellectual of
his day because of the abundance of his God-given wisdom. None of the other
descendants of David ever matched Solomon's intellect. He may not have been
much of a soldier, but Solomon had no equals in matters of scholarship.

"The Lord endowed Solomon with wisdom and discernment in great measure, with
understanding as vast as the sands on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was
greater than the wisdom of all the Kedemites and than all the wisdom of the
Egyptians. He was the wisest of all men: [wiser] than Ethan the Ezrahite, and
Heman, Chalkol, and Darda the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the
surrounding nations.

. . He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand
and five. He discoursed about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that
grows out of the wall; and he discoursed about beasts, birds, creeping things, and
fishes. Men of all peoples came to hear Solomon's wisdom, [sent] by all the kings of
the earth who had heard of his wisdom." (1Kgs 5:9-14)

Solomon's education would most likely be categorized as Liberal Arts in our day;
which is a pretty broad field of study consisting of a variety of subjects.

● Ecc 1:2-3 . . Utter futility!-- said Koheleth --Utter futility! All is futile! What real
value is there for a man in all the gains he makes beneath the sun?

He has a point. What does it benefit people "beneath the sun" (viz: in this world of
ours) to amass a fortune, build an empire, accumulate knowledge, possessions,
education, accolades, achievements, and experience when they're only going to die
and lose every last bit of it?

Approaching the end of his life; actor Burt Reynolds once remarked that the only
thing he regretted was not spending more of his money.

Here's a humorous epitaph that quite says it all:

Here lies John Racket,
In his wooden jacket.
He kept neither horses nor mules.
He lived like a hog,
And died like a dog;
And left his money to fools.
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