Solomon's World View

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 5:1 . . Be not overeager to go to the House of God: more acceptable is
obedience than the offering of fools, for they know nothing [but] to do wrong.

"What is more pleasing to The Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your
obedience to His voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to Him is
much better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols". (1Sam 15:22-23)

Old Testament Judaism was built around a fully functioning Aaronic priesthood
whose duty was to collect sacrifices and offerings from the people. But the
worshippers abused the system because they lived like the Devil during most of the
year and tried to make up for it with liturgy. To see how God feels about that kind
of religious hypocrisy, just read the first chapter of Isaiah.

In no uncertain terms, God angrily spurned his people's offerings-- their prayers,
their holy days, their festivals and feast days, and yes even their sacred Sabbath
observances because although they were very religious, they were, at the same
time, a hard-hearted, stubborn pack of scofflaws.

The very same thing can be osberved in modern Christianity. A number of pew
warmers live utterly worldly lives all year long and expect that church attendance
on Easter Sunday will somehow make up for it. That day is the most heavily
attended in church. People who normally wouldn't step over the threshold of a
church door all year long, will attend on Easter Sunday so they don't feel
completely heathen. Easter service, to them, is some sort of redemption day,
somehow wiping away a whole year's worth of secular impiety and is supposed to
convince Jesus they truly love him after all.

NOTE: Just for the fun of it some day, position yourself where you can watch the
front of a church when it's let out Sunday morning and observe the number of
Christians who J-walk back to their cars. (chuckle) You might be surprised.

● Ecc 5:2-3 . . Keep your mouth from being rash, and let not your throat be quick
to bring forth speech before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; that is
why your words should be few. Just as dreams come with much brooding, so does
foolish utterance come with much speech.

If you've really nothing to discuss with God in prayer, then skip it: say nothing;
remembering that God is a king, and kings shouldn't be treated as if they're dumb
enough to suffer fools and fritter away their time lending audience to bombastic
rhetoric.

● Ecc 5:4-6 . .When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. For He has no
pleasure in fools; what you vow, fulfill. It is better not to vow at all than to vow and
not fulfill. Don't let your mouth bring you into disfavor, and don't plead before the
messenger that it was an error, but fear God; else God may be angered by your
talk and destroy your possessions.

The "messenger" is translated from a somewhat ambiguous Hebrew word. It can
mean an angel, a prophet, a priest or a even just a teacher.

In this location, the messenger likely refers to a church officer to whom you made
a pledge, e.g. a faith promise.

A sacred vow is between you and God, not between you and your church. So don't
be rash with your promises to God nor make excuses for reneging. A promise is an
obligation; and God will hold you to your vows even if you can't afford it. You just
try to be lax in your payments with a shylock and see what happens. You risk
fractured ribs by men who are very good at breaking things over people's heads.
When the points are due, that's when they're expected; not later. If shylocks are to
be feared, then God ought to be feared even more.

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the
honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord
Almighty." (Mal 1:6)

Better not to make a promise than to make one without resolve to keep it. (cf. Matt
5:33-37)

● Ecc 5:7 . . For much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk.

Flowery prayers, and showy vows and pledges don't please God near as much as
just simply being a man of your word.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 5:8 . . If you see in a province oppression of the poor and suppression of
right and justice, don’t wonder at the fact; for one high official is protected by a
higher one, and both of them by still higher ones.

Existing alongside America's elected officials, is a shadow government called the
bureaucracy. Bureaucrats are non-elected officials who are actually the ones
conducting much of the government's business. High profile bureaucrats would be
the President's cabinet. But many others operate completely invisible to the general
public until they become implicated in a news-worthy scandal.

Too many bureaucrats are looking out only for themselves; most especially their
jobs. So they tend to make every effort to please their superiors; often to the
detriment of the voting public's best interests. No one should be shocked at this.
It's pretty normal because after all, human government is staffed by human beings.

● Ecc 5:9 . .The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from
the fields.

Government officials are sometimes said to be feeding at the federal trough. Like
greedy swine, they gobble up a large percentage of the gross national product to
pay their own wages, perks, and benefits; and to finance ear-marks and pork. But
citizens benefit in many ways from taxes too. So the government is not the only
one taking a piece of the country's wealth.

● Ecc 5:10 . . A lover of money never has his fill of money, nor a lover of wealth his
fill of income. That too is futile.

Money may not be the number one thing in life; but it's way ahead of whatever is
number two. When Shia LaBeouf's character asked Josh Brolin's character-- in the
movie: Wall Street/Money Never Sleeps --what his number is; viz: the number of
dollars that would be enough for him to walk away from investment banking and
retire; Brolin's character answered: More.

People obsessed with money actually love and revere it; and make any and every
sacrifice to get it. They stay up late, work long ridiculous hours, disconnect from
their families, and even betray their friends' trust to get it. Their minds are filled
with thoughts about money, their lives are controlled by getting it and guarding it;
and while they have it: they feel a great sense of pride, achievement, security, and
independence.

The amount of money they possess pales in importance compared to their rabid
desire to simply amass it. I've heard it said that success is the best revenge. There
are too many people out there in the business world who need money simply to feel
better about themselves, and to get one over on their rivals.

● Ecc 5:11a . . As his substance increases, so do those who consume it;

The wealthy often find themselves hounded by foundations, causes, charities, and
freeloading relatives and friends. MC Hammer, a very popular rapper in the 80's
and 90's, was quite rich at one time but spent it all on not just himself, but on his
entourage as well. Making money in a big way involves the employment of a staff;
and those kinds of staffs aren't cheap. They all average six figures; not to mention
their bonuses which commonly run up to seven.

● Ecc 5:11b . . what, then, does the success of its owner amount to but feasting his
eyes?

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis was heard to say: I don't like
money actually, but it quiets my nerves. Yes, money is good for feasting the eyes,
and provides a certain sense of security. However, money is no guarantee your
nerves will be calm, nor that your sleep will be sound; nor that your security is
assured.

● Ecc 5:12 . . A [slave's] sleep is sweet, whether he has much or little to eat; but
the rich man's abundance doesn't let him sleep.

Rich folks typically don't perform any manual labor during the day, and they can
choose their own hours. Unfortunately that can lead to trouble sleeping due to a
lack of adequate exercise.

Plus; when you have nothing, you don't worry too much about losing it. But when
you have a lot, then you fear going broke; and along with riches comes rich foods
which sometimes cause indigestion and acid reflux.

I know a man who, as he got older, became concerned about dying before owning a
really good timepiece. So, he took some money out of his home equity line and
bought four high-end watches totaling roughly $20,000. He was happy with the
watches, but now worries all the time they might get lost, stolen, or damaged. He
didn't have that kind of anxiety when he wore drug-store timepieces.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 5:13-14 . . Here is a grave evil I have observed under the sun: riches
hoarded by their owner to his misfortune, in that those riches are lost in some
unlucky venture; and if he begets a son, he has nothing in hand.

That is so sad. The ENRON scandal brought to light the dangers of investing in a
retirement system that is solely dependent upon just one company's prosperity.
When the stock price of ENRON plummeted, the value of its employee retirement
system plummeted too; and so steep was the collapse, that many of the energy
giant's rank and file were left with virtually zero dollars in their retirement accounts.

A veteran electrician with PGE (Portland General Electric) related how his account
was worth something like $348,000 before ENRON's value began to fall. He couldn't
do anything about it because his account was frozen while the executives at ENRON
were permitted to move their money to safety. By the time the PGE electrician's
account was unfrozen, its value had dropped to $1,200.

The sub-prime Wall Street disaster back in 2008 did the very same thing to a pretty
good number of vulnerable retirement accounts. Though the Government bailed out
the big investment banks, it did nothing for the little banks nor for the innocent
folks who were ruined by the collapse.

● Ecc 5:15 . . Another grave evil is this: He must depart just as he came. As he
came out of his mother's womb, so must he depart at last, naked as he came. He
can take nothing of his wealth to carry with him.

I once heard a story about a very famous rich man who died. At the reading of his
will, newspaper reporters were required to remain outside and not allowed to
interview the heirs until later. When the reading was over, a reporter approached
one of the lawyers and asked how much the old gentleman left. The lawyer replied:
He left it all.

Yes, the rich man couldn't take a single dime of his wealth into the next life. It all
stayed here and he went into eternity penniless not knowing whether the
beneficiaries would manage their shares of his wealth wisely or fritter it away on
trivial pursuits..

● Ecc 5:16 . . So what is the good of his toiling for the wind?

It isn't intrinsically evil to save and invest. After all, Solomon wrote in Proverbs that
it's wise to look ahead, and parents are wise who lay something aside for their
children. But the people who hoard, and who amass wealth simply for the sake of
possessing it for themselves, are laboring for the wind. They can't possibly keep it
into the next life, so the best thing for them to do is share it while they are here
where it will do the world some good. It's okay to keep enough for yourself for now
and for the future, but when there's a ridiculous surplus, find a way to disperse it.
Otherwise, your hoarding serves no useful purpose, and at death your wealth is
surrendered anyway.

● Ecc 5:17 . . Besides, all his days he eats in darkness, with much vexation and
grief and anger.

Wealthy people don't usually eat in the dark. Many have very nice chandeliers over
the table. But in their hearts often lurk evil thoughts, bad memories, regrets,
grievances, resentments, disputes, hard feelings, and a bad conscience. They're
really no different than the common man in that arena. Like they say: So and so
puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 5:18 . . Only this, I have found, is a real good; to wit: that one should eat
and drink and get pleasure with all the gains he makes under the sun, during the
numbered days of life that God has given him; for that is his portion.

Solomon mentions death so often that you might think he was obsessed with it. But
really, he wasn't. His philosophy of life was such that he took death into
consideration so that his days weren't spent as if they were infinite and he expected
to live forever. A balanced philosophy of life has to include the very real possibility
of imminent death to keep things in proper perspective.

For example: actor Treat Williams was killed on his motorcycle in June 2023 after
colliding with a car approaching in the opposite lane made an unexpected left turn
practically right over him. Ten seconds earlier and the car would've missed him,
and ten seconds later it would've missed him too. But no, Treat and the car met at
just the right moment to end his life: he never saw it coming.

Man is but perishable fruit like peaches, pears, strawberries, cantaloupe, avocado,
and oranges; no amount of refrigeration will keep him fresh. Regardless of the
amount of rest, fresh air, good diet, and exercise; man begins to wither right
around the age of 32 or 34.

Youngster's can't really appreciate their expiration date as three brief decades: to
them, 32 or 34 years seems long and way out in the distance. As a result, the
withering process often sneaks up and takes them by surprise like starting a frog
off in cool water and slowly bringing it up to a boil. Of a sudden, one day it swats
them in the face like a rolled up newspaper that they're "old school" and replaced
by a younger, hip generation wherein they've been accustomed to thinking all along
was themselves.

The aging process, once it starts, is relentless. Its personality is sort of like that of
the robot in Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie "The Terminator" which is a machine
that can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, it doesn't feel pity or
remorse or fear, and it absolutely will not stop-- ever! -- until we are deceased.

The aging process is a cold as steel wake-up call that our tenure on this planet is
rapidly winding down to a close; and one day, it will be like we were never here.

● Ecc 5:19-20 . . Also, whenever a man is given riches and property by God, and is
also permitted by Him to enjoy them and to take his portion and get pleasure for
his gains-- that is a gift of God. For [such a man] will not brood much over the days
of his life, because God keeps him busy enjoying himself.

Within the context of the book of Ecclesiastes, a "gift of God" should never be taken
literally. It's just a figure of speech, like the common term "act of God" that labels
the cause of natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, storms, miscarriages, and
stuff like that.

I'm in my retirement years, and one of the things I avoid is keeping too busy
because I don't want the final years of my life to pass quickly. They'll pass soon
enough; but when you keep busy, time really has a way of flying.

On the flip side is one's mental health. Keeping busy does have a way of preventing
people from doing too much introspection and reminiscence thereby developing a
chronic case of the blues. One's mind can atrophy too if they never do anything to
exercise their intelligence. So I try to strike a balance: I keep somewhat physically
busy, and I keep somewhat mentally busy too; while avoiding excess in either area.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 6:1-2a . .There is an evil I have observed under the sun, and a grave one it is
for man: that God sometimes grants a man riches, property, and wealth, so that he
does not want for anything his appetite may crave,

Here we go with that "gift of God" thing again; but these are typically a genre of
gifts that Solomon observes "under the sun" rather than in the sphere of true
providence. Just because somebody is rich is no indication their prosperity was
engineered by God. Even career criminals, Wall Street barracudas, predatory
lenders, and corrupt politicians are often rich; no thanks to God. Some feel the
Kennedy clan is blessed-- yes they are very well off, but only due to grandpa Joe's
lack of scruples.

● Ecc 6:2b . . but God does not permit him to enjoy it; instead, a stranger will
enjoy it. That is futility and a grievous ill.

That is the classic "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name
of the Lord" attitude. Calling any act of God "futility and a grievous ill" would
normally be considered accusing God of sin, except that in this case, Solomon
doesn't really mean it that way. To an intellectual, the concept of God is merely
academic; and an "act of God" is really no more literal than pie in the sky or the
man in the moon.

A common example of this "evil" about which Solomon spoke is someone who
worked hard all their life, saved and invested wisely, and then one day WHAM,
during a routine physical exam, their doctor shocks them with the life-changing
news they have on-set Alzheimer's. Guess where that person's savings and
investments will end up now. Yes, towards medical attention and long term care.
The health care system, and it's medical professionals, will make a big dent in their
life savings.

● Ecc 6:3-6 . . Even if a man should beget a hundred children and live many years
- no matter how many the days of his years may come to, if his gullet is not sated
through his wealth, I say: the stillbirth, though it was not even accorded a burial, is
more fortunate than he. Though it comes into futility and departs into darkness,
and its very name is covered with darkness, though it has never seen or
experienced the sun, it is better off than he-- yes, even if the other lived a
thousand years twice over but never had his fill of enjoyment! For are not both of
them bound for the same place?

One advantage a stillborn child enjoys over and above the living is that although it
never had a chance to live; it doesn't know what it missed either. In its case,
ignorance is truly bliss. The person who had the means and the wherewithal to
enjoy life, but failed to take advantage of it before they died, will suffer
unspeakable mental anguish throughout eternity for missing their chance to enjoy
life before it was too late. In that respect, the miscarried child is much better off
because it has more peace of mind than others even though it never owned
anything; no, not even so much as a name to call its own.

I knew an older man once who owned a very expensive wrist watch that he
reserved for special occasions. Well; that is short sighted if you ask me. He should
wear that nice watch whenever he gets the chance because life is so uncertain.
People should enjoy their nice things while they can rather than wait till they're at
the point of death. Life is not a do-over. You've got live it as you live it: not wait till
a more opportune moment; which, as sometimes happens, quite possibly may
never come. Carpe Diem: seize the day. People who put off living life to its fullest
till later often find out it's too late to do so.

● Ecc 6:7-8 . . All of man’s earning is for the sake of his mouth, yet his gullet is not
sated. What advantage then has the wise man over the fool, what advantage has
the pauper who knows how to get on in life?

Food and water are two things in life that, like sleep, cannot be taken just once
because once is not enough. You have to eat again, you have to drink water again,
and you have to sleep again. That is a law of life for both the stupid and the
intelligent, for both the rich and the poor regardless of age, race, religion, and/or
gender identity. No one is exempt from that law-- all are equal in those respects;
and all the money on earth can't buy people an exemption.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 6:9 . .What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is
futility and a striving after wind.

Sometimes I think the most content people are the blind because they go shopping
with their heads instead of their eyes. People invariably buy things that are far
more expensive than what they could get by with if they had to.

* Apple Computer pioneer Steve Jobs once said: "People don't know what they
want till you show it to them."

This same weakness of the eyes will compel a boy to marry a beautiful girl who is
totally wrong for him. The Creator made women to be a man's very best friend
first, his lover second, and the mother of his children third. But some men just can't
get past a girl's looks; and as all women know, when it comes to love; men use
their eyes much better than they use their brains. They often pick a wife without
thinking because looks mean almost everything to the average man; and a
woman's personality is only secondary, if it's taken into consideration at all.

* There's currently a surplus of "leftover women" in China; not because of a
shortage of men, but because the girls put off marriage until they completed
college and their careers were blooming. Well; now those successful women are old
maids because quite a number of suitable men in China prefer to start a family with
younger women instead of those pushing 30.

● Ecc 6:10 . .Whatever happens, it was designated long ago and it was known that
it would happen; as for man, he cannot contend with what is stronger than he.

I guess you could call that attitude fatalism.

Some things really are predestined and often we just have to face the facts; e.g.
old age and death are two of life's unpleasant realities. Everyone is stuck with
debilitation and there's no use in fighting it. Menopause is another chipped-in-stone
fact of life that is just as real as the air we breathe all around us. If couples aren't
careful, and let too much time slip by, menopause will steal away their chances for
a baby.

Some people enjoy toying with death and go hiking in the wilderness all alone
and/or jump off high places with bungee cords and wing suits, and/or zip down a
snowy mountain just inches ahead of an avalanche on boogie boards and/or free
climb the vertical face of Yosemite's Half Dome. Some say people like that have a
death wish. No, what they really have is a wish to flirt with death and live to tell
about it. Their attitude is: If you aren't walking on the edge; then you're taking up
room.

Personally, I don't want to die like a fool. People who tempt fate by participating in
extreme sports are just asking to be dead and/or crippled for life before their next
meal-- and then what? Is existence strapped to a wheel chair and a respirator really
anybody's idea of fulfillment?

● Ecc 6:11-12 . . Often, much talk means much futility. How does it benefit a man?
Who can possibly know what is best for a man to do in life-- the few days of his
fleeting life? For who can tell him what the future holds for him under the sun?

Solomon's comment pertains to a man's time "under the sun" rather than after his
death.

They say for every action there's a reaction; and that's generally true. But who can
really predict the repercussions of their decisions? In other words: when a butterfly
flaps its wings in England, does it put in motion other acts of nature that eventuate
in a typhoon in Samoa?

Life isn't like a chess game where the masters can see twelve moves ahead. No, life
is oftentimes a gamble. A young fellow contemplating the risks and responsibilities
of marriage once lamented to me how chancy it is to get married in these days with
the world in such turmoil and the economy uncertain. But I said to him: Life goes
on.

My friend realized of course that life does go on even under the extreme threats of
nuclear war, terrorism, air and water pollution, drug cartels, road rage, brown-outs
and water shortages, insane oil prices, acid rain, pandemics, activism, crime,
prejudice, drive-by shootings, global warming, unemployment, economic collapse,
and reactor melt-downs. People do manage to somehow cope and keep going.

Well, not long after that, he married his best girl; who proved to be just the right
one for him too. His pretty bride made him forget all about the dangers of lay-offs,
spiraling medical costs, and mortgage debt. My young friend never felt better in his
life. Carpe Diem.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 7:1a . . A good name is better than fragrant oil,

A companion to that saying might be a proverb also authored by Solomon.

"Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of sense." (Prv
11:22)

Cosmetics, fashions, jewelry, hair, manicures, wonder bras, pantyhose, killer
curves, and/or Spanx and scents can't make up for a bad name. No matter how
dolled up, or shined up, nor how good a person smells; if they are a pig, they will
continue to act like a pig and be known as a pig. Better to be a plain Jane with a
sweet personality than a super model who affects everyone around her with a
witchy demeanor.

● Ecc 7:1b-2 . . and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to a
house of mourning than to a house of feasting; for that is the end of every man,
and a living one should take it to heart.

Nobody under the age of twenty-one is ever going to take that one seriously.
Birthday parties and beer busts are far more fun than funerals; although as I get
older, I tend to dread my birthdays more and more. When I was young, birthdays
were fun, and getting older was exciting. But aging is not so fun anymore. Age is
turning me into an ogre, and I can't stand the sight of myself in a mirror; especially
one of those large full-length bathroom mirrors they invariably install in motel
rooms.

But a funeral can really make one's self aware of our own mortality in a very special
way. My dad passed away in 1972, mother in 2006, my favorite nephew in 2015,
my kid brother in 2016, and my eldest brother in 2018. All those passings disturbed
me because I realized the grim reaper was closing in and picking off my family one
by one. At 81 and diagnosed with esophageal cancer; it won't be long now till my
own number comes up and leaves my wife of 45+ years a widow.

● Ecc 7:3-4 . .Vexation is better than revelry; for though the face be sad, the heart
may be glad. Wise men are drawn to a house of mourning, and fools to a house of
merrymaking.

Those kinds of "wise men" are well known as party poopers and wet blankets. While
it's true that revelry can't make a person truly happy on the inside, it would still
seem a much better choice than one's mind dwelling upon Death. You know; it's
only natural that Solomon would believe that mourning is better than revelry
because he was a gloom-caster to begin with.

Solomon didn't even know how to have fun. The problem is; he was just too
intellient for his own good; so intelligent in fact that all his knowledge and IQ
clouded the man's thoughts and prevented him from having any fun at all.

Solomon really needed to get out and paint the town once in a while, ride a pony,
stroll the beach, roll the dice, joust a windmill, drop a coin in a wishing well, go
boating, dangle a worm,-- anything but sit around thinking about the futility of life
under the sun. No wonder the poor man was so negative!

In the movie "Titanic", Leonardo DiCaprio convinces Kate Winslet that there is more
to life than being rich, privileged, and pampered. He suggests she learn to ride a
horse like a man and learn to spit like a man. Sure: why not take off the Spanx,
lose the Silkies panty hose and Jimmy Choo heels, and try something silly like
skipping a stone across a pond?

I once heard Billy Graham say: The smallest package in the world is a man all
wrapped up in himself. Well . . amen to that! Billy was so right. And I would add
that the most unimportant man in the world is one who is totally self-absorbed.
Some people really need to get out and do a little mixing and have a good time
once in a while: break the monotony, do something stupid, get out of their rut; live
a little.

But Solomon just couldn't do it. There are some people not only fun-impaired, but
they can't permit themselves to indulge in fun. It's like a mental block-- a hang-up.
They're afflicted with fun-impotence. They feel guilty about having fun, they scorn
fun, and look down upon themselves for letting any into their lives.
_