Solomon

How did Solomon go from wise one to womanizer?

Solomon, King David’s twelfth son, succeeded him.  In a dream, God offered to grant Solomon anything he asked.  He should have asked for more wishes…  Instead, he asked for wisdom.  God was pleased, and communicated that some bonuses were coming his way as a reward: riches, success, and fame.  He was known for all of these things according to what we have in the biblical record – the only historical document recounting anything of Solomon’s reign.

Solomon is credited with writing many of the wise saying in the Bible’s book of Proverbs.  There are some great truths in those lines, and some pretty funny stuff, too.  “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.”  And some great zingers about marriage that I won’t repeat in order to safeguard peace at home…

Two things stick with me about Solomon.  First, his insight regarding what’s worth pursuing in life, and second, the irony of his foolish shortsightedness regarding what might happen if he lost track of his faith.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon laments the apparent lack of meaning in life.  Recall that Solomon had wealth, fame, power, plenty of pleasure, and a long, peaceful reign.  His incredibly ornate palace, which was as nice if not nicer than the over-the-top Temple he constructed (sparing no expense) would put him on the old show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.  Yet his advice, after thinking deeply about life and its many vain pursuits, was quite simple: eat, drink, and be merry.

His words troubled me for many years.  How shallow!  Is that all you’ve got to say, Oh Wise One?  That’s pathetic!  His advice seemed no different than what any self-serving Westerner might say.  Where’s the compassion for the downtrodden, or passionate pursuit of justice for the oppressed?  Where’s the let’s change the world kind of stuff like Jesus said?  His advice just seemed so superficial and light. 

After having lived now for a touch over 30 years, however, I agree with Solomon.

I used to be caught up in the epic battle put forth by Evangelical Christianity: we need to save souls from an eternity in hell.  Pretty compelling cause.  Lots of emotion.  Sounds biblical.  But that went away when I discovered that the depth of the salvation proclaimed by Jesus was much bigger than what Evangelicalism was peddling.  For a while, I wondered what this who faith thing is about, if not the epic struggle to get more signed up for Jesus.  But when I reflected more and more on what Solomon was getting at, the more I resonated with the depth of what he was saying.  Eat, drink, and be merry.  Hmmm.

What do you think?  Shallow?

The reason I began liking it more and more wasn’t because I was giving up.  Quite the contrary.  I find it incredibly compelling.  What Solomon is essentially saying about defining the meaning of life is this: enjoy it.  Make the most of it.  See what you can do with the years you have to really live life the way it was meant to be lived.

At first glance, this seems to give license to all manner of hedonism – live it up without a care for anyone else – the world revolves around you.  But that’s not true.  Riches really don’t bring happiness – that’s a factual statistic.  Power doesn’t, either.  Promiscuity may be a kick for a moment, but leaves a hole in its wake.  Being drunk or stoned might relieve some pain for a night, but there’s hell to pay in the morning.

The wisdom of Solomon here is found by going after a deeper question: what way of living really leads to life to the fullest, if not self-centered, hedonistic pursuits?

Looking back through the lens of Jesus, who said that following him would lead to abundant life, I got my answer, and I believe I have experienced it to some degree.  The way of Jesus is a way to life lived with God.  It is a way that is filled with deep meaning, great fulfillment, and considerable sacrifice.  The way of Jesus puts others before self, always yields to God, and is comfortable with taking a hit for the greater good.  It is about as opposite of hedonism as a way could be.  It is a completely different approach to seeking life at its best, and it works. 

That’s where Solomon’s wisdom ran short.  He was so infatuated with so many other pursuits, and so many other women, that he lost touch with the woman he raved about in his writings.  Wisdom itself was a woman to be courted, to be romanced, to be honored.  It turns out that Jesus was thinking the same thing, because the Holy Spirit that he said would guide and direct his followers was the help-mete found in the Old Testament, the same gender as Eve.  Wisdom, and the Holy Spirit herself, is a feminine presence to behold and to obey.

What kept Solomon from staying faithful to his first love?  Probably the same thing that keeps us from faithfulness, too.  We get distracted.  Blindsided.  Or maybe sometimes just apathy.  It makes sense that if we want to have a good life; we need to put ourselves first, so we do.  We listen to our instincts, to voices that affirm our egocentrism, our inalienable rights, voices that drown out calls for sacrifice.  We don’t notice it at first, but over time God’s voice seems whisper quiet.  Not because we have emulated Elijah in our quest for God’s presence, but because we have removed ourselves from the presence of God, and can scarcely recognize God’s voice anymore. 

Solomon died a wealthy man in a glorious palace.  But his lasting legacy was that his foolishness destroyed the foundation of the nation he led.  You and I don’t led nations, but we will leave a legacy.  We may die in good shape, but is that really enough?  Will those who follow us be inspired to listen more closely for God’s voice to speak?  Will those who witness us be compelled to believe that Jesus’ way works because they have seen its truth work in us?

May you eat, drink, and be merry!  May you seek the fullness of life from the giver of life!  May you seek the Holy Spirit as a the treasure she is, and find yourself enamored with her beauty, and compelled to do all you can to court her, the Breath of Life, and find yourself alive again.