Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. 1Ki 10:1  

The Queen of Sheba: When the Heart Catches Fire

The heart is a restless organ. We are born desiring to know. Some things are irresistible. They are like “coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame.” “Many waters cannot quench love,” Solomon’s lover sang, and neither can a flood drown the hunger for truth.

Even in New Testament Christ commended the queen for her relentless search for truth. “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Mat 12:42). Will he commend me and you?

Granted, such struggles are common even in men, but they are most fervent in a woman. She literally leaves no stone unturned until she has found her missing coin. A man would sooner forget it and move on.

It’s true that it’s hazardous for a man to be too serious about everything. But equally it’s perilous for a man to be frivolous about everything in life. I think the right note is not to take mystical things lightly, like love, and death, and truth. Such was the tragedy of the men in the Parable of the Great Banquet who disdained the king’s invitation for a scrap of earth and flesh (Luke 14:15-24).

The queen of Sheba was not like that. History was calling and she wanted to be in it. “And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom” (1Ki 4:34).  

She heard the fame. Now she was ready to test it for herself. “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions” (1Ki 10:1).  

Many have attempted a task. But they soon gave up. The queen was adoringly astute. “And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart” (1Ki 10:2).  

Men are great travellers. But men are invariably poor communicators. The queen “communed with him of all that was in her heart.” It’s the people who ask questions who find answers.

And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 1Ki 10:3-5 

Don’t be Feeble, Have Courage

We are given life, not just to gaze at, but to question it, and where possible to write down our findings.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Act 17:11

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1Pe 3:15  

Don’t ignore anything. Question everything. Such was the path the queen took. And walking along it she emerged into the open field of eternal sunshine.

And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 1Ki 10:6-7 

What is that which is burning inside your heart? Ask God to show you what it is. He is faithful and he will do it.

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psa 107:9 

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Luk 11:9-10 

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer 29:13  

The Grace of God is Irresistible

Many kings were drawn to Jerusalem to see this king. But all had different purposes. Maybe it was curiosity for some. Maybe sheer jealous for others. But don’t be afraid. Ask. Christ has come and today not everyone has to go to Jerusalem. Just call on him wherever you are. Ask him hard questions and you will find you have a ready friend waiting to hear you.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isa 1:18  

Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Isa 41:21  

Christmas is coming and many will be driven to “Jerusalem” to see this king. Quite many still will be driven for other reasons. Not that it is wrong. Only that it seems vain. What is a greater sight to behold than the king of the whole world – the king of history?

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Mat 13:44-46 

Yes the grace of God is a gift. If you have it please rejoice in it and pray also for those other wayfarers who don’t have it yet.

  

Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecc 9:10

Work and Pleasure

To be halfhearted, said the preacher, is to be unhappy. So we are called to enjoy “whatsoever” we do in life.

Ideally life should be easy. We should enjoy it every time.  

But the heart is a mystical organ. It has a way of devising its own happiness. Take writing for example. A man usually starts knowing what he wants to say and how to say it. But the pen usually has its own ideas. It says what it wants to say. Sometimes it comes up with a complete new idea.

Writing is both a struggle of the will and the spirit. And so is life. We discover very early in childhood that its chief tenor is struggle. Because we live not in a perfect world but in a fallen one, life is actually a curse because of sin. That’s what explains Solomon’s torment in his great sermon. Daily we swim upstream to beat the currents of life.

But life is also a blessing. Though it rears sharp thorns and briars, life is still wonderful. It is full of colour and beautiful people.

It is worth enjoying it with our whole heart. Including work. Every work. Are we lovers? Then we should love with our whole heart. Are we students? Then we should learn with our whole might. And not just because the grave waits hungrily but because God is the chief end. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc 12:14). 

So how should a man find pleasure in his work? How should he defeat the struggle? I think finding meaning or purpose in life should be the first motivator. It is from that foundation that everything, including work or eating, becomes a delight.

The purpose filled heart works. The grateful heart works. And work becomes a joy and not an encumbrance because behind it is the hand of a loving God and chief worker. Work therefore ennobles or degrades according to what a man believes. Do I believe in God? Then nothing shall ever be absurd again in this life.

That word “grave” Solomon uses is not entirely useless. It gives compass to the whole idea of life. It has a beginning and an end.

By doing work we put something into life before that curtain comes down. And that end according to Scripture is not far. It is very near indeed. So then the urgency for every believer.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. 1 Pet 1:24

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better. Phil 1:23

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Ps 42:2 

So we struggle, because the soul cries to be released into the eternal rest.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. Joh 9:4  

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. Joh 11:9  

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. Joh 11:10  

In the final analysis it’s not the duration of this life which counts, but what is left. Christ lived only for 33 years. His full ministry lasted a paltry 3 years. So get up gang! Let’s be about our master’s business!  

Hope is Not Ashamed

What keeps a man from wholehearted duty? If the body is ailing it will be hard pressed to be whole hearted. If the soul is despondent even the grasshopper will a burden. If there is no peace in the heart it will show in the work.

How did the prophets cope? David praised God. He vented, but in the end he praised God. There’s a school which deems it unfit for a man to vent. May I suggest that is not the school of prophets. Prophets weep. But even more prophets sing. Truth hates darkness. Truth shatters prison walls. So Saul and Paul sang in prison. Venting may actually be a form of prayer. The Psalms are full of it.

Walk But Do Not Run

Life is a journey, with slopes and hills, forests and plains, rocks and rough winds, but in the end it’s a life that breathes sunshine and throws up wonderful sands and vines and music along the way.

Life is poetry. It is a sublime gift from God. Read it. Recite it. Proclaim it on rooftops. Please drink it because it’s healthy.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. Son 5:1

Lastly have a ball because nothing can really separate us from the love of God.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39

It is only in the way of perfect freedom that a man can give his best. God is beautiful, and as his creatures we only give back that beauty to God who deserves it all.  

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1Cor 10:31

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Joh 8:36 

“Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden” cries Christ. It’s not life which has changed. It’s the heart and the vision. Before I couldn’t see but now I do. And seeing, the work becomes light. The struggle has lifted and gone. The clouds have broken and the sun is out. Christ has come and now nothing shall be impossible ever again.

Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. Ecc 5:10  

The Peril of the City

Nothing flaunts her beauty like the city. A city, especially at night, is breathtaking. Like a woman, the city struts her stuff in the streets. She stands, and freezes, she runs while she’s walking, and at night she wakes while she’s sleeping. She cries as she laughs.

It is impossible not to covet in the city. It is where everything is happening – and where everybody who matters is. It is a desires galore.

And it is very hard for the Spiritual life to fully take root here. The city is the heart beat of the entire nation. It is where everybody in the village looks up to. What the city does the village imitates.

The Desire of Other Things

The command went forth: “Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”. 

But Israel coveted to be like other nations. In the wilderness many coveted to return to Egypt as soon as a small trouble rose up.

The heart craves novelty. It craves ease. But that is an inexhaustible pit. It always ends in misery. “Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us” (Ecc 1:10).   

The spirit of covetousness runs the gamut of scriptures. It’s a killer of faith. For the love of the world Demas renounced his faith, while Asaph the musician nearly suffered a mental breakdown because of it.

These are only a few examples of the damage wrought by covetousness. Jesus rebuked it. Paul bewailed it.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1Ti 6:9-10 

Solomon’s Enduring Truth

Did Solomon suffer covetousness? Yes. It’s what had led him to become idolatrous. He failed to put breaks on it. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5).  

Nevertheless God gave him to be an enduring lesson for all mankind on the dangers of runaway desire. It doesn’t lead to happiness but misery instead.

And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Deu 8:2-3  

The heart is unruly. Without God it is a city without walls. So Jesus exemplified to us the best path towards an abundant life.  

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Mat 6:19-21 

The city is beautiful. But a lot of muck runs underneath it. The city sprints. And it scorns everyone who cannot catch up. The city is for winners and not losers. And so coveting is fierce, even murderous. That’s why God had warned about it.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Exo 20:17  

If a man covet everything his neighbor has the next thing he will covet is murder. That’s how Cain’s murderous spirit was born. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Covetousness spawns discontentment and fights.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Jas 4:1-3 

Covetousness destroys faith, heart, and soul.

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mar 4:19 

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Heb 13:5  

Always Look At the Big Picture

“God crieth in the streets.”

 Let’s not miss him.

He may be the woman crawling, the son holding on to her mom’s teat, the boy crying, the old man looking lost, the man sweating, the agony emanating from the market, the thundering scream, the screeching of breaks, the shattering of bones.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Mat 25:34-36  

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Mat 25:40 

The city is a beautiful place. In the city people can get saved completely like Paul while others can get lost completely like Demas. Choose wisdom and live.

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man… For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. Pro 8:1-36 

Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. Ecc 6:7 

The Peril of a Full Stomach

In the old world there were major feasts and even worship rites surrounding food and fertility. The climax invariably boiled over to some form of debauchery.

To be fat was celebrated. To be thin was frowned upon and even regarded as reactionary, as Shakespeare knew.

CAESAR: Antonius!

ANTONY: Caesar?

            CAESAR: Let me have men about me that are fat;

Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o'nights:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

ANTONY: Fear him not, Caesar; he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.

CAESAR: Would he were fatter! But I fear him not:

 My mother used to chide: Humbira nda wahuna! Cover your stomach when you are full. She is a church woman of the Tukundereza fame, and that was her way of shielding us from being vain and falling under the wrath of God. “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.  Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God…” (Deu 8:10-17).    

A full stomach is a good thing but it is a poor teacher. It makes a man reckless. It dims the mind and lifts the flesh.

Now Solomon was magnificently glorious, even by Christ’s admission. The lilies may have surpassed him in beauty but men (and women) were drawn to him like a moth to the light. His God given wisdom held kings in awe (1Ki 4:34).  

But that also became his snare. It is easier for the world to change a believer than a believer to change the world.  That’s how the king multiplied horses, wives, silver and gold. From there the lure of full stomach came naturally to him. He had to because he had 1000 women to keep happy.

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. 1Ki 4:22-23 

The Burden of “I” “Me” “Mine” and “Myself”

In chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes alone the number of times the letter “I” appears is 36. “Me” appears 12 times. “Mine” appears 4 times. “My” 8 times and “Myself” 3 times. “I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards… So I was great… And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy” (Ecc 2:4-10). 

That is the preamble. But the conclusion is disheartening. “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun…Therefore I hated life…” (Ecc 2:11,17). 

Desire is a good thing, for we wouldn’t be able to wake, breath, and move, without it. So we desire God, and it is then we hunger for him like a deer in a desert.

But some desires can end in tears, like the social media. It is a parade of everything we lack in life, and that’s a race a man cannot win. It is a race especially a believer does well not to be engaged in because he will never be happy that way.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom 8:5-6  

The heart is like a well in a quiet place. Desire is like sand, and when a lot of it falls into the well, that well eventually runs dry.

Solomon choked on his desires. It is that emptiness which informs his raving in Ecclesiastes. The modern man’s reaction is worse. He keeps silent.

The miser in parable of Luke 12 makes an interesting reading. He was rich, and the rich are susceptible to some of the most novel tragedies.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? Luk 12:16-20  

If you consider it critically, God, in his graciousness, was really saving this man from his impending misery.

Prayer: The Famished Road of Life

Solomon had forgot God. He had become vain. But God in his mercy saved him. “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Son 2:4).  

Should we point a finger at him? no. Because that is where we too were. Like him, we have been saved by grace.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Tit 3:3-5 

Solomon became a good teacher, so should we. It is the purpose of life.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.  For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.  For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.  He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Pro 4:1-4 

In religion it is not by way of a full stomach that we usually reach the mountain top, but more often it is by the famished road of prayer, sweat and tears. If that is where you are right now fellow believer don’t give up. Keep climbing.

 

 Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. Ecc 7:23  

The Problem Solomon Presents to Modern Believers

I once had a very good Christian friend. But she was unapologetically critical. She believed all other denominations (including mine) are worldly and we will never see God. According to her we are Great Babylon.

We debated a lot. We argued a lot. But there’s one Bible name she couldn’t stand, Solomon. She insisted he wasn’t a believer but a castaway. However that friendship petered out because we had very few subjects we agreed on. My argument was that Solomon departed from his faith, but he changed. Her argument was that Solomon never changed.  

But this is why I believe Solomon changed. Immediately after introducing himself in his Ecclesiastes, Solomon fires his first salvo. NIV reads even better: “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’”

I believe it takes a radical to start off like that. In his Ecclesiastes the words vanity, vanities, and vain (meaningless) appear about 40 times. You jump from one vanity chapter to another.  Such a confessional book couldn’t have been written if the writer had not met his turning point.

I think part of my friend’s problem is that she couldn’t see Solomon’s repentance with her own eyes. In David we can see his Psalm 51. In Solomon you search for his “Psalm 51” moment but in vain. In the Old Testament we saw the repentant wearing sackcloth and ashes. But in Solomon it does not seem like he tore his soft raiment. Rather he seems to have gotten away quite free, and still he kept his wives.

However it is startling that the people who get stung most by God’s grace are sometimes the believers themselves. I believe my friend was caught up in that dilemma most believers find themselves in but they don’t admit. Her anger was not with Solomon, her anger was with God. “All these years I have been with you dad?” Her lament is the lament of the elder brother.

Nonetheless it can be argued that Solomon here comes across more as a philosopher than an evangelical preacher, that being his time. He is bluntly realistic. Sometimes you feel the note of a fatalist or a stoic wrapped up in his musings. He sinned. But should a man live forever in sorrow over empty ashes? So he lays bare all the facts of his life as bare facts deserve. It hurts but it sets a man free.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Ecc 9:7 

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. Ecc 9:9  

The Peril of an Easy Life

Solomon had too much time in his hands. For a man of 700 wives and 300 concubines he must have had time.

David had Saul who gave him sleepless nights. Jacob had Laban who kept him busy and Hannah had Peninnah. Samson had the Philistines and Delilah. Isaac dug his wells relentlessly but in quiet fortitude. In contrast Solomon was born in a palace. God visited him in his sleep with a blank cheque. He had gold and silver for toys. He had peace and one doubts he ever saw blood with his own eyes. 

Whereas David wrestled in the wilderness with real giants, Solomon’s struggle was that of a man who had too much and gained nothing from it. “What does it profit a man?” asked Christ. Then Solomon broke every commandment God had placed before him concerning the kings of Israel. He made God angry, and that is the most vexatious sore of them all.

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 1Ki 11:1-2  

And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice. 1Ki 11:9 

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.  Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 1Ki 11:11-12   

Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s repentant note. It might not satisfy our flesh but let’s remember “Salvation is of the LORD.”

There’s a Better Hope

Unlike Solomon who lacked the gospel’s eternal hope, comfort and joy of life, God has given us himself, the greatest possession of all, which is Christ. He had no earthly possessions but he has made the whole world rich by his grace. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Joh 4:14).  

The old prophet cried, “Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?” But today life can no longer be vain for one who is in Christ. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psa 16:11).  

There is a Season for Everything

Change happens. When Solomon was young he behaved vainly. But now he was old (though we fight strenuously not to arrive there, but we do). Change set for Solomon. Has it set for you?

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Pro 3:13-15 

So at last Solomon changed. All indications are that he died happy. “How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!” (Son 4:10). 

What love! what a feeling!

 

Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 1Ki 3:5 

God the Father

God is a gracious giver because he’s the Father and we are his children. It is his nature to give because he’s caring. Like a young chic we open our mouths daily expecting that he will give us food.

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psa 81:10  

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Mat 7:11 

To Abraham he said: “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever” (Gen 13:15).  And to Joshua he said: “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” (Jos 1:3). And to Moses he said, “What is that in thine hand?”

God is quite prodigious. He gives and gives and gives. He sows even among thorns and the hedge ways. Where are you right now and what do you want?” The whole accent of the scriptures is predicated on asking.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Mat 7:8 

Pray (ask) without ceasing. Do not faint.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jer 33:3  

And the apostle encouraged: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Php 4:6).  

God has opened his heart. So why don’t we ask?

We Fear to Ask Because We Fear to Be Known

Partly I think it’s because we don’t know God. And from childhood we are taught to be suspicious of strangers. The other reason is pride. Who is God that I should obey him? “So he died to save me? Did I ask him?” Children have asked their parents harder questions. And Cain asked God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Why We Are All Prodigals

This young man sat down once and thought hard on life. He was a man at last and capable of thinking for himself. The world was beckoning and the atmosphere at home was stifling. So he stood up and faced his father. “Give me what is mine.” A true African father should’ve killed him on the spot. But his father gave him. He brashly asked for it and he brashly spent it.

Nevertheless the prodigals make very loyal believers once they have come to themselves. They have been to the pigsty and they know how it smells. It’s why the Father never gives up on them. It’s why he goes out hunting for the one lost sheep even up to this day. It’s why he’s ever on the lookout. It’s why every day he whispers: “Where art thou?”

The Fall and Vanity

Being vain therefore has the spiritual sense of being separated from God (living as strangers), or being alien to what is good, to embracing a life that is “useless.” As long as the prodigal was at home living with his father he was doing well. His journey to being vain started when he left.

So after the fall man inherited the world of “thorns” and “ashes and dust” to this day (Gen 3:14-19). The heart of man became inclined more towards evil than good. “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom 7:19). In short man became vain and only God can save him from his condition.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Rom 8:20 

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecc 3:10-11    

Asking is easy, but sin has made it harder. It is the dust which has settled on the heart’s window sill. You brush it off today but following day there’s another layer.

Solomon started well. The heart was young and the dew of youth kept it cleansed. But he grew big, and the ruts of the heart grew wide. Vanity crept on him without his knowledge. Fortunately God rescued him just before the world completely swallowed him.

God means that we should all be happy up to this day. He didn’t leave us alone but he gave us Christ our “hope of glory.” His wish is that no one should perish but that all should inherit eternal life in the end (John 3:16).

Do you know what you want from life and have you asked God for it? Please keep asking and don’t give up until you get it.

Desiring God is the Chief End of Man

To some the idea of being intimate with God sounds scary. To say like David “Thou hast searched me, and known me” feels too intimidating. Why? Because we fear to come to the light. We fear our deeds will be known. So we spend our days as a tale that is told. It sounds liberating, but in truth it’s a terrible jail.

In contrast it is the life of being known that’s really liberating. Just try lying and see how soon one gets tied in knots. That’s why Christ came to get us out of our prisons. He came so our true potential may come out of hiding. So if God appeared to you in a dream tonight saying: “Ask what I shall give thee” what would you answer him?

Bartimaeus knew. He shouted over the din of the people that he might see and Christ granted him his wish. God grant that no fear will prevent you from asking what you want too.

Bible Men: King Solomon: Notes On the Meaning of Vanity

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Ecc 1:1-2 

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Ecc 1:10 

The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. Psa 94:11 

Grief, Sorrow and Happiness

There is a season for everything under the sun, so King Solomon pronounced, and mine was a very angry season.

The election fever was everywhere in the air, at work, at home, at the village market, in the news, at church and practically everywhere. It left me, like Jonah, very angry.

At home I took one camp and mom took the other. In fact I was the only villager who was in the “wrong” camp, and loving my neighbor became sorely trying.

Earlier I had tried getting over the meaning of vanity in our present age but in vain. I read and read Solomon but the more I read him the more I got angrier.

I returned to election fever and I tried to explain my reasons to the other camp, saying things like ethics and hatred of corruption. But I sounded like a fool. I sat down and got angry proper. Then a young lovely friend called. She said, “You sound depressed. What’s the matter?”

I answered like a man: “It’s nothing.”

“But you are always depressed anyway! I should’ve known!” She screamed and hung up.

I paused and considered. Pride. Anger. Bitterness. I had heard those words flying around recently. Was that really me? Vanity!

The first death announcement arrived that night. It was of an old family man I had known since childhood. We buried him. Then a week later a second death announcement arrived at night. It was of a young family woman I grew up with. I shook my head. But we buried her. The night we returned from her burial is when we heard the third death announcement. It was of an old family woman of childhood memories.

Coming to Myself

Suddenly I came to myself. And immediately the meaning for vanity began to sink in. “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Ecc 7:2).  

Life is big and expansive and good and bad at the same time. There’s only so much we can know here and there’s only so little we can do. Man cannot ‘simply put the whole of life together.’

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. Psa 73:2  

Stop worrying! The voice screamed. God is in control. He’s sovereign bringing everything to pass according to his will. Mine – and yours – is only to cast our cares upon him, for he cares.

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Psa 73:16-17  

I went back to my Bible and my God and whom I had quite forgotten! There was so much good there but which I had quite (in my choler) forgotten!

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Php 4:4  

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1Th 5:18  

Like the prodigal I had travelled to a ‘far country’ from where I couldn’t see God or see his stars. I came to myself at last. Part of the reason I’d missed the meaning of vanity was because I was deeply entangled in it myself!

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1Jn 2:17  

What is Vanity?

It means ‘vapour or breath’, or something futile, or empty. It implies something which does not satisfy. Sketches for this are scattered throughout the Bible.

It is there in the Prophets through Moses exhorting his people not to be vain. He pleads with them to choose life over death, and blessings over curses. “For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” (Deu 32:47).  

It is there in the weeping prophet: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer 2:13).  

It is there in the Wisdom books of Job, the Psalms and Solomon in his Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song. It is properly brought out in Ecclesiastes.  

In the New Testament God gave us himself, he gave us Jesus, the bread from heaven, as contrasted with the vain bread of this world.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Joh 6:27  

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Joh 6:32  

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Joh 6:33  

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Joh 6:35  

Returning Home

Finally it’s only when the prodigal returned home to the father that he knew the meaning of vanity. And it’s instructive that Solomon’s life ended not in gloom but in a song and a wedding. And isn’t that the way of life always? “I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies” (Son 6:3).  

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Our duty is to rejoice in every season God sends our way.

Are you far from the father? Chances are you are living in vanity. You shall never know it until you return home to the father. Do it today because he’s waiting for you.

I called my friend but she didn’t answer. And immediately I started worrying if I had lost a friend!