JAN 4

Ecclesiastes 1 Kings 11
Memorise 1 Kings 11:4
"and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God…"

WHEN WAS ECCLESIASTES WRITTEN?

By the providential hand of God, the life of Solomon has been recorded for us in detail in the books of 1 Kings and also 1 and 2 Chronicles. In knowing the details of the life of Solomon, we would be able to much better understand the words of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, and realize what he meant when he made declarations of his own wealth, wisdom and accomplishments.

Very briefly, some of the highlights of Solomon’s life are as such: He was appointed as King of Israel after the death of his father David. He started out well, with the words of his father still ringing in his head. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever. Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it’ (1 Chronicles 28:9-10). At the very beginning of his reign, when the Lord appeared to him, he asked only for wisdom to rule the kingdom. The Lord was pleased with his request and granted it to him, along with a promise of great riches in life. (1 Kings 3:3- 14). He then fulfilled his father’s charge and built the temple of the Lord (1 Kings 6), and led the whole nation in a reverential and humble prayer in dedication to the Lord God (1 Kings 8).

However his heart soon turned far away from the Lord. He disobeyed the commandments of the Lord, and took to himself many wives from heathen nations, either for pleasure, or for political reasons. With them came various forms of idolatry, and in time he too went after their strange gods, and forsook the LORD God Jehovah (1 Kings 11:1-8). He was thus rebuked and chastised (1 Kings 11:14-40), and in all likelihood he repented, turned back to the Lord, and wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.

Thus he wrote this book as a record of his reflections on the life that he had lived, the observations that he had amassed through his years of experience. Yet it was not just to lament and regret, but it was to advise all of us not to repeat the mistakes that he had made, but to learn from him and to live lives that bring glory to God!

Thought: Will there be things that I will regret of at the end of my life?
Prayer: Lord, help me to always live a life that brings glory to Thy name!