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The Conclusion of the Whole Matter
By Rory Ries
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
These are famous words that conclude a well-known book. This book we know as Ecclesiastes, was written by one of the wisest men that ever lived. Solomon was that man and his fall is living proof of our weakness as human beings.
Solomon had it all. He was wise which was a gift from God (1 Kings 3:12-13). Solomon was also given riches and honor. Royal majesty had been bestowed upon Solomon (1 Chronicles 29:25). He was also granted great peace in the land because God had made a promise and God always keeps His promises.
Unfortunately the tragedy is Solomon sought after things that were not good for him. The world has a way of attracting us to things that are not good for us. John wrote about it in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” The bright lights and the excitement the world has to offer can be very appealing to the eyes, but in the end it only brings pain and misery.
Solomon learned a valuable lesson the hard way. God had instructed Solomon to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes and commandments. Obeying God brings love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22). David, Solomon’s father, wrote how nothing shall offend those who keep the law (Psalm 119:165). He also said, “Great peace have those who love your law.” Solomon did come to repentance, however, he suffered greatly which could have been avoided had he listened to God and obeyed Him.
What was Solomon’s sin? He loved many foreign women (1 Kings 11:1-2). Solomon ignored God’s instructions by marrying women from other nations. When we seek after women who follow a false god or who are involved in worldly practices, we can become caught up in the world and our hearts will seek after their gods. The problem we may run into when we seek our own desires and lusts is separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). On the other hand, when we allow God to guide us and we lean on Him it will work out every time and the blessings are without end (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Solomon ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines. We are told his wives turned his heart away from God (1 Kings 11:3). The tragedy behind all of this is his kingdom was torn away from him and given to his servant (1 Kings 11:11). Thankfully, Solomon did repent and as you read the last chapter in Ecclesiastes you can see a major change in this man’s attitude.
What about you? Does the world look appealing to you? Is there something out there that you feel like you will do anything to get it? These are questions you have to ask yourself. Is there something out there that you are willing to give up everything for no matter what it costs? Sometimes there are things out there in the world that entice us and we feel like we can’t live without, yet in all honesty it is God we cannot live without.
God says He will provide us with everything we need (Philippians 4:19). We are told, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs. 18:22). When we are looking for a mate we need to look to our Father to bring that person into our lives. If we try to do it on our own without His help we can find ourselves in a complete mess. “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).
Whenever we rely on God to provide for us He will always provide something of great value. Solomon did do some marvelous works and those works were very pleasing in God’s eyes. He had the temple built and the people were blessed because of his obedience to God (1 Kings 8:55). He also wrote some inspiring messages that can help us with the struggles we may face. The one thing he had to still deal with, as we do, is the human nature that is in us. That human nature may cause us to struggle with doing things our way or totally submitting to doing things God’s way (Romans. 7:23).
We fight against the fleshly lusts (Galatians 5:17). The challenge we have is to overcome the fleshly lusts because those lusts will keep us out of the kingdom of God (Galatians. 5:21). It is a lifelong battle, but the rewards that are waiting for us are far greater than the losses we may have to suffer in this physical life (Philippians. 3:8-9). There is nothing this world has to offer that compares to the inheritance that is locked up and sealed waiting for us to claim it (1 Peter. 1:4).
“Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews. 12:1). Solomon had his race to run and so do we. The story of Solomon’s life has been given to us as a gift so we may learn from the good things he did and from the mistakes he made. We don’t have to learn the hard way. If we apply our heart to understanding and seek Godly counsel there is nothing we cannot accomplish and overcome in this life (Proverbs. 2:1-5). i
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