Ep 471 – Ecclesiastes 8:1-8

Wisdom is a wonderful thing. And Solomon would be the first to agree with that statement. He admired wisdom. He depended upon wisdom in order to rule his kingdom. And he spent years trying to acquire more wisdom. He had an insatiable desire for it, just like he did for gold, silver, power, property, and pleasure. He had filled an entire book with simple, yet profound maxims regarding the need for wisdom in life. But as he drew closer to the end of his life, Solomon showed an increasing propensity to treat wisdom like just another possession. And what he seems to have forgotten was where his wisdom had come from in the first place: God. His wisdom was not self-made, but God-given. And while he had added to his wisdom over the years and increased his knowledge base, he had lost the one thing necessary to give wisdom its power and potential: The fear of God. He lost his reverence and respect for God. Unlike his father, David, Solomon tended to view God as a resource provider, rather than a relationship to be pursued. He knew wisdom had its benefits and even desired for his people to be wise. After all, what king wouldn't want his subjects to display wisdom. And Solomon knew wisdom made him a better king. But the problem was that wisdom without God is folly. It's useless. God scoffs at man-made wisdom, because it tends to leave Him out. And wisdom that leaves God out, tends to put man right where God belongs – at the center of everything. It becomes all about us and our worship of self.