😉 Hello dear readers! Solomon’s wisdom continues to delight modern people. His aphorisms are always relevant.
The wisdom of King Solomon
“Vanity of vanities” is an expression that is familiar to many and is often pronounced by people. But it says about it in a book written by the richest and wisest king who ever ruled.
This is the third king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba, a very wise statesman. During his reign, the kingdom of Israel achieved tremendous wealth and power. Translated from Hebrew, the name Shlomo – Solomon means peace (shalom), and also shalem – perfect ”,“ whole ”.
It was this ruler who built the temple in Jerusalem, all the materials for which David had prepared. It is believed that Solomon wrote several Bible Books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preachers, and Song of Songs.
The Book of King Solomon
The ruler finished writing Ecclesiastes around 1000 BC. At this time, his forty-year reign (965-928 BC) was already drawing to a close. He experienced many of the things listed in chapter 2 (verses 4 through 9).
In his work, the famous thinker says that all life is useless vanity. Can people be completely happy on earth – the answer is no.
Absolute bliss does not exist, but temporary pleasures and transient joys are possible. After all, everything in the world obeys the same laws, there is a constant cycle, everything that happens has already happened.
Little depends on people, for all the time and chance. All this makes happiness very fragile and quickly disappearing. Further, he examines various life situations, and draws a conclusion from everything. For example, which gives:
- wisdom is torment, it exposes ugly and monstrous problems, and the inability to comprehend everything that exists. This is vanity, since it does not guarantee permanent well-being and success;
- varied work brings temporary joy, but its results depend on chances, and little, on talents and energy;
- wealth, money, gold – this is vanity, coming and going. After death, it goes to another, heir, who can waste everything. And during life, wealth may not bring joy, but torment its owner with envy and greed;
- above all this stands the greatest evil in the world – death, from which no one is immune. Neither wise, nor foolish, nor rich, nor poor, nor righteous, nor sinner. So death eliminates all difference between people, making even fleeting happiness a ghostly haze;
- death entails sheol (common grave of mankind) – eternal sleep. There is nothing in Sheol: no knowledge, no work, no reflection, no love. It means that everything is useless, despondency sets in, disgust for this unhappy life, which shattered all dreams of happiness.
conclusions
But further “Ecclesiastes” concludes that since perfect happiness is impossible, there may be something else, something better. After all, a person does not depend on blind chance, but on the providence of God.
Without God, he cannot even eat or drink. And then the mood changes, because everything is in the hands of the Creator: a just, loving one, he will reward those who fear him, and punish the wicked.
All worries no longer irritate or grieve, he enjoys the joys that God sends him. And if misfortune falls to his lot, he reflects and admits that suffering purifies and educates.
This is happiness, but it is incomplete, because the desire to live forever is inherent in every person from the very beginning. It means striving for an eternal and happy life under the guidance of a loving Creator.
In this video, additional information to the article ↓
If you liked the article “The Wisdom of Solomon and his book” Ecclesiastes or Preacher “, share in social. networks. This is important, because someone is in trouble right now. 😉 “Everything will pass. This too will pass. “