The Book Of Ecclesiastes Pt. 50 Come To Know God As Your Creator

We began our study of Ecclesiastes on March 24th. Today, we move into the last chapter of this book that contains Solomon's wisdom.

King Solomon started off very well and was a wonderful king over Israel.  

The nation occupied all the land that God gave to Abraham. Many surrounding nations paid tribute money to Israel, rather than face military conquest. 

The splendor of Jerusalem and the architectural achievements of Solomon, were legendary. Powerful and influential people came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 

The swift spiritual decline of King Solomon. 

1 Kings 11:1-6  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2)  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. 3)  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4)  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5)  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6)  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 

Even when things seem to be going very well, the scriptures give us the true account spiritual realities. 

King David did his best to anchor Solomon's heart to Jehovah as soon as he could learn and understand the things of God.  

Therefore, Solomon communed with Jehovah from the time he was very young. He prayed to Him, obeyed His word and built a magnificent temple to honor Jehovah.

He wrote thousands of wisdom proverbs and he instructed his son in the ways of the LORD. 

Jehovah spoke directly to Solomon in a dream, at least twice (See 1 Kings 11:9). Solomon asked to have God's wisdom in order to rightly judge the people, and God granted his request.

In addition, He promised to give Solomon riches and honor such that there would never be another king on earth like Solomon (1 Kings 3:1-15).

Therefore, it is with great sadness that we read of Solomon stumbling and turning away from Jehovah when he was old. In New Testament terms, we would say that he did not finish his race well. 

Solomon fell into immorality and idolatry, and this grievous sin, marred his relationship with Jehovah. 

Therefore, as we study this wonderful book of wisdom literature, we see that Solomon's sorrows and regrets are woven into these twelve chapters. 

Ecclesiastes 12:1  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Solomon brings up an important truth. It is far better to know God from a young age, where the child's life can be shaped by God's eternal word. 

Time will pass as it always does, and a young child who does not learn to love God, will turn into an older person, who has great regrets over their wasted years. 

We are not our own and we have no right to govern ourselves (See 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). God made us and He is our Creator, Sustainer, and King. 

He made us so that we might be blessed and happy in this life, but we can only be blessed and happy when we walk with the Lord. 

God also preserves us. He provides our food, drink, clothing and shelter.  He gives us physical and mental skills, so that we can provide for our families and be productive people, as we love and serve Him.

God our Creator, made us capable of knowing, loving, and serving Him in this world, and of enjoying Him in heaven for ever. 

Children must remember that God is their Creator. 

Psalm 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

This is the starting point for all people. Many of our young people have been taught evolutionary theory as fact rather than a theory. 

If our young people think that this is true, they are going to automatically dismiss God. 

Therefore, Solomon hammered this point home. Young people need to know that God is their Creator. He is the source of all life. He sustains all life and governs all creation by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

Children must learn to make knowing God their highest priority.

Proverbs 8:17  I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Psalm 5:1-3   Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. 2)  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3)  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. 

This truth is repeated often in the Bible. seeking God early in the morning when we rise, is a worthy pursuit (See Psalm 57:8; 63:1; 90:14; Mark 1:35). 

Parents teaching their children about God is their highest priority.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

Parents have a solemn obligation from the Lord that they must fulfill. Each parent must commit to training up their children in the ways of God. 

Training up our children is not something that is optional. It is a command from God to all parents and even grandparents.

We must do this, for if we fail as parents or grandparents, someone else will train them up with the world's depraved views. 

Do you want a teacher or professor indoctrinating your children with vile Marxist ideology, or teaching them that sexual depravity is okay?

Parents themselves, must know the Lord and live a life of consistent obedience. 

If parents tell their children "This is how you should live" but they do not live that way, the kids will not listen. They will see through their parent's blatant hypocrisy. 

The purpose of training up our children is that they know and love God. 

Mark 12:29-31  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30)  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31)  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 

Although the law of God may seem very complex, since there are moral laws and ceremonial laws, it can be distilled into this.

First, is knowing that Jehovah is the One, True God of heaven and earth, so that we learn to love and serve Him with all our being. 

Second, is loving our neighbors (family, friends, co-workers, peers, even those who annoy us), as ourselves. 

Jesus is teaching us that if each Christian cared for others as we care for ourselves, all of the rest of God's moral law would be satisfied.  We simply would not do evil things to other people.

Thoughts to Ponder...

I was not born again until I was in my thirties, so I can sympathize with Solomon regretting his wasted years. 

I was one of those kids who grew up in a religious home. We went to church and I enjoyed it, but when we got home, life was not nice. 

My parents pointed us kids to God, but they did not live it out, and their hypocrisy turned us away from God for a long time.

As an older Christian, I can say that the best thing in life is knowing God as Creator, through repentant faith in Jesus Christ.

Knowing the Father through faith in His Son, is the greatest blessing we can experience in this life. 

May the words of the prophet Isaiah, encourage us and remind us of God our Creator.

Bob 

Isaiah 40:28-31  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29)  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30)  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31)  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.