the story, part 13: solomon

The StorySolomon

God's upper story. God wants to be with us, and will pay

any price to make it so.

SOLOMON BECOMES KING

2 Chronicles 1:10 "Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this thy people, that is so great?"

BOOK OF PROVERBS

Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 That men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight,

BOOK OF PROVERBS3 receive instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 that prudence may be given to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth

BOOK OF PROVERBS5 the wise man also may hear and increase in learning, and the man of understanding acquire skill, 6 to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

BOOK OF PROVERBS7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

BOOK OF SONG OF SOLOMON

The bride:

Song of Songs 1:12 While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. 13 My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. 14 My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.

BOOK OF SONG OF SOLOMON

Solomon:

Song of Songs 1:15 How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. 16 How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. 17 The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.

BOOK OF SONG OF SOLOMON

Ecclesiastes 7:28 …which my mind has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

BOOK OF SONG OF SOLOMON

Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself."

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

…But behold, this also was vanity.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

2 I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

3 I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine - my mind still guiding me with wisdom

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

…and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few days of their life.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

4 I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house;

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

…I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces;

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

…I got singers, both men and women,…

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

…and many concubines, man's delight.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil.

LIFE UNDER THE SUN

Conclusion #1:

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

The "managed" life cannot fill my soul

LIFE UNDER THE SUN

Conclusion #2:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Meaning comes through acting in God's story

The StorySolomon