Wisdom from Under the Sun

Life just wasn't what Solomon expected...

WISDOM

Solomon desired to know wisdom, madness and folly!
Ecclesiastes 1:17  And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
What he wanted was to know wisdom, unfortunately, it was worldly - earthy wisdom!

Nothing wavering!
Solomon can not be our example in asking for wisdom because he asked wrong:  James 1:5-8  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.   But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

That certainly is what Solomon turned out to be through all this - an unstable man
as he asked for wisdom AND madness AND folly!

Wisdom instead of God!
He was wanting wisdom instead of wanting to KNOW GOD!  If you get to KNOW GOD, you will have wisdom -  pure, peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  James 3:15-18

God Comes with Wisdom - HIS!
You can have a wisdom without knowing God, but it will be the wrong wisdom - an earthly, sensual, devilish full of envying and strife, confusion and every evil work type of wisdom!  James 3:15-18

People today want wisdom, but just the psychology of the world's wisdom, not God's!  I Corinthians 1:17-31  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:  That no flesh should glory in his presence.  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.   And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

I Corinthians 2:1-5  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

I Corinthians 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

I Corinthians 2:11-16: For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

everlearning, but...  II Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
believing a lie - II Thessalonians 2:11-13 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.   But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

And finally, note that Solomon DID find all that he was seeking - God did allow him to have just what he wanted:  wisdom, madness, folly - and he perceived it to be vanity and vexation of spirit.  His perception was correct, but if he had looked for Godly wisdom, He would not have perceived it as vanity and vexation of spirit!

Just like He will do again for the Tribulation - see Proverbs 1:24-33


Return to church main page