Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Father in heaven,
what a blessing it is
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to be in Your house.
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What a blessing it is
to have Your holy word.
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And Father, we realize
that our puny human minds
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cannot understand
the deep things of God.
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And for this
reason we ask You today
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for divine wisdom as
we open Your holy word.
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We ask that it will
not return unto You void.
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We thank You for
hearing our prayer
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for we ask it in
Jesus name, Amen.
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I invite you to turn
in your Bibles with me
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to 1 Kings Chapter
3, 1 Kings Chapter 3.
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Today we're going to
study the story of Solomon.
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And basically we're
going to see in our study
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that the life of Solomon
had three distinct stages.
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The first stage
of Solomon's life
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is the early years of his reign.
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The second stage is a
sad stage of his life.
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It's when he went astray
from the way of the Lord.
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And the final stage
is when he is an old man
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and once again he
returns to the ways of the Lord.
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So you can
consider Solomon's life
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like two mountain peaks
and in the middle a valley.
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But praise the Lord
that he started out on a peak
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and he ended up
on a peak as well.
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1 Kings 3:5 describes
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how God appears to
Solomon in an evening dream
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and God actually offers Solomon
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anything that he
wants before the asking.
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It says there "At Gibeon
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the Lord appeared to
Solomon in a dream by night,
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and God said, 'Ask!
What shall I give you?'"
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Now if God gave you that option
what would you ask for riches,
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money, a nice
home, a brand new car,
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a full
scholarship to go to school?
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If God had said to you
ask Me for whatever you want
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and I will give it to
you what would you ask for?
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Well, Solomon's request would
be considered strange today.
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Notice 3: 7-9.
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"Now, O Lord my God,
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You have made your servant
king instead of my father David,
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but I am a little child,
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I do not know how
to go out or come in.
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And Your servant is in
the midst of Your people
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whom You have
chosen, a great people,
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too numerous to be
numbered or counted.
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Therefore give to your
servant an understanding heart
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to judge your people,
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that I may discern
between good and evil.
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For who is able to judge
this great people of Yours?"
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Solomon asked God for wisdom,
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for understanding to distinguish
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between right and
wrong, to judge correctly.
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And we're told in verse 10
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that what Solomon
asked for pleased God.
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It says there, "The
speech pleased the Lord,
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that Solomon had
asked this thing."
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Does anyone lack wisdom,
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ask from God who
gives it abundantly.
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And so Solomon
asked God for wisdom,
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the ability to distinguish
between right and wrong
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to judge God's people,
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because he
considered himself a child.
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And so now God is gonna say
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I am going to give
you what you ask for,
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ask and you shall receive.
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Notice verses 11 to
13, "Then God said to him,
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'Because you
have asked this thing,
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and have not asked
long life for yourself,
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nor have asked
riches for yourself,
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nor have asked the
life of your enemies,
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but have asked for yourself
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understanding
to discern justice,
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behold, I have done
according to your words,
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see, I have given you a
wise and understanding heart,
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so that there has not been
anyone like you before you,
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nor shall any like
you arise after you.'"
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You have asked for a
wise and understanding heart
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to discriminate
between good and evil,
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to judge correctly
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and I have given you
what you have requested,
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what you had want.
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But you know what's interesting?
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God not only gave
Solomon what Solomon asked for,
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He also gave Solomon
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what he could have
asked for and didn't.
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Notice what we find
in verses 13 and 14,
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God says, "And I
have also given you
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what you have not
asked, both riches and honor,
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so that there shall
not be anyone like you
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among the kings all your days."
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It makes me think of that verse
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that we all know,
probably by memory.
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Matthew 6:33 we don't
even have to look it up.
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It says, "But seek
first the kingdom of God
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and His righteousness,
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and all these things
shall be added to you."
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Solomon asked
God for wisdom first
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and God said not only will
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I give you the
wisdom that you asked for
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but I'm also
gonna give you riches
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and honor as the added things.
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You see, when we put our
priorities in the right order,
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God not only asks us or gives us
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what we ask for
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but He also gives us
what we don't ask for,
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the added things.
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And believe me the wisdom
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that God gave to
Solomon was unbelievable.
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Notice what we
find in 1 Kings 4:29-34,
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and the wisdom
that God gave Solomon.
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It says there, "And
God gave Solomon wisdom
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and exceedingly
great understanding,
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and largeness of heart
like the sand on the seashore.
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Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled
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the wisdom of all
the men of the East
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and of all the wisdom of Egypt.
00:09:06.88\00:09:10.77
For he was wiser than all
men than Ethan the Ezrahite,
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and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda,
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the sons of Mahol,
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and his fame was in all
the surrounding nations.
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He spoke three
thousand proverbs,
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and his songs were
one thousand and five.
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Also he spoke of trees,
from the cedar three of Lebanon
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even to the hyssop that
springs out of the wall,
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he spoke also of animals,
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of birds, of
creeping things, and of fish."
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In other words he
not only became wise
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in the things of God,
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he also became wise
to lecture our nature.
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He saw the inner
most workings of nature,
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he understood God in nature.
00:10:00.39\00:10:03.24
And verse 34 says,
"And men of all nations,
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from all the kings of the earth
who had heard of his wisdom,
00:10:08.96\00:10:13.95
came to hear the
wisdom of Solomon."
00:10:13.98\00:10:19.05
Wow, wiser than the
men of all of the nations.
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God certainly gave
Solomon what he asked for.
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Notice chapter 10
and verses 23 and 24,
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amplifying this point
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about the wisdom
that God gave to Solomon.
00:10:33.39\00:10:36.13
It says there in
verse 23 of chapter 10,
00:10:36.16\00:10:41.14
"So King Solomon surpassed
00:10:41.17\00:10:45.53
all the kings of the
earth in riches and wisdom."
00:10:45.56\00:10:51.93
Now notice this,
"Now all the earth
00:10:51.96\00:10:54.58
sought the presence of
Solomon to hear his wisdom,
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which God had put in his heart."
00:11:00.32\00:11:04.56
Can you imagine,
everyone on earth
00:11:04.59\00:11:07.40
at that time wanting just to see
00:11:07.43\00:11:10.57
because the word presence here
can be also translated face,
00:11:10.60\00:11:14.77
actually people from all nations
00:11:14.80\00:11:17.57
wanting to just see
the face of Solomon.
00:11:17.60\00:11:22.62
Amazing, what
God gave this king.
00:11:22.65\00:11:27.89
But the question
immediately surfaces,
00:11:27.92\00:11:31.55
what exactly is the
wisdom that Solomon asked for?
00:11:31.58\00:11:38.07
What is wisdom?
00:11:38.10\00:11:41.08
Yes, it's the wisdom to
know how to judge correctly,
00:11:41.11\00:11:45.43
but more
specifically what is the wisdom,
00:11:45.46\00:11:48.73
what is the definition of
wisdom that Solomon asked for?
00:11:48.76\00:11:54.01
There are several texts
00:11:54.04\00:11:55.93
in the writings
of Solomon himself
00:11:55.96\00:11:59.12
that explain
what that wisdom is.
00:11:59.15\00:12:03.57
Notice Proverbs,
chapter 9 and verse 10,
00:12:03.60\00:12:07.19
Proverbs 9:10,
00:12:07.22\00:12:09.89
we know at least the
first part of this verse
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.06
but many times we
forget the second part
00:12:13.09\00:12:15.61
which is an
explanation of a first half.
00:12:15.64\00:12:18.63
It says there in Proverbs 9:10,
00:12:18.66\00:12:21.96
"The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom."
00:12:21.99\00:12:27.26
Which means that if you
don't have the fear of the Lord
00:12:27.29\00:12:29.39
you don't even have
the beginning of wisdom.
00:12:29.42\00:12:31.58
"The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom"
00:12:31.61\00:12:34.54
and then notice the
last half of the verse,
00:12:34.57\00:12:36.70
it says, "And the
knowledge of the Holy One
00:12:36.73\00:12:39.73
is understanding."
00:12:39.76\00:12:40.79
So you can interchange
wisdom and the fear of Lord.
00:12:40.82\00:12:47.27
Now, go with me to Proverbs
8 and verse 13, Proverbs 8:13,
00:12:47.30\00:12:53.92
what is this fear of the Lord
which is the same as wisdom?
00:12:53.95\00:12:57.15
It says, there in Proverbs
8:13, "The fear" listen to this,
00:12:57.18\00:13:02.19
"The fear of the
Lord is to," what?
00:13:02.22\00:13:05.66
"Is to hate evil"
pride and arrogance
00:13:05.69\00:13:12.53
"and the evil way and
the perverse mouth I hate."
00:13:12.56\00:13:16.85
What is the fear
of the Lord or wisdom?
00:13:16.88\00:13:19.02
It means to hate
what? It means to hate evil.
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Notice Job 28: 28,
00:13:23.61\00:13:27.26
now Job was written by
Moses but it's a same thought,
00:13:27.29\00:13:30.20
it says there in Job 28:28,
00:13:30.23\00:13:33.95
"And to man He said, 'Behold,
00:13:33.98\00:13:37.55
the fear of the
Lord, that is wisdom'"
00:13:37.58\00:13:41.67
and now we have the explanation
00:13:41.70\00:13:43.86
"And to depart from
evil is understanding.'"
00:13:43.89\00:13:48.97
Do you see that the fear
of the Lord which is wisdom
00:13:49.00\00:13:51.79
is the same thing
as departing from evil
00:13:51.82\00:13:54.74
which is understanding?
00:13:54.77\00:13:57.15
Notice also Psalm 111: 10,
00:13:57.18\00:14:01.06
Psalm 111:10,
00:14:01.09\00:14:05.52
it says there,
"The fear of the Lord
00:14:05.55\00:14:08.72
is the beginning of wisdom."
00:14:08.75\00:14:10.93
and now notice,
00:14:10.96\00:14:13.69
"A good
understanding have all those
00:14:13.72\00:14:17.26
who do His commandments."
00:14:17.29\00:14:20.59
What is the fear of the Lord?
00:14:20.62\00:14:22.07
What is wisdom? It
means to hate evil.
00:14:22.10\00:14:25.06
And it means to do what?
To do God's commandments.
00:14:25.09\00:14:31.48
In a nutshell the
biblical concept of wisdom is
00:14:31.51\00:14:36.46
that wisdom is the divine gift
00:14:36.49\00:14:40.08
that gives man the capacity
00:14:40.11\00:14:42.68
to distinguish
between good and evil
00:14:42.71\00:14:46.67
and to choose the good
and to reject the evil.
00:14:46.70\00:14:52.07
In other words, the
ability to discriminate
00:14:52.10\00:14:54.34
or distinguish
between good and evil
00:14:54.37\00:14:57.16
and the capacity to choose
the good and to reject the evil.
00:14:57.19\00:15:04.01
You know it's
interesting to notice
00:15:04.04\00:15:05.48
that immediately
after this episode
00:15:05.51\00:15:07.29
where Solomon
asked God for wisdom
00:15:07.32\00:15:09.22
and God gave him
wisdom plus the added things.
00:15:09.25\00:15:12.89
A case came before Solomon
00:15:12.92\00:15:15.21
which demanded the wisdom
that God had given to him.
00:15:15.24\00:15:19.67
It says, in 1 Kings
Chapter 3 the two mothers
00:15:19.70\00:15:22.59
came to the king for judgment,
00:15:22.62\00:15:25.55
one of them have rolled
over on her baby at night
00:15:25.58\00:15:28.17
and it suffocated him and while
the other mother was sleeping
00:15:28.20\00:15:32.06
she took the
other mothers live baby
00:15:32.09\00:15:35.16
and put it next to
her and her dead baby
00:15:35.19\00:15:37.39
she put next to
the other mother.
00:15:37.42\00:15:39.68
And now they came to
the king for the judgment
00:15:39.71\00:15:42.04
so that the king would decide
00:15:42.07\00:15:43.52
to whom the baby
belonged, the live baby.
00:15:43.55\00:15:47.68
Now how would you have decided,
00:15:47.71\00:15:49.40
there were no DNA
tests back then, folks?
00:15:49.43\00:15:53.25
The king had to
exercise wisdom in judgment.
00:15:53.28\00:15:56.47
Deciding who was
right and who was wrong,
00:15:56.50\00:15:58.83
what was good and what was evil?
00:15:58.86\00:16:00.91
And so the king he
says to his soldier,
00:16:00.94\00:16:03.05
come here bring your sword,
00:16:03.08\00:16:04.88
I want you to cut
this baby in two pieces
00:16:04.91\00:16:07.08
give half of the
baby to one of the woman
00:16:07.11\00:16:09.17
and half of the
baby to the other
00:16:09.20\00:16:11.10
and problem solved.
00:16:11.13\00:16:15.20
And the mother, the
real mother of the child said
00:16:15.23\00:16:17.58
no, no, don't
do it, don't do it.
00:16:17.61\00:16:21.35
Give the baby to
the other mother,
00:16:21.38\00:16:24.18
even though it wasn't hers.
00:16:24.21\00:16:27.04
But the other mother
said no, cut him in half
00:16:27.07\00:16:29.56
and give us half and half.
00:16:29.59\00:16:33.10
The king knew that
only a mother's heart
00:16:33.13\00:16:35.90
would be willing to give up
a baby to preserve his life.
00:16:35.93\00:16:40.47
So we have an example of him,
00:16:40.50\00:16:42.65
employing the wisdom of God
00:16:42.68\00:16:44.72
to distinguish
between good and evil,
00:16:44.75\00:16:46.50
between right and
wrong in judgment.
00:16:46.53\00:16:50.41
But the wisdom that God
gave Solomon was conditional.
00:16:50.44\00:16:55.52
Notice 1 Kings 3:14,
00:16:55.55\00:17:00.19
it says there, "So
if you walk in My ways,"
00:17:00.22\00:17:04.46
notice there's a big if there,
00:17:04.49\00:17:06.80
"If you walk in My ways,
00:17:06.83\00:17:09.25
to keep My statues
and My commandments,"
00:17:09.28\00:17:14.26
which is wisdom we notice,
00:17:14.29\00:17:15.57
to keep the
commandments to reject evil,
00:17:15.60\00:17:17.58
that is wisdom.
00:17:17.61\00:17:19.19
"So if you walk in My ways,
00:17:19.22\00:17:20.51
to keep My statues
and My commandments,
00:17:20.54\00:17:23.09
as your father David walked,
then I will lengthen your days."
00:17:23.12\00:17:29.69
Do you know that God
actually gave Solomon
00:17:29.72\00:17:31.97
a way to retain his wisdom?
00:17:32.00\00:17:35.80
Do you know that when
a king of Israel began
00:17:35.83\00:17:37.88
reigning or began to rule,
00:17:37.91\00:17:41.48
they were given a
copy of the book of the law
00:17:41.51\00:17:44.53
which is the book of Deuteronomy
00:17:44.56\00:17:46.78
which is an amplification
of the Ten Commandments
00:17:46.81\00:17:49.42
in real life situations,
00:17:49.45\00:17:52.03
and the king was
to carry this with him
00:17:52.06\00:17:54.63
all the days of his life,
00:17:54.66\00:17:56.71
he was to read from it everyday
00:17:56.74\00:17:59.37
and when special difficult cases
00:17:59.40\00:18:01.54
came before him
he was to consult
00:18:01.57\00:18:04.22
the Book of
Revelation which was his wisdom.
00:18:04.25\00:18:08.80
Notice how this is
found in Deuteronomy 17:18-20,
00:18:08.83\00:18:13.58
God gave Solomon a
way to retain his wisdom
00:18:13.61\00:18:16.57
it was by consulting the Lord
00:18:16.60\00:18:19.02
understanding
the way of the Lord,
00:18:19.05\00:18:20.83
understanding the
scriptures of the Lord.
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.73
In other words,
keeping intoned with the Lord,
00:18:23.76\00:18:26.32
it wasn't his riches,
00:18:26.35\00:18:27.57
it wasn't his
power, it wasn't his fame.
00:18:27.60\00:18:30.51
Notice Deuteronomy
17:18-20, "Also it shall be,
00:18:30.54\00:18:37.30
when he sits on the
throne of his kingdom,
00:18:37.33\00:18:40.14
that he shall write for himself
00:18:40.17\00:18:41.87
a copy of this law in a book,"
it's the book of Deuteronomy.
00:18:41.90\00:18:45.77
"From the one before
the priest the Levites."
00:18:45.80\00:18:48.80
In other words
there was an original copy
00:18:48.83\00:18:50.40
he was read, he was to copy it.
00:18:50.43\00:18:52.93
"And it shall be with him
00:18:52.96\00:18:55.02
and he shall read it
all the days of his life,
00:18:55.05\00:18:58.56
that he may learn to
fear the Lord his God
00:18:58.59\00:19:01.53
and be careful to observe
all the words of this law
00:19:01.56\00:19:04.84
and the statues that his heart
00:19:04.87\00:19:07.81
may not be lifted
above his brethren
00:19:07.84\00:19:10.20
that he may not turn
aside from the commandment
00:19:10.23\00:19:12.62
to the right
hand or to the left,
00:19:12.65\00:19:14.38
and that he may prolong
his days in his kingdom,
00:19:14.41\00:19:17.17
he and his children
in the midst of Israel."
00:19:17.20\00:19:20.76
In other words, the
wisdom was contingent on reading
00:19:20.79\00:19:25.23
and assimilating
the message of God
00:19:25.26\00:19:27.70
as it was found in the book.
00:19:27.73\00:19:31.94
Unfortunately,
the life of Solomon
00:19:31.97\00:19:35.44
had a second very sad stage.
00:19:35.47\00:19:40.69
You see God had warned Solomon
00:19:40.72\00:19:43.85
and the kings of
Israel of two grave dangerous.
00:19:43.88\00:19:49.95
Number one, trusting in riches,
00:19:49.98\00:19:56.43
and number two,
00:19:56.46\00:19:57.89
forming unholy
alliances with world links.
00:19:57.92\00:20:05.13
Notice Deuteronomy 8:18
and this book which Solomon
00:20:05.16\00:20:09.24
would have had
because he copied it,
00:20:09.27\00:20:11.43
it says there in verse 18,
00:20:11.46\00:20:13.53
"And you shall
remember the Lord your God,
00:20:13.56\00:20:17.61
for it is He who gives
you power to get wealth,
00:20:17.64\00:20:22.14
that He may
establish His covenant
00:20:22.17\00:20:24.23
which he swore to your fathers,
00:20:24.26\00:20:26.06
as it is this day."
00:20:26.09\00:20:29.29
In other words,
remember that it's God
00:20:29.32\00:20:31.16
who give you riches
don't focus on the riches.
00:20:31.19\00:20:35.49
By the way immediately
00:20:35.52\00:20:36.87
before Solomon went
astray from the Lord,
00:20:36.90\00:20:40.61
we find a statement
about his yearly income.
00:20:40.64\00:20:45.07
1 Kings 10:14, 15.
00:20:45.10\00:20:49.17
Notice what the yearly
income of his kingdom was,
00:20:49.20\00:20:52.48
immediately before it
speaks about his apostasy.
00:20:52.51\00:20:56.97
It says in 1 Kings 10:14,
00:20:57.00\00:21:00.76
"The weight of gold
that came to Solomon yearly,"
00:21:00.79\00:21:05.39
this is a very
interesting number,
00:21:05.42\00:21:07.03
"that came to Solomon
yearly was six hundred
00:21:07.06\00:21:09.82
and sixty-six talents of gold."
00:21:09.85\00:21:12.95
Interesting,
00:21:16.26\00:21:19.06
and in that's only
the tip of the ice berg,
00:21:19.09\00:21:21.08
"Besides that from
the traveling merchants,
00:21:21.11\00:21:23.31
from the income of traders,
from all the kings of Arabia
00:21:23.34\00:21:26.75
and from the
governors of the country."
00:21:26.78\00:21:29.55
He was definitely rich.
00:21:29.58\00:21:33.59
But immediately after
this we are told that he came
00:21:33.62\00:21:35.89
to depend upon his riches
00:21:35.92\00:21:39.29
and its one thing
that led him astray
00:21:39.32\00:21:41.13
from God material
possessions and richest.
00:21:41.16\00:21:45.75
The other thing
that led Solomon astray
00:21:45.78\00:21:48.11
were his unholy alliances
with the surrounding nations.
00:21:48.14\00:21:53.03
Notice 1 Kings 11: 1- 5,
00:21:53.06\00:21:55.91
by the way in the
Book of Deuteronomy
00:21:55.94\00:21:57.40
the book that he
would have carried around,
00:21:57.43\00:21:59.09
God forbade the kings of Israel
00:21:59.12\00:22:01.45
from following
alliances with the nations
00:22:01.48\00:22:03.56
and for marrying the
women from other nations.
00:22:03.59\00:22:07.10
So Solomon would
have had that in his book
00:22:07.13\00:22:10.32
that he carried around,
that he copies from the original
00:22:10.35\00:22:12.95
that the Levites had.
00:22:12.98\00:22:14.54
It says in 1 Kings 11:1-5,
00:22:14.57\00:22:17.82
"King Solomon
loved many foreign women,
00:22:17.85\00:22:23.23
as well as the
daughter of Pharaoh,
00:22:23.26\00:22:25.45
women of the Moabites,
Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians,
00:22:25.48\00:22:29.86
and Hittites from
the nations of whom
00:22:29.89\00:22:33.15
the Lord had said to
the children of Israel,
00:22:33.18\00:22:35.35
'You shall not
intermarry with them,
00:22:35.38\00:22:39.30
nor they with you.
00:22:39.33\00:22:41.35
Surely they will turn away
your hearts after their gods.'
00:22:41.38\00:22:45.87
Solomon clung to these in love.
00:22:45.90\00:22:49.08
And he had seven
hundred wives, princesses,
00:22:49.11\00:22:52.70
and three hundred concubines,"
00:22:52.73\00:22:55.36
that's a thousand, folks.
00:22:55.39\00:23:00.67
Wow, and many of
these he did not live with,
00:23:00.70\00:23:03.53
they were just because of
alliances with other kings
00:23:03.56\00:23:06.88
they gave the
king their daughters.
00:23:06.91\00:23:10.66
And of course,
Solomon reasoned he said,
00:23:10.69\00:23:12.58
see if I form these
alliances with these nations,
00:23:12.61\00:23:15.05
these nations will
come and contact with Israel
00:23:15.08\00:23:17.60
and they will be
converted to God.
00:23:17.63\00:23:20.95
I can even adopt some of
their customs of these nations
00:23:20.98\00:23:24.83
and that will make them feel
more comfortable with Israel
00:23:24.86\00:23:28.05
and then we can share
with them the God of Israel.
00:23:28.08\00:23:31.95
And he felt the
same about these women,
00:23:31.98\00:23:33.83
if I bring these
women into Jerusalem
00:23:33.86\00:23:36.35
they're going to come to
knowledge of the true God
00:23:36.38\00:23:38.66
and they're going
to accept the true God.
00:23:38.69\00:23:40.61
Well, the fact is that it
worked the other way around.
00:23:40.64\00:23:46.02
It says then "And he
had seven hundred wives,
00:23:46.05\00:23:48.87
princesses, and
three hundred concubines
00:23:48.90\00:23:51.30
and his wives
turned away his heart.
00:23:51.33\00:23:54.65
For it was so,
when Solomon was old,
00:23:54.68\00:23:57.12
that his wives turned
his heart after other gods,
00:23:57.15\00:24:01.39
and his heart was not
loyal to the Lord his God,
00:24:01.42\00:24:04.25
as was the heart
of his father David."
00:24:04.28\00:24:09.12
There's an interesting
comment by Ellen White
00:24:09.15\00:24:11.04
in Prophets and Kings, page 53
00:24:11.07\00:24:13.60
which I would
like to read you about
00:24:13.63\00:24:15.99
what happened with Solomon.
00:24:16.02\00:24:19.49
She says as inclination
00:24:19.52\00:24:22.42
gains the
ascendancy over reason.
00:24:22.45\00:24:28.47
We preach a
whole sermon on that.
00:24:28.50\00:24:31.36
"As inclination"
that there is impulses
00:24:31.39\00:24:35.43
"gained the
ascendancy over reason,
00:24:35.46\00:24:37.44
self-confidence increased."
00:24:37.47\00:24:40.17
Look at all my riches,
00:24:40.20\00:24:41.50
look at all my
power, look at all my fame.
00:24:41.53\00:24:46.23
"and he sought to carry out
00:24:46.26\00:24:47.72
the Lord's
purpose in his own way.
00:24:47.75\00:24:51.83
He reasoned," listen to this,
00:24:51.86\00:24:54.04
"he reasoned that political
and commercial alliances
00:24:54.07\00:24:58.31
with the surrounding nations
would bring these nations
00:24:58.34\00:25:01.69
to a knowledge of the true God,
00:25:01.72\00:25:04.87
and he entered
into unholy alliance
00:25:04.90\00:25:08.24
with nation after nation.
00:25:08.27\00:25:11.05
Often these alliances
were sealed by marriages
00:25:11.08\00:25:14.23
with Hittites princesses,
the commands of Jehovah
00:25:14.26\00:25:17.90
were set aside for the customs
of the surrounds peoples.
00:25:17.93\00:25:25.86
Is it just possible that today
the same could happen with us
00:25:25.89\00:25:29.96
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:25:29.99\00:25:32.47
that we begin
adopting worldly music
00:25:32.50\00:25:35.95
and worldly entertainment
and worldly practices
00:25:35.98\00:25:40.47
and perhaps even adopt
certain things into our schools
00:25:40.50\00:25:44.26
because we feel that they were,
00:25:44.29\00:25:46.03
that these things,
adopting these things
00:25:46.06\00:25:47.99
will make our
church more popular
00:25:48.02\00:25:51.30
and attract
people to our church?
00:25:51.33\00:25:54.12
I believe that is
not only a possibility
00:25:54.15\00:25:56.80
but it is happening.
00:25:56.83\00:25:59.46
You see God said be not
unevenly yoked with unbelievers.
00:25:59.49\00:26:05.96
Don't adopt their practices,
don't adopt their customs,
00:26:05.99\00:26:10.93
don't become linked with them.
00:26:10.96\00:26:13.69
Yes, you'll reach
out to them in evangelism
00:26:13.72\00:26:16.71
but do not allow
them to infiltrate you
00:26:16.74\00:26:19.59
with their customs
and their practices.
00:26:19.62\00:26:24.42
And so Solomon
gradually slid into apostasy.
00:26:24.45\00:26:30.83
The apostasy
didn't happen over night.
00:26:30.86\00:26:34.12
It was a slow, gradual
almost imperceptible process
00:26:34.15\00:26:41.54
where he lowered his
God and he forgot the source
00:26:41.57\00:26:45.38
of his wisdom and prosperity.
00:26:45.41\00:26:49.22
Same thing happened to Solomon
00:26:49.25\00:26:50.86
as what is
described in the book,
00:26:50.89\00:26:52.70
Creeping
Compromise by Joe Crews.
00:26:52.73\00:26:57.09
Solomon later referred
to this as little foxes
00:26:57.12\00:27:01.50
that spoil the vines
00:27:01.53\00:27:03.72
letting down the
God in little things,
00:27:03.75\00:27:06.50
things that were
considered insignificant.
00:27:06.53\00:27:09.17
Lowering the
standards just a little bit
00:27:09.20\00:27:11.53
to make the world
links feel comfortable
00:27:11.56\00:27:14.52
within the realm of the remnant.
00:27:14.55\00:27:19.02
I like the way
Ellen White describes
00:27:19.05\00:27:20.59
this gradual
sliding into apostasy.
00:27:20.62\00:27:23.62
Prophets and Kings, page 55,
00:27:23.65\00:27:25.98
this is how she describes it,
00:27:26.01\00:27:28.19
"So gradual," I want you
to notice the terminology,
00:27:28.22\00:27:32.49
"So gradual was
Solomon's apostasy
00:27:32.52\00:27:37.28
that before he was aware of it,
00:27:37.31\00:27:39.46
he had wandered far from God.
00:27:39.49\00:27:43.90
Almost imperceptibly"
you noticed the word gradual?
00:27:43.93\00:27:48.21
Now, she says,
"Almost imperceptibly,
00:27:48.24\00:27:51.28
he began to trust less
and less" not all overnight,
00:27:51.31\00:27:56.53
he trusted and then
didn't trust overnight, no.
00:27:56.56\00:27:59.16
It says, "He began
to trust less and less
00:27:59.19\00:28:02.36
in divine guidance and blessing,
00:28:02.39\00:28:04.26
and to put
confidence in his own strength.
00:28:04.29\00:28:08.21
Little by little
00:28:08.24\00:28:11.23
he withheld from God
that unswerving obedience
00:28:11.26\00:28:14.23
which was to make
Israel a peculiar people,
00:28:14.26\00:28:17.74
and he conformed more and more
00:28:17.77\00:28:22.27
closely to the customs
of the surrounding nations.
00:28:22.30\00:28:26.65
Yielding to the temptations
incident to his success
00:28:26.68\00:28:30.62
and his honored position,
00:28:30.65\00:28:32.62
he forgot the
Source of his prosperity."
00:28:32.65\00:28:38.42
Do notice the
expressions gradual,
00:28:38.45\00:28:40.30
almost
imperceptibly, less and less,
00:28:40.33\00:28:42.84
little by little, more and more.
00:28:42.87\00:28:46.26
Apostasy does not
happen over night.
00:28:46.29\00:28:49.86
It happens as a process
00:28:49.89\00:28:51.40
while we start
lowering the standards,
00:28:51.43\00:28:53.97
lowering the bar
that God had established
00:28:54.00\00:28:57.97
and eventually
were so far out there
00:28:58.00\00:29:01.76
that we don't even realize it
until many times it's too late.
00:29:01.79\00:29:08.70
Solomon had a
tremendous change in his life.
00:29:08.73\00:29:12.94
Allow me to read you, in
fact he became a hedonist,
00:29:12.97\00:29:16.89
he became a
playboy if you please.
00:29:16.92\00:29:21.13
He adopted the
philosophy of life,
00:29:21.16\00:29:22.88
"Eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die."
00:29:22.91\00:29:27.95
He said so himself.
00:29:27.98\00:29:30.52
Notice how Ellen White describes
00:29:30.55\00:29:32.74
Solomon in the second
stage of his existence.
00:29:32.77\00:29:35.86
This is Prophets
and Kings, page 58,
00:29:35.89\00:29:38.52
she says, "From being
one of the greatest kings
00:29:38.55\00:29:40.93
that ever wielded a scepter,
Solomon became a profligate."
00:29:40.96\00:29:47.43
What is a
profligate Pastor Jenson?
00:29:47.46\00:29:52.07
Degenerate, could
use that word, right?
00:29:52.10\00:29:56.80
She continues saying,
00:29:56.83\00:29:58.45
"Solomon became a profligate
the tool and slave of others.
00:29:58.48\00:30:05.77
His character,
once noble and manly,
00:30:05.80\00:30:09.89
became
enervated and effeminate."
00:30:09.92\00:30:15.25
You know what
that word means, right?
00:30:15.28\00:30:19.39
"His faith in
the living God was,"
00:30:19.42\00:30:21.77
now listen to this,
"His faith in the living God
00:30:21.80\00:30:24.34
was supplanted
by atheistic doubts.
00:30:24.37\00:30:30.04
He even to the point where he is
doubting the existence of God,
00:30:30.07\00:30:34.77
she continues saying,
"Unbelief marred his happiness,
00:30:34.80\00:30:39.19
weakened his principles,
and degraded his life.
00:30:39.22\00:30:42.99
The justice and magnanimity
of his early reign were changed
00:30:43.02\00:30:47.82
to despotism and tyranny."
00:30:47.85\00:30:53.11
So happens when step by
step you abandon the standards
00:30:53.14\00:30:57.21
that God has
established in His holy work
00:30:57.24\00:31:01.36
it eventually leads
down the road to ruin.
00:31:01.39\00:31:05.72
And so Solomon
adopted a playboy philosophy,
00:31:05.75\00:31:08.51
he lived for
pleasure and for comforts.
00:31:08.54\00:31:12.52
He did not deny
himself absolutely anything.
00:31:12.55\00:31:17.37
His philosophy
by his own admission
00:31:17.40\00:31:19.50
was "eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die."
00:31:19.53\00:31:24.90
Let's read some verses
where Solomon describes
00:31:24.93\00:31:28.57
his philosophy of
life during this period.
00:31:28.60\00:31:31.30
Ecclesiastes Chapter 2,
00:31:31.33\00:31:33.34
all of these will
be from Ecclesiastes,
00:31:33.37\00:31:35.36
Ecclesiastes 2:8,
00:31:35.39\00:31:37.97
notice how Solomon
is describing his life.
00:31:38.00\00:31:40.18
You know, it
doesn't really sound like
00:31:40.21\00:31:41.52
someone who is committed to God,
00:31:41.55\00:31:43.03
it almost
sounds like a humanist.
00:31:43.06\00:31:47.62
He says, "I also
gathered for myself
00:31:47.65\00:31:50.44
silver and gold
00:31:50.47\00:31:53.21
and the special
treasures of kings
00:31:53.24\00:31:55.76
and of the princess.
00:31:55.79\00:31:57.57
I acquired male
and female singers,
00:31:57.60\00:32:00.77
the delights of the sons of men
00:32:00.80\00:32:02.94
and musical
instruments of all kinds."
00:32:02.97\00:32:05.71
In other words,
now he is into music
00:32:05.74\00:32:08.80
and he's into
dancing, he's into partying
00:32:08.83\00:32:12.08
as we're gonna see in a moment.
00:32:12.11\00:32:13.37
Notice 5:18, he says
this, "Here is what I have seen.
00:32:13.40\00:32:20.98
It is good and fitting
for one to eat and drink,
00:32:21.01\00:32:27.04
and to enjoy the
good of all his labor
00:32:27.07\00:32:29.33
in which he toils under the
sun all the days of his life
00:32:29.36\00:32:34.32
which God gives him,
for it is his heritage."
00:32:34.35\00:32:39.91
So according to him what
is the philosophy of life?
00:32:39.94\00:32:42.90
It is fitting to eat and drink
00:32:42.93\00:32:45.15
and to enjoy the
good of all his labor
00:32:45.18\00:32:48.62
in which he toils under the sun.
00:32:48.65\00:32:51.43
Ecclesiastes 8:15.
00:32:51.46\00:32:54.80
This doesn't even
sound like a Christian.
00:32:54.83\00:32:56.44
It doesn't even sound
like somebody committed to God.
00:32:56.47\00:32:59.21
He says, "So I
commanded enjoyment,
00:32:59.24\00:33:02.97
because a man has nothing better
00:33:03.00\00:33:05.44
under the sun than to
eat, drink, and be merry,
00:33:05.47\00:33:11.14
for this will remain
with him in his labor
00:33:11.17\00:33:13.86
all the days of his life
00:33:13.89\00:33:15.63
which God gives
him under the sun."
00:33:15.66\00:33:19.83
In 2:10, 11, Solomon describes
00:33:19.86\00:33:24.37
even more
vividly his philosophy.
00:33:24.40\00:33:27.19
Ecclesiastes 2:10, he
says, "Whatever my eyes desired
00:33:27.22\00:33:34.59
I did not keep from
them," did you notice that?
00:33:34.62\00:33:42.39
"Whatever my eyes
desired I did not keep from them
00:33:42.42\00:33:46.29
I did not withhold my
heart from any pleasure,
00:33:46.32\00:33:50.24
for my heart
rejoiced in all my labor,
00:33:50.27\00:33:53.19
and this was my
reward from all my labor."
00:33:53.22\00:33:58.18
And then notice what he says,
00:33:58.21\00:33:59.38
"Then I looked on
all the works of my hands
00:33:59.41\00:34:02.03
that I had done and on the labor
00:34:02.06\00:34:05.21
in which I had toiled
00:34:05.24\00:34:06.84
and indeed all was vanity
and grasping for the wind.
00:34:06.87\00:34:11.20
There was no
profit under the sun."
00:34:11.23\00:34:15.26
Eat drink and merry
for tomorrow we die,
00:34:15.29\00:34:18.13
don't deny to your eyes
anything that is enjoyable.
00:34:18.16\00:34:21.66
Have a good
party all of the time.
00:34:21.69\00:34:25.66
That doesn't sound like a
Christian philosophy of life,
00:34:25.69\00:34:28.69
should it even be in
the Book of Ecclesiastes
00:34:28.72\00:34:32.64
a book that is
found in scripture.
00:34:32.67\00:34:35.65
How far did Solomon
actually go from God?
00:34:35.68\00:34:40.66
In Review and
Herald February 8, 1906
00:34:40.69\00:34:44.56
we find this
remark by Ellen White
00:34:44.59\00:34:46.81
about Solomon's apostasy.
00:34:46.84\00:34:49.24
She says, "Solomon's
apostasy was so complete,
00:34:49.27\00:34:54.20
his heart became so
hardened in transgression,
00:34:54.23\00:34:59.44
that his case
seemed well-nigh hopeless."
00:34:59.47\00:35:04.96
You know, Solomon
wrote the Book of Proverbs
00:35:09.11\00:35:13.25
as one who knows what it's
like to live out in the world,
00:35:13.28\00:35:18.99
what it means to be a humanist,
00:35:19.02\00:35:22.29
what it means to
have that philosophy
00:35:22.32\00:35:24.30
eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die.
00:35:24.33\00:35:28.63
He's not some philosopher
speaking from an ivory tower.
00:35:28.66\00:35:31.80
The Book of
Proverbs all of the counsels
00:35:31.83\00:35:33.84
that we have are
the voice of experience,
00:35:33.87\00:35:37.20
his experience.
00:35:37.23\00:35:39.04
He knows what
he's talking about,
00:35:39.07\00:35:41.35
because he says I
went through this myself.
00:35:41.38\00:35:45.62
I thank the Lord
that the life of Solomon
00:35:45.65\00:35:49.30
had a third stage.
00:35:49.33\00:35:51.36
Wouldn't it be
depressing and sad
00:35:51.39\00:35:52.91
to have the life of Solomon
00:35:52.94\00:35:54.54
and in this condition
of apostasy against God?
00:35:54.57\00:35:59.52
We're told that when
Solomon was an old man
00:35:59.55\00:36:03.18
he had wasted the
best years of his life
00:36:03.21\00:36:07.41
when he
could've served the Lord.
00:36:07.44\00:36:10.09
At the end of his
life he came back to God.
00:36:10.12\00:36:14.97
God is relentless.
00:36:15.00\00:36:17.24
You know, God
doesn't give up on anyone.
00:36:17.27\00:36:19.04
This is one of the lessons
00:36:19.07\00:36:20.59
that we should learn
from the life of Solomon
00:36:20.62\00:36:22.71
is that God will
pursue us through the end.
00:36:22.74\00:36:27.57
Let's talk a little bit about
00:36:27.60\00:36:28.74
the third stage of
the life of Solomon.
00:36:28.77\00:36:32.96
There's a very
interesting book in the Bible
00:36:32.99\00:36:35.13
which perhaps many
people don't study very much,
00:36:35.16\00:36:38.09
it's the Book of Ecclesiastes.
00:36:38.12\00:36:41.52
Do you know that this
was one of our last books
00:36:41.55\00:36:43.27
to be accepted
as part of scripture
00:36:43.30\00:36:45.11
in the Old
Testament canon by the Jews?
00:36:45.14\00:36:48.84
There were three
books that they left
00:36:48.87\00:36:50.47
till the very last to accept
this part of biblical canon.
00:36:50.50\00:36:52.86
One was Esther
because it doesn't mention
00:36:52.89\00:36:54.47
the name of God.
00:36:54.50\00:36:55.72
Another was the Song of Solomon
00:36:55.75\00:36:57.26
because it's kind of
erotic in some places
00:36:57.29\00:37:00.78
and the third is
the Book of Ecclesiastes
00:37:00.81\00:37:04.30
because you read Ecclesiastes
00:37:04.33\00:37:06.13
and it appears
to be pessimistic.
00:37:06.16\00:37:10.57
It breathes existential
pessimism and desperation.
00:37:10.60\00:37:14.83
It doesn't seem to have
the philosophy of the life
00:37:14.86\00:37:17.51
that the rest of
the Old Testament has.
00:37:17.54\00:37:19.66
And therefore
the Jewish scholars
00:37:19.69\00:37:22.52
who were under divine guidance
00:37:22.55\00:37:24.90
determined the Old
Testament canon weren't sure
00:37:24.93\00:37:27.62
whether Ecclesiastes
should even be in scripture.
00:37:27.65\00:37:31.26
In fact the key word in
this book is the word vanity.
00:37:31.29\00:37:34.60
It's used over 35 times in
this small book of 12 chapters.
00:37:34.63\00:37:40.21
The word vanity simply
means vapor, or breath.
00:37:40.24\00:37:46.13
How many of you have
ever tried to grab a vapor?
00:37:46.16\00:37:50.26
How many of you have
ever tried to grasp a breath?
00:37:50.29\00:37:55.25
By the way the name
Abel is the same Hebrew word.
00:37:55.28\00:38:00.53
The name Abel
means breath or vapor.
00:38:00.56\00:38:06.77
The life of Abel evaporated
00:38:06.80\00:38:08.98
and it appeared like
there wasn't gonna be
00:38:09.01\00:38:10.45
any justice although we knew--
00:38:10.48\00:38:12.22
we know that there was
going to be and there will be.
00:38:12.25\00:38:17.36
The Hebrew word
hebel translated vanity
00:38:17.39\00:38:22.16
means something
temporary, something transitory,
00:38:22.19\00:38:25.86
something that is
empty, something illusory,
00:38:25.89\00:38:29.23
something that has
absolutely no substance.
00:38:29.26\00:38:35.13
And the word is
used over 35 times
00:38:35.16\00:38:38.30
and it's interesting to
notice how Solomon uses it,
00:38:38.33\00:38:41.39
when he uses it, it
doesn't appear to square
00:38:41.42\00:38:43.89
with the Christian
philosophy of life.
00:38:43.92\00:38:47.05
Notice Ecclesiastes 1:1, 2.
00:38:47.08\00:38:50.82
Let's read several verses,
where he speaks about vanity
00:38:50.85\00:38:55.43
and you tell me
if this sounds like
00:38:55.46\00:38:56.80
a Christian philosophy of life.
00:38:56.83\00:38:58.69
It says there, "The
words of the preacher
00:38:58.72\00:39:01.72
the son of David,
king in Jerusalem.
00:39:01.75\00:39:05.21
'Vanity of
vanities,' says the preacher,
00:39:05.24\00:39:07.90
'Vanity of
vanities, all is vanity.'"
00:39:07.93\00:39:11.05
Would you agree
that all is vanity?
00:39:11.08\00:39:14.97
Would you agree as
Christians that all is a vapor
00:39:15.00\00:39:17.81
and all is
meaningless and all is empty?
00:39:17.84\00:39:20.75
Of course not.
00:39:20.78\00:39:22.36
Notice 1:14, Solomon says,
00:39:22.39\00:39:25.32
"I have seen all the works
that are done under the sun
00:39:25.35\00:39:29.00
and indeed all is vanity,
and grasping for the wind."
00:39:29.03\00:39:33.60
In other words, he's
saying life is empty,
00:39:33.63\00:39:35.27
life is meaningless.
00:39:35.30\00:39:37.38
I've seen what life is like,
it's like grasping for the wind.
00:39:37.41\00:39:40.50
How many of you have
been able to grab the wind?
00:39:40.53\00:39:42.56
Ecclesiastes 2:11, Solomon says,
00:39:44.54\00:39:48.99
"Then I looked on
all the works of my hands
00:39:49.02\00:39:51.49
that my hands had done
00:39:51.52\00:39:53.44
and under labor
in which I had toiled
00:39:53.47\00:39:56.47
and indeed all was
vanity and grasping for wind,
00:39:56.50\00:40:00.34
there was no profit under sun."
00:40:00.37\00:40:03.45
He says I looked at life
and life was meaningless,
00:40:03.48\00:40:06.00
empty, a vapor.
00:40:06.03\00:40:10.57
Life was absurd.
00:40:10.60\00:40:14.18
That doesn't sound like a
Christian philosophy of life.
00:40:14.21\00:40:17.66
And then in verse 17
00:40:17.69\00:40:18.86
we're told that Solomon
actually contemplated suicide.
00:40:18.89\00:40:23.34
It says there in verse 17,
00:40:23.37\00:40:25.63
"Therefore I hated life
because the work that was done
00:40:25.66\00:40:31.23
under the sun was
distressing to me,
00:40:31.26\00:40:33.53
for all is vanity and
grasping for the wind."
00:40:33.56\00:40:38.25
You read Ecclesiastes
it's a book of pessimism,
00:40:38.28\00:40:41.25
anxiety,
depression and desperation.
00:40:41.28\00:40:45.79
According to many
portions of the book
00:40:45.82\00:40:47.55
life is meaningless and absurd.
00:40:47.58\00:40:52.82
It does not square with the rest
00:40:52.85\00:40:54.91
of the Old Testament
and the meaning of life.
00:40:54.94\00:40:59.76
Notice Ecclesiastes 8:14, 15.
00:40:59.79\00:41:04.12
Here Solomon once again
describes things in a way
00:41:04.15\00:41:06.96
which you know
don't really make sense
00:41:06.99\00:41:09.73
within a Christian lifestyle,
a Christian worldview.
00:41:09.76\00:41:13.42
It says there, "There is a
vanity which occurs on earth,
00:41:13.45\00:41:17.63
that there are just
men to whom it happens
00:41:17.66\00:41:19.81
according to the
work of the wicked,
00:41:19.84\00:41:22.48
and again there are wicked men
00:41:22.51\00:41:24.16
to whom it happens according
to the work of the righteous."
00:41:24.19\00:41:28.53
Notice the
righteous suffer evil things
00:41:28.56\00:41:31.74
and the wicked
suffer good things
00:41:31.77\00:41:33.90
or reap good things.
00:41:33.93\00:41:38.69
He says, "I said
that this also is vanity."
00:41:38.72\00:41:45.42
So what does he do as a result?
00:41:45.45\00:41:46.78
He said, "So I
commended enjoyment,
00:41:46.81\00:41:50.74
because a man has
nothing better under the sun
00:41:50.77\00:41:53.29
than to eat, drink and be merry,
00:41:53.32\00:41:56.19
for this will remain with him
00:41:56.22\00:41:58.06
in his labor all
the days of his life
00:41:58.09\00:42:00.79
which God gives
him under the sun."
00:42:00.82\00:42:02.99
In other words, because
life appears to be absurd
00:42:03.02\00:42:05.41
let's live it up and have fun.
00:42:05.44\00:42:09.55
That sound like a
Christian philosophy of life?
00:42:09.58\00:42:13.01
Absolutely not.
00:42:13.04\00:42:14.07
You say why in the world
00:42:14.10\00:42:15.56
do we have
Ecclesiastes in the Bible?
00:42:15.59\00:42:17.40
I'll explain why.
00:42:17.43\00:42:18.56
You see, in Ecclesiastes
Solomon is describing his life
00:42:18.59\00:42:23.19
separated from God.
00:42:23.22\00:42:26.58
He's writing in his old age
00:42:26.61\00:42:29.26
and he's saying this is
the way that I looked at life
00:42:29.29\00:42:34.09
when I went astray from God
00:42:34.12\00:42:35.75
during the
second stage of my life.
00:42:35.78\00:42:37.84
He's looking
back at his old age.
00:42:37.87\00:42:40.37
By the way do you know that
he wrote the Book of Proverbs
00:42:40.40\00:42:42.82
and he wrote the
Book of Ecclesiastes
00:42:42.85\00:42:44.77
when he was an old man,
and he had returned to God?
00:42:44.80\00:42:48.46
He did not write
those early in his reign.
00:42:48.49\00:42:52.35
You see, he is
showing what a life
00:42:52.38\00:42:54.24
separated from God is like.
00:42:54.27\00:42:56.80
It is meaningless,
it's empty, it's worthless,
00:42:56.83\00:42:59.76
it's like grasping for the wind.
00:42:59.79\00:43:02.98
But I praise the Lord that
Solomon doesn't end his book
00:43:03.01\00:43:07.89
with pessimist and emptiness
and meaningless and anxiety.
00:43:07.92\00:43:13.21
He ends his book
in a majestic way
00:43:13.24\00:43:16.20
by appealing to the young people
00:43:16.23\00:43:17.98
on the basis of
his own experience.
00:43:18.01\00:43:20.31
Notice Ecclesiastes 8:11-13,
00:43:20.34\00:43:26.80
"Because the
sentence against an evil work
00:43:26.83\00:43:30.66
is not executed speedily,"
00:43:30.69\00:43:32.41
that is because the
sentence against an evil work
00:43:32.44\00:43:35.41
is not executed right away,
00:43:35.44\00:43:38.10
"therefore the
heart of the sons of men
00:43:38.13\00:43:40.10
is fully set in
them to do evil."
00:43:40.13\00:43:42.10
So you say, you know,
00:43:42.13\00:43:43.22
evil isn't punished so we
might as well practice evil.
00:43:43.25\00:43:48.02
Though-- then he says this,
00:43:48.05\00:43:49.41
"Though a sinner
does evil a hundred times,
00:43:49.44\00:43:52.83
and his days are prolonged,
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.76
yet I surely know
that it will be well
00:43:54.79\00:43:59.77
with those who fear
God, who fear before Him.
00:43:59.80\00:44:03.94
But it will not be
well with the wicked,
00:44:03.97\00:44:05.89
nor will he prolong his
days, which are as a shadow,
00:44:05.92\00:44:10.38
because he does
not fear before God."
00:44:10.41\00:44:13.60
Now he's talking sense.
00:44:13.63\00:44:16.70
He's saying now I'm telling you,
00:44:16.73\00:44:18.71
what life is truly about.
00:44:18.74\00:44:22.39
And when he
reaches the end of the book
00:44:22.42\00:44:24.03
he's actually going to
use a little bit of irony
00:44:24.06\00:44:27.92
with the young people.
00:44:27.95\00:44:29.86
Notice Ecclesiastes 11:9,
00:44:29.89\00:44:33.00
he's speaking
almost with sarcasm here.
00:44:33.03\00:44:36.63
He says this,
00:44:36.66\00:44:41.09
"Rejoice, O young
man, in your youth,
00:44:41.12\00:44:45.96
and let your heart cheer
you in the days of your youth,
00:44:45.99\00:44:50.79
walk in the ways of your heart,
00:44:50.82\00:44:53.57
and in the sight of your eyes."
00:44:53.60\00:44:56.32
You know what he's
saying to the youth?
00:44:56.35\00:44:58.70
He's saying be yourself.
00:44:58.73\00:45:02.74
Do your own thing, live
it up, have fun like I did.
00:45:02.77\00:45:10.55
He's speaking with
sarcasm by the way, folks.
00:45:10.58\00:45:14.94
He continues saying,
00:45:14.97\00:45:16.00
"But know that
for all these things
00:45:16.03\00:45:19.65
God will bring
you into judgment.
00:45:19.68\00:45:24.22
Therefore remove
sorrow from your heart,
00:45:24.25\00:45:28.55
and put away
evil from your flesh,
00:45:28.58\00:45:32.03
for childhood and
youth are vanity."
00:45:32.06\00:45:34.16
In other words,
they are dangerous
00:45:34.19\00:45:35.91
in childhood and
youth is what he is saying.
00:45:35.94\00:45:39.37
And then comes the famous words,
00:45:39.40\00:45:43.20
he says, youth, yeah,
live it up follow your heart,
00:45:43.23\00:45:46.77
follow your eyes, but
God is gonna bring everything
00:45:46.80\00:45:49.35
at the judgment
someday, remember that.
00:45:49.38\00:45:52.72
And so now he
counsels the youth,
00:45:52.75\00:45:54.67
he says,
remember now your Creator
00:45:54.70\00:45:57.94
in the days of your youth.
00:45:57.97\00:46:00.67
Before the difficult days come,
00:46:00.70\00:46:03.71
by the way that's
when you become old.
00:46:03.74\00:46:07.91
Before the difficult days
come and the years draw near
00:46:07.94\00:46:11.91
when you say I have
no pleasure in them.
00:46:11.94\00:46:14.05
In other words, when
you look back like me,
00:46:14.08\00:46:15.90
and you'll see
your life and you say
00:46:15.93\00:46:17.22
I have no pleasure in this life.
00:46:17.25\00:46:21.89
Folks, Solomon is
not some philosopher
00:46:21.92\00:46:23.92
speaking from an ivory tower.
00:46:23.95\00:46:27.84
His is the voice of experience.
00:46:27.87\00:46:31.06
He's describing his own
bitter life alienated from God
00:46:31.09\00:46:34.84
and he's counseling the youth
not to go down the same road.
00:46:34.87\00:46:39.45
He's saying there a
life centered in pleasure
00:46:39.48\00:46:41.64
and alienated from God
may appear desirable and fun.
00:46:41.67\00:46:46.88
But in the end it
will bring bitterness,
00:46:46.91\00:46:49.75
depression and
meaningless to life.
00:46:49.78\00:46:54.87
And of course
Solomon ends his book
00:46:54.90\00:46:58.00
majestically in chapter
12 and verses 13 and 14,
00:46:58.03\00:47:02.88
where it says, if you've
missed my point up till this,
00:47:02.91\00:47:05.46
up to now, he says, now
let me give you a summery
00:47:05.49\00:47:08.72
of everything that
I've said in the book.
00:47:08.75\00:47:12.47
"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter.
00:47:12.50\00:47:16.27
Fear God and
keep His commandments.
00:47:16.30\00:47:20.96
For this is man's all.
00:47:20.99\00:47:26.15
For God will bring
every work into judgment,
00:47:26.18\00:47:29.97
including every secret
thing whether good or evil"
00:47:30.00\00:47:36.76
And the book ends.
00:47:36.79\00:47:38.99
He's ending with the
definition of wisdom,
00:47:39.02\00:47:42.49
fear God and
keep His commandments
00:47:42.52\00:47:44.99
for this is the
whole duty of man
00:47:45.02\00:47:46.53
for God is going to
bring every work into judgment.
00:47:46.56\00:47:52.75
Like to read a
statement from the book
00:47:52.78\00:47:54.56
Prophets and Kings, page 80,
00:47:54.59\00:47:57.46
where Ellen White describes
the latter life of Solomon
00:47:57.49\00:48:00.04
after he returned to God,
00:48:00.07\00:48:01.69
she says, "Solomon's
later writings reveal
00:48:01.72\00:48:06.33
that as he
realized more and still more
00:48:06.36\00:48:09.61
the wickedness of his course,
00:48:09.64\00:48:12.49
he gave special
attention to warning the youth
00:48:12.52\00:48:16.15
against falling into the errors
00:48:16.18\00:48:19.08
that have led him to squander
00:48:19.11\00:48:21.32
for nought
Heaven's choicest gifts.
00:48:21.35\00:48:25.32
With sorrow and
shame, he confessed
00:48:25.35\00:48:27.74
that in the prime of manhood,
00:48:27.77\00:48:30.72
when he should have
found God his comfort,
00:48:30.75\00:48:34.01
his support, his life
00:48:34.04\00:48:36.61
he turned from
the light of heaven
00:48:36.64\00:48:38.64
and the wisdom of
God and put idolatry
00:48:38.67\00:48:41.61
in the place of
the worship of Jehovah.
00:48:41.64\00:48:44.88
And now, having learned
00:48:44.91\00:48:47.62
through sad experience
the folly of such a life,
00:48:47.65\00:48:51.68
his yearning
desire was to save others
00:48:51.71\00:48:54.56
from entering into
the bitter experience
00:48:54.59\00:48:57.56
through which he had passed."
00:48:57.59\00:49:02.43
You know youth that
would be a good idea
00:49:02.46\00:49:03.94
for you to read
the book of Proverbs
00:49:03.97\00:49:07.49
and the Book of Ecclesiastes
00:49:07.52\00:49:11.45
because there's a lot of wisdom
00:49:11.48\00:49:12.81
there of one who has
been there and done that.
00:49:12.84\00:49:18.98
You know today
the youth are lured
00:49:19.01\00:49:22.23
by so many
temptations of the world.
00:49:22.26\00:49:25.52
You know, oh, it's
so good to get out there
00:49:25.55\00:49:28.11
and party and have fun.
00:49:28.14\00:49:29.66
Listen, folks,
Solomon's has been there,
00:49:29.69\00:49:32.09
he's experimented
with it and he tells you,
00:49:32.12\00:49:34.46
that's not the way to go.
00:49:34.49\00:49:36.38
Will we learn from
the voice of experience?
00:49:36.41\00:49:41.02
One of the greatest
writers of the 20th century
00:49:41.05\00:49:43.55
was Ernest Hemingway.
00:49:43.58\00:49:46.54
He was born in 1899 in Illinois.
00:49:46.57\00:49:50.76
His parents were
devoutly religious people.
00:49:50.79\00:49:54.84
In fact, they were
very, very involved
00:49:54.87\00:49:58.01
in the first
congregational church.
00:49:58.04\00:50:01.62
But Hemingway
early in life parted
00:50:01.65\00:50:04.03
from the religious
ways of this family.
00:50:04.06\00:50:07.09
He became a news
reporter, and then a writer.
00:50:07.12\00:50:11.76
He married four times,
00:50:11.79\00:50:14.64
and was never happy with
any of his four marriages.
00:50:14.67\00:50:18.38
He began drinking early in life
00:50:18.41\00:50:22.06
and in the 1940's
according to those
00:50:22.09\00:50:24.24
who knew him he was
obese, had high blood pressure,
00:50:24.27\00:50:27.44
and was deeply depressed.
00:50:27.47\00:50:30.31
He began hearing
voices in his head.
00:50:30.34\00:50:34.07
For several years he lived
in Cuba and also in Key West
00:50:34.10\00:50:37.40
where you can still
visit some of the sites
00:50:37.43\00:50:40.33
that he made famous.
00:50:40.36\00:50:42.31
According to
those who knew him best
00:50:42.34\00:50:46.92
he frequented
the bars in Key West
00:50:46.95\00:50:50.07
and lived a profligate life.
00:50:50.10\00:50:52.11
In fact some of his
writings are so up seen
00:50:52.14\00:50:55.60
that they still
have not been published.
00:50:55.63\00:50:59.04
Those who knew him best
describe him as unhappy,
00:50:59.07\00:51:03.17
vulgar, and an alcoholic.
00:51:03.20\00:51:09.14
Yet he started in a religious
environment in the home
00:51:09.17\00:51:14.67
but chose to go astray.
00:51:14.70\00:51:17.77
In 1952, Ernest Hemingway
00:51:17.80\00:51:20.12
wrote that famous book
The Old Man and the Sea
00:51:20.15\00:51:22.86
which would give
him the noble prize
00:51:22.89\00:51:26.10
for literature in the year 1954.
00:51:26.13\00:51:30.45
I'm gonna tell
you in a few moments
00:51:30.48\00:51:31.72
a little bit more about
that book by the late 1950's
00:51:31.75\00:51:35.25
he suffered severe depression,
00:51:35.28\00:51:37.78
which led him in 1960 to be
hospitalized in the Mayo clinic
00:51:37.81\00:51:42.36
where for two months he received
00:51:42.39\00:51:43.87
electric shock
therapy for depression,
00:51:43.90\00:51:46.94
and he was released in 1961
00:51:46.97\00:51:49.21
but his depression got worst.
00:51:49.24\00:51:55.67
You see folks, I
believe that the book
00:51:55.70\00:51:57.09
The Old Man and
the Sea is simply
00:51:57.12\00:51:59.19
a symbolic autobiography
of Ernest Hemingway.
00:51:59.22\00:52:04.20
Hemingway I don't
know whether you're aware
00:52:04.23\00:52:07.32
was fascinated with
the Book of Ecclesiastes.
00:52:07.35\00:52:11.22
In fact, he wrote a novel
called The Sun Also Rises,
00:52:11.25\00:52:15.42
which title is based on
the Book of Ecclesiastes.
00:52:15.45\00:52:19.84
And his life was pessimistic,
00:52:19.87\00:52:22.35
like much of the content
of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
00:52:22.38\00:52:25.48
May be he didn't
see those passages
00:52:25.51\00:52:27.57
where you had a
discussion of fearing God
00:52:27.60\00:52:31.04
and returning to God.
00:52:31.07\00:52:33.81
The story of the Old Man
and the Sea is of a Cuban--
00:52:33.84\00:52:37.13
Cuban fisherman named Santiago.
00:52:37.16\00:52:40.46
His body is tattered and
scared by years of fishing.
00:52:40.49\00:52:45.36
He's gone out now for 85 days
00:52:45.39\00:52:47.83
and he has not been
successful in fishing anything.
00:52:47.86\00:52:51.50
His fellow fishermen say,
00:52:51.53\00:52:53.96
they scarf at him and they say,
00:52:53.99\00:52:56.00
oh, you're too old to
fish, you're all washed up.
00:52:56.03\00:53:01.44
One day though the
solitary fishermen Hemingway
00:53:01.47\00:53:08.11
goes out to see in his boat.
00:53:08.14\00:53:10.70
Suddenly he hooks a giant Marlin
00:53:10.73\00:53:12.74
such has never has
been seen in those waters
00:53:12.77\00:53:16.41
and then begins the
struggle of the old man
00:53:16.44\00:53:19.43
with the sea and with the fish.
00:53:19.46\00:53:24.14
He begins to
imagine what it will be like
00:53:24.17\00:53:25.82
to exhibit this fish, his trophy
00:53:25.85\00:53:28.60
to his fellow fishermen
to show that his existence
00:53:28.63\00:53:32.02
has finally
culminated with success.
00:53:32.05\00:53:37.10
The old man struggles
against the fish and the sea
00:53:37.13\00:53:40.24
he cuts his leathery
hands on the fishing line,
00:53:40.27\00:53:43.46
the sun beats down
mercilessly on his sweaty brow
00:53:43.49\00:53:47.22
his muscles generally
strong and firm begin to ache,
00:53:47.25\00:53:51.87
but the old man
continues his relentless battle
00:53:51.90\00:53:55.66
with the sea and the fish.
00:53:55.69\00:53:58.42
Finally, after several
days the battle is over.
00:53:58.45\00:54:01.44
The old man wins, but
the Marlin is so large
00:54:01.47\00:54:05.41
that the old man must tie
the marline along side his boat.
00:54:05.44\00:54:11.04
Then the sharks attack,
and began to eat the fish.
00:54:11.07\00:54:16.73
The old man with
desperation takes out a knife
00:54:16.76\00:54:19.62
and begins
thrusting at the sharks.
00:54:19.65\00:54:22.48
For a short time the sharks
leave but then they return.
00:54:22.51\00:54:26.79
The old man now uses a
club to beat the sharks away,
00:54:26.82\00:54:30.77
for a while they leave
but once again they come back.
00:54:30.80\00:54:35.66
The old man with
almost indescribable frenzy
00:54:35.69\00:54:39.61
takes a stick with
which he steers the boat
00:54:39.64\00:54:43.93
and he hits the sharks.
00:54:43.96\00:54:46.40
This time the
sharks do not leave,
00:54:46.43\00:54:49.37
they finish their banquet.
00:54:49.40\00:54:52.09
The man who a few short hours
00:54:52.12\00:54:55.05
before had
victoriously proclaimed
00:54:55.08\00:54:58.71
that he was
gonna show his trophy
00:54:58.74\00:55:02.19
when he came to the
shore has nothing left.
00:55:02.22\00:55:08.60
His fishing expedition
00:55:08.63\00:55:10.82
which appeared to be a success
has now ended in bitter defeat.
00:55:10.85\00:55:16.97
But the old man
reaches the beach
00:55:17.00\00:55:19.16
all that is left of
the fish is the skeleton.
00:55:19.19\00:55:23.69
All the struggle the bloody
hands, the aching muscles,
00:55:23.72\00:55:27.35
the spent energy the toasted
skin has all been for nothing.
00:55:27.38\00:55:31.95
The struggle
has ended in despair
00:55:31.98\00:55:34.12
emptiness and meaninglessness,
00:55:34.15\00:55:37.41
all that remains
is tragedy and defeat
00:55:37.44\00:55:40.33
and the story
ends with the old man
00:55:40.36\00:55:42.69
lying by the sea.
00:55:42.72\00:55:47.44
Sad, with no meaning in life.
00:55:47.47\00:55:54.95
Hemingway lived his own novel.
00:55:54.98\00:55:59.49
He didn't return to the God
of his parents like Solomon.
00:55:59.52\00:56:03.31
He remained at stage two,
00:56:03.34\00:56:06.84
on July 2, 1961 Hemingway
took out his favorite shotgun,
00:56:06.87\00:56:12.82
put it to his head
and pulled the trigger
00:56:12.85\00:56:18.77
and committed suicide.
00:56:18.80\00:56:22.41
His life had ended like
the life of the old man,
00:56:22.44\00:56:26.54
in sorrow, depression,
emptiness and despair.
00:56:26.57\00:56:33.06
And this is the way in which
the lives of those will end
00:56:33.09\00:56:38.67
who chose
foolishness instead of wisdom,
00:56:38.70\00:56:42.94
the world instead of Jesus.
00:56:42.97\00:56:46.80
For what shall I profit a man,
00:56:46.83\00:56:49.42
if he gains the whole
world and loses his soul?
00:56:49.45\00:56:55.70
Let us not go
after illusory riches
00:56:55.73\00:57:00.39
and those things which perish
00:57:00.42\00:57:03.06
but let us focus on the
wisdom that is from above.
00:57:03.09\00:57:07.34
Let us focus on
the heavenly kingdom
00:57:07.37\00:57:09.62
which will never end
00:57:09.65\00:57:12.03
and let us
remain faithful to God
00:57:12.06\00:57:15.23
and dedicate our
strength and our energies to Him
00:57:15.26\00:57:18.86
as we live in this world
and prepare for eternity.
00:57:18.89\00:57:24.18