Fear...and Keep...

February 15

Solomon, purported to be the wisest man who ever lived, was, after all was said and done in his life, a lot like us. In spite of his great wisdom, his values and his actions were quite reflective of those of more ordinary folk. Maybe it’s because some lessons are best learned ‘the hard way.’ Maybe it’s because the proclivity to sin is universal.

Like some of us, he indulged his passions. Being a king, that was not particularly difficult for him. Satisfying “…the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life…” as stated in I John 2:16 poses relatively little difficulty when one has a kingdom at his disposal. When the subjects within that kingdom are eager to comply with one’s every desire, those desires are not hard to fulfill.

Yet despite his own folly, King Solomon bequeathed to his spiritual heirs some profound advice regarding the value of life’s true treasures. He may have evidenced gluttonous appetites; he may have used people and things for his own insatiable desire for more passion, more possessions and more power, but he understood that righteousness is the living way that the law of God requires. And he preached that way to us.

He declared two of the necessary components of walking in the living way of righteousness to us in Ecclesiastes 12:13 where he said, “Hear the conclusion of the matter: ‘Fear God and keep His commandments; this is the whole duty of man.’” Although wise Solomon neglected to apply the wisdom God gave him in his own life, we must not keep from reaping the benefits of it in ours.