Old age brings a sense of fulfilment if you’re lucky, a sense of disgust and failure of not. Both are present in Ecclesiastes. But what about Solomon?
Anarchy of the world
Ecclesiastes 10:1-20
Wise advice
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
Advice to young people
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8
An optimistic conclusion
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
Solomon’s death
1 Kings 11:41-43, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31
His descendants
1 Chronicles 3:10-24
The 12 tribes
Genesis 35:23-26, 1 Chronicles 2:1-2
Judah and his lineage
1 Chronicles 4:1-14, 16-23
Hezron to David
Ruth 4:19-22
Hezron to David’s nephews
1 Chronicles 2:9-17
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) After everything, Ecclesiastes comes to a very orthodox conclusion. This is what leads me to believe that much of what he said was tongue in cheek. Worldly-wise, world-weary, in the end he declares that there is no point trying to outguess God.
Just do what he tells you.
So now we return to Solomon’s story. Chronicles skips straight from his glory days to his death, and even the Kings narrative is brief in reporting his misdemeanours. Was his reign a disappointment, or was it so good and peaceful that there was nothing to report?
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