THREE Scripture books have come down to us from the pen of king Solomon—Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. The character of their contents suggests that these books were written at different periods in his life. The ardent language of the Song, describing the love of Bridegroom and Bride—Christ and Israel at the last, points to Solomon’s early days when his spiritual affections were alert towards God; Proverbs was probably written in the days of his maturity; and Ecclesiastes, with its language of chastened disappointment, was almost certainly Solomon’s latest effort. The Spirit of God led him to record his painful experiences when in search of “good under the sun” for the warning of men in all ages who might be disposed to tread the same path.
Solomon tells us in his own words of the many public works in which he interested himself. Houses, vineyards, gardens, orchards, etc.―never had the nation seen the like! “Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them.” But there was no satisfaction for his heart! “I looked on all the works that mine hands had wrought, and on all the labor that I had labored to do: and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Eccl. 2:4-11). The Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, etc., that were left in the land were pressed into service (1 Kings 9:20). New cities were built, and others were rebuilt (1 Kings 9:17-19). But all this meant heavy taxation. In due course the people groaned under the burden, while Solomon groaned with heart-disappointment. It was probably the load of taxation that made the people appeal to Rehoboam to make their service less grievous and their yoke less heavy (1 Kings 12:4). Men will not thus complain when the Lord reigns in Zion. His glory will far exceed that of Solomon, but it will be as true then as now, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). Why do not the burdened nations of the earth join with us in the cry, “Come, Lord Jesus?” (Rev. 22:20).
Next to the Temple, Solomon’s most important building was the house of the forest of Lebanon. This was set up in Jerusalem, but was erected with materials brought down from Lebanon. This house was much larger than the Temple. The latter was 60 cubits long by 20 cubits broad; the house of the forest of Lebanon was 100 cubits long by 50 cubits broad. Both were 30 cubits high. In this great building was kept Solomon’s 300 shields of beaten gold (spoil for the Egyptians in the days of Rehoboam); and all the vessels therein “were of pure gold; none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon” (1 Kings 10:17-21). “Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment” (ch. 7:7). This suggests the righteous administration of our Lord Jesus in the great Kingdom-age.
The use of the number six in the description of Solomon’s glories is noticeable. His ivory theme had six steps; his importation of gold in a single year was 666 talents; 600 shekels of gold were used in each of his 200 targets; and “a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver” (1 Kings 10:14, 16, 19, 29). Six is the number of man, and is expressive of incompleteness and imperfection. The super-man of the last days who will excite the admiration of the world has 666 for the number of his name (Rev. 13:18). Seven signifies completeness and perfection, but this can never be experienced on earth until the Man of God’s eternal choice comes forth in His might.
The word “profit” occurs several times in the Book of Ecclesiastes. As the disappointed monarch looked back over the many occupations of his life, he says wearily, “Behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Eccl. 2:11). The Lord Jesus has ruled that if a man should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, he would not be profited (Matt. 16:26). “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). The man who penned these words found more than contentment—he found satisfaction, in Christ. In his early days he gloried in his fleshly advantages, which were neither few nor small. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 21:7). The knowledge of the Man in the glory of God, who first descended into the lowest depths for his salvation; the knowledge, too, that the place He has taken on high He has taken on behalf of His own, who are destined to be forever with Him and like Him there, spoiled Paul for everything here. He counted all things loss, and mere offal in the light of Christ glorified. The things that appealed to Solomon—gold, buildings, women, etc., the abundance and combination of which were ultimately his undoing, had no appeal to the Apostle. Poor he might be, persecuted and despised, but he delighted to say, “To me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). Let Paul be our model, not Solomon.