#80 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – March 9, 2003 p.m.

SOLOMON AND THE SECULAR EDUCATION OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

King Solomon built the temple as a righteous king chosen by God for the project. He was a Law believer in fellowship with God during the project. After the temple was completed, Solomon began a life of compromise that drew him far away from Jehovah. His compromise came with foreign alliances and marriages that led him into conduct that violated elements of the Law. He tried to live under the Law and to live under the world system simultaneously. As a result, much of his later life was filled with frustration even though he was successful in the world system. He summarizes his reactions to the world system in his old age in the book of Ecclesiastes. He continues to look at things from the perspective of the world system and his life is filled with confusion. Its system of secular education was central to this. He looks at life under the sun (29x), under the heavens (3x) and upon the earth (7x) as absolute vanity or emptiness. He clearly states his view in Ecclesiastes 1:2: "Emptiness of emptinesses, says Koheleth, emptiness or emptinesses, the whole thing is emptiness (all my translation)." There is absolutely no substance or value. He sees it as striving after wind, an absolute exercise in futility. Solomon deals with the world system approach to education in the book in several places. The king who was known for his wisdom found futility in the wisdom and knowledge of the world system.

In Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 Solomon looks at creation as a believer out of fellowship rejecting the revelation of creation of the power and Godhood of his God (cf. Rom. 1:20). He looks at the cycles of life in 1:4. People pass through life generation after generation and dying while the earth remains and this produces temporal frustration for Solomon. The sun keeps rising and pants from exertion in going down (1:5). The air currents are totally unpredictable and so the weather is filled with uncertainty and frustration (1:6). Rivers keep running into the sea and continue to run never filling up the sea and this causes great study and frustration (1:7). Verse eight summarizes the situation: "All things are full of hard work; man does not have the ability to speak of it; the eye is not gratified with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."

In 1:9-11 Solomon reacts to history – secular and otherwise. In 9, 10 he says that history repeats itself and so is boring and redundant. Furthermore history is forgotten so that the lessons of history are never really learned.

Solomon's view of educational goals as a believer out of fellowship with God is that all such goals are frustrating and produce pain. His pursuit of philosophy and knowledge of every kind is striving after wind. He identifies himself as the king in Jerusalem in 1:12. Verse 13 describes the extent of his endeavors to pursue all elements of education. "And I gave my heart to pursue and search by wisdom concerning all things that have been done under the heavens: This evil toilsome labor has God given to the sons of man to afflict them in it." He has carefully observed all the works that have been done under the sun and the whole thing is vanity and striving after wind (1:14). The basis for his knowledge was personal observation and study. Verse 15 indicates that solutions for hard things do not work. Bent things cannot be straightened. He had looked at himself and seen his multiplied wisdom and greatness (1:16). He had given his heart to know wisdom, madness and foolishness and "I knew that this was also striving after wind (1:17)." Solomon found great sorrow in the accumulation of knowledge without a Jehovah- centered perspective for his wisdom. "For in much wisdom is much frustration; the one who causes to add knowledge causes to add pain (1:18)."

Solomon examines the permanence of wisdom from the view of secular education in 2:12-17. HE had set his heart on knowing wisdom, madness and foolishness and concludes that what he has learned has already been learned and what has been done has already been done (12). He does see that wisdom far exceeds foolishness so much that he compares the two as opposites (13). In the end, when death comes, Solomon sees that one's knowledge or foolishness makes no difference. All die and this too is vanity or emptiness (14-15). After a person dies, he or she is forgotten whether wise or foolish (16). As a result, Solomon expresses a rather sour view of life in verse 17: "Therefore I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun is evil (lacking in character) upon me; for the whole thing is emptiness and striving after wind."

Chapter 12 finds Solomon in his old age and admonishing his son in verse one. He tells him not to become as he, Solomon, is. "Remember your Creators (pl.) in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not proceed to come, nor the years reach out, when you will proceed to say, 'There is not for me pleasure in them.'" In 12:9-11 Solomon's educational activities whether with secular education or Jewish education are noted. He was wise, he taught knowledge to the people, he pondered, he searched or researched, he set in order proverbs, he pursued words that brought delight, he investigated to find words of the upright, word of truth. He concludes that the words of the wise are like ox goads/cattle prods and nails. Verse 12 discusses that which will be advantageous to his son. "And for your advantage from these my son be admonished; of the making of books there is no end; and much labor to weariness is exertion of the flesh." Verses 13 and 14 essentially call his son back to the Law and away from the standards of the world system that are so frustrating. "The end of the matter of the whole thing that has been heard is: Fear God and guard His commandments: for this is the whole thing for man. For God will proceed to bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil." Solomon's educational pursuits in the world system were central to producing a life of emptiness and frustration. Had he remained in fellowship, he would have lived in light of the last two verses in the book. Secular education became a substitute or a compromise for education in the Law. It was an empty distraction from what was important to an Old Testament saint in fellowship with God. It is easy for Christians to fall into the same morass as the world system subtly appeals and distracts from the important things of the Christian life.

In the Beloved at the Father's Right Hand,

DKS

SOLOMON AND THE SECULAR EDUCATION OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To demonstrate the futility in the life of an Old Testament Law saint who attempted to place himself under the educational standards of the world system instead of accepting the standards for education provided under the Mosaic Law.

Introduction

A. Solomon's Compromise as an Old Testament Saint with the World System – Legal Age

B. Solomon's Consideration of Values of World System Education

C. Solomon's Confusion with the Secular Education of the World System

D. Solomon's Conclusion That the Whole Thing Is Vanity

TRANS: Solomon was an Old Testament who attempted to make himself subject to both the world system and to Jehovah through the Mosaic Law. He was an Old Testament saint out of fellowship with God who addresses secular education and his frustration with it.

I. SOLOMON'S VIEW OF CREATION AS A BELIEVER OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD – THE CONFRONTATION WITH THE POWER OF GOD AND HIS GODHOOD BY THE WORLD SYSTEM IS EMPTINESS – EDUCATION NEVER ENDS AND IS HARD WORK AND CONFUSING – Ecclesiastes 1:4-8

A. Cycles of Life – 1:4

B. Cycles of Light – 1:5

C. Circulation of Air Currents – 1:6

D. Continuation of Rivers – 1:7

E. Consternation of Labor – 1:8

TRANS: Solomon evaluates history and its value to the world system educational institutions. He sees it as repetitious and having a short memory of those who make it. He includes himself as a part of immediate history that will be forgotten after a period of time.

II. SOLOMON'S VIEW OF HISTORY AS A BELIEVER OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD – THE CIRCULATION OF HISTORICAL EVENTS IS TEMPORARY -- EDUCATION IN THE REALM OF HISTORY IS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY AND FRUSTRATION – Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

A. History Is Repeated – 1:9, 10

B. History Is Forgotten – 1:11

TRANS: Secular education provides a measure of gratification for the sin nature. It can fill a need in a human being but all of the goals it creates also only makes one want more and this is also striving after wind.

III. SOLOMON'S VIEW OF EDUCATIONAL GOALS AS A BELIEVER OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD – THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – EXPANSION OF FRUSTRATION AND PAIN BY PURSUIT OF PHILOSOPHY AND KNOWLEDGE – Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

A. The Status of the Writer – 1:12

B. The Search for Wisdom Concerning Things Done Under the Heavens – 1:13

C. The Seeing of All the Works = Observation – 1:14

1. The Whole Thing Is Vanity (Emptiness)

2. Vexation of Spirit (Striving After Wind)

D. The Solutions Do Not Work – 1:15

E. The Status of Solomon and His Work and Knowledge – 1:16

F. The Steering of Solomon's Heart – 1:17

1. To Know Wisdom

2. To Know Madness and Folly

3. I Know This Is Frustration of Spirit

G. The Sorrow in Accumulation of Wisdom and Knowledge – 1:18

TRANS: The pursuit of wisdom in relation to the world system can only produce uncertainty in the life of the Old Testament believer. A wise one by the world system's standards is seen as no better than a fool in Solomon's eyes.

IV. SOLOMON'S VIEW OF THE PERMANENCE OF WISDOM AS A BELIEVER OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD – THE PERCEPTION OF THE VALUE OF BEING WISE – THE END OF SECULAR EDUCATION AND WISDOM – Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

A. The Problem of Repetition in Wisdom, Madness and Folly – 2:12

B. The Profit of Wisdom Beyond Folly – 2:13

C. The Prospect of Death for the Wise One or for the Fool = Vanity – 1:14, 15

D. The Potential for Remembrance Is No Different – 2:16

E. The Perspective of Life of the Believer Out of Fellowship = Hatred – 2:17

1. Work Is Evil Upon Me

2. The Whole Thing Is Vanity

3. Striving After Wind = Vexation of Spirit

TRANS: In his old age, Solomon is more objective and returns to the position of fellowship he had with God when he built the temple. Chapter 12 is written when he is in this condition and he addresses his son encouraging him to live as a law believer in fellowship finding his education in the guidelines of the Mosaic Law.

V. SOLOMON'S VIEW OF HIS EDUCATION IN HIS OLD AGE AS A BELIEVER BACK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD – THE ATTENTION OF A SON ENCOURAGED TOWARD GOD – THE EXPECTATION OF A WISE OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVER – Ecclesiastes 12:1, 2-14

A. The Appeal to His Son to the Creators as the focus of His Attention – 12:1

B. The Educational Attitude of Solomon – 12:8

C. The Activities of Solomon in Education – 12:9-11

1. He Was Wise

2. He Taught Knowledge to the People

3. He Pondered

4. He Searched

5. He Set in Order Proverbs

6. He Sought to Find Words of Delight

7. He Sought to Find Writings of the Upright – Words of Truth

8. The Words of the Wise = Goads and Nails

D. The Accumulation of Knowledge Is Exertion of Flesh – 12:12

E. The Analysis of What Counted Under the Mosaic Law – 12:13, 14

1. Fear God

2. Keep His Commandments

3. God Is the Final Judge

TRANS: Secular education for itself was frustration for an Old Testament believer out of fellowship. A present day unbeliever or carnal believer will have very similar reactions at the end of their lives. At death all of those years of education and the accumulation of secular knowledge will be left behind at death and seen as exercises in futility.

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119