In reading today I was touched by the reality of the great gulf between God and man in every way. Not just the gulf of separation, but the immeasurable gulf between our capacity, strength, power, knowledge, vision, and in the case of Solomon... wisdom.
Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived; but a man nonetheless. And though he was given amazing wisdom, he was still immensely limited, and the wisdom God gave him seems at times to have been too much to handle.
In Eccl 2:18-19 Solomon is whining over the reality that he had no choice but to give way to a successor. He was greived over the thought that one day someone would lead after him, and in his place. Talk about a transition problem! His grief was that he had, by "his wisdom" built and established and amassed so much, and that he had no way of knowing or controlling whether the next guy would be wise or a fool, or do as good as him. That all he had worked for might be squandered. Now that's just not a good outlook folks!
Fast forward and compare this with the peace and security of the life of Jesus even as he went to the cross. Consider: he left nothing physical behind that COULD be squandered. In fact, for a while, even his closest companions fled from him in fear. Jesus went to the cross at the end of His earthly life alone, and with no worries about the care-taking of His great estates, establishments, institutions, or earthly goods. And this was (among other reasons) because He was wiser than Solomon on some very critical points.
We may not always like this thought, but Jesus exemplifies a life of purpose, whereas Solomon was looking for it. Jesus lived only to love, obey, and enjoy a perfect relationship with His heavenly Father; to accomplishing HIS will, and for both divesting and investing Himself for and into others. He lived for people... not for pleasure. What He lived for and left behind were not things that needed management, maintenance and guarding, but companions who had been irrevocably impacted by Him, and who would bring Him great joy because He knew they would also be wise men, and would go on to do even "greater things" than He had done (John 14:12). Indeed, they "turned the world upside down."
If we live our lives for the wrong things, then we are as foolish as Solomon. We need to be the kind of people and leaders who see the value of a life lived for the right things; a life lived for God and people, rather than for fame, fortune, or material things and accomplishments. We need the wisdom we see in Jesus... of investing in people, and not only believing, but HOPING they will go on to do "greater thigns" than ourselves.
for God so loved "people" that He gave...
Posted by: michael gordon | June 27, 2009 at 08:37 PM