Libeling Solomon
Dear brother C and L,
Please don't take this as an assault against you. But I have been much disturbed by this quarter's subject. The sentiments of the principal contributor have left a severe reproach against Solomon and his authority to add to the sacred canon following his downfall.
Many times has the author of the quarterly created in the minds of millions of readers the false idea that Solomon after his repentance and restoration still retained his old character. I'll quote just a few examples by their month/day:
1/11--As Solomon sees here, the world leaves one frustrated, angry, cynical.
1/14--Solomon bemoaning, old and bitter, was still lost when writing Ecclestiastes.
1/18--He's complaining, seems to be saying, "Since there's nothing I can do about what my heirs do, I might as well live life well now."
1/28--Solomon looks at life from a worldly perspective, moaning, lamenting his fate, complaining.
2/5--more moaning
2/15--"More griping"
Slowly but surely, Solomon is being described as an old, run-down, cranky and bitter man. The reality is, Solomon had made an inspiring turn-about and was striving with all the sageness and depth of wisdom that God had given him to describe this life in such a way as to deglamorize the world and the excitement it promises and to uplift the glory of obedience to God. In Ecclesiastes we see a noble, completely rehabilitated and restored man who dwarfs all of us by his spiritual discernment, the principal contributor of this quarter's quarterly not excepted.
The book, Prophets and Kings, describes a completely different Solomon from the one in the quarterly, and a person who makes much more sense from the whole Bible perspective than is being ascribed to him in the Sabbath School lessons.
From the "gloomy and soul-harrassing thoughts," that "troubled him night and day," and a future "dark with despair," Solomon "awakened as from a dream," with "quickened conscience." (PK 76:5; 77:3). "In gratitude Solomon acknowledged the power and the loving-kindness of the One who is 'higher than the highest' (Ecclesiastes 5:8); in penitence he began to retrace his steps toward the exalted plane of purity and holiness from whence he had fallen so far." "He would endeavor earnestly to dissuade others from following after folly. He would humbly confess the error of his ways and lift his voice in warning lest others be lost irretrievably because of the influences for evil he had been setting in operation." PK 78:1.
EGW calls him a "true penitent." PK 78:2. This means he has sorrowed for sin and forsaken it. It was all behind him and he had complete remission for his sins of the past. Yet the quarterly attempted to bring it back up, thus undermining the force of his counsels (1/18--"He's not advocating licentiousness, however [he's been there and done that already]"). Rather than a self-pitying psychotic, our subject is a noble kingly gentleman, reborn to a new life. "He does not put his past sins from his remembrance. He does not, as soon as he has obtained peace, grow unconcerned in regard to the mistakes he has made." PK 78:2. Solomon can bring up his past, further humiliating himself, and demonstrating his trust in God's love for him; however, for us to bring to surface someone's past is not our prerogative, especially for one of the "holy men of God." 2Pet. 1:21. Humiliating a servant of God in his office of preaching the truth has been done before, and the guilty party experienced heaven's disapproval. (2Kings 2:23,24).
Solomon was writing "by the spirit of inspiration." "With meekness and lowliness Solomon in his later years 'taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.' He 'sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.'" PK 79:1. Ecclesiastes reveals that Solomon "realized more and still more the wickedness of his course." PK 80:2. Not a complaining cynic, but a noble character wrote Eccleciastes. It was in "sorrow and shame" and "yearning desire," with "touching pathos" that he wrote to the youth. PK 80:2,3. Not a confused, griping man, but one to whom God restored "wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." (1Kings 2:29). "Solomon's repentance was sincere" as he "confessed his sin." PK 84:2.
"In the anguish of bitter reflection on the evil of his course, Solomon was constrained to declare,...'There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in great dignity.'" PK 85:1.
It seems that the main contributor assumed that the book of Ecclesiastes was an diary, a human devised blog of someone as he moved from apostasy to redemption. But this was a very wrong assumption. 1/10 says "Solomon looked around at nature and saw endless and seemingly meaningless repetition...His tone...suggests that something is wrong in all this and things shouldn't be this way. His attitutde comes through clearly...." Yet, here is a very wise, experienced, former proverbist who previously understood much from nature and retained it all. (1Kings 4:33). He wasn't depressed about the cycles of nature, he was declaring the little this world really offers to us. Its from this context that Jesus said, "What doth it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul." I believe Solomon, a recipient of the gift of wisdom as a type of Christ, saw the issue as clearly as Jesus did.
1/13 falsely insinuates that Solomon's study of God and His operations was not done humbly with a seeking heart and that it led Solomon nowhere. 1/18 describes Solomon's concern as "ironic: after all, considering the life that Solomon lived after he assumed the throne."
1/22 "A time to kill" is not so problematic as is mentioned in the lesson, at least not to Solomon. Remember he is the one whose first case as judge was to split the baby in half? He reveals in his later writings that he has returned to the former greatness of thought and heart when "his energy, piety, justice, and magnanimity that he revealed in word and deed, won the loyalty of his subjects and the admiration and homage of the rulers of many lands." PK 32:2. He had been "the most merciful of rulers," yet had a "strong manhood," "noble and manly." PK 56:0; 57; 58:1:2. Knowing this background, the phrase "a time to kill" is easy to understand. Justice is a necessity; that is all he was saying.
1/31 claims that Solomon, still unsubdued in character and unrepentant, was attacking all work and skill as nothing and envy. Yet, the context of the scripture reveals a very different attitude: he was speaking of "right work." (vs. 6). It is true, though, that righteous employment can even become mundane and unsatisfying if we don't know God. Communion with heaven is the only way we can truly enjoy our work in this world of sin. "Let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good."(Eph. 4:28). "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." (Ecc. 5:12).
So, the wrong first assumption has led to many false conclusions that contradict not only Solomon, undermining his authority, but also contradicting the rest of the Bible. Contrary to the lesson of 2/28, Solomon does have the answer--his admonition is the answer and his acceptance of the fact that God chooses us in the furnace of affliction.
2/24 seems to be saying that Solomon is seeing this life "through a glass darkly," and that he is full of "pessimism and complaints." Then the author invites the readers to follow the same pessimistic outlook on life. Then "Nevertheless, as in most of these chapters, powerful gems of deep spiritual truth can be found amid all the more difficult rhetoric." Its nice that the author condescended to list a few gems amid all of Solomon's "rhetoric"!
There is more, but I will stop here. I don't want to sound like I have issues with all the quarterlies. They have all been good (with exception to the one on Jonah where he is also again and again lambasted and called a "peep squeak of a prophet." As if the principal contributor had gone to Baghdad, as the lone Christian, and put everyone on their knees, like Jonah had done.) The other quarterlies have been edifying and praise-worthy.
But to take the position toward Solomon, a true and noble reclamation of Christ's from the depths of idolatry, that he was still derelict does nothing but destroy him and his inspired book of the Bible. It is nothing less than a subtle, though unwitting, attack on the whole inspired Word of God. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost in every book of the Bible.
In conclusion, there is no way to take back all the quarterlies around the globe, in all their myriad of translations. But, please, please, let us take a more reverent approach in our explanations of sacred scripture, and be careful not to lift up our hand against any one of the Lord's anointed.
Sincerely and in much love and respect,
David Burdick
Please don't take this as an assault against you. But I have been much disturbed by this quarter's subject. The sentiments of the principal contributor have left a severe reproach against Solomon and his authority to add to the sacred canon following his downfall.
Many times has the author of the quarterly created in the minds of millions of readers the false idea that Solomon after his repentance and restoration still retained his old character. I'll quote just a few examples by their month/day:
1/11--As Solomon sees here, the world leaves one frustrated, angry, cynical.
1/14--Solomon bemoaning, old and bitter, was still lost when writing Ecclestiastes.
1/18--He's complaining, seems to be saying, "Since there's nothing I can do about what my heirs do, I might as well live life well now."
1/28--Solomon looks at life from a worldly perspective, moaning, lamenting his fate, complaining.
2/5--more moaning
2/15--"More griping"
Slowly but surely, Solomon is being described as an old, run-down, cranky and bitter man. The reality is, Solomon had made an inspiring turn-about and was striving with all the sageness and depth of wisdom that God had given him to describe this life in such a way as to deglamorize the world and the excitement it promises and to uplift the glory of obedience to God. In Ecclesiastes we see a noble, completely rehabilitated and restored man who dwarfs all of us by his spiritual discernment, the principal contributor of this quarter's quarterly not excepted.
The book, Prophets and Kings, describes a completely different Solomon from the one in the quarterly, and a person who makes much more sense from the whole Bible perspective than is being ascribed to him in the Sabbath School lessons.
From the "gloomy and soul-harrassing thoughts," that "troubled him night and day," and a future "dark with despair," Solomon "awakened as from a dream," with "quickened conscience." (PK 76:5; 77:3). "In gratitude Solomon acknowledged the power and the loving-kindness of the One who is 'higher than the highest' (Ecclesiastes 5:8); in penitence he began to retrace his steps toward the exalted plane of purity and holiness from whence he had fallen so far." "He would endeavor earnestly to dissuade others from following after folly. He would humbly confess the error of his ways and lift his voice in warning lest others be lost irretrievably because of the influences for evil he had been setting in operation." PK 78:1.
EGW calls him a "true penitent." PK 78:2. This means he has sorrowed for sin and forsaken it. It was all behind him and he had complete remission for his sins of the past. Yet the quarterly attempted to bring it back up, thus undermining the force of his counsels (1/18--"He's not advocating licentiousness, however [he's been there and done that already]"). Rather than a self-pitying psychotic, our subject is a noble kingly gentleman, reborn to a new life. "He does not put his past sins from his remembrance. He does not, as soon as he has obtained peace, grow unconcerned in regard to the mistakes he has made." PK 78:2. Solomon can bring up his past, further humiliating himself, and demonstrating his trust in God's love for him; however, for us to bring to surface someone's past is not our prerogative, especially for one of the "holy men of God." 2Pet. 1:21. Humiliating a servant of God in his office of preaching the truth has been done before, and the guilty party experienced heaven's disapproval. (2Kings 2:23,24).
Solomon was writing "by the spirit of inspiration." "With meekness and lowliness Solomon in his later years 'taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.' He 'sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.'" PK 79:1. Ecclesiastes reveals that Solomon "realized more and still more the wickedness of his course." PK 80:2. Not a complaining cynic, but a noble character wrote Eccleciastes. It was in "sorrow and shame" and "yearning desire," with "touching pathos" that he wrote to the youth. PK 80:2,3. Not a confused, griping man, but one to whom God restored "wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." (1Kings 2:29). "Solomon's repentance was sincere" as he "confessed his sin." PK 84:2.
"In the anguish of bitter reflection on the evil of his course, Solomon was constrained to declare,...'There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in great dignity.'" PK 85:1.
It seems that the main contributor assumed that the book of Ecclesiastes was an diary, a human devised blog of someone as he moved from apostasy to redemption. But this was a very wrong assumption. 1/10 says "Solomon looked around at nature and saw endless and seemingly meaningless repetition...His tone...suggests that something is wrong in all this and things shouldn't be this way. His attitutde comes through clearly...." Yet, here is a very wise, experienced, former proverbist who previously understood much from nature and retained it all. (1Kings 4:33). He wasn't depressed about the cycles of nature, he was declaring the little this world really offers to us. Its from this context that Jesus said, "What doth it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul." I believe Solomon, a recipient of the gift of wisdom as a type of Christ, saw the issue as clearly as Jesus did.
1/13 falsely insinuates that Solomon's study of God and His operations was not done humbly with a seeking heart and that it led Solomon nowhere. 1/18 describes Solomon's concern as "ironic: after all, considering the life that Solomon lived after he assumed the throne."
1/22 "A time to kill" is not so problematic as is mentioned in the lesson, at least not to Solomon. Remember he is the one whose first case as judge was to split the baby in half? He reveals in his later writings that he has returned to the former greatness of thought and heart when "his energy, piety, justice, and magnanimity that he revealed in word and deed, won the loyalty of his subjects and the admiration and homage of the rulers of many lands." PK 32:2. He had been "the most merciful of rulers," yet had a "strong manhood," "noble and manly." PK 56:0; 57; 58:1:2. Knowing this background, the phrase "a time to kill" is easy to understand. Justice is a necessity; that is all he was saying.
1/31 claims that Solomon, still unsubdued in character and unrepentant, was attacking all work and skill as nothing and envy. Yet, the context of the scripture reveals a very different attitude: he was speaking of "right work." (vs. 6). It is true, though, that righteous employment can even become mundane and unsatisfying if we don't know God. Communion with heaven is the only way we can truly enjoy our work in this world of sin. "Let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good."(Eph. 4:28). "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." (Ecc. 5:12).
So, the wrong first assumption has led to many false conclusions that contradict not only Solomon, undermining his authority, but also contradicting the rest of the Bible. Contrary to the lesson of 2/28, Solomon does have the answer--his admonition is the answer and his acceptance of the fact that God chooses us in the furnace of affliction.
2/24 seems to be saying that Solomon is seeing this life "through a glass darkly," and that he is full of "pessimism and complaints." Then the author invites the readers to follow the same pessimistic outlook on life. Then "Nevertheless, as in most of these chapters, powerful gems of deep spiritual truth can be found amid all the more difficult rhetoric." Its nice that the author condescended to list a few gems amid all of Solomon's "rhetoric"!
There is more, but I will stop here. I don't want to sound like I have issues with all the quarterlies. They have all been good (with exception to the one on Jonah where he is also again and again lambasted and called a "peep squeak of a prophet." As if the principal contributor had gone to Baghdad, as the lone Christian, and put everyone on their knees, like Jonah had done.) The other quarterlies have been edifying and praise-worthy.
But to take the position toward Solomon, a true and noble reclamation of Christ's from the depths of idolatry, that he was still derelict does nothing but destroy him and his inspired book of the Bible. It is nothing less than a subtle, though unwitting, attack on the whole inspired Word of God. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost in every book of the Bible.
In conclusion, there is no way to take back all the quarterlies around the globe, in all their myriad of translations. But, please, please, let us take a more reverent approach in our explanations of sacred scripture, and be careful not to lift up our hand against any one of the Lord's anointed.
Sincerely and in much love and respect,
David Burdick
posted by David | 7:11 AM
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