Religion & Faith

So far, Solomon has searched for purpose through education and the bottle. Now, Solomon takes his search for purpose to a whole new level. Ecclesiastes 2:10 records his new course, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.”

AND THAT IS WHAT HE DID!

SEX. SEX. SEX. Solomon’s harem of women would make even Hugh Hefner blush. He had 700 wives! And, if that wasn’t enough, he had 300 concubines… or ”friends with benefits”. He didn’t have a Playboy Mansion, he had an entire resort! His sexual lifestyle wasn’t a myth, but a reality. Solomon had enough women to keep him occupied for the rest of his life. But that still wasn’t enough! He says,

“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.”

In modern day terms, he had it all; houses on MTV Cribs, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, businesses that top the charts of Forbes Magazine, land, cattle, real estate, the latest in technology, iPADs, iPods, iPhones, everything he wanted. Fort Knox would look like a Piggy Bank compared to his riches.

And, the good news is, HE FOUND WHAT THE MEANING TO LIFE IS! Through all his experiences with education, pleasure, money, status and stuff, he reveals to us the meaning to life in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:”

TO BE ANSWERED IN PART 5!

After a couple of weeks, we pick up where Solomon left off. He’s in search for the meaning to life. His next quest for purpose leads him down the road we coin as “PARTYING”. Or, as Ricky Martin would say, “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. Solomon assumed that purpose must be found at the bottom of the bottle or being the life of the party.

He comments in Ecclesiastes 2, “I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good’…I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.” (more…)