King Solomon opens the book of Ecclesiastes by proclaiming “All is vanity.†Sort of strange statement coming from perhaps the richest man in history, a ruler claiming 700 wives and 300 concubines, by the count of some. But remember when God offered Solomon the choice of anything he wanted, and he chose wisdom to lead the nation?
Turns out his “All is vanity.†statement is pretty heavy after all. But what does it mean to the Biblical businessman? Solomon was rich. Surely that means we can be rich too. God did not seem to frown on the King’s massive accumulation of wealth. The admonition in the opening passage of Ecclesiastes is to keep God in your heart as you go about the business of becoming wealthy, for without a heart turned in the heavenly direction, well, life is short and then you die, taking none of your pretty toys, greenbacks, or property with you.
In Ecclesiastes, the transitory nature of human life on earth contrasts with the permanence of the physical world and God’s love. Generations pass like a parade over the horizon. Some men and women etch their names a little more firmly in the living consciousness of the race – for better or worse – Hitler, Einstein, George Washington. But ultimately, what are they besides a few paragraphs in a history book that schoolchildren stifle yawns over while reading?
You won’t be on this earth forever, but you can live like you are. Don’t shut your business and investing off from the principles of the Bible and King Solomon.
The Solomon Success Team
Flickr / jurvetson
