Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones…even if there isn’t much of it left.

Elvin and Eunice just left us a short time ago. They are heading home to the Rogue Valley where smoke from nearby forest fires is nearly intolerable.

I need to keep on attacking tasks on my list. May the Lord bless you as you attack yours.

Love, Dad/Ray.

If it is true that Ecclesiastes is a collection of excerpts from Solomon’s writings near the end of his life, what accounts for his becoming so negative, cynical, and sour? The best explanation I can come up with is that in his following God’s recipe for producing a successful life, he failed to get some essential percentages right. I tally 13 times in the NIV translation of that portion of the Old Testament that would have been available to Solomon where one is commanded to seek, serve, or love the Lord “with all your heart.” “ALL” can only mean 100%. So anything less than ALL neutralizes the formula, contaminates the recipe, and creates something different than what the prescription promises.

Over time, there was an obvious degeneration of Solomon’s spiritual perspective. He simply allowed too many compromises to God’s prescribed percentages. As is the case with so many, he opted to build his theology around his morality, rather than conform his morality to his theology—so much so, that he seems to even violate his own godly advice—“Trust in the Lord with all your heart (not just part of your heart) and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways (100% of your ways) acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

With Solomon’s blinky condition in his later years, it is little wonder that he offers this blinky advice: “Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time?” (7:16-17). If I’m reading this correctly, it seems he is saying, “The best way to balance out life is to be approximately 50/50—that is, half sinner and half saint. Above all, don’t allow anything to rob you of enjoyment within your little life span—because that’s all you get.”

The matter of improper percentages is at the heart of Jesus’ rebuke to the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (with approximately 0% HEART AFTER GOD) nor hot (with approximately 100% HEART AFTER GOD). I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm (approximately 50/50) — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-17).

Let me attempt to put forth some good advice for both of us: DON’T ACCEPT AS MEANINGLESS WHAT A MAN WITH A MEANINGLESS LIFE CALLS MEANINGLESS.