Solomon, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs

Solomon is one of the most fascinating men in the Bible. His life plays out like a Greek Tragedy, and the writings attributed to him are a conflicting mixture of great wisdom (Proverbs), faithless conclusions (Ecclesiastes), and a ray of unexpected hope (The Song of Songs).

Solomon began his reign blessed with divine wisdom and unparalleled wealth and success, building the one and only Temple for the God of Israel, whose worship centered around obedience to a Law that brought justice and peace and the hope of a divine Savior.

Solomon ends his reign in utter misery and despair, building hundreds of temples for the gods of Canaan, whose worship centered around indulgence in shrine prostitutes (both heterosexual and homosexual) and human sacrifice (ordinarily infants, burned alive on pagan altars).

This book attempts to understand how that could happen, by examining Solomon’s tragic life and conflicting writings.

Discerning the arc of Solomon’s life is vital in order to understand the content of the writings attributed to him and the conflict between their themes. Each of the three books belong to different periods within Solomon’s volatile life, as he rises to wisdom then falls to despair, so it’s only natural both the spiritual and earthly perspectives of these books would shift according to their position along the curve.

The book of Proverbs is filled with tremendous insight and artistry, expressed through brilliant bursts of common sense. Yet the bitter irony is: Solomon completely ignored the proverbs he wrote. In his wisdom he eloquently expressed truth, but in his pride he chose to defy it. This suggests Solomon’s proverbs were written towards the beginning of his life, after he humbly asked God for wisdom, when his life was full of promise and before he chose a path diametrically opposed to principles he exalted.

By contrast, Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of Solomon’s life, when the inevitable despair resulting from a descent into defiance consumed him. The critical thing to recognize about Ecclesiastes is: The sayings of the Qohelet (representing Solomon) are made up of two distinct parts: (1) insightful observations about the harsh realities of life, and (2) ridiculous conclusions arising from a breathtaking lack of faith. This is not usually the way Ecclesiastes is interpreted, but it will leap off the page as we compare the conclusions of Solomon with the conclusions of the other authors of Scripture and Jesus Himself.

This leaves us with the final book attributed to Solomon, the Song of Songs. It’s a ray of hope shining through the gloom of Solomon’s disastrous life, because it’s not really about him. It’s about a young woman who has what Solomon lacks – humility and faith. She demonstrates this by choosing whether to give her love to Solomon or a shepherd, and her choices light the way for all of us to follow if we wish to avoid the tragedy that is the life of Solomon.

Together these books present a multifaceted look at the mysteries of life in a fallen world.

NOTE: This study can also be read and downloaded for free at: JoyAndPeace.net.