When God heard young Solomon’s request, He responded and gave him wisdom above all men. “All of the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (1 Kings 4:34). The wisest king “… sought to find acceptable words” (Ecc. 12:10) and then wrote these words, so by reading them we can share in his wisdom. Those who read these words of wisdom and write them in their hearts are men who truly are wise. Consider how Solomon regarded the words of the Bible. Solomon knew these words were true. When Solomon sought to find the acceptable words to convey the wisdom and then wrote them down, he described them as being “…upright, words of truth” (Ecc. 12:10). Solomon’s father, David, had said, “Your law is truth…all Your commandments are truth…the entirety of Your word is truth” (Psa. 119:142, 151, 160). To be wise, we must know the words of the Bible are truth.
Solomon knew these words were from God. Look again at the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes chapter twelve. “The words of the wise…are given by one Shepherd” (v. 10). God is that one and only Shepherd and He cannot lie. Solomon knew that “…nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it” (Ecc. 3:14). Wise men know the source of truth.
Solomon knew these words would keep us close to God. He uses an illustration people of his day knew so well when he describes the words of God as being like an ox goad. “The words of the wise are like goads” (Ecc. 12:11). To appreciate this, remember that a goad was a large wooden pole sharpened on one end. It was used to keep beasts doing the will of the farmer who used that point to prick the legs of the ox and ensure they went in the right direction.
Now think of this figurative language to see that the Bible is the way God encourages men to go in the right direction. We have free will and can “kick against the goad” (see Acts 9:5), but this always is hard and harms us.
Solomon knew that these words were permanent. He said that they “…were like well driven nails” (Ecc. 12:11). I am sure that the “nails” of his day were different from those we use today, but think of how buildings are held together today with those large nails. When my house was being built almost forty years ago, I remember watching the builder driving the nails that would ensure the roof was firmly attached to the walls. They were well driven and have withstood several hurricanes. God’s word will firmly anchor your life to Him and help you in the storms of your life.
We are wise when we live by the words of the wisest man who received them from the God of all wisdom.
-Dan Jenkins
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