Solomon: our duty is to fear God!
English: Ecclesiastes, (קֹהֶלֶת, Kohelet, "son of David, and king in Jerusalem" alias Solomon, Wood engraving (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man ." ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 ) The spiritual life of Solomon can, to a great degree, be traced through his writings as recorded in the Bible . They are not straightforward history but rather in a poetic style which reveal his inner thoughts throughout his life. At the beginning of his reign over Israel , he asked God for "an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad" ( 1 Kings 3:9 ), and he subsequently became renowned for his wisdom (e.g., 3:28 ; 4:29 ). Unfortunately, as is well documented in Scripture, his thirst for human wisdom led him into compromise and disobedience, setting the stage for national apostasy and idolatry upon his death. The book of Ecclesia...