Meaning of Life  

     If we could have it all...wealth, power, honor, fame, pleasure...would we take it?

     King David's son and successor, Solomon, was quite the man. You've heard of the "3 Rs." His three were revival, reform and recovery. 

     After years of war between David's people in Judah and surrounding neighbors, there was a golden age of 4 Ps - peace, power, prosperity and prestige. 

     Solomon commissioned the first Temple in Jerusalem. He placed there the gold, silver and furnishings that David had set aside, and the Ark. The Temple was for worship and an identity for God's people. 

     Solomon dedicated it with an awesome prayer. The Lord answered with a wonderful promise, and a warning 2 Chronicles chapters 6 and 7.   

     From then on, the king chased after the meaning of life, leaving no stone unturned. Eventually he became disgusted with his self-indulgence. The futility of seeking happiness - wealth, power, honor, fame, pleasure - apart from God - left him empty, meaningless, disillusioned. 

     In Ecclesiastes we find Solomon's regret. "Everything, wisdom, pleasures, toil, riches - everything is meaningless." The later chapters reveal his conclusions about life. Worth reading for sure. 

     Chapter 12:13-14: "Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

     In the New Testament, Jesus summarizes the whole law: "Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself."