So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So, my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain. Even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God. ~Ecclesiastes 2:17-24
One has to wonder if Solomon is thinking about his own successor here and realizing that all of his sons were wanting in the area of leadership. This is obviously another area that he probably realizes, too late, that he had not put enough thought into. Unlike Moses, who had passed on the baton to a worthy successor, Joshua, or even Solomon’s Father David, who took the time to know his son Solomon, and prepare the way for him to rule successfully.
Despite his wisdom, Solomon had failed in this area of his life. He had not groomed a successor. Now he realizes that all he has done, may be lost because of a lack of attention to this important detail. We have to wonder if he already knew that Rehoboam would be his successor. Was Rehoboam really the best option? Certainly, as we witness Rehoboam’s reign, we understand that Solomon’s concerns here are well founded.
Rehoboam did lose the kingdom. The temple was ransacked. He was never able to gain the respect of the people or the surrounding nations and he certainly did not have the wisdom of his father. Practically everything that Solomon had accomplished was lost through Rehoboam.
In fact, if it had not been for God’s promise to David, that there would always be a successor to rule, one has to wonder if Rehoboam would have lost it all. There is the evidence of that, “but God,” factor again that keeps His plan moving forward even when we, as humans, fail to do our part.
It is sad here that Solomon seems to be more concerned with the loss of goods and accomplishments because of what he sees as the lack of competence on the part of his son, rather than the loss of the relationship he could have had with his son, as he passed along his skills and knowledge.
There are many who are willing to just take their chances with a successor. In employment, parenting, in many areas there is a “Hey, it’s not my problem anymore,” type of attitude as we are walking away. That is sad. Discipling is meant to smooth the transitions, secure the knowledge to the next generation and create more of an opportunity to build on what is known and what has been done, rather than expect a new comer to practically start over.
I often think that churches would do well to hire their next pastor before the current one leaves to allow a better chance at a smooth transition. That is also a blessing on the congregation when they know that the new pastor has worked with the current one for a time, before handing over the reins of responsibility completely. It provides for a sense of continuity.
Just to review, when I say discipleship, very simply, I mean: I have something to teach, I share it, I have the student assist me, I assist the student, and then send the student off to teach another. If only Solomon had done that with Rehoboam, instead of being distracted by self-indulgences, he may have had a little less reason to be concerned about losing all he had accomplished.
Sometimes, I wonder if we, as the older generation, are partially guilty of the same. How much as a society has been lost because we are distracted by self-interests, assuming that the younger generation will get there eventually. I wonder at times if we have lost a lot of ground in the area of wisdom and know how that we may not get back. We have technical savvy, but that can’t replace the wisdom that will be lost if it isn’t passed along. It gives us older, and hopefully wiser ones, something to really pray about.
Prayer: Father, May I not drop this ball! Instead of worrying about losing it all, help me find someone to teach and mentor and disciple, so that I really do pass on spiritual wisdom and grieve less the loss of material goods. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Give Them All to Jesus
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