"Vanity Of Vanities, All Is Vanity!"

A painted happiness, 

a gilded misery!

(Thomas Watson)

"Then I looked on all the works that 
my hands had done and on the labor 
in which I had toiled; and indeed all 
was vanity and grasping for the wind. 
There was no profit under the sun!"
Ecclesiastes 2:11

King Solomon had more than any man!

For his parentage, he came 

from the royal line.

For the situation of his palace, 

it was in Jerusalem, the paragon 

of the earth, "The city of GOD, 

the praise of the whole earth."

For wealth, his crown was hung 

full of jewels. He had vast treasures 

of gold and pearls: 

"The king made silver to be as 
common as stones in Jerusalem."
(1 Kings 10:27)

For wisdom, he was the oracle 

of his time. The Queen of Sheba 

was astonished at his knowledge!

Never had the world cast its smile 

on one so favored as Solomon--

yet, when he had given an impartial 

verdict on the whole, he said of it, 

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" 
(Ecclesiastes 1:2)

All the golden delights with which 

he was surrounded were 

a painted happiness, 
a gilded misery!

 
~  ~  ~  ~

GraceGems has published William Nicholson's superb short article,
 "Preparation for Death!"