Life apart from God is meaningless. A divided heart led to a divided kingdom. It’s the first sin. It’s the wide gate. It’s love of the world. King Solomon pursued earthly knowledge for the sake of contentment, possessions for the sake of significance, military might for the sake of control, money for the sake of security, and pleasure for the sake of gratification apart from God, the only One who could truly satisfy his desires.
David’s first (see Proverbs 4:3-9) and last (see 1 Kings 2:1-4) words to Solomon were to keep God’s commands. Even God Himself repeated this same charge to David’s son (see 1 Kings 9:3-9). It’s no wonder that Solomon’s Last Will and Testament of Ecclesiastes summarized:
“Now all has been heard; 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, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
God is faithful, but we are not. That’s why we need Christ to pursue life with God (see Psalm 127:1), bringing us in communion with Him (see Ecclesiastes 3:11) and community with others (see Ecclesiastes 4:12). Christ never fails. When we surrender to Him, He will be with us, always.