Read 2 Chronicles 8-9.
Solomon expanded his kingdom. Constructing his palace, the Temple, and other Jerusalem projects required twenty years. Next, he turned to building the cities that King Hiram had given to him. Then, he continued the expansion beyond Israel's borders. He had a presence on the Mediterranean Sea. This caused his fame to spread even more.
Along the way, he strengthened his political capital by creating allies through marriages. Pharaoh's daughter became one of those. These foreign wives brought with them their pagan religions and soon would result in Solomon's spiritual compromise.
The Queen of Sheba traveled some 1200 miles to see for herself. Once she personally saw the great wealth and heard the great wisdom of Solomon, she was overwhelmed.
Solomon ruled Israel another twenty years. His kingdom ultimately extended from the Euphrates River to Egypt.
What would the man who has everything be thinking now? We are not left in doubt. He wrote about it in the book of Ecclesiastes. "I said in my heart, 'I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.' And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:16-17)
Acquiring stuff is not what life is all about. Sooner or later we realize that all that stuff is temporal and one day we will leave it behind. Solomon compares it to chasing the wind. Once you grab a fist full of wind there is nothing there.
Our love for God and the lives that are changed through our service for God, we will enjoy forever.
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