June 19, 2025

Though the Bible does not specify, I think Solomon was likely older when he wrote Ecclesiastes. God gave him wisdom because he asked for it, but also gave him wealth as a gift for only asking for wisdom, so it is possible he was young. However, he needed to live a wealthy life to uncover the truth about how a person reacts to having it, and it was his wisdom that helped him understand how to accumulate riches, which takes time. The truth is that it is all in vain. The point of gaining wealth is to have shelter, clothing, and food, but the main thing is to feed yourself. Yet a wealthy man tends to want to accumulate more wealth than he could ever use; Solomon calls it vanity. 

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. Ecclesiastes 6:7

You will personally not gain more than what supplies your personal needs; even a poor man or a fool can do that. It is better to be content with what you have than to continually strive to get more. Even more important to understand is that you will have no more than what God has intended for you. If He wants you to gain more, He will give you the wisdom to do that, especially if you intend to use it to better His Church or bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus.

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 6:8-9