Abraham's Promises = Solomon's Rules

As I was reading Ecclesiastes this morning it occurred to me that Solomon’s advice to those “under the sun” applies to people today who want the promises of Abraham in their lives. Maybe I should back fill that: I have always contended that the “prosperity gospel” preached by modern charismatics (mostly) is an attempt to apply the promises made to Abraham to Christians.  Prosperity preachers love to cite the blessings of obedience from Deuteronomy as their basis for claiming material wealth. What this position ignores is the fact that Christians are under a new covenant, one described by the writer of Hebrews as a “better covenant with better promises.”

The old covenant was an earthly covenant: land, progeny, prosperity in the physical realm. The entire account of God’s dealing with a physical people, from Abraham through the eventual nation of his descendants, was intended as a picture, an illustration of God’s principles of interaction with His creation. Paul says as much to the Corinthians. We are supposed to take lessons from the Israelites specifically so that we will not make the same mistakes they did. Yet here we are, focusing on the material things God can do rather than on the condition of the heart.

To understand what is better about the Christians’ promises, one need only look at Solomon’s view of life “under the sun.” He declared that all his wisdom and wealth amounted to vanity or fruitlessness because there was nothing gained beyond this world “under the sun.” No matter what you amass here, Solomon learned, it all passes on to someone else when you die. All men, rich or poor, wise or foolish meet the same fate: Sheol. As far as Solomon knew, that meant annihilation: cessation of existence. He knew nothing of a New Heaven, a New Earth or new anything after life; his concept was pretty much Old Testament dogma: when you die, it’s over.

Enter Jesus Christ who emphasized the Resurrection and the resurrection. It is interesting to note that one subject that repeatedly got Paul into trouble with the Jews and Greeks alike was the resurrection. Life after life is a controversial subject. But the issue I am talking about is life before the afterlife. It is my contention that Jesus’ whole point was that His Kingdom is not of this world. The disciples wanted to know when He would usher in His kingdom (They were picturing lands and thrones.); He told them to go to Jerusalem and wait.

What came of their wait was the Holy Spirit initiation of the church on Pentecost: the kingdom come. If the original twelve Apostles are any measure, material prosperity was not in the plans; tradition says they all died martyr’s deaths (except John) in material poverty. Many, if not most, of the early Christians were from the “lower classes” of society. James asks, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom?” When Jesus told Pilate His kingdom was not “of this world,” He pretty much excluded getting rich as one of His priorities. Riches, as Solomon rightly noted, are “of this world.”

So as I said, Christians looking for material prosperity today are looking for Abraham’s promises; those who seek Abraham’s promises are bound by Solomon’s rules. I believe those promises would fall under the “vanity” description of Solomon, which means they should be meaningless to true believers, a “striving after the wind.” Jesus framed Solomon’s conclusion like this: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Solomon for all his wisdom did not understand that; he promised nothing beyond this world “under the sun.”

I prefer Jesus’ promise: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Abraham will be there too, and Solomon, and they will be joined by the surprised prosperity preachers when they finally recognize the “better promises” really are better after all.