World Unyielding

Under the Sun, Survey #1

Following the inheritance of the land as promised by God, eventually a man was set to rule over the people of Israel. First Saul, then David, then Solomon, and then chaos ensued as the kingdom divided into two. Two kingly lines ran in parallel: the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. After what is remembered as the ‘golden age’ with King Solomon, the division foreshadowed a downward spiral for the nation of Israel.

The LORD God faithfully held to His promise made to David, and glimpses of hope appeared in the kings of Judah. God had made a covenant with King David while he was on the throne, facing turmoil and upheaval within his own house. Nevertheless, he magnified the faithfulness and goodness of God, singing, ‘Although my house be not so with God, yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; will He not make it increase?’ (2 Samuel 23:5)

In bleak times that obscured the purpose of God, His promise still stood. Through the lineage of David, God would bring a king who would rule forever. This is seen in none other than the Lord Jesus, born in David’s hometown centuries later. But what about the other kingly line that reigned over Israel? Once the kingdom had split, not one king of Israel is described as good. As chronicled in the word of God, the evil of these kings unmasked the fraudulence of their throne. With the crowning of each new king, the evil increased. Amidst a string of kings increasingly more sinful in the sight of the LORD, there was Ahab.

‘Then at sunset he died.’ (2 Chronicles 18:34) That is how the writer concludes King Ahab’s life history. In the wisdom literature, the term ‘under the sun’ is used some 27 times by King Solomon. It describes things pursued here on earth. It expresses a worldview bound by the atmosphere above, a sort of you-only-live-once lifestyle. Undoubtedly, there is an air of meaninglessness and pessimism around the term as Solomon explores a variety of worldly pursuits. None prove to be an antidote to his existential agony.

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

King Ahab was not afforded the riches or the wisdom of Solomon. We never read of him growing weary of this world and turning to God above. And for all that was happening under the sun, there came a time when it ended for Ahab. As the sun retreated beyond the horizon, it was sunset upon Ahab’s life.

For Ahab, following the sinful habits of the kings who went before him was not a matter of debate. Not at all. Those habits were a springboard into deeper depravity. He was exploring all that life had to offer. Likely encouraged by his wife Jezebel and her family, he committed himself to idolatry. He built an altar, temple, and wooden image to a foreign god. He was not satisfied with simply tracing the steps of the kings of Israel before him; he had to go above and beyond their evil deeds. His heart was set on turning away from God and His word. His mind was made up, and he did not want to miss out on what promised him fulfillment.

Confronted by the word of God through a prophet, still Ahab would not desist. The kingdom he ruled over was hit by drought. Though he seemed to heed God’s warning, his heart still defied God. The triumphant defense of his kingdom was a token of God’s kindness toward him, yet he still despised the word of the LORD. Not even the luxuries of the palace would bring rest to Ahab. His soul longed for the vineyard of a poor man, a family possession handed down for generations. With his heart burning for unjust gain, and his wife stoking the flames, he eventually seized Naboth’s vineyard. But fulfillment was not found among those blossoming grapevines.

Nonetheless, there remained an awareness of God’s word. It still gnawed at Ahab’s conscience. As his violent end approached, many men claiming to speak on behalf of God were predicting victory once again for Ahab—another triumph in the season for warfare, just like clockwork. But Ahab was skeptical. It did not sit right with him, so he sought a true prophet of God. His prior skepticism was confirmed. The faithful prophet Micaiah told Ahab of his coming destruction. In reply, Ahab defiantly spoke of a time when he would return in peace—a time that would never come despite his earnest efforts.

The word of God was about to overtake Ahab. Then there was one last rush of defiance: he wore a disguise as he went to battle. Meanwhile, the leaders among the opposing forces were commanded to target the king of Israel. Then came a case of mistaken identity. The king of Judah, who had allied himself with Ahab in battle, was targeted as if he were the king of Israel. With the attention drawn away from him, you can imagine Ahab’s feelings of relief. Crisis averted, or so he thought. Ahab was oblivious to the fact that God was working providentially to overcome his earthly schemes. The sun was about to set on his life.

Ahab’s death was not only foretold but was orchestrated by the sovereign LORD Himself. At a moment when the enemy was distracted, giving Ahab a reason to feel secure, disaster struck. The narrative continues, stating, ‘Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor.’ (2 Chronicles 18:33a) Even randomness (as we consider it) is but a tool in the hand of God. Now he had received a fatal wound. Now the curtain was being drawn. Now the sun was setting on his life.

Presumably, Ahab was fatally wounded while it was still day. He had the opportunity to reflect on his sorrow. Having retreated from the heat of the battle, he was then propped up with the battlefront in view. His mighty army was slipping out of his hands. All the pursuits of his life could not soften the blow. Going after strange gods and all the unbridled hedonism it entailed now offered little comfort. The luxuries of the palace never felt so distant. A king suffering. A king dying. A king defeated.

Many consider themselves rulers over their own lives. See here the outcome of an actual ruler who scoffed at the authority of God and His word. Each and every person is slowly dying. Does it take God hurrying death along for us to truly consider our end? How often are a person’s temporal ambitions pierced as with an arrow and left to die? This life lived under the sun on earth is meaningless unless an eternal purpose is received from above, unless there is something (or rather somebody) higher to live for. King Solomon had it right, saying, ‘And there is nothing new under the sun.’ As much as people like to imagine themselves as pioneers, people are mimicking age-old sinful habits in the pursuit of meaning and purpose. And these things under the sun that promise rest will fall short. These finite things fail to deliver on the meaning and satisfaction our hearts desire.

When God causes the sun to set on a person’s life and stops them mid-pursuit, a dark mist of dread and confusion descends upon the soul and casts a shadow on what was pursued apart from God. It is best to be awakened to this sooner rather than later on one’s deathbed. The character of Ahab is not too far removed from you. His mistakes are recorded for your instruction. Heed God’s word and spare yourself the grief before, like Ahab, your feet are glued to a path leading to destruction lasting through all the coming ages, world without end.

Dear reader, I plan to survey earthly trends through the lens of God-inspired wisdom literature, as contained in the book of Ecclesiastes. For all the apparent progress made since ancient times, is the world now enough for us? Depression statistics suggest otherwise. Earthly pursuits may take a different form today, but they are fundamentally the same (as I hope to show). Recurrent themes transcend space and time, each competing for your attention. Don’t be distracted from the highest good, God Himself.