The Wisest and Richest Man on Earth

The following extract is taken from King Solomon, reputed to be the wisest and richest man to date, even in today's context with gold prices soaring till, he received 666 talents (1 talent is about 34.5 kg) of gold per year, he reigned for 40 years, do the maths...1 kg of gold now is USD48300.

^{Eccelesiastes 2:4-11}

⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

¹⁰ I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
¹¹ Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

What he did before sounds familiar where we build nice big houses, sought after different forms of entertainment, started massive projects, at the end of all his accomplishments as the wisest and richest king ever, he said everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun. At the end of this book in the Bible, he summed up his conclusion 'Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.'

Thank God for giving me purpose in what I am living for and what I am doing, everything seems different when I have eternity in my heart. At the end of the day, when I lie back on my bed and think back on my life at how time flies and how fragile life is, King Solomon's words really struck home for me where everything seems meaningless if there is no God in it. I mean what is the purpose of living now for a short 70-90 years, working hard or diligently where at the end of it all, you are but a passing memory, so many great civilisations have been erased through the passage of time, the remains of Roman architecture and structure etc. I am not discounting the value of life, life is precious but yet fleeting, here today, gone tomorrow. I truly believed in the hearts of men, we know that we are destined for more than this fleeting passage of life because God has placed eternity in our hearts.