3,000 YEAR OLD WISDOM: WEALTH, HAPPINESS, SUCCESS & WORK
Messages on success that are nearly 3,000 years old
Celebrity wisdom, misrepresented quotes and Instagram knowledge people are willing to believe just because it has a picture of someone famous, are the major sources of wisdom and affirmation our social media culture receives daily. But a guide book for words to live by has existed for thousands of years. Its words are often taken out of context to either help someone prove a point or to prove how outdated its insights are. This book is of course the Bible, and mentions of slavery, stoning, sacrifice, etc. refer to a time period in the Old Testament when times were harsh, war for self-preservation and the preservation of morality were necessary and dire measures had to be taken to maintain order. As a result, knowledge taken from the Old Testament should ideally come with context.
These verses are taken from Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament, it is a book that the Jewish community believes was written by King Solomon who was said to be the wisest man of his time, a king of great wealth who had access to everything he could ever dream. This is important because when it comes to wealth, success and happiness the views of someone at the highest point of power who is considered to be the most successful person of his time in the Jewish culture are not made inapt due to the time period. The book of Proverbs which is also famous for its words of wisdom is the book prior to Ecclesiastes that is also credited to Solomon. So if Ecclesiastes was in fact written by King Solomon, then it must have been written sometime before his death in 931 B.C. Meaning these messages are roughly over 2,950 years old. Below are verses categorized with their meanings relayed in laymen’s terms for today, see for yourself how relevant 3,000 year old wisdom is.
Wealth
Ecc 5:12, sleep for a laborer is sweet, the rich get no sleep.
To preface, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy, especially if it has come as the result of something honest and it is what you love to do. But the pursuit of wealth for its own sake doesn’t appear to lead to happiness or contentment. Do what you love and strive to achieve more, but don’t let the bottom line or materialism dictate your happiness. The world see’s monetary wealth as success, but accomplishing your goals, being fulfilled and loving others is a more fulfilling success.
Ecc 2:1-11, King Solomon gave himself everything under the sun he could think of chasing happiness and was unfulfilled.
Ecc 2:21, if you live simply to build something for yourself you will eventually leave it for someone else anyway.
Ecc 4:8, working without joy or loved ones is pointless.
Ecc 4:13, it is better to be a poor and wise youth then an old and foolish king.
Ecc 5:10, whoever loves money will never have enough.
Ecc 6:2-3, some people are given all they desire (wealth, possessions, honor), but they don’t have the ability to enjoy them.
Happiness
Ecc 9:14, if you are alive, there’s hope.
Ecc 3:12, 3:22, there is nothing better than for people to be happy and to do good.
Ecc 5:18, find satisfaction in what you do for a good life.
Ecc 7:10, it is not wise to wonder why the past is better than the present.
Ecc 9:10, whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability.
Ecc 11:8, there will be many days of darkness in everyone’s life.
Ecc 11:9, enjoy your youth, but remember, you will be judged.
Ecc 11:10, don’t dwell on your anxiety or troubles, enjoy your youth.
Ecc 12:1 + 12:6, remember God when you are young and things are good so you are prepared for what’s to come.
Success
Ecc 11:1-2, invest in many things, diversify, having too few options will lead you to be more susceptible to unforeseen disaster.
Ecc 3:1-8, a lot of things are dependent upon circumstance and are outside your control, there is a time and a place for everything (pick your battles).
Ecc 7:4, the heart of the wise mourns, the heart of the fool is constant pleasure.
Ecc 7:18, live in moderation, not in extremes.
Ecc 7:19, wisdom is powerful (avoid living in ignorance).
Ecc 7:20, there is no one who doesn’t sin (don’t put all your faith in people).
Ecc 7:21-22, don’t believe everything you hear, we all gossip.
Ecc 8:7, no one knows the future, no one can tell you what’s coming.
Ecc 8:17, no one can comprehend all of what life means.
Ecc 9:11-12, everyone is at the mercy of time and chance.
Ecc 10:10, in life, skill is a greater asset than strength.
Ecc 10:12, words from the wise are good, fools hurt themselves when they speak.
Ecc 11:6 work on multiple things, you don’t know which will lead to success.
Ecc 12:11-12, be warned of too many additional books on the words of the wise. They are endless and can make you weary.
Work
Ecc 7:8, patience is better than pride.
Ecc 7:9, don’t be quickly provoked.
Ecc 8:5-6, obey the commands of someone in a position of power and authority so you are not harmed. But pick a proper time and procedure despite your misery to stand up for yourself.
Ecc 10:4, being calm to angry superiors can put things to rest.
Ecc 10:5-6, there will always be fools in high places.
