Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
In the work that I do, on occasion I’m asked how it is that I can be sure that God can heal people from their addictions. Sure, it’s been my personal experience and that’s all well and good, but where in the Bible do, we see this actually happen?
There are several different ways that I can answer that question. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments believers are warned to beware of sorcerers and sorcery. These days, when we hear those words, we almost instantly think of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. In the first century though, sorcerers were individuals who, among other things concocted elixirs that were meant to create a hallucinogenic state for purposes of pagan worship and other sinful behavior. The word sorcery comes from the Greek word, pharmakeia, which loosely translates to “drug”. So, way back then, just like today there were reputable physicians – like gospel author Luke – who could dispense medicines meant to help the sick but there were also shady characters who did the opposite. They used their medicinal knowledge to lead people into bondage.
As for God redeeming addicts, in the OT we hear tell of the Israel’s most evil king, Manasseh. Among other things, Manasseh was heavily into sorcery. Manasseh in other words loved getting high. And under that control, he committed unspeakable acts – take a look at 2 Kings, chapter 21 – up to and including sacrificing his own children by fire to false gods.
Throughout scripture we hear tell of demonic possession. Jesus in particular took on demonic possessions on a near regular basis. In some cases – Mark, chapter 5 – it isn’t a stretch to imagine some of these possessions were being fed by earthly substances. And yes, for those who are wondering I do see addiction as a form of possession. It is a perfect illustration of Satan “occupying” the mind, body, and soul of someone. Different sermon for a different week. But…
Just look at the life of King Solomon. Son of David, wisest man to ever live aside from Jesus Himself. Builder of the temple to the LORD. Solomon led Israel to what was an era of peace and great prosperity. There came a day in his life where God told him he could have whatever he wanted. And with great humility what Solomon asked for wasn’t riches, wasn’t fame. It was wisdom! Solomon wanted God to give him the wisdom to lead God’s people well.
God is so pleased by this that not only does He grant Solomon this great wisdom, but as a bonus God throws in the fame and fortune too. And for a season Solomon is about as solid a follower of God as his daddy was. But then…
Solomon falls victim to an attitude that we are all so susceptible to. He disregards the giver of the gifts – in this case, none other than God Himself – and decides that by his own will and his own works he can do things better than God. So, Solomon sets aside his faith, goes out into the world, and soon finds himself surrendered to every fleshy desire his heart can come up with. And because of his position and his power he denies himself nothing.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, written late in life by Solomon, he shares how for a time he lived for wine. He figured wine would bring him happiness. And when that didn’t work, he pursued material possessions. He built mansions and vineyards and gardens. He had an abundance of livestock, silver, and gold. He had armies of slaves and he encouraged them to bear children so that he would always have a stable of slaves to draw from. He had private musicians who would throw together jam sessions for him whenever he commanded. And, finally, there were the concubines. Hundreds of them. And it is Solomon’s addiction to sexual sin that really brings him down. He gives himself over to all these foreign women and they convince him to stop worshipping the one, true God and worship their false idols instead.
Solomon does what is evil in the sight of the LORD and just as He promised He would do in the face of that kind of disobedience, The LORD stripped Solomon of his throne. Israel became divided and the days of great peace and prosperity came crashing down.
Solomon was, no doubt about it, at rock bottom. But God…
As you explore Ecclesiastes, among its many themes one of the clearest is how, from the pit of despair Solomon’s sin placed him in, there came a desire to reconnect to God. The humility that led him to ask for Godly wisdom in the first place comes back and Solomon apologizes for his days living in vanity. He cautions us to this day to avoid pursuing anything under the sun that separates us from God, because anything apart from Him is meaningless.
Solomon closes the Book of Ecclesiastes with this.
Here is my final conclusion: Fear (respect) God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Considering his repentance, God allowed for this disobedient, fallen king to be one of the voices of wisdom, guidance, and counsel in His Word. Solomon is redeemed, and God is glorified by it. Thanks to Jesus, no matter how grand the scale of our sin – secret or otherwise – there is no such thing as too far gone. If we, from that enslavement to sin can humble ourselves and reconnect to Jesus, we’ll be blessed in much the same way as Solomon. God will use us for His glory, our blessing, and the days of being chained to whatever we may have been chained to become powerful testimonies to the goodness of God. And that is a beautiful gift available to all of us!