Vanity

Evidence of Solomon’s Prosperity

Solomon’s material wealth is displayed in the next few verses. His annual income was 666 talents of gold (25 tons or 50,000 pounds) (v. 13). This excluded profits that were given to him by other merchants (v. 14). The source of this massive amount of wealth in gold and silver was both external …

The Vanity of Life

Kenneth Gangel in his book Thus Spoke Oskeleth (professor) says that the writer of Ecclesiastes in this first chapter is saying, “Stop the world-I want to get off!” He begins by pointing out the vanity of man’s existence in this world without God. In fact, vanity is on …

Conclusion

For the last time, Nahum gives his advice to the Ninevites. Make sure you have enough water! Strengthen the defenses! Make more bricks! (v. 14). All their preparations, however, would be in vain. They would be devoured by fire and cut by the sword (v. 15a). Nahum next uses locusts to …

IllustrationThe Wheat Queen Who is Allergic to Wheat

Miss Becky Alexander, 18, the 1973 Washington Wheat Queen, had an embarrassing confession to make before the State Senate—she’s allergic to wheat. “I’m probably the only wheat queen in history who is allergic to wheat,” she told the lawmakers. She im …

IllustrationCornerstone of Ice Laid For The Ice Palace

On November 25, 1895, a cornerstone of ice was laid in Leadville, Colorado—the beginning of the largest ice palace ever built in America. In an effort to bolster the town’s sagging economy …