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ls...
by
Charles
f .
Vinson
H
ow
MANY
rimes have you
rhought, l'd be happy, if
only...."? The daydream
usually continues wirh " If only
1
had
more money," or, "if only I had mar–
ried someone else," or, "if only I
could change jobs," or, "if only
l
had
better healrh."
Always "if only."
Is happiness che impossible dream?
Why does ir always seem ro be some–
where around che corner, off in che
vague furure, bur never really
right
110W?
Cerrainly rhere are reasons enough
for che world's all-roo-common vic–
tims of war, disease, hunger and pov–
erty co be less than satisfied wi th
living. But what makes most Ameri–
cans, Brirons, Japanese, Germans -
peoples who, in the main, enjoy a
higher degree of human comfort rhan
most of the orher peoples of che
world - so ofren dissatisfied, unful–
filled, empcy and discouraged? Why
can'r chese people be happy?
The answer is deceprively simple.
No one has ever rold rhem
h()lu
ro
achieve happiness.
What's Your Concept?
Mosr human beings have lirrle dif–
ficulry conjuring up rheir own purple–
hued vision of che ultimare in human
exisrence - very often a pleasing
combination of wealth, status and
power, with freedom from frusrra–
rion, borh menrally and sexually. If
chis vaguely fics your concepc of hap–
piness, you really oughr ro consider
whether or noc chis "vision of Val–
halla" is a cruly worchwhile goal.
One way ro find out is ro examine
che lives of men who have acrually
lived under such conditions - and ro
see wbere ir goc chem. One of che
bese examples hiscorically is King
Solomon, a real-life figure widely
noced rhroughour the ancienr world
for his fanrasric wealch and wisdom.
Solomon had evecyching going for
him. His father, King David, had ar
greac efforr and cose subdued che
worsc of che neighboring war-hungry
Don
lorlon -
Ploin Trulh
cribes and had escablished a measure
of peace in che Kingdom of Israel.
Afrer David's dearh, Solomon
stepped inro a siruarion few men have
ever had che opporrunity ro experi–
ence - limitless wealrh ac his per–
sonal disposal, a condicional promise
of blessings from God and rhe gift of
unparalleled wisdom, also given by
God. Gossip undoubredly circulaced
far and wide in rhac ancienr world
about Solomon's fancasric kingdom.
Foreign royalty paid him srare visits
ro see if what rhey heard was really
rrue.
Ir was. What they found in che
City of David only served co reinforce
che Solomonic legend, even rhough
che trurh needed no embellishmenr.
According ro che Bíblica! record pub–
lished in
Second Chronicles,
chapters six
through nine, Solomon possessed
enough wealrh and power ro luxu–
riate in a life-style making notorious
penthouse-dwellers of coday seem
poverry-scricken by comparison.
A
Caralog of
W
ealth
On a yearly basis, Solomon re–
ceived 666 talents of gold, or abouc
960,000 ounces. Thac amounts ro
someching like $33,600,000 in gold
per year ac rhe old rate of $35 per
ounce. There are, of course, many in–
dividuals today whose yearly assers far
exceed that figure on paper, buc chis
was the real ching - solid gold.
Ir
was reputedly so common, in fact,
that Solomon didn't bocher ro buy
certain icems for himself. He had
rhem made from
his
gold. His rhrone
was made of imporred ivory overlaid
with gold. None of bis drinking ves–
seis were made of silver. Ir was simply
roo common, asserredly as common
as ordinary rock (I Kings
10:27).
Solomon imporred finery from al!
pares of che world. His navy reponed
ro him each year, bringing him more
gold, silver, ivory and rare animals. In
a triumph of undersratement, I Kings
10:23
says chat Solomon exceeded
aJI
che kings of che earch in 1riches and
in wisdom. Scace visirs involved ex-
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