I said to myself, “Come now, be merry; enjoy yourself to the full.” But I found that this, too, was futile. For it is silly to be laughing all the time; what good does it do? So, after a lot of thinking, I decided to try the road of drink, while still holding steadily to my course of seeking wisdom. Next, I changed my course again and followed the path of folly, so that I could experience the only happiness most men have throughout their lives. (Ecc 2:1-3)

Solomon was known for his wisdom. One can read the Book of Proverbs and be amazed at his God-given knowledge and wisdom. In 1 Kings 10, the Queen of Sheba comes to test Solomon, but God gives him the correct answer every time. “She exclaimed to him, “Everything I heard in my own country about your wisdom and about the wonderful things going on here is all true.” (1 Kings 10:6) So, how can a man that is so wise end up at the house of folly? Well, perhaps Proverbs 9 has the answer. Down the road from Wisdom’s house is the House of Folly, and Folly is standing at the door, looking for customers, tempting them; “Stolen melons are the sweetest; stolen apples taste the best!”

The Beatles wrote and sang the song, ‘The Long and Winding Road.’ (Lennon/McCartney). “The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear I’ve seen that road before, It always leads me here; lead me to your door.”

For Solomon, his folly was all those wives and concubines from foreign lands, many from countries that God forbade the Israelites to marry. 1 Kings 11:3-4 tells us, “He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines; and sure enough, they turned his heart away from the Lord, especially in his old age. They encouraged him to worship their gods instead of trusting completely in the Lord as his father David had done.” Solomon had everything, yet he went down the long, winding road to knock at Folly’s door.