Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. He didn’t mean that that they drove cars and flew planes in ancient times but was speaking of the heart of man, the ways we stray, has, and will continue to be the same.

Solomon wanted to be a fair and just king over his people. Was he perfect, far from it but his inclination was to do good, it was his nature, as it was in his dad (King David) to do God’s will for the people.

Given the option to ask anything of the Lord He asked “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9)

Wisdom – it can come in many different facets, first is common sense, the other is spiritual sense.

We are told in the Bible over and over, century after century of false prophets (and teachers) will be among the people. They in the past have misled them with their own visions and dreams and interpretations of the times. They got it wrong but the people listened to them over those who told the uncomfortable truth.

We are also told this will increase to its zenith as we approach the end of the age.

There has always been enemies of the truth and stand against those in leadership that are trying to figure things out to have the best course for the people. Ps.39: 19 “But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! “

We are told at one point the people of Israel (the nation) did what was right in their own eyes. How did they get to that point? They ignored God’s Word (law) and tried to figure things out for themselves. They also listened to the fake purveyors of the future that were promising peace. They could not tell what was right or wrong, error or truth. They went down the path of Solomon who put aside the Word and tried to figure things out later in life by worldly philosophies, until he finally returned to the sure Word of truth.

In the Scripture God tells us many times what it will be like living in the last days, Isa. 5:20-21 “woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

Solomon penned Prov. 17:13 “whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.”

The result of this is found in Isa. 59:9 “therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!”

Maybe you can relate to Job (30:26-27) who said “But when I looked for good, evil came to me; And when I waited for light, then came darkness. My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me.”

In our day we see the flood waters rising, they are polluted with hatred, anger and evil not limited to any particular group of people. Jesus told us anger unchecked can lead to violence, it did for Cain. And this is what we are told it will be like the days of Noah, where “the earth was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11-13)

In Jesus’ day when he walked the earth he said “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matt 11:12) It’s more ugly when it is involved in religion, for the hypocrisy is more evident. He warned what happened with Noah’s day before judgement will take place again “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matt 24:37) What was, will be again. This is what we see surfacing today as the mankind’s sin nature is being unleashed.

We live in a time where “Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth ; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me," says the LORD.’ (Jer. 9:5-6)

What is the biggest influence to our culture, is it Hollywood? Most see movies and TV reflecting what has been taking place, or representing a certain portion of the population that the producers want to see as the majority.

I would say the place of where distrust, disinformation are found to mislead people is taking place is the news media. This is what the news media and false prophets have in common. In fact the news media has just become like the false prophets. They are even fake in their relationships. Ps 28:3 “workers of iniquity, Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts.”

They claim they are speaking what is true, causing turmoil, rebellion to authority. They speak to the people presenting reports from their experts, who have no idea on the subject matter they speak on. There’s are only opinions that they gather to shape a story.

Our country (and others) are being torn apart, and so is the church. Because so many teach what is right in their own eyes and… so many teach falsely. They have decided how people should live, what we can say. They either do not understand what God has said or disregard what God has said and use the rebellious culture, consensus for the way we should live.

Prov. 16:27 “An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.”

The false political prophets of our day are the media. Who run swiftly after lies and present them as truth.

Prov. 24:8 “He who plots to do evil Will be called a schemer.”

Apparently a schemer was one of the worst of terms, not so today.

Ps 64:5-6 They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, "Who will see them?" They devise iniquities: "We have perfected a shrewd scheme." Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.”

But God knows the heart of man and what he is thinking. and it will be exposed by righteous men who do good.

Prov. 10:23 “To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom.”

Certainly evil encompasses an intentional false reporting that is portraying the opposite of what is the truth.

History has its bumps. When we look back certain events have changed things dramatically, today we are in a time like no other. We have unreligious, amoral rebellious people who do not believe in absolutes telling the people what is absolute.

The state of our culture is at an all time low, the state of the church is also at an all time low and this is because the love we are to have for each other along with the truth has been greatly diminished.

Our day is equal to, if not worse than the dark ages when only a few who understood Latin and were allowed to read the Bible. In fact it might as well be in Latin, because so few understand what much of it means. Good intentions are not enough to affect change.

We must keep in mind that “Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all.” (Prov. 28:5)

We should see right through the fabricated story telling in the media and the church, people who exaggerate and lie from the pulpit. But we can only see if have trained ourselves in the truth. If we don’t see these things for what they are, how do we speak and address them?

If the church cannot speak out the truth in these days of confusion and turmoil than what good are we to the rest of the world. Are we then salt that has lost its flavor?

This is the time to make known God’s way, the way of peace to live right in the world in turmoil. We cannot solve the problems of man by man’s ways. Man’s wisdom will lead us astray. God’s word needs to be recognized as the source of wisdom and truth.

So how do we counter this?

1 Thess. 5:15-16 “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”

If you think something is evil the only way to overcome that is by doing good. But today too many people do not know what good is because they are doing what is right in their own eyes. They are the judge of what is good and evil, and it is by their own standards. The problem we see is that there are those who call evil good, and good evil. The past has caught up with the future.

The good is to speak the truth, to do what is good to others by God’s standard.

Israel was taught to “you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.” (Deut.12:29)

Without listening to God Jer. 4:22 “And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”

3 John 11-12 “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”

Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good ; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”