The Growth Pattern of Solomon
2980 words long.
Published on 2024-04-20
Abstract
This section introduces the Growth Pattern, introduced by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3. It is a strategic pattern that elaborates seven phases of growth that all people must pass through before reaching full maturity.
The details of what each phase in the pattern mean are then covered in an article based on the chapter "There is a Season" from Peace, like Solomon Never Knew.
The application of the pattern to Christian discipleship is then covered in two articles:
- The Apostle Paul's Discipleship Program. Focus on Paul's Letters to the churches.
- Seven Facets of Spirit-led Discipleship. Focus on the Sermon on the Mount.
Solomon's Seasons of Life
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace,
and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
The scent of destiny wafts from Solomon's poetic phrasing. Cycle after cycle, fortune's reversals beat like a drum, lingering over hatred and war before ushering in the hoped for age of peace. In 1959, Pete Seeger wrote the pop song "Turn, Turn, Turn", adorning and slightly reordering the words from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. The song was first released on vinyl in 1962 by the Limeliters, to be followed months later by Pete Seeger himself. However, the best known version that climbed the charts was performed by the Byrds in 1965.
Why dredge up a lesson in pop history? First, I was born in 1962, the year the song was first recorded. Second, the ability to decode the meaning of this passage and discover its echoes elsewhere in the Bible is the greatest gift that God has ever given me. It forms a large part of the answer to the burning question I asked over thirty years ago. Christianity has so many ideas, doctrines, and rules that I could not wrap my head around it all. I wanted a simpler way. I wanted to know the most important truths of the faith and how they fit together so that I could use that as a framework for adding in all the rest. I needed a way to manage the complexity. With the Harvest and Growth Patterns and the larger structure of Lady Wisdom's House, I found that, but the Growth Pattern is the crucial one.
What is the Growth Pattern for?
First, it is a developmental model for the growth of a human being from birth to full maturity. It divides life into seven phases, each seven years in duration. The pattern governs the principal human needs to be met or challenges to be faced in each period. It explains the rhythm of life "under the sun". It is entirely materialistic.
Second, the pattern is a discipleship model for Christians to bring them from spiritual infancy to full maturity in the faith. Each materialistic phase has a spiritual analog. I saw this dimly as I wrote my recent books. Christians will not progress evenly through the phases; they do not last a set amount of time. This article will report on a discovery I made after writing those books. The first seven of Paul's letters, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, match the seven key phases of the Growth Pattern, in order. Each book has wise counsel on how to progress through its corresponding phase.
Third, the pattern is the mainspring for God's prophetic clocks. The poem serves as a parable for all of history, or for shorter stretches of history; it applies at several scales. Thus one scale spans the whole of history from the Creation to the second coming of Christ. A shorter scale starts with the dedication of Solomon's Temple. An even shorter scale begins at Pentecost, with the establishment of the Church. The shortest I have found runs from the Holocaust until the end; it prophesies the future of the modern nation of Israel. The prophetic implications of this pattern will be discussed in a separate section of this website.
I discovered and documented the Growth Pattern while writing Peace, like Solomon Never Knew and made some elaborations to it in Plague, Precept, Prophet, Peace. The next article in this subsection is adapted from the chapter "There is a Season" in the former book. The concluding articles in this subsection will explore new ground, and are titled:
It will show how Paul's first seven letters, in the order found in your Bible, appear to have been divinely ordered so as to teach a discipleship course. They proceed from teaching the new Christian the essential truth of our eternal security in Christ and proceed all the way to how to hold fast to Christ in loyalty through every trial. By this correspondence, we see that Solomon's wisdom for how to grow to maturity in this life and Christ's wisdom for how we are to become spiritually mature and prepare for the next life are one.
This insight came to me while lying in bed, lungs wheezing, throat coughing, head pounding, and miserable from possible pneumonia. As I reflected on Bible passages from Paul's letters that helped me in my youth, I had an instant of clarity. It is more than a curious coincidence that the letters are arranged that way. It also holds great meaning. Solomon was the wisest man in history and he described all the steps from birth to maturity. He missed nothing. His schema for life is complete. That means that if the Apostle Paul's teachings match every one of Solomon's life phases, then he didn't miss any phases either. His plan for discipling individual Christians and shaping them into healthy, cooperative churches lacks nothing. It is a good thing to agree with Peter when he says this:
His divine power has granted to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him who called us
to his own glory and excellence...
- 2 Peter 1:3
It is an even better thing to be able to see in Scripture a completeness criteria, given by Solomon, applicable to Paul, that confirms this. For this reason we can say "Amen" to the Apostle Paul when he says these words:
Not that I have already obtained this [resurrection]
or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature
think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise,
God will reveal that also to you.
- Philippians 3:12-15
Praise God! We can join the ranks of "those ... who are mature" because we have been given the whole picture! The whole course from salvation through sanctification to glorification has been marked out for us, so we can cross the finish line.
NOTE: My original name for the pattern was "The Seven Pieces of Peace", which I changed once I had a better handle on it. Likewise, the names I used to describe the seven phases of the pattern changed. Here is a concordance to help. The Synonym is the name used in the original illustration. The poem in Ecclesiastes 3 only addresses the path from birth to maturity. The latter chapters of the book then continue into the days of darkness, physical and mental decline and death.
| Phase / Letter | Synonym | Year Range | Solomon's Times & Human Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Existence | Birth to Age 7 | be born, die, plant, pluck up (uproot) |
| Romans | Infants need food, shelter & parental love. | ||
| Ability | Function | Ages 7 to 14 | kill, heal, tear down, build up |
| 1 Corinthians | Children must be taught to develop the use of | ||
| their minds and hands. | |||
| Stability | Emotions | Ages 14 to 21 | weep, laugh, mourn, dance |
| 2 Corinthians | Teens must learn verbal & physical self-control. | ||
| Amity | Relationships | Ages 21 to 28 | scatter stones, gather, embrace, refrain |
| Galatians | Cooperation in work & physical intimacy. | ||
| Opportunity | Resources | Ages 28 to 35 | seek, give up, keep, throw away |
| Ephesians | Choosing a career (immaterial opportunities) | ||
| and managing your wealth (material resources). | |||
| Community | Communication | Ages 35 to 42 | tear, mend, be silent, speak |
| Philippians | Handle conflict, dissolve partnerships or | ||
| forgive, maintain open lines of communication. | |||
| Loyalty | Loyalty | Ages 42 to 49 | love, hate, war, peace |
| Colossians | Love & hate are about defining your loyalties | ||
| and forming loyal attitudes: who is on | |||
| your side and who is on the other side. | |||
| War & peace are about expressing those | |||
| loyalties by your actions. | |||
| Maturity | - | Ages 49 to 60+ | Ecclesiastes 10:5-11:6 |
| Frailty | - | ? | Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:3 |
| Senility | - | ? | Ecclesiastes 12:4-6 |
| Mortality | - | ? | Ecclesiastes 12:7 |
| 1 Thessalonians | |||
| Eternity | - | ? | Ecclesiastes 12 |
| 2 Thessalonians |
For a full discussion of each of the harvest phases above, read this article: "There is a Season"
For a detailed analysis of Paul's letters that works out the connections to the Growth Pattern named in the table above, read this article: The Apostle Paul's Discipleship Program.
NOTE: The seven phases from Security to Loyalty are the main phases of the pattern. They are usually what is meant when the pattern is discussed in articles on this site. They are the ascending phases, from birth to loyalty.
- The Church is on a trajectory to reach full maturity right as Christ returns. It will pass through the first seven phases, enter the maturity phase during the Great Tribulation, then skip to the twelfth phase, to spend eternity in the presence of God.
- The unsaved World is on a trajectory to reach maturity, before a steep decline ending in the second death. It passes through all twelve phases and spends eternity separated from God.
Where in the Bible does the Growth Pattern Appear?
This sevenfold pattern of growth appears in numerous books in the Bible. I doubt that I have found every occurrence. In some books, the pattern appears in detail, matching each of the twenty-eight times of Solomon to a separate passage. In other books, the match is to an entire harvest phase of four times. These books map whole chapters to a single time, hence conform to the pattern in detail:
- Psalms 1-28 (with Psalms 1-4 rearranged, as Psalm 1 has plant and uproot, Psalm two has life and death, etc.)
- Job 15-42 (only the final 28 chapters of Job conform to the pattern)
- Proverbs 4-31 (the first three chapters serve as an intro, not part of the pattern)
- Matthew 1-28 (the whole book is a perfect match, chapter by chapter)
Hannah's Prayer in 1 Samuel 2 has seven reversals, each of which corresponds to a whole phase.
Psalm 102 has 28 verses and represents the pattern in detail at the verse level.
Ecclesiastes represents the whole pattern, but the divisions between phases are not chapter boundaries Instead, they are divided by occurrences of the phrase "under the sun".
Song of Songs also represents the whole pattern, where the division is not at chapter boundaries, but instead at the places where the speaker changes from bride to groom to friends. Also, the opposite time is often given, signifying that young people in love are impatient and have a terrible sense of what the appropriate time is to do things.
1 & 2 Timothy skips the first eight times (Security and Ability) which prophetically cover the time of Israel. By beginning with "a time to weep", it begins with the death of Christ. Furthermore, 1 Timothy 1 is concerned with eternity, not time, so the times to weep and laugh are moved to 2 Timothy 1, doubling up with two other times, the times to tear and mend. This emphasizes a special second time of tears for the church and corresponds to the Reformation era when civil war and bloodshed ravaged the church.
Revelation represents the pattern in less detail, in terms of the seven phases. The divisions are also not on chapter boundaries but instead at places where it thunders, excluding chapter ten, where the voice of the seven thunders speaks.
The following table will map passages to Growth Phases.
- For Ecclesiastes, the indicated verses have the phrase "under the sun". The phrase may sit at the beginning, middle or end of the passage that goes with the corresponding time.
- For Revelation, the indicated verse is one where God thunders. It marks the end of the section.
| Book | Security | Ability | Stability | Amity | Opportunity | Community | Loyalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Samuel 2 | v4 | v5a | v5b | v6 | v7 | v8a | vv9-10 |
| Psalms | ch 1-4 | ch 5-8 | ch 9-12 | ch 13-16 | ch 17-20 | ch 21-24 | ch 25-28 |
| Psalm 102 | vv 1-4 | vv 5-8 | vv 9-12 | vv 13-16 | vv 17-20 | vv 21-24 | vv 25-28 |
| Job | ch 15-18 | ch 19-22 | ch 23-26 | ch 27-30 | ch 31-34 | ch 25-38 | ch 39-42 |
| Proverbs | ch 4-7 | ch 8-11 | ch 12-15 | ch 16-19 | ch 20-23 | ch 24-27 | ch 28-31 |
| Song of Songs | 1:1-10 | 1:11-2:1 | 2:2-4:16 | 5:1-9 | 5:10-6:10 | 6:11-8:7 | 8:8-8:14 |
| Ecclesiastes | 1:3,9,14; | 2:17,18,19,20 | 2:22; 3:16 | 4:7,15 | 6:1,12 | 8:17nn | 9:9b,11,13 |
| 2:11 | 4:1,3 | 5:13,18 | 8:9,15 | 9:3,6,9a | 10:5 | ||
| Matthew | ch 1-4 | ch 5-8 | ch 9-12 | ch 13-16 | ch 17-20 | ch 21-24 | ch 25-28 |
| Paul | Romans | 1 Corinthians | 2 Corinthians | Galatians | Ephesians | Philippians | Colossians |
| 1&2 Timothy | * | * | 1 Tim 2 | 1 Tim 3-4 | 1 Tim 5-6 | 2 Tim 1-2 | 2 Tim 3-4 |
| 2 Tim 1 | |||||||
| Revelation | 4:5 | 6:1 | 8:5 | 11:19 | 14:2 | 16:18 | 19:6 |
How to use the table
If you want a holistic view of one growth phase, consult the corresponding chapters or verses in each of the books. Be mindful that the Old Testament wisdom books make heavy use of negative theology. For example, if you want to know about "a time to be silent", part of the Community phase, a quick read of Proverbs 26 may puzzle you. The reason for being silent is to watch and listen. However, you won't see any mention of listening in Proverbs 26. Instead you will hear about the speech of fools, sluggards, quarrelsome gossips, madmen and wicked liars. That is Solomon's way to tell you, "Be careful whom you listen to!"
On the other hand, Paul in Philippians is direct and positive. He tells you both whom to watch:
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes
on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
- Philippians 3:17
and what to listen to:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
- Philippians 4:8
As for what Jesus says about listening, here is part of the relevant chapter in Matthew:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
so do and observe whatever they tell you,
but not the works they do.
For they preach, but do not practice.
- Matthew 23:1-2
We must not be like them. We must practice what we preach.
At the end of Matthew 23, Jesus pleads with his people as a mother hen trying to gather her brood, but they won't listen. How marvelous then the connection to the matching Psalm, the twenty-third, where "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." Trusting sheep listen always for their shepherd's voice, and so must we.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
- Psalm 23:2b-3a
Sometimes it is the very silence we are to hear, the silence of just being with the Lord.
Links to the other articles in this section:
Spiritual Growth Introduction to the articles about spiritual growth.
What are Life's Twelve Most Important Questions? If you can answer these questions, you know the way better than the Mandelorian.
What are the Heavenly Treasures? It is one thing to list these treasures, quite another to acquire them!
The Harvest Pattern of Jesus A tactical pattern for overcoming an individual obstacle and reaping a single spiritual harvest.
The Growth Pattern of Solomon Overview of a strategic pattern to help you plan your whole life.
There is a Season The chapter from Peace, like Solomon Never Knew where I first introduced the Growth Pattern.
The Apostle Paul's Discipleship Program Shows how the first seven letters of Paul to the churches are arranged according to the Growth Pattern.
Seven Facets of Spirit-led Discipleship The Sermon on the Mount conforms to the Growth Pattern.
The Motherhood Pattern A strategic pattern for women.
The Law Pattern of Moses The law does more than restrict; it also guides.
The Journey Pattern It is a long journey back to Eden.
Emotional Prophecies of the Psalms
Job and the Ways to Talk to God
Job Description for a Savior Job knew what he needed in a savior. Do you?
Dreams Dreams can guide you, paralyze you, or lead you astray. In my case, it was all three.
Spiritual Warfare Somebody IS out to get you.
