Return to Index.

Solomon-A King of Wisdom
November 14, 2020

Over the past few months we studied the life of David, king of Israel, and last week came to the point where there was the death of David and succession of Solomon as king of Israel. Prior to his death, David abdicated the throne to establish Solomon as king because Adonijah, the eldest son of David was making a claim on the throne and lining up the support needed to establish himself as king. Even though Solomon was inclined to let Adonijah live, when Solomon sensed Adonijah was still trying to position himself to challenge the reign of Solomon, Solomon had Adonijah put to death. He consolidated his power by putting to death Joab, who had militarily sided with Adonijah, and even had put to death Shimei who caused David harm during the rebellion of Absalom.

Once Solomon’s power was established internally, he sought to establish his power internationally and one of his first acts was to marry the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, creating an alliance between Israel and Egypt. He brought her to the city of David, today what would be thought of as the oldest part of Jerusalem. Solomon was busy with preparations for construction and public works projects including building his palace, the temple, and city walls. Because the temple was not yet built, sacrifices were still performed atop nearby hills. At this early part of his rule, Solomon loved God and did what his father David would have done, including going to Gibeon to offer sacrifices.

It was during one of his visits to Gibeon to offer sacrifices that God appeared to Solomon in a dream, and in this dream God asked Solomon what he wanted from God. Imagine being asked by God what you wanted, almost like the mythical three wishes from a genie. If God would give you anything you wanted, what would you ask for? That was the offer on the table for Solomon.

Solomon responded not with his request, but responded first by thanking God for the kindness and mercy he had shown to David, that he allowed a son of David to sit on the throne. He acknowledged before God that God had made him king and that as a younger child of David, he was not as prepared to be king as might have been one of his older brothers, including Adonijah, whom he recently had put to death. He knew he lacked preparations to be king, and yet knew he was made king of the people of God. He did not ask for riches nor did he ask for a long life. Solomon asked for an understanding heart so that he would be able to discern between good and bad.

Solomon’s response pleased God, and God promised to make him the wisest and most understanding man that would ever be known. God also promised that even though Solomon had not asked for wealth, long life, or the life of his enemies that Solomon would also have riches and honor. If, and if can be the biggest two letter word, if Solomon would walk in God’s ways, keeping God’s statutes and commandments as David did, that Solomon would have long life. Soon, Solomon awoke from his dream and made offerings to God and a feast for his servants.

It was soon after this that a child custody dispute brought Solomon fame and notoriety for his wisdom. Two women who were prostitutes came before the king, women whose dispute could have easily been overlooked by the king because of their status within society and yet Solomon gave them an audience and heard their dispute. It was told to him that these women shared a house, that both gave birth to children, and that nobody else lived at that house. One night one of the women suffocated her baby accidentally by rolling over on top of it, and the woman whose child had died took the other woman’s son and placed her dead son in the bed of the woman bringing the case before Solomon. This woman noticed the change the next morning when she got up to feed her son.

The other woman was given an opportunity to present her side of the story and claimed the child in question was hers. Both women claimed the child was theirs. With no witnesses, no DNA, no birth certificates or registrations, what would Solomon do? He told the women he would have the child split down the middle so both could have part of the child. One of the women thought that would be a wonderful idea and the other stood there in horror and begged Solomon to give the child to the other woman. Solomon decided instead to give the child to the woman who wanted to spare the life of the child, because he knew a mother would do just about anything to spare the life of her child, including letting another person raise her child. This decision brought Solomon incredible notoriety.

1 Kings 3:1-28
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

Solomon established himself as king over all Israel and had many who served him militarily and within his administration. Judah and Israel became a huge nation and soon Solomon found himself reigning from the Jordan river to the land of the Philistines all the way to the border of Egypt. All of the people who became subject to Solomon’s rule brought gifts and tribute each year. Solomon lived well, and on a daily basis to maintain the palace needed nearly one thousand one hundred fifty pounds of flour, nearly two thousand three hundred pounds of meal, ten farmed raised cattle, twenty pasture fed cattle, one hundred sheep, not including the deer that was served from time to time, not to mention the chicken and duck that they ate. During his reign the land was safe and people enjoyed living off their own land. Solomon also maintained an army with fifty-two thousand stalls for his horses, forty thousand for chariots and twelve thousand for mounted infantry. He had enough straw for these horses as well as the camels that were used. This was a time of plenty for Israel.

Solomon’s wisdom grew and developed as he came into his own as king of Israel. The Book of Proverbs is preserved for us to this day and we are told he spoke three thousand proverbs and sang over one thousand songs. People came from all over to hear the wise words of Solomon.

1 Kings 4:1-34
So king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend: And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan: The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars: Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim: Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin: Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land. Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

Hiram, king of Tyre who personally knew David sent his servants to approach Solomon. Solomon relayed to Hiram through those representatives that David was never able to build a temple for God because of the military challenges David had. Because Israel was at peace with its neighbors, Solomon would be in a position to build the temple for God. He asked for cedars from Lebanon and told Hiram that he, Solomon, would foot the bill to bring those cedars to Jerusalem. The lumber was floated along the coast from Lebanon to Israel. Each year as compensation, Solomon paid Hiram in wheat and oil, seven hundred sixty-five thousands pounds of wheat flour, and one hundred eighty gallons of pure oil. Hiram and Solomon were at peace with each other.

To get the work done, Solomon conscripted thirty thousand men, and each month ten thousand would be away in Lebanon for one month, and for the next two months they would be at home. Beside this were a little more than ten thousand men who were doing heavy labor, eighty thousand who worked as loggers in the mountains, and a little more than three thousand who supervised. It was a huge operation to bring the supplies to Jerusalem to build the house of God, the temple.

1 Kings 5:1-18
And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name. Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

Next time we will review the construction of what today is called Solomon’s temple.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
Copyright and Legal Information
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information