39-The Beautiful Era of Solomon

Solomon's wisdom

Solomon's wisdom


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What’s the story of King Solomon? what was the borders of his kingdom? How could he be the wisest in the history? what are the fifteen facts about him? what should we learn of his story?  

David Proclaims Solomon King

(The King also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel and blow the horn and say, ‘Long live king Solomon!) (1KINGS1:33-34)

“Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, ‘Long live king Solomon. And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seamed to spilt with their sound.” (1 KINGS 1:39-40)

David's Instructions to Solomon

“He charged Solomon his son, “Saying: “I go the way of all the earth, be strong, therefore and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses.” (1 KINGS 2:1-3)

“Moreover, you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner and Amasa, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime. Therefore, do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.”(1 KINGS 2:5,6)

“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadean and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.” (1KINGS 2:7)

“And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim, but he came down to meet me at the Jordan and I swore to him ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, but bring his gray hair down to death.” (1KINGS2:8,9)

Solomon Executes Adonijah

“Now therefore, as the Lord lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!” So, king Solomon sent by the hand of Beniah the son of Jehoiada; and he stuck him down, and he died.” (1KINGS2:24-25)

“And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.” So, Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord.” (1KINGS2:26,27)

“And king Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go strike him down.” So, Benaiah went up and struck and killed him.” (1KINGS2:29,34)

“Then the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there and do not go out from there anywhere.” Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves ran away to Achish. And Shimei went and brought them. So, the king commanded Benaiah and he went and struck him down.”(1KINGS2:36,39,46)

“Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh and married Pharaoh’s daughter. And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.” (1KINGS3:1,3)

“Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1KINGS3:4-5)

Number 1000 refers to the spiritualities and asking for the heavenly matters, since the thousand burnt offering refers to offering the sacrifice of the spiritual heart who behaves for the heavenly matters.

Secondly, burning all that number in one day refers to the work of God, the consuming fire.

Thirdly, this very big number of burnt offerings refers to the thirsty of God for our continuing love.

We were expecting from young man like Solomon to begin his rule for the kingdom with gathering the men of the kingdom to organize all the matters regarding it, but he began it by going over to the altar of the Lord to offer the burnt offerings.

God asked him a direct question what shall I give you? confirming to him his freewill not compelling him for something of his part. 

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I’m a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.” (1KINGS3:7)

“And your servant in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people too numerous to be numbered or counted.” (1KINGS3:8)

“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?” (1KING3:9)

Solomon did not say my people, “but your people” since, he is not the true king but a representative of Him.

God is the source of each wisdom, knowledge and understanding. And the real wise men and people of understanding are channels through them God floods over, many people.

Solomon did not ask wisdom for pride or so, but to serve the people.

“The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice.” (1KINGS3:10-11)

“Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given to you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.”(1KINGS3:12)

“And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.” (1KINGS3:13)

Solomon's Wise Judgement

“Now two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. And one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.” (1KINGS3:16-17)

“Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.” (1KINGS3:18-19)

“So, she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.” (1KINGS3:20)

“But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son. Then the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” (1KINGS3:21,22)

“And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No ‘But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So, they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, “Divid the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” (1KINGS3:23-25)

“Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son, and said, “O my lord, give her the living child. and by no means kill him; she is his mother.” (1KINGS 3:26)

“But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” So, the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”” (1KINGS3:26,27)

Solomon's Administration

“So, king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, Scribes; Jehoshafat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king’s friend; Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.” (1KINGS 4:1 -6)

“And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel who, provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.” (1KINGS4:7)

The wisdom of Solomon appeared in putting a precise system for procuring his kingdom.

We also observed that Solomon was humble in selecting the majority of the men of the kingdom from those whom has been selected by his father.

Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon's Reign

“Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. So, Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.” (1KINGS4:20,21)

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” (1KINGS4:29)

So, the secret of Solomon’s glory was the wisdom that he accepted as a gift from God more than the richness.

Solomon Builds the Temple

“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, that he began to build the house of the Lord.” (1KINGS6:1)

So, the date of building the house was determined by the Exodus of Egypt since, the means to an end of it is running over to the land of promise that’s achieved by dwelling of God in the middle of His people through building the house of the Lord.

“So, all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished.” (1KINGS7:51)

“Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion.” (1KINGS8:1)

The archbishop, Usher; sees that Solomon deferred the inauguration of the house about a year because, the year of finishing was the year of the ninth Jubilee. And the beginning of the Fourth Millennium Jubilee, the fourth for the creation, meaning 3001 for the creation.

“So, all the children of Israel. came and the priests took up the ark. And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place. that the cloud filled the house of the Lord.” (1KINGS8:3,10)

“Yet regard the prayer of your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God and listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before You today: that your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there’.” (1KINGS8:28,29)

Solomon Blesses the Assembly

“And it was when Solomon had finished praying, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord. Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. May the Lord our God be with us.” (1KINGS8:54,55,56,57)

“And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house. That the Lord appeared to Solomon second time. and the Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication I have consecrated this house.” (1KINGS9;1,2,3) 

“King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber on the shore of the Red Sea.” (1KINGS9:26) 

“Now when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with hard questions. So, Solomon answered all her questions. Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.” (1KINGS10:1,3,6)

“And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.” (1KINGS10:26)

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women- from the nations of whom the Lord had said, “You shall not intermarry with them. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.” (1KINGS11:1,2)

In, two matters Solomon ignored the commandment of the Lord and broke the Law; the first was marrying more than one wife, the second was holding many horses, silver and gold.

“Therefore, the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and haven’t kept My covenant and My statutes, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days. I will tear it out of the hand of your sons.” (1KINGS11:11,12)

Death of Solomon

“Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the acts of Solomon? And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.” (1KINGS11:41-42,43)

15 Fact About King Solomon

1-He was a king and son of a king.

2-He implemented all of his father’s instructions.

3-His first wife was Pharaoh’s daughter.

4-He saw God twice in a vision.

5-He was the wisest in the history and Queen of Sheba came to see so.

6- His kingdom was from the river to the land of Philistines to the border of Egypt.

7-He made a good relation to all the surrounding countries.  

8- He established a successful administration, by hiring ministries and governors and built a fleet of ships and cared for the external commerce.  

9-He built a house of the Lord.

10-He wrote books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

11- He made error by knowing more than one wife and clung with their gods.

12- He made another error by holding lots of horses.

13- He began his life walking in the ways of God and finished it breaking the commandment of Law of Moses.

14- He ruled over Israel for Forty years.

15-He put the seeds of dividing the kingdom.

Source is HOLY BIBLE NKJV. Arabic New van Dyck text C. The Bible Society of Egypt. Fifth Edition Third print2019.ISBN 978-1-84364-188-9. Printed in China.

Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty, 1KINGS explanation, Egypt Abba Royce Abasia, 2000.

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