Chapter 13                           the week of April 15

The King who had it all

David had lived a full life in his seventy years. He had been a shepherd, a military leader, a king in waiting, a person on the run from Saul, from his own son Absalom, and the enemies of Israel. Of course, he had also been a sinner, but one who repented to God. He would then die and leave his legacy with his son from Bathsheba, Solomon.

PP 175-6  David charged his son Solomon to carry on a righteous kingship. The message was the same perpetuated to every generation: Honor God and He will honor you. What is unwritten in The Story is that one of his other sons, Adonijah, also contended for the throne (1 Kings 1).

PP 176-8  God asked Solomon what was his desire, anything he wanted. When Solomon asked for wisdom alone, God granted this and along with wealth and honor. Of course, there is always a question of how people deal with wealth and prestige. Why is wisdom more precious than wealth or fame?

Solomon’s wisdom was shown in how he adjudicated the case of two women who each claimed a child was their own son.  The outcome gave the son to the rightful woman, and news of the king’s wisdom spread throughout the kingdom. We have seen the downfall of
our own Presidents for the lack of common sense and wisdom. Why is wisdom so difficult to find and hard to live by?

PP 178-83  Solomon started as a man for all seasons. Using his wisdom he expanded Israel’s boundaries the farthest it ever existed and wrote prolific proverbs. These proverbs dealt with common sense issues like money, friendship, work, and life. What are insights you glean from some of these sayings?

PP 183-9  Solomon took seriously his calling to build the Temple that his father David had devised. It was only 2700 square feet, the size of a large American home, but it required close to 184,000 people to construct it. It was ornate and lavish, with symbolism covering every inch. The dedication of the Temple was one of the grandest days in Israel’s history. God was hailed for His goodness and enduring love. Fire came from the sky to consume the sacrifices. And the charge to the people including blessings and cursings was given again. With these times of remembrance, God was reminding Israel over and over again. Why did they continually forget? Why do we forget?

PP 189-92  Everyone, both foreign and domestic, gave financial tribute to Solomon. He lived in an opulent place and had no physical needs. He also lived in a brash way by having 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many of these women were from foreign descent with foreign gods that turned Solomon away from the true living God. So here we have a remarkable man who had everything going for him. He wrote the Proverbs and Song of Solomon, wise sayings. But he also wrote Ecclesiastes, speaking to the meaningless of life…having it all but living life itself as a hollow, godless existence.
What a sad state of affairs. The one with the most promise is lost without relying on God. This is a lesson for us to learn: if we don’t have a heart after God like David, we might end up like Solomon…having it all but finding life meaningless. Does this ring true?