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Online-SUNDAY SCHOOL
Bible
Studies For Life
Solomon Session
2 22 OCT 17
Solomon was born in 848 BC, Solomon died at
age 52 in 796 BC, ruling as king for 40 years -- the best years in all of
Israel's history, but only 40 years of peace and prosperity. These were not 40
years of following the Law, particularly by Solomon.
Solomon makes a most serious sin. In
violation of the Law's prohibition about foreign wives, he takes 700 wives and 300
concubines, which included numerous foreign women. Interesting, Moses warns
that the king should not have too many horses or too many wives (Deut. 17:17).
God let Moses know about the turning
away from Him as their leader to a king in 1 SAM 8:1-22. So Moses set several
warning about this before them in (Deu 17:14-17 RSV)
""When you come to the land which the LORD your God gives you, and
you possess it and dwell in it, and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like
all the nations that are round about me'; you may indeed set as king over you
him whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brethren you shall
set as king over you; you may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not multiply horses for
himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses,
since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again. And he
shall not multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he
greatly multiply for himself silver and gold." This does not give
permission for multiple wives but is an accommodation to the society of the day
that men did often take several wives.
So certain was
Moses that this would happen, he set a commandment for the kings to follow. THEY WERE TO PERSONALLY MAKE A COPY OF THE
LAW BY THEIR OWN HAND! (Deu 17:18-20 RSV)
""And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for
himself in a book a copy of this law, from that which is in the charge of the
Levitical priests; and it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the
days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by keeping all
the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them; that his heart may
not be lifted up above his brethren, and that he may not turn aside from the
commandment, either to the right hand or to the left; so that he may continue
long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel." You probably never
heard of this in the Law. Note carefully “that he may not turn aside from the
commandment, either to the right hand or to the left.” Solomon did not
Keep and Do! Note what Jesus said in (Mat 11:19b RSV) "Yet wisdom is
justified by her deeds."
Little aids learning better
than to write
out what you are studying. We do not know if any of the kings did this.
It certainly would seem this was not done by Saul, David, and Solomon.
1 KINGS 3:1 Solomon made an
alliance with Egypt and sealed it with his marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. This
indicates that Solomon held high standing in the world of his day, because it
was not common for Egyptian pharaohs to allow their daughters to marry
foreigners. It also indicated spiritual compromise by Solomon that later
affected not only his wives but his country and himself (1 KINGS 11:2). How wise was that?
God works within the now. While he knows the future, because of
freewill he does not force the future that He wants. God does not control the
future as to human events, except in the macro sense. God knew of Solomon’s sin
tendency toward women and what it would lead to in the future, if Solomon
didn’t change. But change, under freewill, is always a possibility and
personal. Solomon’s request for wisdom to govern and judge as a good king
opened the potential for a changed direction. But wisdom does not guarantee
righteousness.
1 KINGS 3:2 The
temple, for which David had developed the plans and obtained the main
materials, was not yet built. So the people gathered on high places so they
could be closer to God (that was their perception and previous practice).
1 KINGS 3:3 This
showed that Solomon loved Yahweh. And he started his career “walking in the
statutes of David his father.” But like his father, he would soon not keep many
of them. He did not worship in the same places as David.
1 KINGS 3:4 The
tabernacle now stood in
1 KINGS 3:5 This
form of communications was a standard method for God to speak to the few select
people He did so directly. Yahweh (probably God the Father) respected the
offerings of Solomon so He said He would grant any request. What would you have
asked? We must put Solomon’s reply in the context that he already had a lot of
money and physical comforts.
1 KINGS 3:6-7 Solomon tied his
request to the history of God’s active relationship with his father. We could
speculate in many directions as to why he did so. The fact is we do not know
why.
1 KINGS 3:7-8 Solomon
acknowledged that he was a novice at being king. From this and David’s history,
I think it is fair to say David did not train Solomon is any manner of
government
1 KINGS 3:9 Solomon desired more
than all else to judge the people righteously. So he asked for an
“understanding mind.” This is not exactly “wisdom.” Understanding in the Hebrew
is 8085. shama', shaw-mah'; a prim. root; to hear intelligently (often with impl. of attention, obedience, etc.; caus. to tell,
etc.):-- X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly,
consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause
to, let, make to) hear (-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim (-ation),
publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever [heareth], witness. While wisdom in the Hebrew means 2451. chokmah, khok-maw'; from H2449; wisdom (in a good sense):--skillful,
wisdom, wisely, wit. So what Solomon asked for does not innately include the
skill to do it successfully.
1 KINGS
1 KINGS 3:11-12 So he gave Solomon “a wise and discerning mind, so that none
like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.” He gave
more than Solomon had asked. Wisdom is basically the ability to use knowledge
correctly. This means Solomon still had to learn the necessary knowledge so
wisdom could be derived from it. And just because one has ability, does not
mean the person will use the ability properly. So God included wisdom to the
understanding requested by Solomon. This fact makes the later sinning by
Solomon so difficult to comprehend.
1 KINGS
1 KINGS
1 KINGS 4:29-30 When God gives,
it is generously. Solomon became the fountain of wisdom, beyond any wise person
on the region. But Solomon shows to know something and to practice it as often
two different issues. We are to keep and Do God’s wisdom!
1 KINGS 4:31 Who
these wise men were is unknown.
1 KINGS 4:32-33 Many of
Solomon's proverbs are recorded in the book of Proverbs. Some of his songs may
be reflected in the Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon is about a foreign
woman! Today’s Jews believe all Solomon’s wives converted to Judaism before
they married Solomon. But this is not the case.
(See Session 11)
1 KINGS 4:34 His wisdom ability
spread throughout the known world and many used him as an advisor. Note (Luke
11:31 RSV) "The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men
of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to
hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is
here." Jesus is the wisest!
It is clear that bad people can
often say (and do) good things. Never let that make you think because of what
they say or do, they are also good! Once again: (Mat 7:21-23 RSV)
""Not every one who says to me, 'Lord,
Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven. {22} On that day many will say to
me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your
name, and do many mighty works in your name?' {23} And
then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you
evildoers.'"
WISDOM for Christians
All this rests upon “What is
wisdom?” Wisdom is the ability to use true knowledge correctly. That is why
Peter set the sequence of Growth toward Agape Love so specifically. (2 Pet
1:5-7 RSV) "For this very reason make every effort to supplement your
faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and
godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love."
Spiritual wisdom is knowing Jesus: (1 Cor 1:30 RSV)
"He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom,
our righteousness and sanctification and redemption;" (1 Cor 2:7 RSV) "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom
of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification." Without
this spiritual wisdom, we cannot glorify the Father with our lives. (Eph 1:9 RSV) "For he has made known to us in all
wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he
set forth in Christ"
As with Solomon, we are to ask the
Father for wisdom. (James 1:5 RSV) "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him
ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will
be given him." But as noted above,
if you do not have a correct and solid doctrinal knowledge, the Father will be
unable to give you wisdom!
And
this wisdom is ACTIVE! (James 3:17 RSV) "But the wisdom from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good
fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity." It is a Keep and Do wisdom.
Marvin
Ganote, Hobbs Study Class, Adult Teacher. ganotemd@outlook.com
Home Page: http://dma1.org/~ganotemd/lesson.htm