King Solomon

1. June 5th 2011 St. Augustine’s College and Graduate Class King Solomon

2. Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. Solomon was not the oldest son of David, but David promised Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king. When David’s elder son Adonijah declared himself king, David ordered his servants to bring Solomon to the Gihon spring where the priest anointed him while David was still alive. Solomon inherited a considerable empire from his father. Intro

3. 2 Sam 12:24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and hecalled his name Solomon. Now the LORD loved him, 25 and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So hecalled his name Jedidiah,because of the LORD. • Jedidiah: “loved by the Lord” • We see here how God redeemed the sinful relationship of David and Bathsheba and blessed them with Solomon. Solomon Is Born

4. 1 Chronicles 28 5 And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. 7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’ Bethsheba Reminds King David of His Promise

5. King David Prophesies that Solomon is to build the temple 1 Chronicles 28 9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.” 20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 21Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”

6. Solomon’s Kingdom

7. Solomon’s Wisdom • 62 Chron 1:6 • And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. 7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” 

8. Solomon’s Wisdom • 11 Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

9. Solomon’s Wisdom  He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. He wrote the Song of Songs, the Book of Proverbs , Ecclesiastes and the Wisdom of Solomon in the Deutro-canonical books.

10. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore getwisdom. And inallyourgetting, get understanding.Proverbs 4:6-8 God offered Solomon the chance to ask Him for anything he wanted. Ignoring the things a king might want — wealth, respect, security, health — Solomon asked instead for wisdom, so he could carry out the responsibilities God had given him. God was pleased with this request. What kinds of things do we usually pray for?

11. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore getwisdom. And inallyourgetting, get understanding.Proverbs 4:6-8 • 1st Kings 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. . . .32 • 1st Kings 10:24 People from every nation came to consult with him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. • True wisdom comes from God and glorifies Him. If you will ask God for wisdom, the Bible promises that He will give it • “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”(James 1:5).

12. One of the most celebrated visits to Solomon was that of the Queen of Sheba, who came from southern Arabia. She traveled 1,000 miles to visit Solomon, she was totally wowed by the magnificence of his kingdom. Historically, Arabia was a country rich in gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Solomon needed Sheba’s products and trade routes; the queen of Sheba needed Solomon’s cooperation in marketing her country’s goods. The queen came to Solomon with camels carrying spices, gold and precious stones. She asked him questions and riddles and was amazed at his wisdom.

13. Russian icon of King Solomon. He is depicted holding a model of the Temple. Once Solomon’s empire was tranquil, he began to build the Holy Temple. He received wood from King Hiram of Tyre and imposed a compulsory labor service on both the Israelites and the foreign nations that were under his control. His workers built the structure of the Temple, its decorations and its vessels. The Temple took seven years to complete. It was built of stone and cedar, carved within and overlaid with pure gold. When it was done, Solomon dedicated the Temple in a public ceremony of prayers and sacrifices. Solomon Builds the Temple: 2 Chronicles 2 (18th century, iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Russia).

14. 2 Chronicles 6:1 This was when Solomon was near the Lord Then Solomon spoke:      “The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. 2 I have surely built You an exalted house,      And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

15. God’s second appearance to Solomon: 2 Chronicles 7:1212 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. God appeared to Solomon three times — at the beginning, the middle, and the end of his time as king. The first time, God said, “Solomon, ask me for something good.” Solomon asked for wisdom, and God was pleased. The second time, God promised Solomon that if he remained faithful, his kingdom would be secure, but if he abandoned God, he would lose his kingdom. The third time, God told Solomon that because he had abandoned God, he would lose the kingdom, which he did, his son Rehobam ruled over only one tribe.

16. Sins of Solomon Principles Governing Kings indicated in Deuteronomy 16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.  It’s exactly word for word what Solomon did. 1 Kings 11 Solomon’s Heart Turns from the LORD But when Solomon loved many foreign women (700 wives and 300 concubines) his heart turned away after their gods and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God any longer and his self-centeredness caused him to turn the people against him and do evil things in the sight of the Lord. For his heart lacked the most important ingredient which Jesus Christ taught us "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39). God became angry with him and tore the kingdom away from him (1 Kings 11:11).

17. 13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.  Life of Luxury –Symbolically returned to the bondage of Egypt

18. 15 Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 16 And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, through their agents,they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. Solomon strengthened his kingdom through marital alliances. Kings I records that he had 700 wives and 300 concubine. This laterbecomes his demise

19. Solomon’s downfall came in his old age. He had taken many foreign wives, whom he allowed to worship other gods. He even built shrines for the sacrifices of his foreign wives. Within Solomon’s kingdom, he placed heavy taxation on the people, who became bitter. He also had the people work as soldiers, chief officers and commanders of his chariots and cavalry. He granted special privileges to the tribes of Judah and this alienated the northern tribes. The prophet Ahijah of Shiloh prophesied that Jeroboam son of Nebat would become king over ten of the 12 tribes, instead of one of Solomon’s sons. Solomon died in Jerusalem after 40 years as ruler of Israel. He was buried in the City of David. His son, Rehoboam succeeded him as king. Under Rehobaum’s rule, Solomon’s empire was lost and his kingdom was dividedinto two parts. Solomon Worshipped other Gods

20. Astarte riding in a chariot with four branches protruding from roof, on the reverse of a Julia Maesa coin from Sidon. Astarte-Warrior Goddess

21. An 18th century German illustration of Moloch ("Der Götze Moloch" i.e. Moloch, the false god).

22. 1st Kings 11:7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.Solomon’s kingdom was marked by unprecedented peace, wealth, and splendor. He was the wisest man who ever lived, yet he did not handle his prosperity well. His resources, in fact, eventually went into the construction of pagan temples. Israel itself would soon follow in his footsteps of forgetting God. The greater our prosperity or success, the more likely we are to forget our need for God (This is why we pray for the rich in the liturgy, maybe we couldn’t handle being rich, that’s why God does allow it for us). Let us never forget this inherit danger that comes with material and other blessings. Don’t just pray for success—pray for the character to handle success as well. It takes great integrity to handle success/prosperity

23. Read - Ecclesiastes 2:4-10 • Solomon enjoyed pleasure to the fullest • He pleasured in building and construction (v.4), (1Ki 9:15- 19) • He build first and foremost the House of God • this is good. But... • "I made my works great" • Was he doing it for his own glory? • He build a great house for God, but did he build a house for God within his own heart? • "I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."" (Ps 132:4-5) • “You have served the House of the Lord for so long… when will you serve the Lord of the House?” (Pope Shenouda) Where was Solomon’s heart?

24. He pleasured in all riches (v. 7-8), • “The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones” (1Ki 10:27) • Gold and Silver • Riches and money: are they evil in themselves? • God gave them to him, it is ok for us to have and enjoy, but where’s the balance? • The more important riches is the Word of God and the treasures we build in heaven. Where was Solomon’s heart?

25. He indulged in all kinds of pleasures (v. 9-10) • He pleasured all his senses: Eyes, ears, taste, smell, touch. • “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1Jn 2:16) Where was Solomon’s heart?

26. "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." (1:2) • "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun." (2:11) • One of Solomon’s favorite words in the book is the word, “vanity.” He uses it 38 times. The Hebrew word is “hevel” which means, “emptiness, futility, vapor.” In other words, whatever disappears quickly, leaves nothing behind, and does not satisfy is considered hevel—vanity! “Soap bubbles • All under the “sun” is vain, so we need to look beyond that, to the Sun of Righteousness: • “Then I turned myself to consider Wisdom…” (v. 12) ~ Most Bible commentators believe that Solomon wrote Proverbs and the Song of Solomon early in his life during the years he walked with God.And near the end of his life he wrote Ecclesiastes in which he is looking back over his life lamenting the mistakes he had made and all the vain things he had pursued trying to find happiness and fulfillment. The Outcome

27. Let’s Read Luke 18:18-29 Is it the lust for life (Social Status, prestige etc)? Lack of focus/distractions? Do we feed our flesh instead of our spirit? Are we involved in social circles that take us away from God and lead us to Idols? What Got in the way for solomon and can get in the way for us?

28. In the book of Ecclesiastes he is examining and evaluating life “under the sun,” “under heaven.” In other words life lived from an entirely earthly, materialistic perspective. Life without God. And his conclusion— Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NLT) I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. Life on Earth Without God

29. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity.” But if all created things are good, as being the handiwork of a good Creator, how comes it that all things are vanity? If the earth is vanity, are the heavens vanity too?—and the angels, the thrones, the dominations, the powers, and the rest of the virtues? No; if things which are good in themselves as being the handiwork of a good Creator are called vanity, it is because they are compared with things which are better still. For example, compared with a lamp, a lantern is good for nothing; compared with a star, a lamp does not shine at all; the brightest star pales before the moon; put the moon beside the sun, and it no longer looks bright; compare the sun with Christ, and it is darkness. (St. Jerome Letter XLVIII. To Pammachius.) • Everything pales in comparison to our most precious treasure which is Christ and our eternal life in Him. Vanity by Comparison

30. Inner joy: A sign of the presence of Christ • Outer joy: does not fulfill, just a cover (laughing/making jokes). • To see beyond the vanities, we need to look for the Sun (Christ). Vanity of the World and its Pleasures

31. Inner Joy: Satistfaction &Contentment • Lets learn to enjoy life—right now, with whatever God has given you whether it is a lot or a little, • learn to be content. • If we live your life thinking that just a little more will bring happiness, you’ll never find happiness, because once you get a little more you still won’t be happy and you’ll want just a little more. • And on and on it goes, which is the lesson Solomon eventually learned through his many years • of chasing it. • But if we learn to be happy with whatever you have happiness will always be yours no • matter what you have. And we won’t waste time • chasing after it. • Ecclesiastes 4:6 (NLT) • “And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and • chasing the wind.”

32. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

33. In the New Testament, Jesus reminded us that wisdom comes from realizing the importance of caring for our souls and being led by the inner voice within us. As He reminded Martha (Luke 10:38-42) that sitting and learning at His feet is more important and wiser for her spiritual growth than preparing the meal. Also when He gave us the example in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), He reminded us that collecting and accumulating material wealth will eventually lead our life to losing our inner self and our soul for our heart will be taken by the temporary joy and the pleasure of the world. The Heavenly Wisdom

34. Ask God to grant you wisdom (Philippians 4:6) • Study the words of God (2 Timothy 2:6) • Maintain intimate contact with God (Colossians 4:1) • Listen to a truly wise man for instruction (1 Timothy 4:13) • Search out the best way to live correctly (Colossians 4:6) • Do not waste your precious gifts (1 Timothy 4:14) • Open yourselves to others and you will receive more in return (Titus 3:15) • Be alert and careful not to act foolishly (Titus 3:3) • Risk everything to acquire the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44) "I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in the right paths" (Proverbs 4:11). What do we do to Aquire wisdom?

35. Let God's wisdom fill your heartTreasure every word He will sayAnd never let any slip awayOrEvil thoughts will replace And dwell in and steel your faithSo never forget and never ignoreAndHe will be your eyes in the darkHe will never make you stumbleHe will lead you in the right pathAnd most of allHe will make you stand through the stormAndIn that you will never be alone God's Wisdom