[94] The ant is depicted as a wise creature, revealing to Solomon the reason behind his gift to control the wind and his name. 1 Kings 8:23,27. The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not."[22]. 2012. Interestingly, Solomons reign was characterized by peace and stability. Some of Solomon's most famous achievements were his building projects, particularly the temple in Jerusalem. Quart. His control over the demons, spirits, and animals augmented his splendor, the demons bringing him precious stones, besides water from distant countries to irrigate his exotic plants. He would reside at this temple if they would serve Him faithfully. In particular he continued his father's very profitable relationship with the Phoenician king Hiram I of Tyre (see 'wealth' below); they sent out joint expeditions to the lands of Tarshish and Ophir to engage in the trade of luxury products, importing gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes and peacocks. Take note that God can see through to the heart so Solomon wasnt just putting on a pretense. The beasts and fowl of their own accord entered the kitchen of Solomon's palace, so that they might be used as food for him, and extravagant meals for him were prepared daily by each of his 700 wives and 300 concubines, with the thought that perhaps the king would feast that day in her house. Other books of wisdom poetry such as the Odes of Solomon and the Psalms of Solomon also bear his name. The main theme of Ecclesiastes is humanity's fruitless search for contentment. Nowadays many rich people gather together and brag about their financial successes. God in fact used Solomon to relay to us many enduring truths and principles about the world which we can find in these books. Upon Solomon's death, his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him, but ten of the Tribes of Israel refused him as king, splitting the monarchy into the northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam, while Rehoboam continued to reign over the much smaller southern Kingdom of Judah. This takes a lot of time and hard work. Then Solomon asked for "a discerning heart to governand to distinguish between right and wrong." God was so pleased, He not only gave Solomon what he asked for but also added riches and honor. In fact, He warned kings specifically against accumulating many wives. [38], In the branch of literary analysis that examines the Bible, called higher criticism, the story of Solomon falling into idolatry by the influence of Pharaoh's daughter and his other foreign wives is "customarily seen as the handiwork of the 'deuteronomistic historian(s)'", who are held to have written, compiled, or edited texts to legitimize the reforms of Hezekiah's great-grandson, King Josiah who reigned from about 641 to 609 BCE (over 280 years after Solomon's death according to Bible scholars). Some historians cited that Nathan the Prophet brought up Solomon as his father was busy governing the realm. God wants to extend His blessings to us, protect us, and have a close relationship with us, but we must obey and follow Him for this to happen. Just like with Solomon and his sons, we have a choice. In addition to these verses, we can also see the results of his wisdom, including the establishment of a powerful and rich kingdom, complex alliances, and sophisticated architectural achievements. According to 1 Kings 11:4 Solomon's "wives turned his heart after other gods", their own national deities, to whom Solomon built temples, thus incurring divine anger and retribution in the form of the division of the kingdom after Solomon's death (1 Kings 11:913). 5. . Daniel's ministry spans the entire 70-year captivity. Solomon begins his reign well, and follows in his father's footsteps by demonstrating a great love for the Lord and offering many sacrifices to Him at Hebron. The Quran[88][89][90] ascribes to Solomon a great level of wisdom, knowledge and power. A fully eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministrywill leave the ministry within the first five years. If we disobey God and turn away from Him like Solomon did, the consequences of this will not be worth whatever the short term enjoyment from the sin is. Training and occupation:As a member of the royal court, Solomon would have had access to the best education possible, likely including all types of tutors. word shalom, and means "peace" or . Such positions have been criticized by other archaeologists and scholars, who argue that a united monarchy did exist in the 10th century BC, while agreeing that the biblical account contains exaggerations. Solomon reached the second level of commitment, which is already saying a lot considering how much David loved God. Solomon the King. [36][37] The only wife mentioned by name is Naamah the Ammonite, mother of Solomon's successor, Rehoboam. These were open air places on the tops of hills or mountains originally used by pagans to sacrifice to their gods. 2. King Solomon was born as the son of David We first hear of Solomon as being born to David and his wife Bathsheba in Jerusalem after the death of their son that was conceived through adultery (2 Samuel 5:14; 2 Samuel 12:24). Mixing elements of pagan worship with true worship of God would only lead Israel down the road into idolatry. According to 1 Kings 11:3034 and 1 Kings 11:913, it was because of these sins that the Lord punished Solomon by removing most of the tribes of Israel from rule by Solomon's house.[43]. The shamir had been entrusted by the prince of the sea to the mountain rooster alone, and the rooster had sworn to guard it well, but Solomon's men found the bird's nest, and covered it with glass. A well-known story in the collection One Thousand and One Nights describes a genie who had displeased King Solomon and was punished by being locked in a bottle and thrown into the sea. Her exact identity is unknown, although there are a couple of theories. Solomon is King David's son and becomes king at a very young age. [11], The life of Solomon is primarily described in 2Samuel, 1Kings and 2Chronicles. Application: Whether or not we ever get rich, the lesson for us is to give of the best we have to the Lord. Angels also helped Solomon in building the Temple, though not by choice. He had over 100,000 people working in the mountains cutting just the right stones. I can handle it. What would you have wanted to tell Solomon if he said this to you? Bible, the sacred scriptures of Judaism and Christianity. This leads to a sense of hollowness. The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament, with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox versions of the Old Testament being slightly larger because of their acceptance of certain books and parts of books considered apocryphal by Protestants. An immense amount of gold was used and so much bronze that it was too much to reasonably weigh. God gave him wisdom and wealth besides ( 1 Kings 3:4-15; 10:27 ). Thank you for a indepth look into Solomons character, and some great lessons I will apply to my life. Solomon sinned in all three of these areas. https://studyandobey.com/inductive-bible-study/should-believers-date-unbelievers/. It is possible that at times Solomons mind was telling him doing something wasnt wise (such as marrying all of these foreign women), but his fleshly side ignored these warnings and continued on anyway. The throne then passed to the Persians, whose king Darius was the first to sit successfully on Solomon's throne after his death; subsequently the throne came into the possession of the Greeks and Ahasuerus. Solomon also constructed great water works for the city, and the Millo (Septuagint, Acra) for the defense of the city. [34] The wives were described as foreign princesses, including Pharaoh's daughter[35] and women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and of the Hittites. Following the split, his patrilineal descendants ruled over Judah alone.[6]. Solomon and the king's daughter wandered the desert until they reached a coastal city, where they bought a fish to eat, which just happened to be the one which had swallowed the magic ring. God is so pleased with Solomon's answer that he gives him wisdom beyond measure as well as riches and honor. From government officials to business executives, leaders play a critical role in inspiring and guiding others He lived and reigned in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, which was at its peak power and influence in history. [49], As for Solomon himself, scholars on both the maximalist and minimalist sides of the spectrum of biblical archeology generally agree that he probably existed. Each book offers a unique perspective on how humans can rule. This paper will focus on the arc of Solomon's tenure as a leader and relate it to the philosophy of ethics and leadership recorded in the Book of Proverbs. Near the end of his life, Solomon was beset by several enemies, including Hadad of Edom, Rezon of Zobah, and his own official Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim. Christianity has traditionally accepted the historical existence of Solomon, though some modern Christian scholars have also questioned at least his authorship of those biblical texts ascribed to him. According to these, there were on the steps of the throne twelve golden lions, each facing a golden eagle. Davies, Philip R. 1992. Each and every case needed wisdom to deal with. "Jebus, the City of David, and Jerusalem: Jerusalem from the Iron. Solomon had three named full brothers born to Bathsheba: Nathan, Shammua, and Shobab,[17] besides six known older half-brothers born of as many mothers. Solomon is associated with the peak "golden age" of the independent Kingdom of Israel and is a legendary source of judicial and religious wisdom. 4. Dever states "that we now have direct Bronze and Iron Age parallels for every feature of the 'Solomonic temple' as described in the Hebrew Bible". His feast day is celebrated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Lord). In this case, God answered Solomons request in a great way, making him the wisest person that has ever existed (apart from Christ who is God). Earlier historians maintain that there is evidence that these passages in Kings are derived from official court records at the time of Solomon and from other writings of that time that were incorporated into the canonical books of Kings. [13] Regarding the Davidic dynasty, to which King Solomon belongs, its chronology can be checked against datable Babylonian and Assyrian records at a few points, and these correspondences have allowed archaeologists to date its kings in a modern framework. From government officials to business executives, leaders play a critical role in inspiring and guiding others His two names mean "peaceful" and "friend of God", both considered "predictive of the character of his reign". Keep in mind that at that time there wasnt DNA evidence or closed caption video or fingerprinting or other elaborate methods for determining the truth. Southern Phoenician Hacksilber Hoards and the Location of Tarshish", "A Buried Treasure: The Entombment of the Ark", "Nights 3-9. Because of His compassion for David, He mercifully did this only after Solomons death and left a remnant for Davids descendants to reign over and planned for eventual unification. God gave this command clearly to keep His people from being influenced by the idolatry and cults of other countries. Solomon gradually lost more and more prestige until he became like a commoner. Menelik was said to be a practicing Jew who was given a replica of the Ark of the Covenant by King Solomon; and, moreover, that the original Ark was switched and went to Axum with him and his mother, and is still there, guarded by a single dedicated priest. 1. Daniel's Chaldean name is Belteshazzar. "[92] (34: 12) and "At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: 'O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it. Grace of God be with you all. Solomon didnt ask for any of these things. As king, Solomon faced a lot of responsibilities and needed to make a lot of tough decisions, decisions that would affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The Archaeology of Israelite Society in Iron Age II. The metals from Tarshish were reportedly obtained by Solomon in partnership with King Hiram of Phoenician Tyre (Isaiah 23) and the fleets of Tarshish and ships that sailed in their service. 6. By Marty Solomon. He was the son of Nahshon, married "Rachab" of Matthew 1 :5 (possibly Rahab, of Jericho ), and Boaz (or Booz) was their son. The first-century Romano-Jewish scholar Josephus in Against Apion, citing Tyrian court records and Menander, gives a specific year during which King Hiram I of Tyre sent materials to Solomon for the construction of the Temple. Let the Word of God accompany you everywhere through this easy-to-carry spiral-bound notebook. Unlike in the Bible, according to Muslim tradition, Solomon never participated in idolatry himself, but is rebuked for allowing it to happen in his kingdom.[87]. The doctrine of his prayer was right on. Copyright 2012 -2022|Study and ObeyAll Rights Reserved|. King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and also one of the most foolish. Even the very most dedicated believer can backslide and drift away from God. The edifice was, according to rabbinical legend, miraculously constructed throughout, the large heavy stones rising and settling in their respective places of themselves. 1 Kings 3:4-28. Meaning in life can be found only in a right relationship with God. If we seek Him first, all these things will be given to us. Great men and women from many nations came to hear him and test his understanding and knowledge. 2. Trade relationships were a focus of his administration. Sometimes we might wonder why we are not experiencing His blessings or why He didnt answer our prayers. [citation needed]. If we do, we are the ones who give up His blessings the joy we can have in Him. According to the biblical account, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Life Title:A devoted king derailed by compromise. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, . Israel Exploration Journal:6582. This is likely made worse by the idea that the Hebrew Scriptures depict a God that is full of wrath. [102] The element of a ring thrown into the sea and found back in a fish's belly also appeared in Herodotus' account of Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos (c. 538522 BCE). But Solomon made it much harder on himself by his unions with ungodly wives who not only did not encourage him to follow the Lord, but instead actively discouraged him from doing so. [14][dubious discuss] According to the most widely used chronology, based on that by Old Testament professor Edwin R. Thiele, the death of Solomon and the division of his kingdom would have occurred in the fall of 931 BCE. For instance, the archaeologist Avraham Faust has argued that biblical depictions of Solomon date to later periods and do overstate his wealth, buildings, and kingdom, but that Solomon did have an acropolis and ruled over a polity larger than Jerusalem. It is a slippery slope and not a cliff. As long as we do, He will take care of us, but there are also many conditional promises in the Bible. The biblical passages that understand Tarshish as a source of King Solomon's great wealth in metalsespecially silver, but also gold, tin and iron (Ezekiel 27)were linked to archaeological evidence from silver-hoards found in Phoenicia in 2013. When and where he lived:He reigned from approximately 971-931 B.C. 3. Simply obey God. While Solomon came along later it is likely he would have heard rumors and whispers about what had happened, and perhaps some of these would have been spread with malicious intent. How he died:Solomon died apparently of old age after a long and prosperous reign of forty years. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. [65], King Solomon sinned by acquiring many foreign wives and horses because he thought he knew the reason for the biblical prohibition and thought it did not apply to him. 5. The hypothesized dates of Solomon's reign are 970931 BCE. But over the course of ones life he faced hundreds of thousands of temptations. The Shulammite (from Hebrew shulammit, "woman of Jerusalem") is the central figure in the Song of Solomon (also called Song of Songs or Canticles) and one of the most positive representations of young womanhood in the Hebrew Bible.As the embodiment of erotic pleasure, innocent and savored for its own sake, she is to be contrasted, on the one hand, with the wily seductress of Proverbs 7 . Give the best to God and whatever is leftover for yourself. Possible evidence for the described wealth of Solomon and his kingdom was discovered in ancient silver hoards, which were found in Israel and Phoenicia and recognized for their importance in 2003. Fiqitush tells King Solomon the recipes for curing such corruptions as each evil jinn confesses. 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