Solomon and Wisdom, Part 2

Today I will answer the question I left you with last week: So why did Solomon not take advantage of this remarkable gift of wisdom?

"Compromise" is one word that comes to mind. It was common for kings to make marriage alliances as part of treaties. Solomon followed this practice, even though God had forbidden marriage with outsiders. Even before he was given the gift of wisdom, he would have known this prohibition. Yet we read in 1 Kings 3 that he "made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem" (3:1).

1 Kings 11 reveals the turning of Solomon's heart occurred because he loved many foreign women, and it enumerates the nations they came from, all which God had forbidden intermarriage with: Egyptian, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, Hittite. We are told that Solomon clung to them in love, these 700 wives and 300 concubines.

Here is the tragedy: "And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father....And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded." (Read 1 Kings 11:1-10 for the whole story.)

That chapter also tells of the consequences: "Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, 'Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all of the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen" (verses 11-13).

The rest of 1 Kings 11 tells how the Lord brought this about.

We have the writings of Solomon in much of Proverbs, the Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes--what we might consider his spiritual diary.  Ecclesiastes 12 ends with these poignant words: "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every
person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether good or evil" (12:13-14, NAS; other references ESV).

Wisdom and Solomon, Part 1

Even before Israel entered the land God promised them, He set forth specific details regarding kingship. We read those in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Kings would be permitted, but with significant constraints: only Jewish men qualified, they were not to acquire many horses--especially not from Egypt--or many wives, or excessive silver and gold. Why did these constraints matter? One obvious issue would be that of pride, the king having his heart lifted up above his brothers. A more significant matter, particularly when it came to wives, was that his heart could be turned away from the LORD and obedience to Him. Every king wrestled with these matters, particularly regarding women, and no more clearly than would Solomon..

Generations later, Nehemiah wrote this: "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and Gad made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin" (Nehemiah 13:26).

Solomon is known as the wisest of all men. In 1 Kings 3, we read this: "Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.... At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, 'Ask what I shall give you.' And Solomon said, 'You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern your great people?'

It pleased the LORD that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, 'Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of you enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statues and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days'" (vv. 3-14).

This was not the only time the LORD appeared to Solomon. You can read the second appearance in 1 Kings 9:1-9. This appearance followed the building of the temple, the king's house, and other building projects.  This time much of what the LORD had to say was in the way of a warning.

So why did Solomon not take full advantage of this remarkable gift? Watch for my answer next week.

Wisdom from Moses

Psalm 90 is known as "A Prayer of Moses, the man of God." Verse 12 reads, "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom." This verse does not stand alone.

In verses 10-11, Moses observes, "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?" These verses give us context.

Life is brief. Life is labor. Life is sorrow. Life is full of the experiences of God's anger and fury when we do not rightly fear Him. But when we do rightly fear Him, have a Biblical perspective on life and on eternity, we will gain a heart of wisdom.

Wisdom from Paul in 1 Corinthians experienced

When I started college, I thought I knew a lot already. School, to that point, had been pretty easy, apart from subjects like trigonometry and chemistry. So I had an inflated expectation and God graciously brought me to my senses regarding that.

He brought my attention to this passage in 1 Corinthians 1: "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews seek for signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, 'LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD'" (1:18-31; NAS).

I had unwittingly boasted in my accomplishments and not in the Lord, and He mortified me. I didn't appreciate at the time how gracious He was in humbling me. It took me a while to realize that, and to now boast only in and of the Lord.

I'd rather be thought weak and find shelter under the unchanging Almighty Sovereign's care than
Boldly strut my alleged strength before a watching wondering world.
What a wonder it is to me that
God can be my refuge and strength,
My very present help,
My all in all for this life and the life to come,
For when I am weak, then He is strong.

Seeking Wisdom?

I began by thinking about James 1:5: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

This verse refers back to James 1:2-4: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Perhaps the "but" at the beginning of verse 5 is meant to encourage those who are unsure as to how to work out verses 2-4. It is not automatic for us to consider our various trials as sources of joy, so we often don't realize that these tests produce endurance, or the eventual outcome of endurance. If you are like me, you want the test/trial to end, period. We are short-sighted if we think endurance is only something athletes need.

Our pastor reminded us recently that the Christian life is a marathon. Then I was reminded of the parable of the persistent widow, which Jesus told in Luke 18. That chapter opens with this statement: "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." I was reminded of this when our pastor taught on Psalm 5 a few weeks ago. We pray expectantly, but if our prayer is not answered as soon as we think it ought to be, we must still persevere in it, with humility and regularity, seeking Him and trusting Him for the right answer at the right time.