Solomon’s Wisdom and Folly (1 Kings 9-11)
2:27 AM
How rich was King Solomon in today’s standards? Very! I found him listed as number 1 for top 10 richest people in history. His estimated net worth, not including tributary pay from the kings of Arabia or from business and trade was over 2 Trillion dollars. Every year he received 25 tons of gold. The Bible tells us he had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. He had a fleet of ships that brought exotic goods. His throne was ivory overlaid with gold and all of his drinking vessels were gold.
Solomon was also famous and sought after for his wisdom. The Bible tells us about the Queen of Sheba who traveled undoubtedly a very long journey to personally meet with Solomon and ask him tough questions. She was impressed with his wise and insightful answers but she was also very impressed with Solomon’s reverent acknowledgement of God. She told Solomon “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.””(10:9)
God certainly bestowed great favor upon Solomon. God made this promise to him: “And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel (9:4-5). Many would say Solomon had it made. As long as he honored God as first in his life, he continued to have God’s help and God’s favor.
Sadly, however, Solomon did not heed the rest of God’s conditions. “But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” 1 Kings (9:6-7)
Even though Solomon had such an abundance of fame and fortune, he still had a restless heart. His weakness was in seeking after women , particularly women who did not share his faith in God. “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.” (11:4)
As we look at the life of perhaps the wisest and richest man in the world we can certainly learn from his wisdom and his folly. As long as Solomon put God first, his endeavors prospered and God honored his promises to him. Solomon’s conduct and devotion also proved a testimony to others. When Solomon stopped putting God first, he suffered the consequences. We too must reap what we sew. Our hearts must remain aware of the source of any wisdom or blessing we enjoy.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
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