25 Dec 2013

King Solomon

Posted by joncooper

How He Became King: After the death of his father David
When He Began Reigning: Uncertain
Reign Length: 40 years
Ruled Over: Israel + Judah
Type of King: Started out good, but went bad in the end
Prophet: Ahijah
Death: Died of old age
Burial: Buried in Jerusalem

When David was old, Bathsheba’s son Solomon was appointed king over the nation:

I Kings 1:38: “So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.”

Before he was appointed king, his brother Adonijah tried to seize the throne with the help of Joab and Abiathar. When Nathan proclaimed Solomon king Adonijah feared for his life, but Solomon spared him.

Sadly, Adonijah did not learn from his mistake. He was determined to get the throne one way or another. Since his first plan did not work, Adonijah tried to marry Abishag – one of David’s wives. When Solomon found out he realized that Adonijah was doing it in order to gain royal power, so he had Adonijah executed:

I Kings 2:23: “Then king Solomon sware by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
24 Now therefore, as the Lord liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.”

Since Abiathar and Joab had helped Adonijah try to seize power, Solomon had Abiathar removed as priest and had Joab executed.

At Gibeon the king brought the leaders of the nation together and offered 1000 burnt offerings. Now, burnt offerings are offerings of dedication, not offerings for sin. When Solomon offered these offerings he was actually dedicating the entire nation to serving the Lord. After Solomon did this, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream:

I Kings 3:5: “In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.”

When God asked Solomon to make a request, Solomon requested wisdom so that he could be a wise and understanding king. This request pleased God, and He granted Solomon the wisdom that he requested. The Lord also gave him great wealth and honor, and promised that if Solomon continued to follow Him then He would give the king long life as well.

Solomon spent seven years building the Temple. The entire nation of Israel came together and was present when the king dedicated the Temple:

1 Kings 8:1: “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.”

When the Ark of the Covenant was brought inside the Temple, the glory of the Lord filled the building and no one could enter it. Solomon then addressed the people and prayed:

I Kings 8:22: “And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from Heaven and consumed the offerings. Solomon then held a 14-day feast. The entire nation rejoiced, and went back home joyful and glad of heart.

During his reign the king became exceedingly wealthy. The Queen of Sheba heard about his greatness and paid him a visit – and she was overwhelmed by what she saw:

I Kings 10:4: “And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.”

Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king. He was so wise that the whole earth sought to hear the wisdom that God had given him. However, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and when he was old they turned his heart away from God:

I Kings 11:3: “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.”

Because of his blatant idolatry, God told Solomon that He was going to take the kingdom away from him and give it to his servant. God also stirred up Hadad and Rezon to be Solomon’s adversaries. When the prophet Ahijah anointed Jeroboam as king (1 Kings 11:29-39), Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. However, Jeroboam escaped by fleeing to Egypt and staying there until the king died.

Solomon reigned for 40 years and then died. Like his father, he was buried in Jerusalem:

I Kings 11:42: “And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.”

After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam reigned over Israel – but his reign over the united nation was brief. Events were already in motion that would tear most of the nation away from him.

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