David’s many victories on the battlefield brought wealth into the treasury, and Solomon, his successor, used this to build the house of the Lord (1 Chron. 22; Ps. 132). David’s great desire in life was to build the temple, but that was not God’s will, so David provided the wealth and the plans so that Solomon was able to do the work. None of us can fulfill our personal dreams and desires all the time, but at least we can assist others to do the job.
There was peace during Solomon’s reign, primarily because he married the daughters of the kings and queens of other nations and set up peace agreements. He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and they turned his heart away from the Lord (1 Kings 11:3). Solomon’s wisdom impressed visitors who came from afar to hear him, but his worship of false gods grieved the Lord. The wisdom taught in the book of Proverbs is appreciated today, and so are the insights in Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. In Proverbs, Solomon is a teacher; in Ecclesiastes, an investigator; and in Song of Solomon, a lover. Proverbs is a practical book pointing the way to success. Ecclesiastes is a book about the problems and puzzles of life, and Song of Solomon is a deeply emotional book that urges us to grow in our love for Jesus Christ.
Solomon built the temple from the resources his father David supplied, and he brought prosperity to the nation. His speech and prayer at the temple dedication are both instructive, and the Lord’s response that He heard Solomon’s prayer and chose the temple as a house of sacrifice is most encouraging (2 Chron. 6—7). It’s hard to believe that the man who said all these words and received God’s great blessings should end up worshipping pagan idols!
Solomon also taxed the people heavily, and they asked for relief when his son Rehoboam succeeded him (1 Kings 12). Rehoboam’s stupid decisions make it clear that we cannot inherit wisdom, and his arrogance and ignorance divided the nation. Does this mean that all young people are stupid and all adults are wise? Of course not! It means that we must get our counsel from the Lord and His people, young or old. Had the new young king listened to the experienced counselors, the nation’s unity would not have been destroyed. Solomon was a wise man because he humbly asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:1–16), and you and I can do the same thing (James 1:5).
The young should learn from the old and the old from the young—and both should learn from the Lord. Yes, there are old fools as well as young fools, but, generally speaking, an experienced adult who knows the Scriptures has more practical wisdom than an inexperienced teenager who has dropped out of church. Thanks to Rehoboam’s lack of leadership, the nation divided into two kingdoms—the northern kingdom, comprised of the ten tribes of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah, comprised of Judah and Benjamin. Assyria conquered the northern kingdom and Babylon overthrew the southern kingdom.
Page through 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and you will meet a number of kings who failed and a few who succeeded. It was the same old story: obey the Lord, and He will bless you and protect you from your enemies, but do things your own way and to please yourself, and you will have trouble. Some imitated Solomon when they married heathen wives and led the nation into ruin. A few put the Lord first and removed the idols, and the Lord was with them to provide and protect. God sent Elijah and Elisha and other prophets to warn His people and call them back to godly living, and the people occasionally obeyed; but before long they drifted away again. A godly king would rescue the nation only to be followed by an ungodly king who led them back into sin. Remember that the prophets did not simply foretell the future but also told forth the truth of God to bring His people to repentance (2 Chron. 7:14). We could use that kind of ministry today. Because of those prophets, godly kings like Hezekiah, Josiah, and Uzziah reigned, honored the Word of God, and obeyed His will.
As far as I know, the nation of Israel and the born-again church of Jesus Christ are the only people on earth with whom the Lord has a covenant relationship, but Christian citizens of any nation may claim God’s promises. The phrase “If My people who are called by My name” (2 Chron. 7:14) would surely apply to the church today (2 Cor. 1:20). We are commanded to pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–7) and show respect to their office even if we disagree with them (Rom. 13:1–7). We must encourage civic righteousness—but only by our votes and our own obedience to the law. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). We may criticize the sins of the unsaved, but it’s the sins of the believers that hold back revival and the blessings of the Lord!
Did the splendor of Solomon’s kingdom bring glory to Solomon or to God or to both? If Solomon’s many pagan wives influenced him to worship idols, how did his example influence the people in his kingdom? Why did Solomon move in that direction?