“Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of Yours” – 2 Chronicles 1:10 (NLT)
King Solomon inherited the Kingdom from his father David. His task was to maintain and control the peaceful territory established by his father. He prayed for divine wisdom in the execution of his duties and, as a result, had many successes.
He built a temple for God in Jerusalem as a fulfillment of God’s promises to David (1 Kings 5:5). He also collected and composed three thousand Proverbs and one thousand and five songs, which were used in teachings and worship (Proverbs 1:1-5), and established and developed trade links with other countries which led to economic prosperity in Israel. Solomon initiated industrial activities and built up a professional army equipped with fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses (1 Kings 10:26).
He appointed officials who assisted him in his administrative duties (1 Kings 4). He brought the Ark of the Covenant to the temple of Jerusalem, which represented God’s presence among His people (1 Kings 8), and divided the Kingdom into administrative districts in order to exploit the resources effectively. He fortified Jerusalem and other cities. He developed peaceful diplomatic relations with foreign countries (1 Kings 3:1)
His wisdom was demonstrated in his ability to judge difficult cases and settle disputes fairly (1 Kings 3:16-28), organise trade with other countries, and adequately address the inquisition of the Ethiopian Queen who came to test his wisdom (1 Kings 10:1-9).
The failures of King Solomon’s reign are also well documented in the Bible. It is recorded that the King married many foreign wives who brought with them the worship of foreign gods to Israel, and he built high places of worship/temples for the gods of his wives. To compound matters, Solomon worshipped the gods alongside the God of Israel hence breaking the covenant with God (1 Kings 11:1-9).
He also imposed heavy taxes on his subjects and districts to maintain high standards of living in his royal court (1 Kings 12:4;11), introduced forced labour to conduct his building programmes, and gave King Hiram of Tyre an area of Israel’s land to pay off his debt (1 Kings 9:10-11), thus treating the nation’s land as his own personal property.
Beloved, many lessons can be gleaned from Solomon’s rule: Men should be monogamous. Marry one godly wife; Solomon’s seven hundred pagan wives led him to worship false gods. Second, do not misuse national resources, and lastly, respect and honour God; place Him above everything else.
Read: Exodus 20:4-5; Joshua 1:8
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 69:29-36; Acts 1:23-26; Acts 2:1-21; 2 Samuel 5:6-25; 2 Samuel 6
