The queen visits the wise king.
HOW COULD SOLOMON, THE WISEST MAN EVER, DO SUCH A DUMB THING? The man had everything. The Queen of Sheba couldn’t believe the reports until she saw it herself. “Your wisdom and wealth—unbe-LIEVable! Praise be to the Lord your God, who placed you on the throne of Israel. He made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”
But then…then… One of the saddest of Scriptures:
The Lord had said, “You must not intermarry with foreign women. They’ll only turn your hearts after their gods.”
Nevertheless, Solomon—this wisest of men—indulged his 700 wives and 300 concubines. And sure enough, in his old age, his heart went after other gods. Solomon began to worship Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not follow the Lord completely as his father David had done. (1 Kings 11)
David had longed to build a temple, but the Lord forbade it and said his son would do the constructing. A glorious structure, yes, but what would David have said, had he known what Solomon came to late in life?
Old age. David had lapses in his latter years, but in his last words, he got it right:
When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of sunrise on a cloudless morning….
If my house were not right with God…surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire. But evil men are to be cast aside like thorns.
And that’s exactly what happened. Solomon’s son Rehoboam had no moral or political sense, and David’s 
kingdom was split apart—north and south.
“O Solomon, Solomon, my son Solomon…” As David had mourned the death of his rebellious son Absalom, how much more would he have grieved over Solomon as this beloved son thumbed his nose at God?
BUT—centuries later, another son was born to David, and this Son came to do the King Thing properly. His throne will endure FOREVER!
O come let us adore him!
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations
prove the glories of his righteousness,
and wonders of his love.
Anyone thinking Aslan here?
Merry Christmas!
egus@me.com
(Double click pics to enlarge)
Despite all his wisdom, Solomon apparently laid a heavy yoke on Israel.
They bore it until his death, when they begged his son to relent. All was not peaches and cream under Solomon.
From 1 Samuel 8 came a warning of this:
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: …you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
The queen of Sheba thought Solomon was pretty cool, but she was just visiting.
Hey Ellie,
Yes, without a doubt, I am thinking Aslan. My grandchildren love the Narnia movies and every time I see Aslan I am moved because I love the imagery of Christ being like the a mighty powerful lion (but not a tame lion, mind you). The story of Solomon has always saddened me. I am reading through Isaiah for my personal devotions right now. There are so many verses that reference the stupidity of worshiping a piece of wood that you could just as easily throw on the fire for warmth. How could anyone with the wisdom that Solomon had bow down to pieces of metal or wood. Thank you for your insights. May your and your family have a Merry Christmas!
.
Hi, Ellie,
Unfortunately, today, many are forsaking the God of the Bible and replacing it with other gods such as lust, pride, selfishness, greed, and other such vices. Thinking of my own daughter, Gwen, who has turned like Solomon. I pray that God will restore her.
Solomon was given the chance to ask for anything at all by God. He asked for wisdom and he still failed. What should he have asked for?