BIBLE CHARACTERS: Solomon The Wisest King 1

Solomon - The Wisest King

INTRODUCTION:
A. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our
learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope.
B. When we think of certain attributes in the Bible, we immediately associate
them with specific people.
1. Faith . . . . . . Abraham
2. Patience . . . . . . Job
3. Physical strength . . . . . . Samson
4. Wisdom . . . . . . Solomon
C. Of the some 2,930 people mentioned in the Bible, we will be considering one
of them, Solomon The Wisest King
D. Background:
1. By way of family background:
a. His grandfather - Jesse
b. His father David
c. His mother Bathsheba
d. His full brothers Absalom & Adonijah
Note: Adonijah tried to make himself king when David was old.
e. His sister Tamar
e. His son Rehoboam.
2. His name means Peaceful
3. First mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14, and last mentioned in Luke 12:27,
Solomon is mentioned some 310 times in the Bible.
a. 302 times in the OT
b. 8 times in the NT
4. As a king over Israel, Solomon was:
a. The third king in the United Kingdom.
b. The final king in the United Kingdom.
c. The first king in Israel to be the son of a king.
d. While David was anointed king three times, Solomon was crowned king
twice.
1. Zadok anointed him at the Gihon Spring. 1 Chronicles 1:38:39
2. End of Davids life. 1 Chronicles 29:22 - And they made Solomon
the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the
LORD to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest.
d. Solomon was Davids second son by Bathsheba, the first after their legal
marriage.
a. He succeeded his father David on the throne at an early age.
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1. Became king in 971 B.C. Reigned for 40 years.
2. Died in 931 B.C. at age 52
b. Nathan, to whom his education was entrusted, called him Jedidiah
(Beloved o the Lord). 2 Samuel 12:24-25
c. His father David chose him as his successor, passing over the claims of
his elder sons. Assuredly Solomon my son shall reign after me.
d. Solomons long reign of 40 years provided Israels highest splendor, and
came to be called the Augustan Age of the Jewish annals.
e. The first half of his reign was, however, by far the brighter and more
prosperous. The latter half was clouded with the idolatries into which he
fell, mainly from the influence of his heathen intermarriages.
E. We observe many great things in Solomons life.

RECEIVED GOOD ADVICE FROM DAVID . . . . . . AND FROM GOD.

A. Good Advice from David.
1. 1 Kings 2:1-4 - As the time of King David's death approached, he gave this
charge to his son Solomon:
2 "I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take
courage and be a man.
3 Observe the requirements of the LORD your God and follow all his
ways. Keep each of the laws, commands, regulations, and stipulations
written in the law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and
wherever you go.
4 If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me: 'If
your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their
heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.'
2. Davids advice to Solomon is good advice to us today. 1 Chronicles 28:9-
10 - "And Solomon, my son, get to know the God of your ancestors.
Worship and serve him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. For
the LORD sees every heart and understands and knows every plan and
thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will
reject you forever.
10 So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple
as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.
a. Get to know God personally.
b. Learn Gods commandments and discover what He wants you to do.
c. Worship God with wholehearted devotion.
d. Serve God with a willing mind.
e. Be faithful.
f. Dont become discouraged.
B. Good advice from God. 1 Kings 3:14 - And if you follow me and obey my
commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.
BIBLE CHARACTERS: Solomon The Wisest King 3
GREAT WISDOM
1. One of the first things Solomon did as king was to go to Gibeon to offer
sacrifices to the Lord. That night the Lord made His first of two appearance to
Solomon. 1 Kings 3:3-14 - Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the
instructions of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices
and burned incense at the local altars.
4 The most important of these altars was at Gibeon, so the king went there
and sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings.
5 That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said,
"What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!"
6 Solomon replied, "You were wonderfully kind to my father, David,
because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued
this great kindness to him today by giving him a son to succeed him.
7 O LORD my God, now you have made me king instead of my father,
David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around.
8 And here I am among your own chosen people, a nation so great they
are too numerous to count!
9 Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well
and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able
to govern this great nation of yours?"
10 The Lord was pleased with Solomon's reply and was glad that he had
asked for wisdom.
11 So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my
people and have not asked for a long life or riches for yourself or the death of
your enemies--
12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and
understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have!
13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for--riches and honor! No
other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!
14 And if you follow me and obey my commands as your father, David, did,
I will give you a long life.
2. Solomon will forever be remembered as the wisest man who ever lived.
3. The Queen of Sheba traveled some 1,000 miles from the south to hear
Solomons wisdom . . . And was awed by it.

SOLOMON AUTHORED GREAT WRITINGS

A. Solomon authored:
2. The Book of Ecclesiastes
2. The Song of Solomon
3. Two of the 150 Psalms . . . . . . Psalm 72 & Psalm 127
4. And many of the Proverbs
a. 1 Kings 4:32 He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005
BIBLE CHARACTERS: Solomon The Wisest King 4
songs.
b. Solomon was the principle author of the book of Proverbs.
c. According to Ecclesiastes 12:9 - . . . He pondered, searched out and
arranged many proverbs.
d. Of his 3,000 proverbs, only about 800 of them appear in the Book of
Proverbs.
B. It has been observed that Solomon probably wrote:
1. Son of Solomon . . . . . . In his early years.
2. Proverbs . . . . . . In his middle years.
3. Ecclesiastes . . . . . . In his latter years.

CONSTRUCTION OF A GREAT TEMPLE . . . & OTHER BUILDINGS & CITIES

A. Plan and arranged for by David and built by Solomon.
1. A place for worship of the God of Israel.
a. 90 ft. by 30 ft.
b. Three stories high
c. Estimated 23 tons of gold.
2. A tremendous labor force was involved.
a. A work force of 30,000 was employed in cutting timer from the cedars of
Lebanon.
b. Some 80,000 cutters of stone in the quarries of Jerusalem.
c. 70,000 ordinary workmen.
d. Many superintendents.
3. Completed in seven years. 1 Kings 6:1 - And it came to pass in the four
hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the
land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the
month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house
of the LORD.
4. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Holy of Holies, the
most sacred part of the Temple, a cloud filled the room to hide Gods
presence.
5. The dedication ceremony for the Temple lasted 7 days and was followed by
observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.
6. Solomon completed construction of the Temple around 953 B.C.
(some 20 years before the beginning of the Divided Kingdom), then it
was destroyed some 367 years later by Nebuchadneezar.
C. Solomon also constructed a great palace complex for himself.
1. A series of five structures made up his palace complex.
2. Took thirteen years to complete.
BIBLE CHARACTERS: Solomon The Wisest King 5
D. To protect his kingdom, he built fortresses and lodgings for his army. Chariot
cities.
1. Gezer, 3. Hazor
2. Megiddo 4. Etc.

SOLOMON GAVE ISRAEL A GREAT BLESSING

A. After he had knelt in prayer at the dedication of the Temple. 1 Kings 8:56-60
Praise the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised.
Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his
servant Moses.
57 May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may
he never forsake us.
58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the
commands, laws, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.
59 And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the LORD
be before him constantly, day and night, so that the LORD our God may
uphold my cause and the cause of his people Israel, fulfilling our daily needs.
60 May people all over the earth know that the LORD is God and that there
is no other god.
B. He had five basic requests:
1. For Gods presence. 8:57
2. For the desire to do Gods will in everything. 8:58
3. For the desire and ability to obey Gods decrees and commands. 8:58
4. For help with daily needs. 8:59
5. For all the earth to come to know the true God in Heaven. 8:60

SOLOMONS SINS . . . . . . HIS APOSTASY

A. Solomons reign brought changes not only in Israel but also to his won life.
1. Near the end of his life, King Solomon lost the ideals of his youth,
becoming restless ad unsatisfied.
2. Solomons greatest sin was his loss of devotion to the God of the Hebrew
people.
3. Although the leader of Israel, he allowed his foreign wives to lead him in
directions he should have never traveled. 700 wives . . . . . . 300
concubines.
a. He allowed them to practice their pagan religions and worship their
idolatrous gods.
b. Solomon broke the Mosaic Law and violated the warning not to stray
from the path of his father David.
c. The result was that Jerusalem, its holy Temple, and the Mount of Olives
were scenes of pagan practices and idol worship.
d. Solomons own faith weakened.
BIBLE CHARACTERS: Solomon The Wisest King 6
1. The example he set for the rest of the nation must have been
demoralizing.
2. This unfortunate error was a severe blow to the security Solomons
throne and to the nation he had built.
4. His divided loyalties brought about a divided kingdom
5. The king with a divided heart leaves behind a divided kingdom

SOME LESSONS FROM SOLOMONS LIFE

A. Ones destiny can be determined by what he asks of God.
B. Effective leadership can be nullified by an ineffective personal life.
C. God does not require that we do all things big . . . But that we do all things
well. Patterns are found in Gods Word for what God wants us to do.
D. Mans wisdom is foolish when God is left out.
E. Earthly wisdom does not guarantee spiritual wisdom.
F. Sin mars great potential.
G. Only what is done in accordance with Gods will has nay lasting value.
H. People can change . . . Some for bad to good . . . others from good to bad.
I. Gods blessings are withdrawn from those who withdraw themselves from
God.

CONCLUSION:
A. Nehemiah 13:35-26 - So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I
beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear before God
that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the
land.
26 "Wasn't this exactly what led King Solomon of Israel into sin?" I
demanded. "There was no king from any nation who could compare to him,
and God loved him and made him king over all Israel. But even he was led
into sin by his foreign wives.
B. As wise as Solomon was, Jesus said in Matthew 12:42 The queen of the
South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she
came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a
greater than Solomon is here.
C. The one who is greater than Solomon is the one to be heard. Matthew 17:5
D. God Plan for mans Salvation