Solomon

Solomon
Simeon Solomon, King Solomon, 1872–1874
Period	The Divided Kingdom Era (Around the 10th century B.C.)
Family	Father: David, Mother: Bathsheba
Occupation(Features)	The third king of the Kingdom of Israel
Activity area	Jerusalem
Reign	40 years
Major achievements	Thousand burnt offerings The Judgment of Solomon Building the Jerusalem Temple Portions of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs

Queen of Sheba visited Solomon (Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה) was the son of David and Bathsheba, and the third king of Israel. Solomon means "peaceful," and unlike the turbulent life of David, Solomon's reign was to be peaceful according to God's word. Solomon, known as the King of Wisdom, ruled the Kingdom of Israel for 40 years. Through administrative reforms, military expansion, and other achievements, he led Israel to its greatest period of prosperity. He established relations with various neighboring nations, from the Euphrates River to Philistia (Palestine) and Egypt, receiving tributes and attaining immense wealth. He also wrote parts of the Psalms in the Old Testament, as well as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

Historical Background

Around the 14th century B.C., under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites settled in Canaan. They maintained a tribal alliance system and gradually expanded their territory. God maintained the Israelite tribal system through judges, but as the Philistines continued to invade, the people began to long for a strong monarchy. In response to their request, God appointed Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as king during the time of Samuel, the last judge.

After Saul’s death, David from the tribe of Judah became king and ruled Israel for 40 years. David had more than nineteen sons. Among them, his third son, Absalom, led a rebellion, and his fourth son, Adonijah, tried to exalt himself to take the throne. However, David passed the throne to Solomon, whom God had already chosen as his successor.

The Life of Solomon

Birth and Enthronement

Bathsheba, the wife of David and mother of Solomon, was originally the wife of Uriah the Hittite. While walking on the rooftop of his palace, David saw Bathsheba and fell in love with her. After Uriah lost his life on the battlefield, David took Bathsheba as his wife. God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David for his actions. When David acknowledged his sin and sincerely repented, God forgave him but took the life of Bathsheba's first child as a consequence. Afterward, David comforted Bathsheba, and the child they had was Solomon. God loved Solomon and gave him the name Jedidiah (יְדִידְיָה), meaning “beloved of the Lord.” As Solomon grew, he succeeded David and became king.

Thousands of Burnt Offerings and Judgment

The Judgment of Solomon by Gaspar de Crayer (1620–1622)

After becoming king, Solomon did not rely on his own abilities or those of his officials but first sought God's guidance and help. As soon as he began his reign, Solomon went to the high place in Gibeon, where the Tabernacle and burnt offering altar from Moses' time were located. There, he offered a thousand burnt offerings to God, seeking His blessing. Pleased with Solomon’s offering, God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Instead of asking for blessings for himself, Solomon requested wisdom to govern the people justly. Pleased with Solomon’s request, God granted him wisdom and also bestowed upon him wealth and honor, which he had not asked for, in great abundance.

The Bible records the Judgment of Solomon as the only story that demonstrates his wisdom, where he identified the true mother in a dispute over a baby. Two women who lived in the same house gave birth to babies three days apart. One night, one of the babies was accidentally smothered to death by its mother. To cover up the incident, the woman switched her dead baby with the living one. Both women claimed that the living baby was theirs. With no evidence or witnesses, Solomon used the wisdom given by God to reveal the true mother by testing the maternal instinct of the women.

For details, refer to: The Judgment of Solomon

Construction of the Temple

Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple Providence Lithograph, 1896

The construction of the Temple was a long-cherished dream of David. God wanted Solomon to build the Temple instead of David, who had shed much blood in numerous wars. In the fourth year of his reign, in the second month, Solomon began the construction of the Temple. This was the 480th year since the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.

The Temple was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. That place was where Abraham had prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice and was also the site of the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite. David purchased the site from Ornan to use it as the location for the Temple. David prepared 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and an uncountable amount of bronze and iron for the construction of the Temple. Since one talent is estimated to weigh about 34 kg, the weight of 100,000 talents of gold would be 3,400,000 kg. Solomon generously used the materials that his father had prepared for the construction of the Temple. Solomon also requested cedar and cypress wood from Lebanon from King Hiram of Tyre, who had maintained a friendly relationship since the time of King David. Solomon gathered 30,000 workers to be sent to Lebanon for timber. To quarry and transport the large and precious stones for the Temple’s foundation, he assigned 80,000 stonecutters, 70,000 transporters, and 3,300 site supervisors. When constructing the Temple, the stones were fully cut and shaped at the quarry before being brought to the site. As a result, no sound of hammers, axes, or any iron tools was heard at the construction site.

After 7 years and 6 months of construction, God's Temple was completed on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. From that time on, Jerusalem, where the Temple stood, became the holy city for the Israelites who worshiped God. On the day of the Temple dedication, Solomon, representing the people, declared that all of Israel would keep God’s statutes and laws. Afterward, sacrifices were offered in the Temple according to the ordinances of God’s feasts. Solomon diligently kept God’s ordinances because he held close to his heart his father David’s final words, which promised that obedience to God's laws would bring success and prosperity in all things and wherever he went.

The visit of the Queen of Sheba

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba by Eustache Le Sueur (1617–1655) the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon after hearing of his legendary wisdom.

The Queen of Sheba heard about King Solomon’s fame and visited Jerusalem to verify the truth of his wisdom and wealth. She tested Solomon with many difficult questions, but there was nothing he could not answer. The Queen of Sheba was greatly impressed when she saw the palace Solomon had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, his numerous servants and attendants, and the offerings made at the Temple. Realizing that all the rumors were true, she marveled at his wisdom and prosperity. She praised God for giving Solomon his wisdom and presented him with 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones as gifts.

The Consequence of Idolatry

Solomon, who had ruled wisely while fearing God, strayed from God's will in the later years of his reign. The problem arose from his political marriages with foreign princesses, which he pursued to maintain stable relations with neighboring nations. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. In his old age, Solomon worshiped the idols that his foreign wives had introduced, including Chemosh, Molech, and Ashtoreth, even building shrines for them. God warned Solomon twice not to follow other gods, but he did not listen. As Solomon drifted away from God's will, Israel faced attacks from neighboring nations and internal rebellions, leading to great difficulties. Solomon’s downfall ultimately led to the division of Israel during the reign of his son, Rehoboam, splitting the kingdom into Judah in the south and Israel in the north.

Lesson

God the Source of Wisdom

Solomon is known as the "King of Wisdom," but he was not wise from the beginning. He even admitted, "I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties." After offering a thousand burnt sacrifices, Solomon pleased God, who then granted him extraordinary wisdom and understanding.

Solomon was able to enjoy wisdom and glory because he recognized and loved God. The Bible states that those who love God and keep His commandments will receive His blessings for a thousand generations. Solomon faithfully followed this command and was blessed by God. Solomon recognized that God is the source of all wisdom and understanding and placed his trust in Him. If Solomon had not recognized God as the source of wisdom and had not loved Him, he would not have sought wisdom or become the King of Wisdom.

The Highest Value in Life

Solomon was a man of extraordinary wisdom and knowledge, and he reached the height of wealth and glory. Solomon collected 666 talents of gold in taxes annually, which is approximately 22.64 metric tons in today's measurements. Solomon had 12,000 horsemen and 4,000 stalls for his chariots and horses. He also made all the royal utensils from gold and did not consider silver valuable. Solomon himself confessed, "I have seen everything I wanted to see and enjoyed every pleasure I desired." Despite living a life that most people would envy, Solomon's ultimate conclusion at the end of his life was clear: Everything is meaningless.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:1–3

Realizing that the wealth and glory he had enjoyed throughout his life were only temporary, Solomon ultimately understood that the greatest priority in life is to fear God and keep His commandments.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” . . . Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:1–14

Related videos

• Sermon: Let Us Go Toward the Glorious Kingdom of God

See also

• David
• The Judgment of Solomon
• Temple
• Book of Proverbs
• Book of Ecclesiastes
• Book of Psalms
• Song of Songs