The Rise and Fall of King Solomon: Lessons in Character and Gifting
The narrative unfolds the story of King Solomon from his ascent to power and wisdom to his eventual downfall due to his deviation from God's teachings. It emphasizes the importance of character alongside giftedness and prompts reflection on how one should utilize their gifts in alignment with moral values. Through encounters like the visit of the Queen of Sheba, the complexity of Solomon's reign is revealed, serving as a cautionary tale about the perils of forsaking one's core values even in the face of immense success.
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1 K I N G S 1 0 G R E A T G I F T I N G ; P O O R C H A R A C T E R
R E C A P Ch 1-2 death of David, Solomon becomes king Ch3 Solomon asks for wisdom Ch4 Solomon assassinates Adonijah s clan Ch4-8 building of temple and palace Ch9 God appears to Solomon and offers warning Coming into Chapter 10, Solomon at the peak of his fame and glory
1 K I N G S 1 0 O V E R V I E W All appears to be going well, on the surface Tale of two halves V1-13 Solomon s wisdom, fame and fortune V14-29 Reveals how Solomon had lost sight of God and was violating his law What is God saying to us through this? Contrasting Solomon as one with great gifting poor character character gifting but Things for us to consider: The giftings he has given us Whether and how we operate in these giftings Whether these giftings can operate as a safety net to avoid us fully relying on God How do we partner with Him to both exercise and submit our gift, and develop character?
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 1 - 7 1When the queen of Sheba queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon Lord Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions test Solomon with hard questions. 2Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan great caravan with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed. 6She said to the king, The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. fame of Solomon and his relationship to the his relationship to the very all that she had on her mind. 3Solomon I did not believe these things until I came
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 8 - 1 3 8How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9Praise be to the Lord your God Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness. 10And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 11(Hiram s ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. 12The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.) 13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 1 - 1 3 Queen of Sheba (Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn [Isaiah 60:3]) Do I know what my areas of gifting are? (Either things that you know you re good at, but also consider words or promises of God over you.) 1. Solomon s giftings (1 Kings 3) Am I exercising these things (operating in the gifting)? 2. Exercising the gift versus sitting on it (2 Tim 1:6) How would someone see the effect of it? 3.
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 1 4 - 2 2 14 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, 15 not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories. 16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 21All King Solomon s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon s days. 22 The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 2 3 - 2 9 23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. 26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28Solomon s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 1 4 - 2 9 First impression: sort of looks ok using his promised wealth to further his kingdom If we take a step back from broader biblical story: clear how Solomon has failed to submit his giftings to God and operating with poor character See Deuteronomy 17:14 Deuteronomy 17:14- -20 20: God predicts Israel will seek a King: v14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us (Rejected God, given over to desires called to be salt and light) God offers series of very specific instructions for this king to be successful and reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel Solomon violates all of these He lost sight of God; he didn t have a heart after Him like David
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 1 4 - 2 9 Contrast with Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (1/2) Deuteronomy 17 1 Kings Deu 17:16 - must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more 1 Kings 10:26 - Solomon accumulated chariots and horses 1 Kings 10:28 - Solomon s horses were imported from Egypt 1 Kings 11:3-4 - He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods 1 Kings 10:21 - Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon s days. Deu 17:17 - He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. Deu 17:17 - He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold
1 K I N G S 1 0 : 1 4 - 2 9 Contrast with Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (2/2) Deuteronomy 17 1 Kings Deu 17:19 - learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law (King was to copy law and read daily) Deu 17:20 - not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites Solomon neglected to do this, and it signaled the beginning of his demise 1 Kings 10:18-20 - the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps.
W H AT D O E S T H I S M E A N F O R U S ? Live example for me development of character character in context of specific gifting gifting God revealing several things: 1. The gifting had become a safety net / comfort blanket 2. God allowed my gifting to fail me. Why? Because He loves me too much to allow me to operate in my own strength 3. Opportunity for me to develop character (Rom 5:3-4) 4. What did character development look like? Leaning on Him, not my gift repentance, submitting my gift, asking God to change my heart, fill me with love for those in this community 5. Acknowledging that I can t do it it s not about trying harder! And asking God to do what only He can do. 6. God wants to work in partnership with us / versus self-reliance (e.g. Rachel Turner)
W H AT D O E S T H I S M E A N F O R U S ? Where have I clung onto my gifting such that it s my safety net / comfort blanket? 1. What might it mean practically for me to submit my gifting to God, to put it second? 2. How do I make sure I don t rely on my gifting but seek to develop my character which comes from experience of him? 3.
