Our lives tell a story, our story. Solomon's story begins with his parents, David and Bathsheba. After losing a son because of sin, David found a place of repentance. David and Bathsheba conceived another child after that child's death. His name was Solomon. 2 Samuel 12:24 says ...'he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him.' Solomon means Shalom in Hebrew, which means peace. David had found peace with God.
Our stories may include bad choices, wrong directions, hurt, death, etc. Those things do not have to be the end of your story. You can find peace through Jesus Christ and your story can change. He makes all things new.
In the first 2 chapters of 1 Kings, we read about Solomon being anointed King. Some of David's last words to Solomon:
'I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; keep charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his commandments, and his judgements, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:' -1 Kings 2:2-3
After David died, the Lord visited Solomon in a dream saying 'Ask what I shall give thee.' (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon tells the Lord he is still a child and has no idea how to rule God's people. So he asks the Lord for an understanding heart to judge the people. What do you think you would have asked for at a young age?
God was pleased and added even more blessings to Solomon's request. Solomon became the greatest. He had it all. He built the temple in Jerusalem which ended up being God's dwelling place among his people for 400 years. His time of reign was full of peace, prosperity, and security. People came from all over to hear his wisdom.
After all of the greatness, Solomon still fell short when it came to wealth and women. He was still flesh, human, we all fall short. Deuteronomy 17 holds laws for the king. Verse 16 gives commands for not multiplying horses to himself or cause the people to return to Egypt because he had said not to go that way any more. Verse 17 tells him not to multiply wives, so that his heart is not turned away, and not to multiply silver and gold to himself. 1 Kings 10:25-28 tells us of the splendor of Solomon. Verse 27 tells us that silver was like stones in Jerusalem. Then we read in 1 Kings 11:3 that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The temptation proved to be to great and his heart turned away from the Lord (1 Kings 11:9). He ended up going after other gods. As a result, Israel would be divided after Solomon's death.
This gives us a look at Solomon's story. What is your story?
It is believed that Ecclesiastes was written toward the end of Solomon's reign. A time of reflection on all of his accomplishments and failures and what he learned from it all. Staring Monday, we will soak in his reflection recorded in Ecclesiastes and hide it in our hearts for our own journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment