Today's Reading:

1 Kings 3
1 Kings 4
2 Chronicles 1
Psalm 72

One night in Solomon’s dream, God appeared like a genie in a bottle moment and said, “Ask! What shall I give you? (1 Kings 3:5). Wow. Imagine the Creator of the universe offering you anything of your deepest desires? What would you request from the depths of your heart? Have you ever thought about it? Solomon was brilliant; he did not ask for tangible wealth, an easy life, or great power. Instead, as a 20-year-old king, he humbly asked the Lord for wisdom and a discerning heart to be able to govern the people and know the difference between good and evil.

He was asking for a heart to be able to hear what the people needed, as he was more concerned with leading others rightly than with his own gain. Because Solomon asked for what truly mattered, God blessed him with more than what he asked for. Not only did Solomon receive a “wise and discerning mind”, but he was also given a bonus of riches and honor above other kings, and as long as Solomon continued to walk faithfully as David had, then God promised him a long life. Solomon woke up and immediately went to Jerusalem to worship the Lord in gratitude and offer sacrifices. While this had come to him in a dream, Solomon understood the underlying terms.

 

King Solomon made a political alliance with the pharaoh of Egypt when he married the Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the City of David. This was a bad idea and violated God’s law in Deuteronomy 7:3-4 as he married a foreigner who worshiped other gods. Egypt had been the area where the Israelites were enslaved before the Exodus. This marriage would make the kingdom crumble later, as foreign wives brought with them their religious ideas that led to worshipping other gods. The second issue was that Solomon had worshipped in “high places” (1 Kings 3:2-4). These sites were often associated with Canaanite worship, but Solomon used them to sacrifice to the Lord because the Temple had not yet been built. The Tabernacle (built by Moses) and the bronze altar were at Gibeon, while the Ark of the Covenant remained in Jerusalem.

Solomon’s discernment came with the ruling of the two women prostitutes who had each conceived a baby. The first woman’s baby died when she was asleep and rolled over on the baby, suffocating it. She swapped the children in an attempt to steal the other woman’s baby. Solomon tested the two women to find the rightful mother when he ordered that the baby be cut in half. The true mother showed compassion and allowed Solomon to give her child away, sacrificing her own rights as the mother in order to spare the child’s life. The false mother was willing to sacrifice the child and cut him in half. Solomon, in his wisdom, realized who the rightful mother was because of her love for the child. Israel heard of Solomon’s judgment and realized the knowledge he had and the wisdom for justice. He had the divine ability to rule righteously, which awed the people.

In chapter 4, Solomon’s wisdom continued as he chose his officials. Zadok and Abiathar were still priests, and Zadok’s son Azariah later took over. Jehoshaphat was the recorder, and we will see his name appear in the coming chapters. Benaiah was still the commander (he was David’s loyal commander). Solomon then appointed 12 governors, each listed by the geographic territory they covered, which did not directly correspond to the 12 tribal boundaries. Two of the governors even married Solomon’s daughters, which may have been for political alliance purposes. Each governor was responsible for providing one month’s worth of the king’s provisions. This food was not just for Solomon, but also to feed his family, the officials, and their families. Judah, the tribe of Solomon, was not responsible for a monthly turn of the provisions, which later became a source of tension between the northern and southern kingdoms. Nathan, the prophet’s own son, Azariah, was the superintendent and oversaw all the governors. Solomon delegated authority instead of micromanaging. During his reign, the people of Israel were as numerous as the sand, which meant God had fulfilled his covenant with Abraham, and they were living in safety under their own vine and fig tree (peace, prosperity, and abundance).

In 2 Chronicles 1, the accounts were similar, although Chronicles' focus was more on the temple preparation and worship with all of Israel. This book left out the story of the two mothers and the baby. It was more of a vantage point about seeking God publicly. Chronicles also mentioned Solomon collecting the horses and chariots, which was another violation of God’s laws (see Deuteronomy 17:16). It also mentioned Solomon taking a census and his use of forced labor from foreigners.

Psalm 72
The superscription denotes that this psalm was “Of Solomon” (or “For Solomon”). This was a royal psalm, either written by or for Solomon. It was a prayer about the perfect king ruler. The righteous king rules with God’s justice, protects the vulnerable, brings peace and prosperity, and gives blessings to all nations. In verse 9, (“May his enemies lick the dust”), this picture was of total defeat and submission. A similar picture is in Micah 7:17, where the conquered enemies licked the dust like a serpent, when they lay prostrate on the ground and appeared to be licking or kissing the king’s feet.

In the end, we are reminded that even the wisest earthly king falls short. Only the Messiah can rule with perfect righteousness and bring blessings to all nations.

Today's Discussion question: 

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