The Ohio Independent Baptist, February 1971

- A • Fool ise by Rev. Robert L. Domokos Have you observed clo ely the com– po ite picture of the life and reign of Solomon? Have you correlated ma– terial and information to see his en– tire life, observing his weaknesses as ,veil as hi favorable qualities? Con– sider his FAMILY, his FAME, and hi s FALL. - His Family - The FAMILY OF SOLOMON is one that deserves careful tudy. Many have referred to Solomon as the wise t man who ever lived . But , really. where should he be placed? Among the kings who did right before the Lord, or among tho e who did e,·il? From a purel y national and secular viewooir.t Solon1on v.ra ~ ocr- • • haps the greate t king in I rael. He made a great impres ion on hi con– temporaries. but in reality he was little more than a great shadow. The glory of Solomon wa great, but it was a lower type of glory than that of David. He was not true to His God to the end, as wa David. Perhaps he took hi s moral qualitie from Bathsheba, for certainly many inflt1ences about him in childhood \\'ere most unfavorable. . Just prior to his death , David gave a solemn charge to Solomon . " I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and hew th y el f a man: And keep the charge of the Lord thy ,od , to walk in his way , to keep his statutes, and hi com– mandments, and his judgment , and his testimonies, as it is written in the la"' of Moses. that thou mayest pros– per in all that thou doest, and w1ther– soe,,er thou turnest th}'self : Tha t the I ... ord may continue his word which he poke concerning me, ayi ng, Jf thy children take heed to thei r wa)' , to wal l' before 111c in truth wi tt1 all their }1eart and with al l tl1eir soul, these l1al] 1101 fail thee ( aid he ) a r11 a n 011 tl1c throne of Jsracl." ( I Kings 2: 2-4). avid did not Sa)' that life is a ,, in l1ow, 0r vanit)' of var1itie , bt1t ratl1er, that life can be a great and an l1onoralJJe e ·pe1 i nee. After all tl1e tor1n and llattl ' , David said to I ., ,, H 01non . . . e a n1an . . . . as ,,er a n1onarcl1 a cended tl1e tl1ro11e Vt itl1 gr ater encourage1nent ? TH OHIO IND PEt.JDEhlT BAPTIST After the death of David "the kingdom was established in th; hand of Solomon" (I I<.ings 2:46) , after which Solomon took to wife Pha– roah~s daughter. Solomon loved the Lord, and, 'in Gibeon the Lord ap– p~ared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said , ask what I shall give thee" (I Kings 3: 5). He re– sponded in a very humble manner saying, "I am but a child: I know not how to go out or come in' ' (I l(ings 3: 7) . His only request was: "give therefore thy servant an un– der tand ing heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad., ( I Kings 3: 9). The Lord was plea ed that Solomon had made such a reqLiest, so He answered his request ( I Kings 3: 12) . Solomon realized the greatness of the task of governing a nat ion, and hi s pure wish was to ser ve God and do good. No doubt, high thought surged through his mind. In I Kings, chapter three, we see how Solomon demonstrated hi wi sdom in the case of the two women and the one child. - His Fame - This background material. then, i foll owed by the FAME OF SOLO– MON. Extraordinary wisdom appear– ed in the character of Solomon, a a ruler v.1ho held the reins of govern– ment \\ ith skiJl : as a n1an of learning \\i ho embraced a va t range of st1b– jects; as a writer of 1005 ongs and over 3000 proverbs: a a ten1plc– builder; and, as a diplon1at . Dy n1any \Vars David had ht1tlt a 111onarch)' , ~,hicl1 v. a~ ~trcngthened by o10111on. W1tl1 h1\ ahiltt\ and skill olon1on opened neVv' avenues J or na– ti onal cntcrp1 isc and act iv1ty, and brot1ght his pco1Jle to tt1c place of ~1ighcst JJO\\'er, fort t111c and pro~pcr1t)' . I Te was ir1dced a 111an of abiltt}. He c~t a l)J i~l1etf a 11d fort ifictl a fi r111 011trol within, ar1d a11 advanlageot1s alJiance for co111n1ercc withot1t. 1~he building of tl1e ·ren1ple \Vas tl1c first work olo111on t111dertook. l1e actual l1istor)' o the btiilding, hO\\'– ever, v.'a rooted i11 the lif of Kir1g David. He left olon1on the plan so tt1i yotJng king cotll(I l> gin \\'Ork witl1out delay. King Hiram provided as i tance for this bu1ld1ng by sending lumber in rafts along the coa t. He contributed architectural skill as \\. ell a material. The temple was ninety feet Iono t~irty feet \\I 1de, and fort} -fi \ e fe:~ high, and \vas completed in e\en years: When the temple ""as complet– ed, 1t . was consecrated with great solemnity to wor hip of Jehovah. That beat1tiful building ha long ince pas ed away, but the te timony of Solomon· life lives on in the record of God' Word. Then, too, commerce \Vas so ""1de– ly extended by Solon1on that his name was carried to di tant countrie . His fame and wisdom reached the ears of the Queen of Sheba, \\. ho v. a ex– tremely impre sed. evertheless, the reign of Solomon is an illustration of the failings of the ablest men. He cot1 ld have edified the nation in religious purity and true prosperity apart fron1 selfi h motive if his heart were truly to""ard th; Lord. Solomon' forty ) ear reign vY a a time of exemption fron1 foreign or domestic trife. o that one could ay it wa in every wa 1 a unique time in the histor)' of I rael. Probabl)' no other king attracted as much atten– tion as Solon1on. - His Fall - Such f amc, hov. e\ er, resulted in the FALL OF SOLOMO . Solon1on' clo ing da) \vere cloudy indeed. He rna} be properly referred to a tl1e l~·isest f vol in the Bible. He endeavored to find ati faction and plea tire apart f ron1 God. The de– tai ls of hi life are con1po\ed n1ainl\ of commerce, btiild1ng and organiza– tion , rather than p1r1 ttial 10 trt1ct1on as seen in Da\ 1d h1 father. In the beginning God 111t1de olo– mon the touch'-)tone of ht1n1an glor,, .... . bt1t 10 the end God allo\\ ed him to Ca\t one of tl1e longest shado\, s in hi tor\. He li\cd onl) to 111ak.e the best for htrll\l;lf. on1e co11\1dcr olc)n1on ·s n1arriage ..... \\.'llh Pharo.1t1· .... dat1gl1te1, \\l11ch took. place earl, 1r1 his reig11, "1 che uL<.. ..1~– ion for 111\ dct lt!tt\tun i11 t<11th. ~1 ip– ture does 11ot ~a, that Phar 1ah's ~ <.fat1gl1tcr l1ad an)' dc~1rc to tt1rn hL-s l1eart fro111 the trt1c t,t1d. H1" rtal prohle111 ~ l1111e \\ l1e11 h ell le t I fore1gr1 ,, u111c11 a11 i t > )k tl1 111 t ,, if . 1'he!)t: 111arriages 11 11> d t ) n1~tk I ~er contact \\ itl1 otl1er ltlntri a11"I i)r - dt1ce f 111 r favorcti>lt: tra le 1 l ti 11 • Bt1t , \\ itl1 tit~ ~, ive an1 th ir g d , ,vl1ict1 ,, as n trt1 d a c pta11 b tl1 king. It ,, , l 01 11' 11ne t1 n ,vitl1 tr 11g ,, 111 1 ,, l1i 11 di gr,' d l1i " Jif an I r, 1 i . tl 11 , a e Jledt (Continued On P ge 10) FEBRUARY 1971 5