THE L.I.F.E. PLAN KING SOLOMON BLOCK 2 THEME 7 - THE KINGS LESSON 4 (64 of 216)
BLOCK 2 THEME 7: THE KINGS LESSON 4 (64 OF 216): KING SOLOMON LESSON AIM: Present the reign of King Solomon, Israel s third king. SCRIPTURE: (1 Kings 3:5; 9-14) 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. The life of King Solomon is like the story of so many other people in the Bible and like many of us today. His life began with such potential to be used for God but ended disappointingly because he failed to fully follow the Lord. Solomon was the second son born to David and Bathsheba. The Bible says at his birth that the Lord loved Solomon. While he did accomplish many great things in his life, his sin brought the judgement of God upon the people of Israel. Solomon is known for many different things. Perhaps the thing for which he is most well-known is his wisdom. Solomon came to the throne of Israel at the direct intervention of David his father. Another son of David planned to sit on the throne upon the death of his ailing father. Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba, Solomon s mother, spoke to David, persuading him to name Solomon as his successor, which he did. When Solomon took the throne, he disposed of the threat of his brother to sit on the throne of Israel. God appeared to Solomon one night in a dream. God gave him the opportunity to ask for anything whatsoever he wanted as the new king of Israel. Wisely, Solomon asked God for an understanding heart so that he would be able to properly judge the people of God. God was pleased to grant this request, giving Solomon wisdom unsurpassed. In addition to wisdom, God also gave him the things for which he did not ask; riches and honor. God immediately provided an opportunity to put the wisdom of Solomon on display before the people of Israel. Two women came to him, each claiming to be the mother of the same baby. One of the women had taken the other s baby during the night while she slept. Solomon told his servants to cut the baby in half and give each woman a part. The woman who had stolen the baby agreed to this ridiculous suggestion. The actual mother of the baby pleaded for the life of her son and said to let the other woman have the child. This revealed the identity of the true mother and Solomon s fame spread throughout the land.
Solomon accomplished much good work for God and for Israel during his life time. One of his works which we get to interact with today is his writings. Solomon was a great thinker and a prolific writer. He is credited with three thousand proverbs, one thousand and five songs, and at least two psalms. He wrote three books of the Old Testament; Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and his favorite song of all, The Song of Solomon. His books are included in the poetry books of the Old Testament and are filled with many nuggets of truth which guide us in life from the very philosophy of life itself to the common sense that we need to live each day in the world. Another great work of Solomon was the building of Solomon s temple, the house of God in Israel. We previously learned that his father, David, had wanted to build the house of God but was prevented from doing so. He did, however, collect money and materials and the plan to build the house. This he passed on to Solomon. The Temple of Solomon was a grand structure, not so much for its size but for its decoration. It was patterned after the tabernacle but was much bigger and very much more elaborate. The Temple was seven years in building and was dedicated to God by Solomon and Israel in a grand ceremony. When Solomon prayed, God manifested his presence in the temple insomuch that they were not able to enter the temple because the glory of God was so overwhelming to them. The Temple of Solomon was dedicated to God around 950 B.C. in the eleventh year of Solomon s reign of forty years. It continued in Israel until it was destroyed during the Babylonian invasion in 587 B.C. Solomon s reign enjoyed the all-time height of Israel s prosperity. During the reign of Solomon, Israel saw its greatest geographical extension and its greatest material prosperity. Solomon was very effective in the development of industry, engineering, and alliances with others who could advance his works. During his reign, Israel grew wealthy through commerce, copper mining, collecting taxes, and from the gifts given by other rulers. His reign was a foretaste of the millennial kingdom to come when Christ will rule the world from Jerusalem. In spite of all the potential for good and of the great beginning Solomon had, and of the great works Solomon accomplished which still impact the world today, his weakness and sin also left an indelible mark on the nation of Israel. Solomon loved the ladies. He acquired for himself seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. If this excess was not problem enough, the other problems it created certainly was. Along with the wives came their false gods, infiltrating the heart of the nation of Israel. They succeeded in turning the heart of Solomon away from the Lord. He built temples to these false gods and worshipped them, in all probability, to the point of human sacrifice. How far the great wise one had fallen! Solomon, who humbly asked God for an understanding heart so he could judge God s people walked in the end of his days, shackled by the chains of idolatry and spiritual darkness. For Solomon s idolatry, God said that he would tear the kingdom of Israel into two pieces. Out of respect to David, God postponed this rending of the kingdom until after the death of Solomon. Following his death, Solomon s son, Rehoboam reigned in Israel. During his reign, the kingdom was split into two kingdoms. Ten tribes in the north became known as the kingdom of Israel led by Jeroboam. Two tribes in the south known as Judah were led by Rehoboam. The judgement that God had announced to Solomon did come to pass just as God said. Solomon is another of the many examples in the Bible, contrasting faithfulness and unfaithfulness to God. As God said to each of Israel s first three kings, if you will follow me and my words, you will prosper; if you do not, you will fail. Each one of them failed to wholly follow the Lord and they failed in many ways. Let their lives be an example that we do not repeat the same mistakes.
LESSON OUTLINE BLOCK 2 THEME 7: THE KINGS LESSON 4 (64 OF 216): KING SOLOMON I SOLOMON S WISDOM A. Solomon takes the throne B. Solomon asks for wisdom II SOLOMON S WORK A. His writings B. He built the temple C. Great prosperity in Israel III SOLOMON S WEAKNESS A. Women B. Idolatry C. God rends the kingdom in two SCRIPTURES TO BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. King Solomon s reign 1 Kings 2 Chronicles LINES OF THEOLOGICAL CONNECTION 1. THE DOCTRINE OF GOD God sets up kingdoms and takes them down God s sovereignty 2. ANTHROPOLOGY The blessing of obedience to God The curse of the judgement of God upon disobedience 3. CHRISTOLOGY The millennium
QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY 1. Who spoke up to David to name Solomon as king? Solomon s mother, Bathsheba, and Nathan the prophet 2. How many proverbs and songs did Solomon write? 3000 proverbs; 1005 songs 3. What was Solomon s favorite song that he had written? The Song of Solomon 4. Which books of the Old Testament did Solomon write? Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon 5. For what great work is Solomon known? Building the Temple 6. Why was David not allowed to build the temple for God? He was a man of war and bloodshed 7. Name the two great weaknesses of King Solomon. Women, Idolatry 8. What did God do in response to Solomon s idolatry? He split the kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms
BLOCK 2 THEME 7: THE KINGS LESSON 4 (64 OF 216): KING SOLOMON QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE THOUGHT 1. Who spoke up to David to name Solomon as king? 2. How many proverbs and songs did Solomon write? 3. What was Solomon s favorite song that he had written? 4. Which books of the Old Testament did Solomon write? 5. For what great work is Solomon known? 6. Why was David not allowed to build the temple for God? 7. Name the two great weaknesses of King Solomon. 8. What did God do in response to Solomon s idolatry?