Sunday, February 23, 2014

Discuss both the greatness and the weaknesses of Solomon.516 - 1 - 4

Solomon had several names and it seems the personality to match each of them. The name given to him by Nathan was Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord.” It would seem that he was loved by the Lord as he was given so much. As a very young man Solomon ascended to his father’s throne and asked God for wisdom. A very auspicious start to his reign.

As The Koholeth he was the preacher and was inspired to write a good portion of the Word. This included thousands of Proverbs, several that he failed to keep. For example, Proverbs 2:16, “To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words.” 700 wives and 300 concubines who were blamed for leading him down the path of idolatry. 1 Kings 11:3, "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart." As with Eve, the finger so often is pointed at the woman or in this case, hundreds of women.

As The Aguar The collector, he certainly excelled again with 700 wives and 300 concubines. Add to that 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. This was condemned in the Torah. Deuteronomy 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Solomon was an accomplished businessman and greatly multiply to himself, riches. Matthew 6:29, “And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Lemuel was the name his mother Bathsheba gave him. Bathsheba was protective of her son, and along with the prophet Nathan, made certain that Solomon was elevated to the kingship before the death of his father David.

Ironically King David was not allowed to build the temple as he been a man of war. King David provided sufficient means to build the temple, a task passed on to Solomon. As eager as King David was to build the temple, it seems that Solomon wasn’t and first build his palace and then a home for God.

Luke 13:30, "And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last." Very little is said in the Word about Nathan, the younger son of King David and Bathsheba. However, due to a blood curse, Nathan is in the biological line of Jesus. Solomon is in the legal line of Jesus.

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