INTERMEDIATE
AGE: 12 - 13
YEARS
STANDARD/GRADE:
VII & VIII
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LESSON – 16
KING SOLOMON’S RISE AND FALL
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Solomon Becomes the King
Solomon was the third and final king of the United
Kingdom of Israel, which included all the 12 tribes of Israel. He succeeded
King Saul and King David. Solomon was the second child of David and Bathsheba. When
King David became old and unable to rule the country, one of his sons Adonijah
tried to take over the reign. He was the oldest surviving son of King David.
Adonijah assembled a group of leaders and gained the support of Joab, the
commander of the army, and Abiathar, the priest. King David was unaware of
Adonijah’s plans. When Prophet Nathan came to know about that, he warned
Bathsheba. Bathsheba went to David and told him what was going on. She also
reminded the king of his promise that her son, Solomon, would be Israel’s next
king. Prophet Nathan too told King David that Adonijah was seeking to seize the
throne and celebrations had already begun. King David summoned Zadok the
priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and gave them
instructions that they should immediately crown Solomon as the next king of
Israel. As per King David’s request, Zadok, the priest, anointed Solomon as
Israel’s king. When Adonijah and his guests heard that, they panicked and fled.
Adonijah stopped his attempt to become the king.
Solomon – The wisest man on Earth
After Solomon became the
king, he went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices. Solomon offered 1,000 burnt
offerings on the altar. That night, God appeared to him
in a dream and told him to ask whatever he wanted and that would be granted to
him. Without hesitation Solomon requested wisdom and understanding to rule the
nation well. The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request. God told him that he
would give him wisdom and understanding, and along with that, things he did not
ask for – wealth, possessions, honor and long life. As long as Solomon
continued to obey God’s commandment there would be no equal for him on earth.
Not long after this, two women came to him to
solve a dispute. Both the women lived in the same house and each of them gave
birth to a boy. During the night, one of the women accidentally rolled over her
baby and killed him. When she realized that, she switched the babies. When the
other woman woke up the next morning and took the baby, she realized that it was
not her baby at all. But the other woman wouldn’t agree. So they came to the
king to resolve the matter. They began to argue in front of the king. After he
listened to them, King Solomon asked for a sword. He ordered the guard to cut
the living child in two and give half to one mother and half to the other. But
the baby’s true mother refused to have her baby cut, while the other woman was
unconcerned. The king knew who the true mother was and handed the baby over to
her.
This story was shared all over the nation, and
people were convinced that Solomon had unique wisdom given by God to administer
the nation and deliver justice. It is recorded that God gave Solomon wisdom and
exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the
seashore. His wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the
wisdom of Egypt.
King Solomon’s Sayings & Writings
King Solomon is the author of three of the Old
Testament books in the Holy Bible. Song
of Solomon, the Book of Ecclesiastes,
and much of the Book of Proverbs
were written by him. He spoke 3,000 proverbs (many of them are recorded for
us in the book of Proverbs) and wrote 1,005 songs. Solomon gained vast
knowledge about many different subjects. He spoke about trees, from
the cedar tree in Lebanon to the wild hyssop that
grows out of the wall. He also spoke about animals, birds, reptiles and
fish. His fame was spread abroad through all lands, and men came from far and
near to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
Solomon Builds the Temple of God
Solomon’s father King David had a desire to build
a Temple of God in Jerusalem as a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of God.
But God did not let him build because had had fought many wars and shed too
much blood. God told him that his son Solomon would build the Temple. King
David was not disheartened; he gathered gold, silver, bronze, iron, onyx,
turquoise and all kinds of precious stones and marble slabs in abundance for
the building. At the end of his life King David charged Solomon to build the
Temple and handed over all the materials he had gathered for the Temple of God.
In the 4th year of his reign, King Solomon began the construction of the Temple
of God. Solomon’s Temple was also known as the First Temple. Solomon's
Temple was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem (currently called the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem), where an angel of God had appeared to King David (II
Chronicles 3:1). This is also the spot where Abraham took Isaac to offer as a
sacrifice. It
took seven years to complete the construction of the Temple of God.
Hiram, King of Tyre had a
good relationship with King Solomon. He supplied King Solomon
with cedar and cypress trees for the construction in
return for wheat and oil. Stones prepared in the quarries underneath the city were
used, hence no sound of hammer or axe or any tool of iron was heard
during construction. The Temple of God was lavishly constructed with gold,
valuable cedar timber and luxurious furnishings. The bronze articles and the intricate
bronze design and embellishment works for the Temple was done by Huram-Abi, a
skilled artisan sent by the king of Tyre (2 Chronicles 2:13,14). (Click this link to learn more about King Solomon's construction of the Temple of God at Jerusalem)
The Temple of God consisted of
Jachin & Boaz - These
were 2 bronze pillars erected at the vestibule in front of the sanctuary.
The area outside of the Temple was called the
courtyard. The design of the courtyard in Solomon’s Temple was different from
the Tabernacle. The Bible scholars are of the opinion that the courtyard was
not an open area and it may have been built as a colonnade (1).
The Entrance / Outer Courtyard / Great Court
before the temple (1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chronicles 3:4; 4:9; 29:7). The
gentiles and the uncircumcised could enter only till the outer court.
The Court of the priests / Inner court
(2 Chronicles 4:9;1 Kings 6:36). It contained the altar of
burnt-offering (2 Chronicles 15:8), the brazen sea (4:2-5, 10), and
10 bronze basins (1 Kings 7:38, 39). Priests and Levites ministered
in the Outer Court as they offered sacrifices for sin and guilt as well as the
other sacrifices.
The Holy Place (1 Kings 8:8-10), called also the “greater house” (2 Chronicles 3:5). Only the priests could enter the Holy Place.
There were three holy items kept in the Holy Place.
Ø Golden lampstand
- which had to be kept burning continually, giving light to the Holy Place.
Ø Table for the bread
of presence (or the table of showbread)
- This is a table where holy bread prepared fresh every week was arranged, only
the priests were allowed to eat of this bread.
Ø Altar of incense
- Special incense was to be burned each morning and
evening as an offering to the Lord.
The Most Holy Place (1 Kings 6:16 - 32; 8:6), called also the “inner sanctuary” (6:27), and the “holy of holies” (Hebrews 9:3). It was floored and covered with cedar, and its walls and floor were overlaid with gold. The Ark of God was kept here. Only the High Priest could enter here once in a year on the day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the Temple by a large veil. The veil was woven from fine linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and decorated with intricate embroidery featuring an image of gold cherubim. There was a also a two-leaved door between the Most Holy Place and the holy place overlaid with gold (1 kings 6:31,32; 2 Chronicles 4:22).
King Solomon made preparations for the
dedication of the Temple, when he finished building the Temple. The ark of the covenant was solemnly
brought from the tent in which David had kept it to the
place prepared for it in the Temple, and the cloud of God’s glory
descended on the Temple, indicating divine presence. Then Solomon stood on a
platform which had been erected for him, in the sight of all the people, lifted
up his hands to heaven and offered a fervent prayer (1 Kings 8; 2
Chronicles 6-7). The Dedication of the Temple lasted 7 days, which was followed
by the Feast of Tabernacles for 7 days. On the 8th day of the feast
of tabernacles King Solomon dismissed the assembly, who returned to their homes
filled with joy and gladness of heart.
Queen of Sheba visits Solomon
The Queen from a land called Sheba heard about King Solomon’s wisdom. The land of Sheba is identified with the South Arabian kingdom of Saba in present-day Yemen and Ethiopia. She decided to visit Jerusalem and see for herself how wise King Solomon was and to look at his magnificent works. The Queen arrived at Jerusalem with a big caravan of camels, that carried spices, gold and valuable jewels.
The Queen quizzed King
Solomon about everything that was in her mind. King Solomon answered
all her questions. There was nothing that was too difficult for him to explain
to her. The Queen of Sheba was impressed and convinced that Solomon was
very wise indeed. She also saw the palace King Solomon had built, the food they
ate in his palace, all his servants and officers and their beautiful clothes.
She saw the burnt offerings that he offered in the Temple of God. She
was awe-struck.
The Queen
of Sheba had heard much about King Solomon’s reputation, and when she saw it
for herself, she realized that his wisdom and prosperity were even greater than
the stories she had heard in her own country. She stated that his subjects and
the ministers of his court who could hear his wisdom everyday are truly
blessed. The Queen gifted 120 talents of gold, precious
stones and the largest quantity of spices ever brought to Jerusalem. In return
King Solomon gave her gifts and many treasures and everything she desired.
After receiving these gifts, the Queen returned to the land of Sheba with her company.
Solomon’s Building Projects
King Solomon led huge building projects in and around Jerusalem apart from building the magnificent Temple of God. He built a huge Palace Complex in Mount Moriah, which included many important buildings. It took thirteen years in total to complete all the buildings associated with Solomon’s palace.
Ø
Hall of Pillars - It was the main entrance (1 Kings 7:6)
Ø
Throne Hall towards the right side of the Hall of Pillars. The Throne Room also
called as the “Hall of Judgment,” or “the King’s Gate,” was the place where he
administered justice and gave audience to his people (1 Kings 7:7).
Ø
House of the Forest of Lebanon on the left. This hall was largely an armoury and was probably so named
because of its cedar beams and pillars, giving it almost the appearance of a
cedar forest. In this hall were stored 300 shields of gold and vessels of gold
(1 Kings 7:1-5; 10:17).
Ø
Solomon’s House – It was King Solomon’s Palace which was in the centre of this complex.
It had a separate complex for one of his wives, who was a Pharaoh’s Daughter (I
Kings 7:8).
Even
though the purposes of all buildings are not very clear,
but they most likely would have included the living quarters and other such
areas for the royal family.
Solomon
constructed three large water reservoirs called “Solomon’s pools” to supply
water to Jerusalem and to water the trees. Biblical scholars believe these are the pools referred to in Ecclesiastes 2:6. He then built Millo for the defence of the city,
completing a line of ramparts around it. He also erected many other
fortifications for the defence of his kingdom. Among his great undertakings was
the building of a city called Tadmor (also known as Palmyra) in Syrian wilderness toward
the Euphrates, for the purpose of facilitating trade with
the east. He also built a fleet of ships and acquired tons of gold
from Ophir in partnership with Hiram, king of Tyre.
The Riches of King Solomon
King Solomon had enormous riches. His father, King David had stored huge treasures for him. He also got tribute from kings. During his reign the nation enjoyed great commercial prosperity. Extensive trade was carried on by land with Tyre, Egypt and Arabia, and by sea with Spain and India and the coasts of Africa, by which Solomon accumulated vast stores of wealth and the produce of all nations. He planted cedar trees until they became as plentiful as fig trees.
All King
Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the
House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver,
for silver was not valued and counted as nothing in the days of
Solomon. Solomon had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram.
Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver,
ivory, apes, and peacocks (I Kings 10:22). In addition, he collected 1400 chariots and
12,000 horses, brought specially from Egypt and built special cities for them. Soon Solomon’s kingdom spread
from the Euphrates River in the northeast, to the land of the Philistines in
the west and Egypt in the south. (I Kings 4:24 - The term 'this side of the river' was used in the ancient days to refer to the region west of the Euphrates river (2).
King Solomon’s Fall
Solomon was God’s anointed, and God blessed him
tremendously. But he did not stay upright before God. In his lifetime King Solomon
had married 700 wives. We have to remember that this happened thousands of
years ago, when marrying more than one wife was common. But even by the
standards of those days, this was not what God intended or desired. Before the
Israelites even reached the promised land, God had warned them that if they
choose a king for the nation, he should not marry many women, because he would
be led astray (Deuteronomy 17:17). Solomon’s downfall came because of the many
women he married including his foreign wives. Whereas his father King David used
military means to safeguard the nation and its borders, King Solomon extended
his influence through commercial treaties. To secure diplomatic and commercial
treaties, Solomon contracted marriage with princesses of various nations. Solomon’s
wives convinced him to follow the Sidonian goddess Ashtoreth, the Moabite god
Chemosh, and the Ammonite god, Molek. He even built places for worship, so that
his wives (and anyone else who followed these gods) could offer sacrifices to
them (1 Kings 11:7). He did this for all of his wives and their gods (1
Kings 11:8). So while the Israelites had no idols or images of Jehovah in the
Temple of God, they were surrounded by idols and strange rituals of foreign
nations.
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King Solomon’s Enemies & End
Within Solomon’s kingdom, he had the people work as soldiers, chief officers and commanders
of his chariots and cavalry and also forced some of them to do labour work for him (I Kings 5:13-16). This made the people bitter. He also turned to idol worship because of his foreign wives. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and warned him
to correct his ways and return back to Him. But Solomon failed to do so. Prophet Ahijah of Shiloh prophesied that Jeroboam son of
Nebat would become king over ten of the 12 tribes of Israel, and King
Solomon’s son would get to rule only two of the twelve tribes. King Solomon’s
peaceful rule slowly started to decline, and he had to face many enemies. Outside
Solomon’s kingdom, Hadad, of the royal family of Edom, rose up as an adversary
of Israel. Rezon son of Eliada, ruler of Aram also fought Solomon, and created
tension between the two kingdoms which lasted even after Solomon’s reign ended.
Solomon died in Jerusalem after 40 years as ruler
of Israel. He was buried in the City of David.
His son, Rehoboam succeeded him as king. When Rehoboam started his rule, he
tried to be authoritative and the people rebelled against him, which led the kingdom to be
divided into two, referred to as the Northern
Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom.
Lessons from King Solomon’s Life
King Solomon’s life started well but ended poorly.
Solomon was blessed with extraordinary wisdom. But he depended more on worldly
wisdom and put it to greater use than godly wisdom. Unlike his father King David
whose heart was fully devoted to God, Solomon had a divided heart. In fact,
King David prayed to God to unite his heart or to give him an undivided heart
to fear Him (Psalm 86:11). But Solomon’s heart was divided between God, his
foreign wives, their idols, earthly possessions and foreign treasures. By the
end of his life, he had fully turned away from the Lord (1 Kings 11:6). Solomon
violated the Laws of Kings set down in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.
God had forbidden the kings of Israel from acquiring excess wealth, marrying foreign
women, acquiring too many horses and putting their trust on their own strength
or military strength. Solomon went against all these tenets. He also invested
too much in worldly pleasures.
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Despite his initial devotion to God, Solomon’s
heart was dragged towards idolatry by his foreign wives. According to the Holy
Bible, idolatry goes beyond the worship of physical idols. Anything that takes
precedence over our relationship with God including money, addictive habits, pleasure
activities, power and success are considered idols, especially in the New
Testament (Ephesians 5:5). These spiritual idols are planted in our hearts
(Ezekiel 14:4) and become objects of our adoration and pursuit and is hated as
much as hand-made idols by God.
King David desired to build a Temple of God, but God did not permit him to do that because of the many wars he had undertaken (Psalm 40:6 – 8, 52:8; 61:4). Solomon was given the privilege to build the magnificent Temple of God at Jerusalem, which he fulfilled with full devotion. Solomon is remembered generation after generation until now for the extravagant Temple he built for God. Although he built a splendid Temple for God, he could not offer true worship from his heart, because his heart had divided interests. People from all over the world came to Jerusalem, marvelled at the Temple and offered sacrifices and worship to the one true God of Israel. But King Solomon who built the magnificent Temple went to high places to offer sacrifices to his wives' idols.
But his
father King David offered true spiritual worship in all circumstances and
at all places, which we can understand from the Psalms he sang. He could enjoy
God’s presence in the Tabernacle as well as in the desert. Solomon’s Temple,
the magnificent structure built by Solomon was destroyed few centuries later,
but David’s worship and sacrifices offered from the altar of his heart was
accepted by God (Psalm 51:16,17; Psalm 141:2). David’s house and the covenant
God made with David remains forever as a testimony.
Reference:
(1) James Orr (Ed), Court of the Sanctuary; Tabernacle;
Temple. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (1939).
(2) I Kings 4:24. Exposition of the Entire Bible
by John Gill [1746-63]. https://sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/index.htm
Bible
Reference: I Kings 1 – 11; II Chronicles 1 - 9
Memory Verse: I Kings 2:2, 3
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ASSESSMENT
ACTIVITIES
Fill in the blanks:
1. After
Solomon became the king, he went to ………………………. to offer sacrifices. and offered
……………………. burnt offerings on the altar.
2. …………………..,
King of Tyre supplied King Solomon with cedar and cypress
trees for the construction of the Temple.
3. The Queen of Sheba gifted King Solomon ………………. talents of gold.
4. Prophet …………………… of Shiloh prophesied that Jeroboam son of Nebat would become king over ten of the 12 tribes.
Give short answers:
1. How
did King Solomon become the wisest man on earth?
2. Why was
the Queen of Sheba awe-struck?
3. What were
the buildings constructed by King Solomon in association with Solomon’s Palace?
4. Who or what caused the downfall of King Solomon?
Answer in brief:
1. What are the important lessons we learn from King Solomon’s life?
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