An "enigma" is that which is perplexing, baffling, or seems to be inexplicable. It
describes something that doesn't make sense to the human mind. The word accurately
describes a large part of the life of king Solomon.
Solomon was the third king of Israel, son of David and Bathsheba. He was also
named Jedidiah, which means "beloved of Yahweh." The name Solomon probably
means "peaceful." He reigned approximately from 971-931 B.C. Solomon's reign was
one of magnificence, splendor, and glory! Jesus spoke of "Solomon in all his splendor."
(Matthew 6:29; cf. 1 Kings 10:4-7)
Yahweh blessed Solomon with profound wisdom and vast material wealth. "At
Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask
for whatever you want me to give you.' "Solomon answered, 'You have shown great
kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous
and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him
a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your
servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a child and do not know how to
carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great
people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to
govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who can govern
this great people of yours?' " (1 Kings 3:5-9)
"God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for
yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in
administering justice, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will
never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what
you have not asked for; both wealth and honor so that in your lifetime you will have
no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and
commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' " (1 Kings 3:11-14)
So, king Solomon was given discernment, wisdom, wealth, and honor by Yahweh
his God, and he had no equals among kings during his lifetime! God placed everything
in Solomon's hands to ensure a long life, a prosperous reign, and wisdom that would be
unparalleled. Yet, Yahweh told him, "if you walk in obedience to me and keep my
decrees and commands...I will give you a long life." Herein lies the enigma: with so
much given to him by the God of heaven and with so much at stake (his kingdom,
longevity, and his soul), how could Solomon not "walk in obedience" "and keep the
decrees and commands" of God?
It is a well known fact that Solomon loved Yahweh, but his personal life was
marred by foolish choices and sin (even though he was blessed with discernment and
wisdom). "Solomon showed his love for Yahweh by walking according to the
instructions given him by his father David, except he offered sacrifices and burned
incense on the high places." (1 Kings 3:3) Solomon also "loved many foreign women"
even though Yahweh had strictly forbidden intermarrying with them. He had said,
"They will surely turn your hearts after their gods." (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)
"Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love" (1 Kings 3:2) He also "had seven
hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him
astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart
was not fully devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of
the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not follow Yahweh
completely, as David his father had done." (1 Kings 10:1-6) "Yahweh became angry
with Solomon because his heart turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel who
appeared to him twice." (1 Kings 11:9)
We must ask "Why?" Why did Solomon choose the way of fools? Why did he
show blatant disrespect for God's command not to intermarry with women who were
Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites? Why did he turn to
worshiping false gods?
The answers to the preceding questions, lie at least in part, in the fact that even
though Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom and discernment par excellence, it did not
guarantee that the king would always walk according to what he himself knew to be
wise and right. In all the blessings that God gave Solomon, he never lost his individuality
and freedom of choice. He was grossly sexually immoral because he was driven by lust.
"Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and
enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is
full-grown, gives birth to death."(James 1:13-15) Solomon, like many other men and
women, had eyes "full of adultery." (2 Peter 2:14) He allowed his foreign wives to "turn
his heart after their gods," because his heart was not fully devoted to Yahweh.
Regardless of how wise a person is, or how much wealth they are blessed to
accumulate, or how humble they have been early in life, they must be faithful to God.
Disaster is certain if they allow others to lead them into false worship, and if they "sow
to their flesh, from the flesh they will reap destruction." (Galatians 6:7-8) A person may
receive many blessings from God, but the heart must be kept guarded, "for everything
you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23)
R. Daly
Copyright, 2014
describes something that doesn't make sense to the human mind. The word accurately
describes a large part of the life of king Solomon.
Solomon was the third king of Israel, son of David and Bathsheba. He was also
named Jedidiah, which means "beloved of Yahweh." The name Solomon probably
means "peaceful." He reigned approximately from 971-931 B.C. Solomon's reign was
one of magnificence, splendor, and glory! Jesus spoke of "Solomon in all his splendor."
(Matthew 6:29; cf. 1 Kings 10:4-7)
Yahweh blessed Solomon with profound wisdom and vast material wealth. "At
Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask
for whatever you want me to give you.' "Solomon answered, 'You have shown great
kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous
and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him
a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your
servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a child and do not know how to
carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great
people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to
govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who can govern
this great people of yours?' " (1 Kings 3:5-9)
"God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for
yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in
administering justice, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will
never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what
you have not asked for; both wealth and honor so that in your lifetime you will have
no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and
commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' " (1 Kings 3:11-14)
So, king Solomon was given discernment, wisdom, wealth, and honor by Yahweh
his God, and he had no equals among kings during his lifetime! God placed everything
in Solomon's hands to ensure a long life, a prosperous reign, and wisdom that would be
unparalleled. Yet, Yahweh told him, "if you walk in obedience to me and keep my
decrees and commands...I will give you a long life." Herein lies the enigma: with so
much given to him by the God of heaven and with so much at stake (his kingdom,
longevity, and his soul), how could Solomon not "walk in obedience" "and keep the
decrees and commands" of God?
It is a well known fact that Solomon loved Yahweh, but his personal life was
marred by foolish choices and sin (even though he was blessed with discernment and
wisdom). "Solomon showed his love for Yahweh by walking according to the
instructions given him by his father David, except he offered sacrifices and burned
incense on the high places." (1 Kings 3:3) Solomon also "loved many foreign women"
even though Yahweh had strictly forbidden intermarrying with them. He had said,
"They will surely turn your hearts after their gods." (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)
"Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love" (1 Kings 3:2) He also "had seven
hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him
astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart
was not fully devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of
the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not follow Yahweh
completely, as David his father had done." (1 Kings 10:1-6) "Yahweh became angry
with Solomon because his heart turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel who
appeared to him twice." (1 Kings 11:9)
We must ask "Why?" Why did Solomon choose the way of fools? Why did he
show blatant disrespect for God's command not to intermarry with women who were
Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites? Why did he turn to
worshiping false gods?
The answers to the preceding questions, lie at least in part, in the fact that even
though Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom and discernment par excellence, it did not
guarantee that the king would always walk according to what he himself knew to be
wise and right. In all the blessings that God gave Solomon, he never lost his individuality
and freedom of choice. He was grossly sexually immoral because he was driven by lust.
"Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and
enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is
full-grown, gives birth to death."(James 1:13-15) Solomon, like many other men and
women, had eyes "full of adultery." (2 Peter 2:14) He allowed his foreign wives to "turn
his heart after their gods," because his heart was not fully devoted to Yahweh.
Regardless of how wise a person is, or how much wealth they are blessed to
accumulate, or how humble they have been early in life, they must be faithful to God.
Disaster is certain if they allow others to lead them into false worship, and if they "sow
to their flesh, from the flesh they will reap destruction." (Galatians 6:7-8) A person may
receive many blessings from God, but the heart must be kept guarded, "for everything
you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23)
R. Daly
Copyright, 2014
