Wisdom and prosperity

These words were spoken by the Queen of Sheba while she was visiting Solomon. She said that she did not believe the words that she had been told until she came and saw it with her own eyes and stated that indeed the half was not told her. Such wisdom, such wealth. Maybe never before or since has a man had so much of both. God had promised him all this prosperity since he had asked for wisdom. But had warned him of turning from the Lord.

He was told not to get involved with foreign women who would turn him to their gods. Sure enough, Solomon couldn’t be satisfied with one faithful wife, but we are told that he loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh, from all the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel—”you shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

Trust or disobey

Solomon turned away from the wisdom with which God had showered him. You and I ask—how could he do that?’ The flesh, the trappings of the world and our arch enemy, Satan. God knows the heart of man, and it is evil. And so God raised up an adversary against Solomon and eventually rebellion in his kingdom reigned.

As I was reading I Kings recently, I was simultaneously in Mark 15 where Jesus is being tried, beaten and crucified. Why? Because he obeyed his Father to the very end, unlike Solomon. And with Jesus, he is now raised and seated at his Father’s right hand and all creation is his footstool. We have the same choice; trust or disobey!