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Wisdom of Solomon

INTRODUCTION: The Proverbs provide many concise expressions of the wisdom from God, the foolishness of man: the blessings of the former and the consequences of the latter. Nearly all of the writings in the book of Proverbs in the Bible were penned by Solomon, son of king David, giving Solomon the most recognized position in scripture for one who wrote about wisdom. However wisdom that reflects the fear of the LORD must affect the motivations of the heart, not just of the intellect. This study will begin with the birth of Solomon, and develop some comparison between the devotion of David and the wisdom of Solomon. Even though the source of Solomon's wisdom was the LORD, he still fell away from serving him with his whole heart. David became the standard of comparison for subsequent kings in Judah despite sins that he committed. David humbled himself before the LORD and confessed his sins, and he never allowed worship of other gods while he was king.

NOTE: Scripture passages are from the American King James Bible [AKJV].

A - THE FIRST AND SECOND SONS OF DAVID AND BATHSHEBA

2 Samuel 12 "9 Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house; because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife."

2 Samuel "12:13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However,, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die. 15 And Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick."

2 Samuel 12 "18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? 19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat."

2 Samuel 12 "24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. 25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD."

1 Chronicles 3 "5 And these were born to him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and hobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:"

COMMENTS: Nathan the prophet brought a message to David from God that would characterize the remainder of his life. David had despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight, when he had killed Uriah the Hittite, and had taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be his wife. Therefore David was told that the sword would never depart from his house. Then David admitted his sin, and Nathan told him "the LORD also had put away your sin; you shall not die." But the immediate consequence remained because, "By this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die." David entreated the Lord in prayer and fasting for the child, but after seven days the child died. David then went to the house of the LORD, and worshipped knowing that the LORD was just in what he had done. After that David comforted Bathsheba in her loss also, and she had another son. The text states that David named this son Solomon and further states that God loved that son. The Hebrew word translated as Solomon means peace. Nathan "called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD." The name Jedidiah appears only once in all of scripture and has the meaning "beloved of the LORD." There are two passages that list four of the five sons of David born of Bathsheba, and in both passages (in 2 Samuel and in 1 Chronicles) Solomon is listed last of the four. No name was ever given for the first child that died, so the list of names may be purposely in reverse birth order ending with Solomon.

Joseph the husband of Mary is in the genealogy of David through the line of Solomon as recorded in the gospel of Matthew, and Mary the mother of Jesus is in the genealogy of David through the line of his son Nathan as recorded in the gospel of Luke. What an important display of the mercy of the LORD in providing the double blessing that both Solomon and Nathan were born in Jerusalem. One would build the physical temple of God during an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity for Israel. The other would be the ancestor leading to the seed of the woman who would "put away" sins for all who would have faith in the Lord. Nathan's line represents the living temple of God and the king who reigns forever.

John 2 "18 Then answered the Jews and said to him, What sign show you to us, seeing that you do these things? 19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you raise it up in three days? 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body."

The plan for the everlasting king was set in motion by the LORD long before the birth of King David.

Genesis 3 "15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Genesis 3 "20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living."

The beautiful and intricate plans of God work in ways that may be unexpected and not fully understood by us, but they never contradict his promises.

Galatians 3 "16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to your seed, which is Christ."

And the line from Abraham through David and his son Nathan came down to the woman Mary who bore the Lord Jesus yet being a virgin so the Christ was indeed from her seed, and that of the Holy Spirit. Though there was much unfaithfulness in Israel down to the time of Christ, God's promises cannot be nullified by the failures of man. Each person who is called by the name Christian should rely on the Lord's faithfulness for our need of forgiveness because we have the same weakness of the flesh common to all of mankind.

1 John 1 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

B - SOLOMON BECAME SUCCESSOR TO HIS FATHER DAVID

1 Kings 1 "24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? 25 For he is gone down this day, and has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. 26 But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, has he not called. 27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and you have not showed it to your servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? 28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore, and said, As the LORD lives, that has redeemed my soul out of all distress, 30 Even as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day."

1 Kings 1 "38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride on king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them."

1 Kings 2 "1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be you strong therefore, and show yourself a man; 3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself: 4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. 5 Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6 Do therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 7 But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at your table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom your brother. 8 And, behold, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. 9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for you are a wise man, and know what you ought to do to him; but his hoar head bring you down to the grave with blood. 10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. 12 Then sat Solomon on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly."

COMMENTS: David had been in declining health in his latter years, and Adonijah was planning to take the thrown of his father without David's knowledge. Nathan the prophet was again used in David's life to intercede at this point, and all of Adonijah's plans were disrupted. David personally appointed Solomon to be his successor, and he was anointed in a public ceremony as king that very day. Later when David was near death, he told Solomon to be strong and to show himself to be a man. Immediately after that comment David emphasized that Solomon needed to keep the charge of the LORD his God: to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses. David said this would cause Solomon to prosper, and then the LORD would continue to fulfill his word. If David's descendents continued to walk before the LORD in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there would be no failure to be a descendent of David to sit on the throne of Israel. David also advised Solomon that as he was wise he should deal with two men specifically who had dishonored the kingdom. Solomon followed the course set before him, and his kingdom was established greatly. There are of course many other details about Solomon in the books of Kings and Chronicles, but the baseline set forth by his father David and the promises made by the LORD are the key aspects to consider in this study.

C - GOD SPOKE TO SOLOMON BY A DREAM

1 Kings 3 "1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. 2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer on that altar. 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give you. 6 And Solomon said, You have showed to your servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have kept for him this great kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the middle of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this your so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to your words: see, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like to you. 13 And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like to you all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days. 15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants."

1 Kings 4 "29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. 32 And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. 33 And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom."

COMMENTS: According to the scripture Solomon had a very good start in his reign, as he "loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father." Because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, Solomon made a very large sacrifice at the established high place at Gibeon. There the LORD said to Solomon in a dream ask what I should give you. Before Solomon made his request he praised the LORD for showing his father David great mercy according as David had walked before the LORD as a servant in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with the LORD. Solomon went on to say that the LORD his God had shown kindness in giving David a son to sit on the throne. Solomon humbly said he was a servant of the LORD and unable himself to lead the nation, so he asked for an understanding heart to judge God's people, that he could discern between good and bad: for who could be able to judge so great a people as those of the LORD?

The LORD was pleased with the things Solomon had said, so he said he would give him an understanding heart unique from any who had lived before him, or any who would live after him. The LORD also said he would give what Solomon had not requested: both riches, and honor: so that there would not be any among the kings like him all his days. And if Solomon would walk in the ways of the LORD, to keep his statutes and his commandments, as David did walk, then the LORD would lengthen his days. This message from the LORD in the dream resulted in Solomon returning to Jerusalem to stand before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to offer up burnt offerings as further worship to the LORD.

D - THE LORD SPOKE TO SOLOMON AGAIN

2 Chronicles 3 "1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign."

1 Kings 6 "37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it."

1 Kings 7 "1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house."

2 Chronicles 7 "11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. 12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. 7 And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and my judgments; 18 Then will I establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel. 19 But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. 21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passes by it; so that he shall say, Why has the LORD done thus to this land, and to this house? 22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore has he brought all this evil on them."

COMMENTS: It took thirteen years for Solomon's house to be built after he became king, but he did not start construction of the temple until the fourth year of his reign. It took only seven years to build the temple, but other passages describe the previous preparation for stockpiling materials even during the reign of David. Thousands of workers were involved in the actual construction of the temple which made such a major project achievable in seven years. After Solomon gathered the people for a dedication of the temple, and personally led their worship by prayer, the LORD again spoke to him. There was promise of blessing if Solomon remained faithful to the LORD, but there was also detail of the consequences if he and the people of Israel turned to other gods. The second time that the LORD spoke to Solomon is recorded in 1 Kings chapter 9 as well as in 2 Chronicles chapter 7.

E -SOLOMON TURNED HIS HEART AWAY FROM THE LORD

1 Kings 11 "43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."

1 Kings 14 "30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days."

COMMENTS: It seems that Solomon's wisdom was not enough to keep him from falling away from the LORD in his later years, as he allowed his wives to influence him to build places of sacrifice to many foreign gods, who are not truly gods at all. Solomon's wives burned incense and sacrificed to their gods, and the LORD was angry with Solomon. The LORD had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he did not keep that which the LORD commanded. This brought the judgment of the LORD, and he told Solomon that the kingdom would be taken from Solomon's son, except for one tribe that would remain with Judah. The preservation of two tribes would be done not on Solomon's behalf, but for the sake of David, because Solomon's heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. Rehoboam as the king of Judah also did not follow after God with his whole heart, and he had war with Jereboam the king of Israel all the days of his life.

F - A LAMP IN JERUSALEM FOR DAVID'S SAKE

1 Kings 14 "31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead. 15:1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: 5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite."

COMMENTS: The pattern was established in the southern kingdom of Judah that succeeding kings were often compared with David as a measure of their loyalty to the LORD. The text states that David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Solomon and most of his successors fell prone to recognizing foreign gods, which was not ever recorded as a sin by David. The deterioration of the kingdom continued until the LORD finally brought about the consequence he had promised which was the full measure of desolation of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple.

G - A HEART LIKE DAVID WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WISDOM LIKE SOLOMON

COMMENTS: There were some kings in the line of David who took actions to bring the LORD back before the people, and there were blessings associated with their reigns in Judah. But the cycles of idol worship and revival, over several hundred years, continued to carry the kings and the people further away from serving the LORD until "there was no remedy." The comparison in scripture was that the kings either did, or did not, that which was right in the sight of the LORD their God, like David their forefather. After a full seventy years of captivity of the southern kingdom, a remnant was permitted to return to Jerusalem and Nehemiah became a governor. He took strong action against those Jews who took non-Jewish wives there, and he reminded them of how even the great king Solomon had been drawn away from following the LORD by his foreign wives. Throughout all these centuries recorded in scripture, the wisdom of Solomon was not a referenced standard for leaders. It seems that the LORD had set that wisdom apart for Solomon alone as he told him, "I will give you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like to you."

H - JESUS IS THE PROMISED KING TO RULE FOREVER ON THE THRONE OF DAVID

Genesis 49 "8 Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies; your father's children shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, you are gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be."
Isaiah 11 "1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked."
Luke 1 "30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. 31 And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God."

COMMENTS: Before Jacob died he gave prophecy about Judah that may not be completely fulfilled until Christ returns to rule the new heavens and the new earth. But the LORD had planned that the final king would come through the line of Judah long before any man could have seen the course of history bring that to pass. While there were yet a few kings of Judah to rule, Isaiah wrote his prophecy of the coming ultimate ruler from the stem of Jesse who was the father of king David. Jesse was not a king, but David was anointed by Samuel as directed by God to begin the line of kings from the house of Judah, replacing king Saul who was of the house of Benjamin. The ruler to come would be like no other as the "spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." His judgment will be in righteousness to reprove the meek and he will slay the wicked with the breath of his mouth. This is not an expression of the power of man, but of the complete and incomparable power of the LORD, the true and living God.

The passage in Luke gives us essential information about the Lord Jesus Christ and it is important to note that through David's son Nathan there was no descendent to sit on the throne until the Messiah was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. The angel told Mary she would conceive in her womb, and that she was to name the child Jesus. Mary stated that she had not had relations with a man, and the angel told her the conception would be from the Holy Spirit. Jesus would be called the Son of the Highest and the Son of God. The Lord God would give Jesus the throne of his father David, as God is the one who truly sets up rulers. Jesus shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. The LORD was always the king of Israel, but was rejected by the people resulting in the LORD instructing Samuel to appoint for them the first two men to be there king. King David became the man after God's own heart when he replaced king Saul.

I - TURN YOUR HEART TOWARD JESUS THE CHRIST

Luke 11 "29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."
Hebrews 3 "12 Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end; 15 While it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: however, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
Hebrews 13 "20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

COMMENTS: The wise and understanding heart that Solomon had been given by the LORD could only be surpassed by the Lord himself as Jesus said one greater than Solomon is here. . And the preaching of Jesus was superior to that of Jonas who had turned the hearts of those in a pagan city to the true God. Jesus was the son of David and the Son of God as he made these statements to the people. Those who had sought the wisdom of Solomon and those who had repented at the preaching of the prophet Jonah would by their faith condemn all who reject the preaching of Christ Jesus.

Hebrews contains a very solemn warning to those who have heard the word of the Lord to not allow themselves to depart from the living God with a heart of unbelief. Christians should urge one another daily with sound advice from scripture to avoid being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. We are part of Christ if the confident faith that brought us to him remains in us to the end. Paul wrote this to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 10 "12 Why let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Why, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."

--- REFLECTIONS IN PRAYER ---

Lord I thank you for the true historical record in scripture written under the inspiration of the Holy spirit, so accurate information is available to us as you open our hearts to a more clear understanding of what we read. Your plan has been in motion from the beginning of creation, and there is no power that can hold back your hand to complete your desire. I want to have the heart of David so I will seek your way in my life, and so I will be ready to repent and confess my sin whenever you confront me with your Word, whether directly from scripture or from the mouth of another believer. I ask that you would give me some measure of the wisdom that you had granted to others over the centuries, with Solomon having the highest measure of all men, until it was surpassed when you came among us as the son of David and the Son of God. Help me Lord to overcome my pride and lack of humility as I study your Word, and as I interact with others about the truth it contains. I want to be true to your word so I will not allow the deceitfulness of sin to affect me in this present day society to confuse or deviate my standing in Christ alone. It seems that king David drifted more away from your ways when he was more comfortable in his later years despite the examples of his dependence on the Lord for much of his life. And Solomon's great wisdom did not keep him from making it possible for his many wives to offer sacrifice to worthless idols. Remind me Lord that I need your strength every day until the end of my physical life to serve you with my whole heart and soul. Enable me to use the opportunities you provide for me to honor your name. Hallelujah, amen.

Published 17 September 2012