Week 8 (The Fall of Israel) – Day 2: King Solomon

Day 37 – King Solomon – 1 Kings 2:1-3:28

King Solomon is usually thought of as a wise ruler who ruled over Israel at the peak of its power.  Certainly this is part of the story, but the full reading of these chapters leaves a great deal of ambiguity regarding Solomon.

Sibling rivalry between Solomon and Adjoniah quickly leads to a bloody suppression of an apparent plot against Solomon.  Adjoniah’s requests to marry Abishag, who was a female companion of David’s.  Solomon views this request as a claim on his throne.  Solomon uses this event to eliminate many power players in the kingdom.  The military commander Joab is executed right beside the Ark!  Pretty brutal realpolitik recounted in the early part of Solomon’s reign.

Then Solomon, whose ancestors were slaves in Egypt, marries a daughter of Pharaoh.  This marriage was a great move by worldly power standards but very questionable from the view of keeping proper relationship with God. 

Even in the midst of this, God makes an offer to Solomon: “Ask what I should give you.” (v 3:5)  And Solomon asks for “an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil.” (v 3:9)  It is interesting that Solomon does not clearly ask for wisdom, as we so often think.  Even the story of justice regarding the two mothers and the baby contains both good and bad aspects.  Looking at this text from the top of society versus the bottom of society can open a different view to this celebrated story.  

Question for thought: what would you answer, if God asked “what should I give you?”

In Christ,

Randy