King Solomon: Money, Sex, and Power
First Kings 1:1 to 11:43
When Solomon ascended to the throne, the people of Isra’el soon learned that he was not another David. He was a scholar, not a soldier, a man more interested in erecting buildings than fighting battles. David enjoyed a simple life of a shepherd, but Solomon chose to live in luxury. Both David and Solomon wrote songs, but Solomon is better known for his proverbs. We have many of David’s songs in the book of Psalms, but except for Psalm 72 and 127, and the Song of Solomon, we have none of Solomon’s three thousand songs.
David was a shepherd who loved and served God’s flock, while Solomon became a celebrity who used the people to help support his extravagant lifestyle. When David died, the people mourned; when Solomon died, the people begged his successor, King Rehoboam, to lighten the heavy financial yoke his father had put on their necks. David was a warrior who put his trust in ADONAI; Solomon was a politician who put his trust money, sex, and power. In some respects, Solomon was among the wisest fools who ever wore a crown.
Solomon is mentioned nearly three hundred times in the TaNaKh and a dozen times in the B’rit Chadashah. He’s listed in the genealogy of Yeshua Messiah (Mt 1:6-7) and is cited as an example of splendor (Mt 6:29; Lk 12:27) and wisdom (Mt 12:42; Lk 11:31). He is identified as the builder of the Temple (Acts 7:47). One of the colonnades in the Temple was named after him (Jn 10:23; Acts 3:11 and 5:12). His father, David, was recognized as the ideal leader, and his record became the standard by which every succeeding king of Judah was measured. However, no one pointed to Solomon as a good example of godly leadership.24
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