Articles
Person Of The Week: Solomon
David’s son, Solomon, was the third and last king of the United Kingdom. Solomon was primarily known for his extraordinary wisdom, a gift from God in response to His offer to grant Solomon whatever he wished (I Kings 3:1-15).
One famous story of this wisdom: Two prostitutes came before him arguing over a baby (I Kings 3:16-28). Both had born children, and the baby of one of the women died in the night. Each woman claimed that the remaining child was hers. How did Solomon determine the truth in a time before DNA testing? His understanding of human nature solved the riddle, but you’ll have to read the reference for the rest of the story.
One of the greatest achievements of Solomon’s reign was the construction of the temple (I Kings 5-8). What a magnificent structure this must have been, judging by the description. Sadly, it was destroyed about 350 years later.
Solomon’s wisdom, however, did not prevent him from making a huge mistake. Already prone to sacrificing on pagan altars (I Kings 3:3), he later married foreign wives who “turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God” (I Kings 11:4). After being so favored by God, Solomon lost sight of Him and “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Solomon is a lesson in remaining ever vigilant in our faith.
