The first half of 1 Kings describes a man who got life handed to him on a silver platter. The son of King David and Queen Bathsheba, a young Solomon grew up in the royal palace. Early on, he astounded others with his talent for songwriting and natural history. He composed 1,005 songs and spun off 3,000 proverbs (a sampling of which were collected in the biblical book of Proverbs).
Solomon became king of Israel and received from God the special gift of wisdom. He was called the wisest man in the world, and kings and queens traveled hundreds of miles to meet him. They went away dazzled by the genius of Israel's king and by the prosperity of his nation.
The Best Years Ever
Israel reached its Golden Age under King Solomon, a time forever remembered with nostalgia by Jews. Almost all the promised land lay in Israel's hands, and the nation was at peace. Literature and culture flourished. Of the people, the Bible records simply that "they ate, they drank and they were happy" (4:20). "The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones" (10:27).
Of all Solomon's accomplishments, one stands out above the others. He built the temple of God, the finest building in the world of that day. Almost 200,000 men labored for seven years to complete it.
Despite the successes of Solomon's reign, however, later |
