The Pursuit Of Wisdom
Sermon
The USA probably has the right idea. Americans only allow their presidents to remain in office for two terms. After that, no matter how good they are or how popular they are, presidents have to make way for someone else. Politicians, like everyone else, can become hostage to the pressures of high office. They may start very well, but after a number of years at the top sometimes seem to lose touch with the very people they are representing. And then it can be difficult to remove them and their country suffers.
It has ever been thus. When Solomon was crowned king of Israel, it seemed that perhaps the problems thrown up towards the end of David's time were at last over and there was a new beginning for the people.
David's problems had started when he lusted after Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, ordering the death of her husband Uriah in order that David and Bathsheba's adultery might be kept hidden. After that, David's daughter Tamar had been raped by her half-brother Abner, but David had turned a blind eye. This had so enraged another son, Absalom, that he had turned against his father and led an army into battle against David, resulting in Absalom's death and David's agonising grief. But as soon as David himself is an old and feeble man, immediately the familial in-fighting to succeed him begins. Joab, powerful leader of David's forces supports David's son Adonijah, but Nathan the prophet who chastised him over his affair with Bathsheba supports Bathsheba's son Solomon. Bathsheba and Nathan go to see David to tell him about the jostling for position and David reiterates his promise to Bathsheba that her son should be king. David then instructs those leaders who remain loyal to him to crown Solomon and set him on the throne. Solomon, perhaps naively, forgives Adonijah his attempt to seize the throne and respects the sanctity of the Temple where Adonijah has taken refuge.
His forgiveness didn't last too long, for in due course events conspire to force Solomon's hand and he kills Adonijah, Joab and Shimei, another pretender to the throne, thus removing all his immediate enemies. Solomon then sets about consolidating his political position by marrying the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. This brings us to today's lectionary reading where Solomon is shown as deeply spiritual person who took his religious duties seriously. While he was sacrificing to God at the principal hill shrines of Gideon, God appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to ask for whatever he wanted.
This is the sort of offer most of us only dream about and has been the basis of numerous fairy stories where the recipient is given three wishes or one wish or a golden egg or a special lamp. In these stories the recipient usually acts in an all-too-human manner and asks for his wildest dreams to come true. But not so, Solomon. To God's astonishment and delight, Solomon asked for wisdom so that he might follow God's paths and rule wisely and well.
God was so impressed with Solomon's request that God immediately promised to not only grant his request, but also to shower him with riches, to give him the highest status and a long life. God commends Solomon saying, "No other king shall compare with you."
So the stage is set for a long and golden reign, surpassing even that of Solomon's father, David. But it wasn't to be. Perhaps the wealth and status went to Solomon's head, or perhaps he was simply there too long. Although he became renowned for his wisdom, and his long reign of forty years was considered a golden age culminating in the building of the magnificent temple, Solomon sinned before God. He took 700 wives and 300 concubines, even though God had warned against too many wives (Deuteronomy 17:17). And we're told that in his old age, his wives turned away Solomon's heart after other gods. (1 Kings 11:4-5).
This may not mean that King Solomon became an idolater, although even in the beginning there are hints of idolatry since Solomon sacrificed not at Jerusalem where he was required to sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12) but at Gibeon. And Deuteronomy also forbade Israelites to take foreign wives. But whther or not he became idolatrous, Solomon did not prevent his wives from carrying on their idolatrous practices. As a king, he was held responsible for the actions of those under his influence.
Solomon was one of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people, a man who wrote the Song of Songs, and possibly the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Proverbs, the Bible ends Solomon's story relating that God was angry with him and told him:
"Since you are guilty of this, and you have not kept my covenant and my laws ... I will tear the kingdom away from you ... But I will not do this in your time, for the sake of your father David. Instead, I will tear it away from your son ... I will give your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." (1 Kings 11:9-13)
It is so easy to stray from God's paths and to go our own ways. And it doesn't seem particularly harmful or wrong at the time. Solomon was only consolidating his political position, which seems a sensible thing to do. But he failed to rely utterlyupon God, and that was this brilliant man's downfall.
God is there to help us, to guide us and to protect us. Let us never go our own way, but stick to God's paths.
It has ever been thus. When Solomon was crowned king of Israel, it seemed that perhaps the problems thrown up towards the end of David's time were at last over and there was a new beginning for the people.
David's problems had started when he lusted after Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, ordering the death of her husband Uriah in order that David and Bathsheba's adultery might be kept hidden. After that, David's daughter Tamar had been raped by her half-brother Abner, but David had turned a blind eye. This had so enraged another son, Absalom, that he had turned against his father and led an army into battle against David, resulting in Absalom's death and David's agonising grief. But as soon as David himself is an old and feeble man, immediately the familial in-fighting to succeed him begins. Joab, powerful leader of David's forces supports David's son Adonijah, but Nathan the prophet who chastised him over his affair with Bathsheba supports Bathsheba's son Solomon. Bathsheba and Nathan go to see David to tell him about the jostling for position and David reiterates his promise to Bathsheba that her son should be king. David then instructs those leaders who remain loyal to him to crown Solomon and set him on the throne. Solomon, perhaps naively, forgives Adonijah his attempt to seize the throne and respects the sanctity of the Temple where Adonijah has taken refuge.
His forgiveness didn't last too long, for in due course events conspire to force Solomon's hand and he kills Adonijah, Joab and Shimei, another pretender to the throne, thus removing all his immediate enemies. Solomon then sets about consolidating his political position by marrying the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. This brings us to today's lectionary reading where Solomon is shown as deeply spiritual person who took his religious duties seriously. While he was sacrificing to God at the principal hill shrines of Gideon, God appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to ask for whatever he wanted.
This is the sort of offer most of us only dream about and has been the basis of numerous fairy stories where the recipient is given three wishes or one wish or a golden egg or a special lamp. In these stories the recipient usually acts in an all-too-human manner and asks for his wildest dreams to come true. But not so, Solomon. To God's astonishment and delight, Solomon asked for wisdom so that he might follow God's paths and rule wisely and well.
God was so impressed with Solomon's request that God immediately promised to not only grant his request, but also to shower him with riches, to give him the highest status and a long life. God commends Solomon saying, "No other king shall compare with you."
So the stage is set for a long and golden reign, surpassing even that of Solomon's father, David. But it wasn't to be. Perhaps the wealth and status went to Solomon's head, or perhaps he was simply there too long. Although he became renowned for his wisdom, and his long reign of forty years was considered a golden age culminating in the building of the magnificent temple, Solomon sinned before God. He took 700 wives and 300 concubines, even though God had warned against too many wives (Deuteronomy 17:17). And we're told that in his old age, his wives turned away Solomon's heart after other gods. (1 Kings 11:4-5).
This may not mean that King Solomon became an idolater, although even in the beginning there are hints of idolatry since Solomon sacrificed not at Jerusalem where he was required to sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12) but at Gibeon. And Deuteronomy also forbade Israelites to take foreign wives. But whther or not he became idolatrous, Solomon did not prevent his wives from carrying on their idolatrous practices. As a king, he was held responsible for the actions of those under his influence.
Solomon was one of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people, a man who wrote the Song of Songs, and possibly the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Proverbs, the Bible ends Solomon's story relating that God was angry with him and told him:
"Since you are guilty of this, and you have not kept my covenant and my laws ... I will tear the kingdom away from you ... But I will not do this in your time, for the sake of your father David. Instead, I will tear it away from your son ... I will give your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." (1 Kings 11:9-13)
It is so easy to stray from God's paths and to go our own ways. And it doesn't seem particularly harmful or wrong at the time. Solomon was only consolidating his political position, which seems a sensible thing to do. But he failed to rely utterlyupon God, and that was this brilliant man's downfall.
God is there to help us, to guide us and to protect us. Let us never go our own way, but stick to God's paths.
