GOING FARTHER AWAY. 1st Kings 10:1-29 Many people have questions to which they want answers, but they often already have an opinion or the answer they want and ask a question so they can say, "He (or she) said that," to deflect criticism from themselves. Others ask "loaded" questions rather than sincere ones to confuse and find fault instead of wanting an actual answer. We must seek discernment when questioned and ensure our answers do not conflict with God's will.
When the queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon, she likely came as one leader of one country to another, more or less as a competitor in extravagant living and abundance of wealth and prestige. When we hear of people who seem larger than life, we are consciously skeptical, and some of us want to put them down or at least pare them down to our size. The wealth of the queen of Sheba and Hiram, king of Tyre, was such that extravagant gifts of gold, vast amounts of exotic spices, and precious stones did not make all that much difference to either of them.
When the queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem, she had heard of Solomon’s fame “concerning the name of the Lord.” She saw all Solomon had and was incredibly impressed, knowing he had what he had and knew what he knew because “the Lord thy God” delighted in him. She was further amazed when she saw beyond the physical things and observed his servants and how they attended to him. When he answered all her questions with God-given wisdom and put all of what she saw and heard together, she said, "The half was not told me."
Most people do not honor the name of the Lord because they do not consider God that important. Some think of God as an idea or just a vague ghost and never consider Him in their life. But to those who have experienced His grace in saving them from their sins and the consequences of them in the future, He is the most significant Person in their lives. Though He is not seen by natural eyes, by the eyes of faith, our God is all-wise, and He hears our requests when we call upon Him in the name of the Lord.
The religious forms men design, no matter how impressive and great, are just imaginary ideas they have about God. The gold and silver decorating religious buildings, the trappings of religious officials, and the statements of faith religious groups have nothing to do with the Lord and what it means to be gathered to Him personally. Great buildings that rise with spires pointing to the sky miss the point of man’s relationship with Him. He has come down to us and met us where we are in need and where we are in our lost condition. We will meet Him in the air when the Father sends Him to bring His church to heaven. Those things people make to try to produce spiritual feelings, though impressive, may appeal to the eye, but they miss conveying the power and authority of His name.
His name means He exists; He is not an idea of men to be used to keep order in society with threats. His name was “Jesus” (Savior) when He came to earth to bring light, life, and salvation. We pray in His name because that gives authority to our requests. When we speak in His name, we are reminded that one day, every person will confess to the power of His name and acknowledge that “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Other leaders came to see Solomon and get his advice as his fame spread throughout the Middle Eastern nations. Solomon's desire for wisdom was good. The promise from God of riches and honor came to pass, and Israel became an important nation under Solomon's leadership. But the way he used the riches he was given was for his benefit rather than for the benefit of Israel. Much of what he got was through taxation on the people, which was used to increase his wealth and prosperity. Wealth and prosperity were seen in Old Testament times as evidence of God's blessing. People thought of them as a sign they were living right and doing right.
Unfortunately, some of God's people think the same today when, in reality, suffering and adversity are evidence of godly living according to the scripture. Our "treasures" are not here on earth; we should lay them in heaven. When God guides and controls our lives, we live right. Wealth does not mean we are living right, nor does poverty mean we are living wrong. It is the "Lord [who] gives and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Of all the blessings God has given us, the gift of eternal life and salvation from sin and for heaven is of greatest worth. Our Gracious Father has "freely given us all things."
Solomon got used to extravagant living with all his riches and honor from God. "If riches increase, set not thy heart upon them." He got used to dealing with paganism and got on friendly terms with pagan worshippers. Consequently, he lost his perspective on who he was and on the people of God over whom he was to rule in wisdom. He lost his understanding of why God had given him all of his prosperity. Strangers and dignitaries were incredibly impressed with his knowledge, wisdom, and honor, but he compromised and violated the written commandments of God regarding being the king of Israel.
An Israeli king was not to acquire horses for himself or the people lest they return to Egypt. They were not to go there for any reason. He was not to take many wives because he would be led astray by them emotionally and would turn away from the Lord. He was not to accumulate gold and silver in large amounts. He was to personally take the time to write down the words of the law to impress his mind, and he would then act according to the law. He was to take time to read the law every day so that he would recognize he was under divine authority as a servant [De.17].
Solomon ignored God's commands and did precisely what the Lord had warned the people about when they wanted a king. He conscripted people to serve him and taxed them to get more for himself [1 Samuel 8]. Solomon never seemed satisfied with all his accumulated wealth and extravagant spending. He "exceeded all" other leaders of his day in commerce, wisdom, power, and wealth.
Fame and fortune can claim a person's time, talents, mind, and ambition. When that happens, our relationship with people is in danger of becoming equal or even more important than our relationship with our Lord. The queen of Sheba recognized Solomon's wisdom and his connection to God. Even though she praised God appropriately, there is no evidence she was personally interested in Him. It is not uncommon for people to use the right words to say the right things because they want to please us. But conformity is not reality. People may recognize God as real but are not interested in surrendering their will and lives to Him.
There comes a time when one who started well with the Lord and prospered in the secular world has to choose who they will serve. Solomon decided to go as far as he could in the world system and was successful in that pursuit. However, the consequences of that choice have affected Israel to this day. The principles of sowing and reaping still apply. When we sow, we reap. We reap what we sow. We reap more than we sow. This is true for both good and bad.
Those who live extravagant lives and always seek more things to satisfy the "natural man" or "carnal man" will never find true satisfaction despite all they possess. "A man's life consists not in the abundance of the things he possesses." Satisfied living comes only when we want and are willing to be guided by our Lord.
The Bible teaches that we need God-given wisdom and how to get it [James 1:5-8]. Maturity takes time and requires patience; by the grace of God, we can find wisdom that we do not naturally have. If it comes as a result of a trial, we are instructed to let the trial run its course. If you don’t know the reason for the trial, ask God for the wisdom to know the answer. In Proverbs, we learn how to find wisdom and use it. Pro.2:7. “He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous.” RIGHTEOUSNESS is necessary to get wisdom. Right living and right attitudes are essential to receive needed wisdom. There is ample wisdom for the upright. Pro.8:17. “…those that seek me early shall find me.” DILIGENCE is necessary to find wisdom. Wisdom is sought and found when we diligently search for the right answers. Wisdom is accessible to those who mean business.
Pro.9:9. “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.” TEACHABLE. A teachable person knows there is much more to learn about a subject than he knows. He doesn’t resent criticism but takes it to heart. A wise person isn’t a “know-it-all.” Pro.9:10. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” REVERENCE for God and others is a characteristic of a wise person. There is no reason to respect a person who makes a joke about important things. On his knees, a believer sees more than others see on their tiptoes. Pro.11:2. “With the lowly is wisdom.” HUMILITY is a Christ-like attitude that puts a person in a frame of mind that makes them willing to esteem others better than themselves. Being humble and down to earth reduces the danger of stumbling. Pro.15:31. “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abides among the wise.” HEEDS COUNSEL. The teaching of the Bible in general and the Gospel in particular is life-giving counsel. Pro.19:20. “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” REMEMBERS SOUND ADVICE. Listen and pay heed in early life; you will be wise later.
In His Heart. 1st Kings.10:24. “And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.” It is not an accident, no aberration of nature, no strange mixture of the genes that made this man Solomon so wise. God had put it in his heart. He was a man, like me, not some angel in human form; he had his tensions and studies and family, and he was wise because God had put it in his heart. His inclinations, his occupation, his preoccupations were like any other young boy his age, but now so different and wise- God had put it in his heart. But why him, not the firstborn or the best looking of the brothers; why this child whose origins are tainted with scandal; God had put it in his heart. True, he was to be king, and king he became, but lots of kings come and go without this man’s wisdom and wealth and fame – God had put it in his heart. What is the secret to being such a repository of wisdom that all must say, “It’s not ordinary wisdom; It is beyond ‘smart.’” God had put it in his heart. The answer is simple; it came at night and resulted from a choice God gave him, “Ask what I shall give thee.” He asked, God had put it in his heart. What did he ask that led to such astounding results the world has never stopped talking about it? It’s not complicated; God had put it in his heart. Even in the dead of night, he knew his limitations; he knew their expectations; he knew he needed what he did not have. God had put it in his heart. He needed understanding, he needed discernment, he needed to be able to judge wisely in matters large and small, and so God had put it in his heart. God gave him more, far more than he would or could ever imagine: a wise and understanding heart, riches, and honor. God had put it in his heart. But there are dangers, even when so much is given. Attractions are everywhere. Even when one so wise fails, choices are still to be made, even when God had put it in his heart.