Hollywood is famous for typecasting certain actors. Typecasting is the process by which a film, TV, or stage actor is strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters with the same traits or ethnic grouping. There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it impossible for him or her to find work playing other characters, as in the cases of Adam West, who played Batman, Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies and William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek series. We also do this in real life which is known as stereotyping. A stereotype is a simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific meaning, often held in common by people about another group. A stereotype can be a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image, based on the assumption that there are attributes that members of the other group hold in common. All Jewish people are seen as greedy with a great ability to make money. Tall people are assumed to be good basketball players. All Muslims are thought to be radical terrorists. We have done it to people from the Bible for example; Thomas for having one moment of doubt about the resurrection has come to be known as doubting Thomas. Solomon too has been dealt with unfairly by Biblical historians. Most focus on His later declining years, as if his whole life was one massive train wreck. However, when we read about his early years we see just the opposite, a young eager king with a tender heart for the things of the Lord.
I. During the early stages of his reign there is no doubt that Solomon was a man of God.
A. Solomon displays a great dependence on God early on. (1 Kings 3:7-9)
1. In light of the greatness of the Lord’s relationship with David, Solomon humbles himself before the Lord. He admits that God is the cause of his rise to power.
2. Solomon refers to himself as a little child, which reflects his relative youth and inexperience in government.
3. The responsibilities facing Solomon were all the greater in that Israel was God’s chosen nation. She had to be governed in accordance with God’s precepts if the people were to experience His blessing. A wisdom that God alone could give was needed here.
4. Another item of thankfulness and praise is added here—the faithfulness of God in respect to the Abrahamic covenant. The words "too numerous to count or number" reflect the words of God to Abraham in Genesis 13:16. God had greatly blessed and increased Abraham’s people in stature and in numbers.
5. Only knowledge of what God considers fair and unfair can guide the king to act justly with any consistency. Though Solomon has already exhibited political craftiness, he knows that long-term wisdom and success reside where David found it—in an ongoing relationship with the Lord.
B. Due to a deep private relationship with God, Solomon was able to unashamedly publicly express his faith. (1 Kings 8:54-61)
1. As Solomon stood before the people to bless them, his heart was filled with praise; and once again he spoke of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling all His promises.
2. Not only was Israel living in peace and security, enjoying the fruitfulness of the land, but God was formally dwelling in their midst. This made everything complete.
3. Solomon, at this high point of his life, saw with Moses and other great men of God that peace, security, and material prosperity are empty unless God is at the center of things.
4. Just as Solomon began the blessing with a confession of the one who is faithful, he now closes his comments with a plea that Israel be faithful to the Lord. The language of full commitment is similar to that in covenant renewal ceremonies like the one in Joshua 24, where Joshua commands Israel to “fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.”
II. Solomon’s interests were broad and his intelligence deep.
A. Solomon showed great skill as an author and composer. (1 Kings 4:29-34)
1. The Lord faithfully kept His promise to give Solomon great wisdom and insight.
2. Solomon’s wisdom surpasses men of renown, beyond all the wisdom of the East and Egypt. This wisdom includes the proverbs and songs for which he is well known in Scripture.
3. Solomon “spoke three thousand proverbs,” or comparisons drawn from life, and wrote 1,005 songs. Many of these proverbs appear in the Book of Proverbs, and the Song of Songs just may be one of his greatest compositions. This notation indicates that Solomon’s skill in judgment and speech was matched by his artistic gifts.
4. Endowed with skills of observation in the natural sciences, his fame spreads. Men of all nations, sent by all the kings of the world, come to hear for themselves the wisdom of a truly renaissance man!
B. Solomon showed great skill in the areas of administration and architecture. (1 Kings 4:1-19, 1 Kings 6)
1. Solomon inherited a great kingdom. His role was one of consolidation and increased internal strengthening. He established a well-organized and strong central government, much stronger than ever before.
2. Solomon developed a system of taxation and forced labor to support a much admired and elaborate governmental structure and his great building projects, foremost being the temple and the palace.
3. Because of Israel’s size, diversity, and volatile nature, Solomon could not govern it; much less fulfill his later ambitious goals, without an extensive administrative system. Therefore, he names “twelve district governors” responsible for raising the revenue necessary for sustaining the central government.
4. Solomon starts building the temple 480 years after the exodus. This reference reminds readers that the permanent worship center is one more proof that God has given Israel the Promised Land.
5. The temple was not massive in size being only ninety feet long, thirty feet wide and forty-five feet high. Although not huge it took seven years to complete due to the elaborate craftsmanship that was required.
6. Solomon also built an elaborate palace as well as vineyards, gardens, orchards and reservoirs.
C. Solomon was greatly skilled as a diplomat and businessman. (1 Kings 5:1-18, 1 Kings 10:26-29)
1. Solomon was like most leaders and had to many times walk a thin line in creating and maintaining alliances.
2. Eager to maintain his mutually beneficial relationship with Israel, Hiram sends his representatives to welcome Solomon to the throne. Like Solomon, Hiram makes wise decisions at key times.
3. Solomon responded in kind and in a preliminary to a trade agreement disclosed to Hiram his intentions with regard to the building project.
4. Solomon not only acquired chariots and horses, he became a trader in these items. They were imported from Kue (probably Cilicia) and Egypt. The Cilicians had been known for some time as breeders of fine horses. Solomon’s agents were active in seeking out the best horses and values available.
5. Solomon’s empire was so located that he controlled the chief trading routes northwards from the Arabian Peninsula, and much of his wealth in gold probably stemmed from that fact. Arabian merchants were forced either to trade directly with Solomon or to pay for access to outlets further north.
III. Lessons we can learn from this overview of Solomon.
A. From the historical accounts we have seen that Solomon was gifted in a wide variety of areas.
1. There is no doubt that besides being very talented Solomon enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest.
2. Solomon used the gifts that God had blessed him with to their fullest and by doing so God received the glory and honor.
3. When we learn to use whatever talents we have for the glory of God we are presenting Him with the worship He desires most.
4. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. (Romans 12:1—The Message)
B. For the majority of his life Solomon was concerned about maintaining the right relationship with God.
1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6—NIV)
2. Trusting in the Lord involves the total surrender of our self to the Lord and His will. When we do this He will provide us with clear direction for our lives.
3. The question that we all must answer do we desire to have a right relationship with God? Do we desire it enough to totally surrender ourselves to Him?
4. We need to pray that God will help us to develop these qualities.
Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before fastening together the two halves of the coconut shell. Finally, they secure the coconut to a tree with a rope, retreat into the jungle, and wait.
Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey swings by, smells the delicious orange, and discovers its location inside the coconut. The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole, grasps the orange, and tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, the orange won’t come out; it’s too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull and pull, never realizing the danger he is in.
While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters simply stroll in and capture the monkey by throwing a net over him. As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped.
It’s too bad-the poor monkey could save its own life if it would let go of the orange. It rarely occurs to a monkey, however, that it can’t have both the orange and its freedom. That delicious orange becomes a deadly trap.
The world sets traps for you that are not unlike the monkey trap. You hear constantly that if you just have enough money, enough stuff, enough power, and enough prestige-then you’ll be happy. Under that illusion people spend their whole lives thinking you must have it all.
The call of Christianity is unlike that of the world. The world focuses on what you can get out of life. A Christian should focus on what they can give.
