The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 10:23,
"King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth."
Solomon was incredibly blessed with the world's riches, pleasures, wisdom and fame. I suspect no one has ever lived a life of such opulence. Riches, fame and fortune hardly begin to describe the life of Solomon.
While we might view King Solomon as someone who experienced the very best anyone could possibly hope for, wish for, fantasize about in this life, we may want to take a closer look. Riches, fame and fortune were not all Solomon possessed. He also possessed a wisdom from the Lord that was without equal. Without equal in his day and without equal up to and since his day. Where we have advancements in technology, the best and brightest in our day could not hold a candle to King Solomon's wisdom.
Solomon knew the Lord. He had given his heart to the Lord in a way seldom seen in the Scriptures. Certainly, aside from his father, King David, no other king in Israel came close to harboring a passion and desire for the Lord than King Solomon. When asked of the Lord, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you.", 1 Kings 3:5, Solomon asked for those things that pleased the Lord. Solomon did not ask for the riches, fame and fortune that eventually came his way. He acknowledged the Lord's kindness to his father, David, and he expressed a humility before the Lord, "I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties." 1 Kings 3:7. It was this that concerned Solomon. He wanted to excel in serving the Lord with a wisdom he knew he needed, "Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" Verses 8-9. The Lord granted that to him. He also gave Solomon what he did not ask for, but many of us might have asked for (were the Lord to approach us) - the riches, fame and fortune that eventually came his way.
Many today feel if they could just win the lottery, their life would be satisfying. Many today feel if they could just get that promotion at work, that pretty girl for a wife, that advanced degree in this or that, their life would be satisfying. Solomon did not ask for those things. He asked for those things that would equip him to carry out the Lord's desires among his people.
I recall an interview with the late George Harrison, who observed that he was very blessed to be a part of a music group, the Beatles. He said the blessing was that at a young age, early twenties, he and his band members learned that fortune and fame was not "it". "It" being satisfaction, fulfillment in life. Unfortunately, many of us have never had an opportunity to learn this for ourselves and so we mistakenly and blindly pursue that which won't provide our true heart's desires (a pursuit most all of us will fail at in any event) - satisfaction and fulfillment in life.
There are only a few in life that attain to what we mistakenly view as that which brings happiness in life. There are relatively few who possess the riches, the fame and the fortune (and none more than King Solomon) the rest of us think will bring us happiness and fulfillment in life. Those who have attained it report back to the rest of us that we are mistaken in thinking happiness and fulfillment in life is found in these things.
There is one entire book in the Scriptures that is devoted to George Harrison's observation in life. It is written by King Solomon himself. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that what we think will bring us happiness is really an emptiness. Vanity of vanities!
What brought King Solomon happiness and fulfillment was his desire to do a good job at leading the Lord's covenant people. We might also observe that along that route, in his devotion to the Lord, he was provided these other things as well, riches and fame and the wisdom to know where to pursue his happiness.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth."
Solomon was incredibly blessed with the world's riches, pleasures, wisdom and fame. I suspect no one has ever lived a life of such opulence. Riches, fame and fortune hardly begin to describe the life of Solomon.
While we might view King Solomon as someone who experienced the very best anyone could possibly hope for, wish for, fantasize about in this life, we may want to take a closer look. Riches, fame and fortune were not all Solomon possessed. He also possessed a wisdom from the Lord that was without equal. Without equal in his day and without equal up to and since his day. Where we have advancements in technology, the best and brightest in our day could not hold a candle to King Solomon's wisdom.
Solomon knew the Lord. He had given his heart to the Lord in a way seldom seen in the Scriptures. Certainly, aside from his father, King David, no other king in Israel came close to harboring a passion and desire for the Lord than King Solomon. When asked of the Lord, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you.", 1 Kings 3:5, Solomon asked for those things that pleased the Lord. Solomon did not ask for the riches, fame and fortune that eventually came his way. He acknowledged the Lord's kindness to his father, David, and he expressed a humility before the Lord, "I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties." 1 Kings 3:7. It was this that concerned Solomon. He wanted to excel in serving the Lord with a wisdom he knew he needed, "Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" Verses 8-9. The Lord granted that to him. He also gave Solomon what he did not ask for, but many of us might have asked for (were the Lord to approach us) - the riches, fame and fortune that eventually came his way.
Many today feel if they could just win the lottery, their life would be satisfying. Many today feel if they could just get that promotion at work, that pretty girl for a wife, that advanced degree in this or that, their life would be satisfying. Solomon did not ask for those things. He asked for those things that would equip him to carry out the Lord's desires among his people.
I recall an interview with the late George Harrison, who observed that he was very blessed to be a part of a music group, the Beatles. He said the blessing was that at a young age, early twenties, he and his band members learned that fortune and fame was not "it". "It" being satisfaction, fulfillment in life. Unfortunately, many of us have never had an opportunity to learn this for ourselves and so we mistakenly and blindly pursue that which won't provide our true heart's desires (a pursuit most all of us will fail at in any event) - satisfaction and fulfillment in life.
There are only a few in life that attain to what we mistakenly view as that which brings happiness in life. There are relatively few who possess the riches, the fame and the fortune (and none more than King Solomon) the rest of us think will bring us happiness and fulfillment in life. Those who have attained it report back to the rest of us that we are mistaken in thinking happiness and fulfillment in life is found in these things.
There is one entire book in the Scriptures that is devoted to George Harrison's observation in life. It is written by King Solomon himself. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that what we think will bring us happiness is really an emptiness. Vanity of vanities!
What brought King Solomon happiness and fulfillment was his desire to do a good job at leading the Lord's covenant people. We might also observe that along that route, in his devotion to the Lord, he was provided these other things as well, riches and fame and the wisdom to know where to pursue his happiness.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment