We’ve been watching King Solomon’s meteoric rise in fortune, wisdom, and fame through the blessings of his God (see The Significance of the Temple in Jerusalem).
Queen of Sheba
Solomon’s fame was reaching other nations. The Queen of Sheba (modern-day Yemen) came to him with a large retinue and gifts because she wanted to see for herself what was real:
Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with riddles.So she came to Jerusalem with a very large caravan (entourage), with camels carrying spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her mind [to discover the extent of his wisdom]. 1 Kg 10:1, 2. AMP
King Solomon was able to answer all her questions, and she was in awe of him and of the splendor of his palace and the Temple – including all their lavish furnishings, and she gushed all over him:
“Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.” 1 Kg. 10:6 – 9. NLT
The Queen gifted Solomon with 9000 pounds of gold. He amassed quite a bit more. Approximately 25 tons per year. He used it to make shields, a huge throne, as well as eating utensils. He also created a fleet of trading vessels, and an army with horses and chariots. And as God promised, King Solomon became the richest and wisest King on Earth.
Oh, those women!
Fame, fortune, what’s next? Women! Lots of them. Primarily foreign pagan women, who, as God had previously warned him, drew him into pagan idol worship. 700 wives and 300 concubines. Not a good thing:
The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command. So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.” 1 Kg. 11:9 – 13. NLT
What God is saying is that He will dethrone Solomon and give his kingship to his son, Rehoboam, after Solomon dies. He is also saying that his son will rule over only one tribe – Judah.
Jehovah then sent three sworn enemies against Israel. One of them, Jeroboam, was one of the King’s own officials. He was approached by one of God’s prophets, Ahijah, who told him that he would be king over 10 of the other tribes. Then the prophet tells the king-to-be God’s constant promise / admonition, in that he had better be obedient and the LORD would stay at his side. But if he doesn’t, neither does He…
Solomon gets wind of Ahijah’s prophecy and looks to have Jeroboam killed. But he runs to hide in Egypt until Solomon dies.
The rest of the events in Solomon’s reign, including all his deeds and his wisdom, are recorded in The Book of the Acts of Solomon. Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king. 1 Kg. 11:41 – 43. NLT
Now, the real trouble begins…
Goodnight and God bless.