Solomon: One Seriously Smart Dude
King Solomons wisdom was renowned far and wide. People came from afar to see and hear just how wise he was.
King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 1 Kings 10:23-24
His wisdom was of God as is all true wisdom and is a product of a fear (respect) of God and obeisance to His commandments.
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Psalms 111:10
The Bible goes into explicit detail about how wise Solomon was. It was described both by historical wordage recorded for posterity and also in a real-life application. Both of these vehicles for exemplification brings glory to God in a few ways. First, it showed that one of God's his chosen servants was righteous in his request. Secondly, it allowed people (scribes) to record for posterity examples of God's wisdom through a man that would be utilized to this day in the form of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon. Lastly, it was a gift/tool from God that could better aid in the leadership and rule of Israel which produced a multiplying effect of wisdom. It taught those immediately around Solomon and it taught the entire nation at-large through example. A godly leader that could potentially lead by example.
God teaches leader
Leader teaches nation
Entire nation benefits from God's wisdom given to leader
Double whammy impact.
The Wordage Describing Solomon's Wisdom
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite-wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:30-34
The Application of Solomon's Wisdom
The Story of the Two Prostitutes
1. Two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
a. One of them claims that her and the other woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. On the third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took the other woman’s son while asleep. She put the live baby by her breast and put her dead son on the other woman’s breast. The next morning, the other woman awoke to a dead child but when she looked closely at dead child she realized it wasn't the son she had given birth to.
b. The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours."
c. But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." They bickered and argued in front of the king.
2. Solomon calls for a sword to cut the child in two (theatrically I imagine) because he realizes that the true mother would want to spare the life of her true child rather than see him slain to prove parentage or possession.
a. The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"
b. But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"
c. Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."
These two vehicles used to convey the fact that Solomon was an ancient brainiac are linked with the common thread of wisdom. The request to get a sword to cut the child in two is a rhetorical request. It is done to solicit the exact response it received, to determine the true mother. No mother would allow her child to be eviscerated because it goes against every maternal instinct of a mother (and a father's too I might add). This decision by Solomon is a manifestation of the wisdom God had granted him in grace because of his request for it rather than nonsensical things like riches. As a result of the request for wisdom Solomon accrued riches in spite of not asking for them because God was pleased with Solomon's request.
"...and I will also give you wealth, riches and honour, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have." 2 Chronicles 1:12
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