"Give me now wisdom and knowledge...for who can rule this thy people, that is so great?"

Ch. 11 #1

When God asked Solomon what he wanted from him, all Solomon requested was wisdom enough to rule God’s people. In return for his unselfishness, God granted him wisdom and promised him wealth and power beyond any of the other kings of Israel. How did Solomon’s wisdom and power bring others to God? How did this spreading of the faith help to fulfill the Davidic covenant? What does God expect us to do with the talents he has given us?

People from all over the world were attracted to Solomon’s wisdom and power. His wisdom “surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt” 1 Kings 30. People would travel from the ends of the earth to witness and test his wisdom. The people of King Solomon’s time were just as fascinated with the rich, knowledgeable, and powerful as we are today. Just as in Solomon’s day, the important and well known people in the media and political worlds of today have the power to affect people’s ideas on hot topics. So many times we see campaigns for an awareness of a disease or a problem in another country with a famous spokesperson supporting it. King Solomon has the same if not more sway and charisma that our superstars have today. God used King Solomon as a tool to attract people to Jerusalem. By making this new city a destination for so many peoples from around the world God made them come and see His glory.

This new covenant with God was fulfilled by King Solomon spreading the faith. Solomon’s kingdom was inviting to all peoples from around the world. With the new covenant God wanted to bring all nations in. With the building of the temple in Jerusalem, people were drawn there to witness the Wisdom of Solomon, which was all apart of God’s plan. Unlike the old covenant, the new Davidic covenant was designed to bring all nations to God through Jerusalem and its Temple.

Each of the seven features of the Davidic covenant is fulfilled with King Solomon’s Kingdom. God gave David a kingdom which was passed onto Solomon who is apart of David’s dynasty. King David and Solomon were both God’s adopted sons when they were anointed kings. The new city was unlimited in time and space it was booming large and well known city that was going to last through the ages. King Solomon moved the Ark of the Covenant to the city so Jerusalem became the new spiritual center of the world. To honor God’s presence, King Solomon built a massive Temple to house the Ark. Also with the new covenant God gave a new law for all people in the wisdom literature.

God has given each of us certain talents. Like King Solomon we are meant to use them for the greater glory of God. God blessed Solomon with wisdom and power, he, in turn used that wisdom and knowledge to spread the faith and bring people to God. We are all called by God to use the talents He has blessed us with to glorify Him and help others to see His glory. We should do everything to the very best of our ability and with God in mind. We should never abuse the blessings God has given us for evil or selfish motives. We need to give God thanksgiving as the people did in the Davidic Covenant. It is so important to realize that we are nothing without God. We need to do our best daily and offer our triumphs and struggles to God in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam