Year in the Bible Week 22

The Queen of Sheba Before King Solomon by Willem de Poorter (c. 1630)

King Solomon has always been associated with great wealth and wisdom, so we might incorrectly assume that his story is all milk and honey. Sure, he built magnificent monuments, but even though he was rich, wise and well-regarded, he faced a struggle that may have been even harder than that of his father, King David.

Solomon’s father was (perhaps embarrassingly) humble before the Lord, whether he sinned or not. He definitely sinned, but then repented early and honestly. In Solomon we see someone who was nearly immediately lifted high on a pedestal, with everyone following him. He had wise counselors, but none would be able to influence Solomon’s choices the way Nathan could influence David’s. Proverbs shows how he must have felt not only the responsibility to lead and guide, but also the power to do it himself, becoming prophet and teacher to the nation. Surely God spoke truth through Solomon in Proverbs, but it’s hard to read these truths without a grim foreshadowing of the pain of Ecclesiastes. Proverbs is written from an empowered perspective that is utterly absent in Ecclesiastes, and that had to be really hard on Solomon. Thankfully he knew where his strength could come from.

BibleProject has a terrific overview video for Proverbs, annd I’d like to share it now instead of waiting until next week. This has great insight and perspective!

This week we will continue the book of Proverbs, and I’d love to know which ones apply to your life now, or any that have helped and guided you. We will also see the beautiful Song of Solomon this week. If you’re falling behind, I’ll remind you that it can be easy to catch up using the audio version. Just let me know if you need any help!