God’s gift of wisdom to King Solomon of Israel

by Prof. R. N. de Fonseka

King Solomon who was the greatest ruler of Israel was the son of David, a shepherd in Palestine about 1000 B.C. David was good at the harp and he played it to overcome his loneliness. King Saul of Israel became aware of David’s beautiful singing and ordered him to come to his court to entertain him. David was so charming that Saul made him his sword bearer in battle. When the Hebrews were fighting the neighbouring Philistines the enemy dared them to send a warrior to fight single handed a giant soldier named Goliath. David came forth carrying only a slingshot with which he hurled a rock that struck Goliath on the forehead killing him instantaneously.

David became so popular that Saul grew jealous and tried to have him murdered. David became aware of the plot and fled to the wilderness where he lived as an outlaw, When King Saul died David was crowned king. He ruled for four decades and made his kingdom wealthy, prosperous and secure from its enemies. David in his youth fell in love with a wife of one of his army officials, a beauty named Bathsheba. David wondered as to how to win over Bathsheba. He had a plan and ordered Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to lead his men to battle for he knew that Uriah would be killed. After Uriah’s death David married Bathsheba.

That made Bathsheba David’s wife and Solomon’s mother, Solomon became king shortly before the death of his father about 950 BC. Under his rule Israel became very wealthy and powerful. Ships from all parts of the civilized world traded at its ports. Jewish merchants and ship owners prospered and Jerusalem, the capital became a Cultural center. King Solomon owned many ships, farms, mines and workshops and was one of the wealthiest men in the world. Shortly after he became king, Solomon had a very strange dream. He dreamt that the voice of God sounded in his ears requesting him to make a choice of a gift that would be given to him. The youthful king who by now felt how difficult it was to govern a whole nation asked for only one thing, that was for wisdom. Soon the whole kingdom was overjoyed and very pleased over the decision of the king. They applauded his wisdom and praised his cunningness.

The reputation that Solomon had marvellous wisdom and was cunning came about in the following manner. In one famous case brought before him to judge, two women, each, claimed to be the mother of an infant appeared before Solomon. The king was told that the two women lived in one house and that during the night one of the women in her sleep crushed her baby. The baby died and on the discovery of the baby’s death the mother hastily took the dead body to the other mother’s bed, laid it there and returned with the other’s infant. The true mother declared the story to be true. The false mother vehemently denied it. Who could decide which was the rightful mother.

As Solomon could not decide which one was telling the truth he proposed that the child’s body be cut into two and that each mother could have a half. The woman who was lying showed no grief and agreed but the real mother burst into tears saying that the baby be given to the false mother in order to save its life. Solomon then judged who the real mother was.

The popularity of Solomon spread among the people and he applied himself with diligence and grasped the wise proverbs of the ancients. He soon became renowned for his sayings and his wise judgements.

Solomon built a great temple in Jerusalem and in close proximity to this he put up a magnificent palace. He adorned it with gold, silver, ivory, bronze and marble. The beauty and grandness of Solomon’s temple drew other rulers to see the temple. Among the visitors to Jerusalem was the Queen of Sheba who ruled over a kingdom south of Israel and who was supposed to be one of the most beautiful women of the time.

Solomon was shrewd and later in life developed the characteristics of a tyrant. His reverence to god faded and his lavish expenditure was a heavy burden on his subjects. When he died the kingdom of Israel split into two.

The northern section retained the name of Israel while the southern part was called the kingdom of Judah.

(The writer is Emeritus Professor of Botany, University of Colombo.)