Wisdom Wednesday:Wisdom of Solomon – Part 4
Solomon the Intellect
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
“[Solomon] also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.”
(1 Kings 4:32–34) NASB 95
The historical account of Solomon’s reign is recorded in 1 Kings 1–11 and 2 Chronicles 1–9. The first half of his reign was the peak of monarchy and the period of Israel’s greatest splendor. It was marked by Solomon’s wisdom and intellectual knowledge and skills. Consider just a few of his major accomplishments, other than building the Temple in Jerusalem:
- Solomon entered into alliances with the Pharaoh of Egypt (1 Kings 3:1) and Hiram, the king of Tyre.
- He was the architect of many buildings including the royal palace on Ophel (1 Kings 7:1–12) and the Porch of Pillars (7:6) and the “Hall of the Throne” where he judged the people (7:7;2 Chr. 9:17–19).
- He developed irrigated vineyards, parks and ponds with an arboretum with diverse kinds of fruit trees. (Eccl. 2:4–6)
- He also built fortified cities and storage cities throughout the land, including Millo, a large corner tower and row of large stone walls to defend Jerusalem (1 Kings 9:15- 24; 11:27 and 2 Chr. 8:2–6).
- He oversaw the development of Tadmor, a city “in the wilderness” near Damascus (called Palmyra, in the Syrian desert that still has massive remains of its ancient buildings). It served as a commerce hub and fortress, as well as other dispersed outposts for storage of commerce products and weaponry (2 Chr. 8:4-6).
- Solomon oversaw a massive network of commerce and overland trade with Tyre, Egypt and Arabia, and trade by sea across the Mediterranean as far as Spain, and from the Red Sea to lands called “Ophir “on the African, Arabian and Indian seas. (1 Kings 9:26–28; 10:11and 2 Chr. 8:17-18; 9:21).
Above all these accomplishments, Solomon exhibited wisdom and great intellect. In the key verse above, the recorder of his life notes the intellectual accomplishments of extensive writing. Intellect is the ability to think deeply, reason and understand objectively about the world and abstract concepts, and intellect produces knowledge and understanding. Intellect is an element of wisdom (Prov. 4:7; 18:15; and in Christ are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2:3).
Solomon wrote extensively on life (3000 Proverbs), philosophy (the book of Ecclesiastes), songs (1005), and nature (1 Kings 4-32-33). Writing is the product of an intellectual life of reading and then writing. Solomon wrote.
His wisdom and the aspect of his intellect was recognized by the Queen of Sheba (Sheba perhaps refers to southern Arabia, modern day Yemen) probably because of the trade via the Red Sea. The Queen travelled with a large entourage to meet Solomon in person (1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chron 9:1-12) and to “test him with difficult questions.” (1 Kings 10:1)
The result? The Queen was overwhelmed (2 Chron 9:4“breathless”) and she said:
How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness. (2 Chron 9:7–8)
May we also seek to grow the intellectual aspect of our lives as we seek God’s wisdom. This comes from studying God’s Word and the world around us to learn and grow in Christ and in our understanding of God and His creation. This will help us give a reason for our faith that others, like the queen, may recognize the God of our life.