1 Kings 4-8

Of course, we all know that God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. God gave it to him. Today I read about just how wise he was. Two women came and argued before him about whose baby was alive and whose was dead. He said he'd cut the baby in two so that they could each have half. The real mother said "No, don't kill him!" so he knew that it was her baby. But we all know about that one. It goes on in chapter 4. It says, "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" Hold IT!!!! Men of the East that are wise? That should ring a bell! When Jesus was born, these WISE MEN OF THE EAST were so wise that they saw and identified the prophecy of Jesus's birth in the stars. And you bet it was really there! If you haven't seen the production THE BETHLEHEM STAR, you must!!! Jesus's birth and death are all there in the stars - along with the big one that the Magi followed!!! It's amazing, but that's off the subject:P Anyway, Solomon's wiser than these, and wiser than all the wisdom of Egypt. "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." Whoa wait!!! This guy wasn't just wise - he was smart! He was knowledgeable of PLANTS!!!! God didn't just give him wisdom on how to rule the country, like he'd asked - He gave him the blueprints of plant life!!! AND in the next verse it says, "He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish." He taught about them!!!! TAUGHT!!! THAT'S why in Ecclesiastes, it opens up with, "The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem"!!!!! WOWEEE!!!!!!!! Ya know, everybody should blog about their Bible Time - it brings a lot more to your attention!!!

Then what do we know about Solomon? He built the temple of the LORD! In chapter 5 it says, "When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David". I flipped back to see if he was mentioned in the life of David, and sure enough! This guy provided the materials for his palace (I'm such a character nerd, I get excited about this stuff)! Solomon asked to buy some cedar trees and guys to help build a temple. I guess all the cedar trees are in Tyre. So Hiram got the message and said, "Praise be to the LORD today for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation." Then he wrote a letter back saying, "I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household." Lovely negotiations. So Tyre and Israel made a treaty, Solomon built the temple, and they brought the ark there in a big parade! It must have been an incredibly amazing moment when the cloud of the LORD filled the temple for the first time! Solomon dedicated it to the LORD, and started out with, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on the earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way". Neato verse! It was a long dedication, and when it was done God appeared to him and said, "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever." Whoa. That reminds me a lot of when I look in my God journal and 90% expect to see black writing right there by my last entry answering the question! It also sounds a lot like what Hiram said, "I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want..." Wowee!