One of the questions we might ask God when we meet him face to face is how he chose the people whose names appear in the Bible. There are thousands of names in lists, like the twenty-one names we read today in 1 Kings 4:1-19, but there are many, many other significant people whose names we never learn. Some of them were pivotal in biblical history, like the daughter of Pharaoh who saved the life of baby Moses and raised him as an Egyptian prince.

Then there was the pharaoh who contended with God over releasing the Israelites from Egypt. His name is not mentioned in the Bible, which makes the story of the Exodus more challenging for historians to pinpoint. His name could have been matched to the careful records the Egyptians kept during the 15^th century BC – if we only knew what it was.

In some cases, God demonstrated his attention to individuals by recording their names, in others, their stories were more important than their names. Most of the people who go unnamed in the Bible were women. They are everywhere in Bible stories, but God didn’t capture many of their names.

Was it more important to be named in the list of Solomon’s officials, or to be anonymous and have a great story, like the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at Jacob’s well?

God knows all of our names, but he knows it’s our stories that show who we really are.

Story Book Kingdom

The story of Israel at this time was like a fairy tale, everything was so wonderful.

“The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life . . . During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.” 1 Kings 4:20-21, 25

King Solomon’s court employed thousands of people in every capacity. The governors of the twelve tribes each took a month of the year to supply what was needed. The list of provisions included tons of flour and grain, and hundreds of heads of cattle, sheep and goats, as well as wild game.

“The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.” 1 Kings 4:27-28

The Wisdom of Solomon

Until Jesus came, there was never a man on earth as wise as Solomon.

“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 people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 

^“He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 

^“He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 

^“He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 

^“From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.” 1 Kings 4:30-34

Solomon’s most enduring work is the wisdom literature he created. Beginning today and continuing for the next nine days we will read the Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Songs written by King Solomon. The temple he built, the palace he lived in and the happy kingdom he ruled have all gone away, but God has preserved the Wisdom of Solomon for all time.

Psalm 72

This psalm is a blessing for a king. It’s associated with King Solomon, but it appears that King David wrote it for him. It’s a prayer for a king to be good, just, prosperous, and powerful. It also calls upon the king to be kind to the poor and needy.

“For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” Psalm 72:12-14

The further we read in this Psalm the more it seems to point to a king greater than Solomon. Jesus may have seen himself in it. Certainly we can read it today and see him there.

“May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All the nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.” Psalm 72:17

The Apostle Paul echoed the essence of this psalm later when he wrote about King Jesus.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Psalm 127

Psalm 127 is the psalm for builders – and parents. Solomon had extensive experience with both roles and he said it was useless to try and accomplish anything without God’s blessing. No amount of getting up early or working late into the night pays off unless the Lord is in it.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise up early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for he grants sleep to those he loves.” Psalm 127:1-2

And Solomon knew that children are a gift from God. Only God can create a baby and breathe life into her. He gives children to parents, but they never really belong to them. Children are God’s arrows, kept and carefully nurtured by their parents until they are launched into the world.

Because Solomon was a wise father with a lot to say, he decided to write a book of helpful sayings for people to remember. Tomorrow we will begin reading The Best of King Solomon in his book of Proverbs.