Who was Solomon?
Scroll down and click play to listen along.
Main Question for today...
Is Solomon who we think he is?
The purpose of this series is to use a biblical approach in studying the characters, themes, and teachings of the Bible in order to bring us to a more mature faith in God.
As we look at the character of Solomon today, consider how your perspectives of Solomon changes as we learn from the biblical narrative of his life.
Opening thought
Imagine you are sharing your faith with someone who is not a Christian and they ask you "Hey, I've heard of the name Solomon before, but I don't know anything about him. Tell me who Solomon was and tell me his story." What would you say?
Take some time as a group to talk about what you would tell a person if you had one minute to give the story of Solomon. Write these things down for the group to see.
Solomon's exploits can include:
Request of Wisdom: 1 Kings 3:5-14
Building the Temple of God: 1 Kins 6:1-38
Queen of Sheba Visit: 1 Kings 10:1-13
Solomons Palace: 1 Kings 7:1-12
Origin of Proverbs and Song of Songs/Solomon
Trade and Prosperity 1 Kings 10:14-29
Judgement of the two women: 1 Kings 3:16-28
Building up of Jerusalem and Israel: 1 Kings 9:15-25
Solomon married foreign Women
Read Deut. 7:3-4
What does this law prohibit and why?
Read 1 Kings 3:1 + 11:1-2
What does this mean? Why is this significant for Israel’s witness to the other nations?
Solomon was involved in inappropriate worship practices
High Places
Read Deut. 12:11-14
What does this prohibit and why?
Read 1 Kings 3:2-4
What does this mean and why is this significant for Israel’s witness to the other nations?
Idolatry and False gods
Read Exodus 20:3-5
Ask: What does this prohibit and why?
Read 1 Kings 11:4-8
Ask: What does this mean and why is this significant for Israel’s witness to the other nations?
Solomon used forced labor and enslaved people
Read Deut. 24:14-15
What is this saying and why?
Read 1 Kings 9:15-22
Who can and cannot be subject to slavery within Israel? Why?
You might think, “See he only made Non-Israelites slaves right?" Let's take a look at our next point to see if this statement is true.
Read 1 Kings 5:13
Who does Solomon force to do labor and become slaves?—Israelites
What does this mean and why is this significant for Israel’s witness to the other nations?
Consider this...
What does all of this mean for who Solomon was and how we've traditionally viewed him?
Imagine a situation where Solomon wasn't as good as we traditionally understand him. How could this have turned out much differently given the laws that he broke or if he was any other person?
Why is it important that we recognize Solomon did all of these things? What does it teach us?
What does all of this mean for Christians today?
Does God care about wealth, power, and what we think displays strength? Why or why not?
What does God care about? How does this relate to Solomon then and Christians today?
Take away
How do you view Solomon now?
Why is it important to have a fuller/ more mature understanding of this biblical character rather than just a traditional "Sunday School" perspective?
What is something tangible we can do moving forward after learning all of this?
What will you as an individual do now that you know this about Solomon?