The Rich Biblical History Of Essential OilsSample

The Wisdom of King Solomon 

Solomon became the king of Israel around the age of twenty in 971 B.C. after his father, David. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon asked God for one thing: a discerning heart.

God was delighted by this request, so He granted Solomon great wisdom. In addition, God lavishly poured out on him honor, wealth, and a promise of long life “if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands” (1 Kings 3:14).

My fascination with this story began about three years ago as I was researching this subject. Because the Lord had been wooing me to write on this topic for a long time, my desk had a considerable stack of research and notes on it. But the Lord spoke to my heart and said I was missing an important part of the story. I reviewed all of my information, but could not ascertain what I had overlooked. Finally, I just said, “Please tell me, Papa, what am I missing?”

He lovingly replied, “You are missing the story of My son, Solomon.” 

As I dove into the story of Solomon, my heart just leapt! On the pages before me, I discovered the queen of Sheba and the immeasurable, lavish gifts she brought to Solomon, including expensive spices. I learned of a glorious architectural structure never before seen on the face of the earth, designed and built by Solomon. I discovered a king totally sold on God’s plan and purpose for his life. And then I found a man who, toward the end of his days, forgot who he was and was led wildly astray by his 700 wives. 

But the most riveting thing I learned was that Solomon was a botanist. The first book of Kings tells us that Solomon talked about trees and plants—apparently everything from the mighty, towering cedar tree to the small, flowering hyssop plant. We also learn that he gave lectures on animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but these are mentioned after Solomon’s knowledge of botany. There are hints elsewhere of some of Solomon’s wisdom, such as when he mentions apples (see Proverbs 25:11) and pomegranates (see Song of Songs 4:3). 

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