King Solomon, the Wisest Man That Ever Lived预览

King Solomon, the son of David

“So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.” (1 Kings 2:12)

The people of Israel had a special history as “God’s people”. God was their King. When they needed a leader, for example when they were attacked by enemies, God appointed someone for that task. But eventually the people wanted a king like all the nations around them.

The reign of their first king, Saul, proved to be a failure.

It was then that God appointed David to be king over Israel.

He was “a man after God’s heart”. He certainly was not flawless, But all in all he proved to be a good leader, a brave warrior and a great musician.

He describes himself as “The man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel.” (2 Samuel 23:1) In later centuries, David grew into a legend of almost mythical proportions.

David appointed his son Solomon as his successor. Solomon became the rightful king of Israel when David grew old and knew he was about to die.

I can hardly imagine what it must have been like for Solomon to succeed such a popular and successful king. Could he ever equal his father? Could he meet the expectations of the people?

Have you ever been in a position where expectations were (too) high? How did you cope with that?