He put gold into the shields of his warriors, and into his palace in abundance. Thus, the central government was enriched and so was the military complex. Solomon worshipped idols and womanized. He had wisdom but forsook it for fleshly pleasures. He confessed these sins in the Book of Ecclesiastes. [1]
The Lord decided to remove ten of the tribes from Solomon’s family’s governance and give them to another. This did not happen during his lifetime, but after he died and his son, Rehoboam, became king.
Rehoboam asked the older men who counseled his father for advice. They gave him good advice. He was to put the interest of the people before his own interests.
Rehoboam defied their advice and went with the advice of friends his age. They advised him to tell the people that he would rule them harsher than his father did. That speech did not have a good outcome. Ten tribes split from him, and they crowned a man named Jeroboam to be their king. [2]
Rehoboam’s father was deemed the wisest man in the world, and, yes indeed, his father Solomon did have wisdom, but he didn’t always apply it. His son learned that technique as well. Kind of like Samson who had great strength but spent it on fleshly pleasure to his own demise.
The Apostle Paul wrote of a better model of leadership, “Brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” [3]
Paul held up Christ as the One for us to follow. Paul approached Christ’s followers with humility. He relied on the Holy Spirit’s power to lead people.
The Ark of the Covenant that Solomon placed in the temple represented Christ. God promised Solomon that He would hear the prayers of those who prayed at the temple where the Ark of God resided. Now, it is in the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ, that God hears and answers our prayers.
“Heavenly Father, please continue to demonstrate Your power in us by causing us to rest not on human wisdom, but on Your Holy Spirit’s power. Please continue to raise up leaders who exalt Christ and who humble themselves before You for Your glory. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”
[1] 1 Kings 11:1-8; 2 Chronicles 9:15-22; Ecclesiastes 3
[2] 1 Kings 11:29-39; 1 Kings 12:1-16
[3] 1 Corinthian 2:2-5
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