Introduction

Royal Succession is tricky business. Two years ago when Queen Elizabeth pass away, there wasn’t any question that her eldest son, Charles, would succeed her. Perhaps because the British monarchy holds no real power or because there are clear laws stipulating who is in charge, there wasn’t infighting for the crown. But that peaceful transition from one monarch to another is the exception not the rule in world history.

‌In the 16th century, rivalries between sons of the Ottoman Sultan to acceded to the throne started a civil war. The grandson of the eventual victor decided that it might need to be a practice to put to death rivals for the throne so he legalized fratricide. The Sultan could have his brothers strangled to ensure a smooth transition of power.

‌When the Sultan Mehmet III became sultan, he had 19 brothers executed. Later the law was changed so the Sultan could imprison, not kill his brothers if he felt threatened by them.

‌In Ancient Israel King David’s succession was a similarly messy business. His son third-born Absalom murdered his eldest brother Amnon. He was avenging the rape, by Amnon, of his sister Tamar, but it probably didn’t hurt that it would seem to clear the way of Absalom to become King after David (eldest males usually succeeded and son #2 has vanished from the narrative leading most scholars to conclude he died young). A few years after Amnon’s death, Absalom makes a grab for power that ends in his death. Later, when David’s death appeared imminent, the eldest remaining son Adonijah decided to anoint himself king, even though David had designated his younger son Solomon as the heir apparent.

‌Solomon and those backing him manage to be canny enough to head off the coup (which would almost surely have resulted in Solomon’s death) and Solomon succeeds his father as the second king in the Davidic Dynasty. God had promised to turn David’s family into a dynasty of kings, so Solomon’s succession and consolidation of power is the fulfilment of that promise.

‌Solomon Held Such Promise

‌Solomon’s Advantages

Because God loved David, he promised to give his successor a great set of advantages. David had wanted to build a house (temple) for God. The prophet Nathan says that, actually, God would build a house (dynasty) for David:

​2 Samuel 7:12–14NLT

For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do.

When David dies, and Solomon succeeds David.

Early during Solomon’s reign, we see God make a shocking offer to Solomon

​1 Kings 3:3–14NLT

Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

Solomon makes the right request of God, asking for something selfless (wisdom he can use to govern well) rather than the obvious self-serving things of wealth, power, long life and the death of his enemies. God gives him wisdom, and promises to give him wealth and fame too.

After this Solomon’s reign goes well. He builds the Temple in Jerusalem, he leads his country into a time of unrivalled economic prosperity. He even has the Queen of Sheba show up to hear his wisdom and she confesses that while she didn’t believe the reports, they understated Solomon’s wisdom and splendour.

But in the midst of all that celebrating there are some warning signs.

‌Solomon’s Downfall

In Deuteronomy, God lays out a set of rules for kings. These state

​Deuteronomy 17:16–17NLT

“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

Judged by this standard, we can see that Solomon is headed for trouble.

Solomon accumulated great wealth in Gold

​1 Kings 10:14–15NLT

Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.

By current market value that was $2.5 billion CAD, about 3 times the output of the Macassa Mine.

He used this wealth extravagantly, building an ostentatious throne and gold dinnerware (vv.18-21)

He built up huge fleet of horses imported from Egypt

​1 Kings 10:26NLT

Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem.

​1 Kings 10:28NLT

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.

And Solomon built up a massive harem of foreign wives and concubines who led him into idolatry.

​1 Kings 11:1–3NLT

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

God had given Solomon great wisdom, so Solomon would have known what he should have done, and yet he was seduced by the allure of money, sex and power.

While the beginning of Solomon’s reign had started out with great promise, the end was much different. While he had enjoyed peace during his reign, at the end, conflicts erupted. His use of forced labour began to alienate his people, and despite his 40 year reign, he actually only lived to be about 60, fairly typical for kings of that time (at least the ones who avoided assassination) but not the long life he had been promised if he was faithful to God. His son and heir, Rehoboam was a fool who listened to bad advice, fracturing his country in two. Solomon’s idolatry and avarice broke up the country and sowed the seeds of exile.

‌We Hold Promise Too

‌Our Advantages

Solomon’s special place in God’s plan (even called ‘a son’) was a result of the connection he had with the King who’s heart pleased God. In the same way, as followers of Jesus, we are also accepted as children of God by our connection to another king (a better king) whose heart pleased God.

Like Solomon, we’re invited to ask God for whatever we need

​John 14:13–14NLT

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

From context, Jesus isn’t saying we can ask for frivolous or sinful desires, but that he will give us what we need to follow his will. We’re also invited to ask God for wisdom

​James 1:5NLT

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

But just as with Solomon, the gifts that God generously offers us are not a guarantee of a good life. We must still choose to follow God whole-heartedly.

‌The Distractions We Face

In his parable of the sower and the seeds, Jesus reflects on how differently people react to the message of God’s kingdom. He likens it to different soil types. The one that scares me is the word sowed among the thorns where the thorns choke the plant, making it unfruitful. Jesus goes on to explain the metaphor like this:

​Luke 8:14NLT

The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.

That sounds like Solomon. Despite his great wisdom and wealth, Solomon’s fruitfulness was choked because he didn’t keep his eye on God. If it can happen to one so wise and exalted it can certainly happen to us.

‌Keeping Our Eyes on God

Solomon’s fate wasn’t sealed the moment he acceded to the throne. His actions still had consequences. Similarly, our fate isn’t sealed as soon as we convert to Christianity. Yes, we are forgiven, but the legacy of our lives depends on the kind of life we live. Even as God’s beloved children, if we are distracted by the allure of this world, our legacy may be death rather than life.

Jesus doesn’t call us to be converts, but instead to be disciples. He calls us to follow him, to become like him, so that our lives become a source of life for those who follow after us. We are leaving a mark on our children and grandchildren, but also on those whom we shape spiritually. Sometimes the mark we leave isn’t the mark we hope to leave.

Christians can be the leading cause of people being alienated from faith. How many people do you know who used to come to church but have concluded the whole thing is bunk because of the selfishness and hypocrisy of those who claim to follow Jesus?

Among those who come to church later in life, it usually happens through a relationship. Someone they knew exhibited the love and peace of Jesus that that made them curious enough to check out this Jesus thing. So our faithfulness in following Jesus isn’t an inconsequential thing, but a life and death matter for others.

So let’s remember that God has given us great advantages. We have a relationship with him and assurances that is with us, he loves us, he provides for us and gives us wisdom. Yet because of these advantages we have a greater responsibility to live according to God’s wisdom rather than according to worldly priorities. So let’s listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit and be careful to direct our lives according to his leading and not towards the things that other pursue, as the Lord says,

​Matthew 6:31–33NLT

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”