Who was Solomon in the Bible?
Here's the answer:
Solomon was the son of David. He was the third and last king of the united kingdom of Israel.
The two men who were kings before Solomon were King Saul and King David. Solomon inherited the throne under his father, King David. Solomon's mother was Bathsheba. In addition to ruling the united kingdom of Israel, he also wrote the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs. He was known for the wisdom given to him by God.
At the beginning of his life, Solomon followed God and wanted to obey Him in every way. Rather than following the way of evil, he earnestly sought out God. God appreciated Solomon's heart, told him he could ask Him for anything, and He would give it to him. Solomon recognized his own flaws and asked God for wisdom to rule the kingdom. God is pleased with his answer and gives him not only wisdom, but also wealth.
Sadly, later in life Solomon followed after foreign gods. He had over 700 wives and 300 concubines who led him away from the Lord. He started building altars and worship places for these false gods. This made God very angry and He told Solomon the kingdom would split after his rule. This happened and the kingdom was split. God also caused Solomon to have hard times throughout the rest of his life because of his disobedience. This is why it is important to obey God. He truly knows what is best for us.
Bible Truth
"LORD my God, you have now made me king. You have put me in the place of my father David. But I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out my duties. I’m here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. So give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people. I can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Who can possibly rule over this great nation of yours?'" (1 Kings 3:7-9).
"The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for that. So God said to him, 'You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for wisdom. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for, I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be. And that is not all. I will give you what you have not asked for. I will give you wealth and honor. As long as you live, no other king will be as great as you are. Live the way I want you to. Obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did. Then I will let you live for a long time'" (1 Kings 3:10-14).
"So the LORD said to Solomon, 'You have chosen not to keep my covenant. You have decided not to obey my rules. I commanded you to do what I told you. But you did not do it. So you can be absolutely sure I will tear the kingdom away from you. I will give it to one of your officials. But I will not do that while you are still living. Because of your father David I will wait. I will tear the kingdom out of your son’s hand. But I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give him one of the tribes because of my servant David. I will also do it because of Jerusalem. That is the city I have chosen'" (1 Kings 11:11-13).
