6. No Man is an Island
King Solomon was personally given by God the promise of immense wealth and wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:11-12). No one else was present when this promise was made to him, yet its manifestation was dependent on his decision to surround himself with the right people. King Solomon understood a principle, which he explains to us in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV):
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no-one to help him up!
The manifestation of the promises of God in your life, the reality of your vision, is directly linked to your relationship with others. Let us look at this in more depth in the life of King Solomon:
1. Ascension to the Throne
King David had assured Bathsheba that her son Solomon would succeed him as king. King David’s other sons, Absalom and Adonijah, had tried to forcefully take the throne ( see 2 Samuel 15 and 1 Kings 1:1-27). The only way Solomon succeeded his father was through the intervention of his mother and Prophet Nathan. Had they not intervened and helped Solomon, he may never have become king of Israel.
2. Governance of Israel
King Solomon ruled Israel for 40 years. During this time, Israel remained at peace with its neighbors and its economy prospered. How was this possible?
For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.
Proverbs 11:14 (NIV)
1 Kings 4:1-19 lists down all the chief officials King Solomon surrounded himself with. He needed a team to help him rule successfully.
3. International Trade
We have seen in a previous lesson, that King Solomon was an astute businessman. But, how did he manage to balance his economic interests with his main responsibility of ruling Israel? He partnered with the king of Tyre, Hiram. Hiram had supplied him with cedar, pine and gold for the building of the temple and his palace( 1 Kings 9:10-11), he also greatly assisted him with manned ships, which were used for trade ( 2 Chronicles 8:18).
4. Building the Temple
King Solomon had the great pleasure of building the Lord’s temple. His father, King David, together with his officials and other leaders of Israel, set aside their wealth for the building of the temple ( 1 Chronicles 29:1-9). King Solomon also relied on labor for the construction of the temple (1 Kings 9:15-23).
5. Teaching
King Solomon was wise. But, what good is wisdom if it is kept to one’s self and not shared? He shared his wisdom with the world ( 1 Kings 10:24). And here we are today, beneficiaries of his divine wisdom.
Your Turn
As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
Who is sharpening you? Who are you sharpening? Are you conscious of the people you allow to influence you? Do you see value in others or are you the be all do all to yourself?
No man is an island. Carefully select those people who you will allow into your sphere of influence.
He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)