1 Kings 6: The First Temple

The level of detail found in 1 Kings 6 hasn't been seen since the Book of Exodus and the building of the tabernacle.  Every cubit, every board of cedar, every statue and relief, is described in minute detail, such was the great importance of this mighty temple of God.  What's interesting to me is that the image of ancient Jerusalem (that I imagine at least) always has with it the grand and imposing temple on the hill.  However before Solomon there was no great temple.  There was the altar of sacrifice, but no massive structure to honor God, for hundreds of years before Solomon.  It has made me rethink the landscape of Jerusalem and how significant both David and Solomon are to contributing to our modern conception of the ancient Jews.  At any rate, the temple has now been built, and what an impressive monument to God it is!  The gold, the statuary, the inner sanctuary, the colossal dimensions -- it's all quite amazing.  And God agrees to dwell therein, IF Solomon (and his descendants) keep God's laws.  We know the temple will not last forever, but it stands at this point as a sign of God's favor and blessings upon His people.  It was indeed a golden age.

1 Kings 5: Glory to God

 As I've learned, Solomon's reign ushered in an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity.  It allowed for cultural flourishing -- a newfound appreciation for art, poetry, music, and philosophy.  Starting with Solomon himself, the Israelites were afforded the leisure to pursue these things.  Therefore, it makes perfect sense that at this point in their history, the Israelites began the construction of their long-awaited temple.  With no foreign wars to worry about, no invaders, no internal strife, Solomon led the charge to finally carry out the plan begun during David's reign to build a grand and glorious temple in which to worship Almighty God.  In Chapter 5 we see how even neighboring kingdoms lent a hand to help Solomon out, with King Hiram of Tyre playing a key role by allowing the Israelites to harvest the famous cedars of Lebanon to use as timber to construct the temple.  The massive amount of wood and stone needed to construct the temple tells us how massive it was to be.  Solomon could have used his riches only on himself or on pursuits of pleasure or even entertainment for his people, but instead he used his wealth (given to him by God after all) to glorify God by building a temple fit for the Almighty.  This First Temple would of course not last forever, but it becomes a precedent for the temples and churches built to glorify God in the years to come.  And for a few hundred years at least, Solomon's Temple would be the center of Jewish worship, a sacred place containing the presence of God, and the cornerstone of Jewish life.  And it should be so today -- our churches ought to strive to be awe-inspiring as our God is.  They ought to be grand and glorious and exceed all other structures in size and importance.  They ought to be the foundation and cultural center of any community.  For a time, it was so.  

1 Kings 4: "every one under his vine"

"And Juda, and Israel, dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon." (1 Kings 4:25)

This verse captures so well this era of Biblical history.  Solomon's reign begins with a period of unprecedented prosperity.  The Hebrew kingdom had never been so large, so unified, and so prosperous.  It was a golden age indeed; the high-water mark of the Israelites' earthly kingdom.  And it continues to be viewed as a pinnacle that represents ultimately the spiritual kingdom established by Jesus Christ.  As Solomon's was an earthly kingdom, it was not meant to be eternal, and so we will see its heyday begin to wane soon enough.  But in the meantime it is quite amazing to see how far the Israelites have come, from a nomadic people in the days of Abraham, through enslavement in Egypt, and now the realization of God's promise to Abraham, that his descendants would be numerous and they would inhabit the Promised Land, the fullest extent of which we see here in the First Book of Kings.  It is said at this time that the Israelites numbered in the several million (seven million at least, many say much more than that).  And the borders of the kingdom extended from the river (the Euphrates) down to the border of Egypt!  The borders of Israel to this very day in AD 2024 are a source of controversy and conflict.  It is a remarkable thing to see here in Sacred Scripture almost 1,000 years before Christ those very borders being defined (though I acknowledge here a difference between the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the modern nation that was formed in 1948).  

And within those expansive borders we see a picture of peace and prosperity in every corner of the kingdom.  "Every one under his vine" tells us that in the rural regions, men and women lived harmonious lives tilling the earth, enjoying the harvest, and worshipping God Almighty in thankfulness for their bounty.  It's nice to see peace rather than warfare, the latter of which so much of the Israelites' history had been.  And so there is much to credit Solomon for.  His prosperous kingdom allowed for advances in the arts and sciences, the likes of which the world had never known.  Solomon himself, as the wise ruler of this exceptional kingdom, was a devotee of poetry and music.  It is said that the Greeks themselves may have received their brilliant philosophical ideas from the court of Solomon.  Solomon almost seems like a precursor to Aristotle, as he was a lover of the natural sciences, hundreds of years before the great Greek philosopher.  Solomon composed parables, poems, and songs, his "Canticle of Canticles" being one of the best known.  Apparently much of what Solomon wrote has been lost to time, but thankfully we have some preserved still in Scripture.  Solomon's devotion to high culture, his royal court comprised of scribes and priests and stewards, prefigures the royal courts we see in the High Middle Ages.  Solomon (David as well) seems to be a model, the original example of the ideal king that future kings aspired to.  And for the time being, his kingdom has been blessed and elevated by God that we all may see a glimmer of a future heavenly kingdom that awaits those who keep His commandments. 

1 Kings 3: Solomon's Wisdom

 I'm immediately fascinated by King Solomon.  On the one hand, as evinced by the events of the previous chapter, Solomon seems ruthless, even brutal.  It seems as though he will rule with an iron fist.  Yet in Chapter 3, he acknowledges his youth and inexperience, and confides to God that he needs help, he needs the wisdom necessary to rule rightly.  That acknowledgment alone bespeaks a noble maturity in the young Solomon.  Of all the things he could have wished for, he chooses wisdom, which pleases God.  It shows Solomon as someone willing to listen.  

My commentary notes that Solomon proved to be interested in nature and the art of governance.  His wisdom was nearly unmatched it seems in all Biblical history.  These things automatically set Solomon apart, and I'm curious to see how such a king will rule over his people, and more importantly how it will impact Solomon's relationship with God.  At this point, it seems he acknowledges his lower place compared to God and that he needs to rely on God in order to be a truly good king.  These things elicit hope that Solomon will be a wise and magnanimous king.

The lesson at the end of Chapter 3, of the two harlots arguing over whose baby is whose, famously illustrates Solomon's wisdom at work.  It's a well known tale, but though it might seem simple at first, there are layers to its lesson.  It evokes the goodness of the true mother and the malice of the bad one.  It's crafty and cunning.  It's the judgement of a wise and beneficent ruler who seeks to reward the good and punish the evil.  Solomon exhibits mercy and justice, an example of God's perfect Mercy and Justice.

1 Kings 1-2: Enter Solomon

 And so begins the reign of King Solomon.  We read of David's death in 1 Kings 1, though what I didn't know was there was a slight tussle over who would succeed David (not hard to believe there would have been however).  Adonijah makes a play for the throne and nearly succeeds in being crowned king by Abiathar the high priest, but at the last second Nathan and Bathsheba find out and inform Solomon, who steps in and asserts his rightful claim and authority.  Though maybe the word "asserts" is too light; what Solomon does is more like a purge of all his and his father's enemies so that his rise to the throne will be completely and totally unchallenged.  These two chapters read a lot like a mob boss who systematically eliminates all his potential adversaries in an elaborate wave of killings.  I don't mean to be irreverent with that analogy, but I think we can question Solomon's actions here to a degree.  David and Solomon were both God-appointed kings, but that doesn't mean they weren't without their flaws. David's infamous falls from grace have already been covered, and likely we will see the same from Solomon.  Remember that God's plan originally did not involve kings at all.  So the establishment of the kingdom, though permitted and even used by God for our instruction, was going to inherently involve pitfalls and stumbling blocks, as kings are human, and humans err.  One of Solomon's killings in 1 Kings 2 involves David's old general Joab.  Joab, who himself was guilty of shedding much blood, sought refuge in the tabernacle, thus claiming the age-old right of sanctuary.  It is debatable whether or not Solomon did the right thing here, for he orders his commander to kill Joab anyway, even in that holiest of places.  Some say that because Joab was guilty of horrendous murders that the right of sanctuary for him did not exist; others say that Solomon had him dragged out of the tabernacle before killing him.  Whatever the case may be, Solomon at the very outset of his reign makes a statement for all to see and at which to tremble.  He is the supreme king of all Israel and he knows that it's a precarious place to be, and so he makes sure no one would be so bold as to challenge him.  We now begin a new era.  

Concluding Thoughts on Second Samuel

King David occupies the spotlight in all of the Second Book of Samuel.  The naming of this book is a little inaccurate, as the prophet Samuel died in the previous book, but as it was Samuel whom God instructed to anoint David, the prophet's influence lives on.  Some more traditional translations of the Bible call this the Second Book of Kings, and at one time there were even some Bibles that condensed all four of the kingly books into two.  At any rate, I've reached the halfway point of this segment of the Old Testament.  The death of King David happens early in the next book and then we'll see the reign of Solomon and all events leading up to the captivity.  

King David is, again, the focal point in this book.  Not since Moses has a Biblical figure commanded such attention up to this point in Scripture.  David is clearly a figure of monumental importance.  As a king he places himself at the service of God; as a sinner he begs God's forgiveness; as one persecuted, he prays for deliverance from his enemies and also deals magnanimously with them.  He is a model for us in so many ways.  But he is also very human, and his falls from grace are notorious.   But instead of being a cautionary tale, a figure who is tragic and whose life is one to avoid, David opens himself up to God's restorative Grace, and he prostrates himself before the True King and is redeemed.  And so we, likewise, ought to do when we inevitably fall.  This model ended up being the standard followed by the great Christian kings of the ancient and medieval eras.  David's humility, his status as God's servant first and his people's servant second, was what all good kings aspired to.  Most importantly, David's kingship and his kingdom signify something far greater that will be fulfilled by the coming of Jesus Christ 1,000 years later.  The Son of David, Christ the King, will establish His Kingdom through His Church, and we can view David's kingdom as a precursor, a sign of things to come.  David's words still ring true with remarkable power via his psalms, still read and sung today in the Church's official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, and at Holy Mass.  All of this to say that David's importance can't be overstated.  His earthly life as told in Scripture may be coming to an end, but his influence will live on throughout the remainder of the Word.

2 Samuel 23-24: David's Legacy

I've reached the conclusion of 2 Samuel (or 2 Kings).  It ends on an interesting note.  All of 2 Samuel focuses on King David and these final chapters show once again how complicated a figure David is.  As a king he shows myriad positive and negative qualities.  In Chapter 24 we see his pride and vanity on display when he, out of curiosity, orders a census of his kingdom.  This displeases God and a plague is sent upon Israel.  We then see David's humility and repentance when he admits his transgression and accepts his punishment.  This is followed by the final event of 2 Samuel when David builds an altar to the Lord to show his gratitude to God for His ending of the punishing plague.  David is a figure worthy of emulation because he is so very human and yet he never despairs.  He falls, but he always gets back up, makes amends, does penance, and renews his efforts to do God's Will.  That is the key difference between David and Saul, his predecessor.  Saul succumbed to despair.  When he found himself at odds with God, instead of humbly asking forgiveness, he dug in his heels and allowed his pride to prevail.  David often lets his pride get the best of him as well, but he always acknowledges his sins and pleads for forgiveness.  In the final act of 2 Samuel, we see David building an altar, which represents his devotion to God, no matter what.  After all the ups and downs of his life, he does not abandon God, but without fail returns to Him, and acknowledges God's Universal Lordship.  

The site of this altar is said to be the site of the temple that David is inspired to build.  Of course we know David won't live to see this temple built, but it's interesting to see here its humble beginnings.  Solomon's glorious Temple is forthcoming, but it's important to note it began as a simple altar of thanksgiving by the great King David.