Soloman Paper

Solomon Paper

Have you ever been promised something? Like a promotion at work, a reward or anything? Have you ever had someone take that from you? Like if you were promised that you would become the new vice president of whatever and Johnny doe down the hall gets it instead? How angry were you? Now, imagine that your father was a dieing king and he promised you his throne, all of his wealth and the authority to rule his kingdom. Now imagine that someone else, without even asking your father, took that throne away from you. How would you feel? Solomon had to go through exactly what I just described to you. He was promised his fathers kingdom and someone else tried to take it from him.

Solomon was the son of David and Bethsheba. David was the second king of Israel. David is very close to death. David had promised Bethsheba that Solomon would be king. But Adonijah tries to take the throne for himself by conferring with Joab and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him there support. When Solomon finds out what Adonijah has done he immediately confronts him. When Solomon does this Adonijah is afraid and begs Solomon not to kill him. Solomon aloud him to live and said, "Go to your home."

Solomon became king and married the daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt. They went to the city of David were he had ordered the building of a great temple for the lord. At the time, people were still making sacrifices at the high places because the temple had not yet been built. Solomon showed his love for God by "walking in the statutes of his father David." He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. Solomon went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices. While there the lord visited him in a dream and said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." And Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day." "Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David....So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong." Solomon asked for the one thing that every leader must have. He asked for wisdom. Because he did not ask for wealth, power or land, the Lord was pleased and said, "Since