Sin vs. Integrity

King Solomon’s extended family was a conniving bunch. Adonijah tried another power grab after Solomon’s coronation by seeking to marry the virgin who kept King David warm in bed. He even convinced Bathsheba to speak in his stead and Solomon was furious when his mom became an ally to his rival.

Solomon loved the Lord, and even though he was not a warrior like his father, this did not stop him from murdering his opponents and carrying out David’s vengeful instructions. The new king decided to build an alliance with his powerful neighbor to the south and so he married Pharaoh’s pagan daughter to seal the deal. Solomon had been groomed to rule and he set up a governmental system that gave him total control over the nation.

Later he traveled to Gibeon to visit the tabernacle built by Moses. It was here that the Lord spoke to Solomon for the first time and this encounter changed his life. Solomon didn’t ask God for wealth, fame, long life or the lives of his enemies, but simply for wisdom to rule Israel. For his selfless request, the Lord told Solomon that he would get it all and there would never be another king like him.