Previous chapter Solomon is most famous for his great wisdom. Already we have considered aspects of this – what wisdom is, how Solomon gained his, the nature of the wisdom that he had. The subject of wisdom continues to dominate the story of Solomon in 1 Kings 4. That might not be immediately apparent as the chapter begins with two lists and some facts and figures that, at first sight, seem to have nothing to do with wisdom. However, when you come to the end of the chapter (29-34) wisdom is clearly the theme.
'God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East … He was wiser than any other man … Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.'
These verses, which take us back to Chapter 3 where Solomon gains and manifests wisdom, suggest that the whole section, Chapters 3 and 4, is about wisdom and ought to be considered in this way.
So here is another lesson about wisdom before we go any further. It is often found where we do not expect it. Or to put it another way - we do not always recognise it when we see it. The corollary is that not all that appears to be wisdom really is wisdom. This should warn us against being too quick to suppose that something is wise or foolish. Generally speaking in the western world these last hundred years have been marked by a reluctance to hold on to the Bible and its message and a corresponding confidence in the ‘powers of science’ and in human learning to solve the world’s problems. Hopefully the tide is turning (there is some evidence for that) but the after-effects are still with us. People are beginning to see how mixed and unreliable the ‘assured results of modern science’ are, which is good. There needs to be a corresponding rediscovery of the Word of God. Here is wisdom, heavenly wisdom, the real wisdom that we all need. Is that where you are looking for wisdom? In this chapter, I would suggest, there are at least three further things to learn about wisdom and its nature.
'God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East … He was wiser than any other man … Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.'
These verses, which take us back to Chapter 3 where Solomon gains and manifests wisdom, suggest that the whole section, Chapters 3 and 4, is about wisdom and ought to be considered in this way.
So here is another lesson about wisdom before we go any further. It is often found where we do not expect it. Or to put it another way - we do not always recognise it when we see it. The corollary is that not all that appears to be wisdom really is wisdom. This should warn us against being too quick to suppose that something is wise or foolish. Generally speaking in the western world these last hundred years have been marked by a reluctance to hold on to the Bible and its message and a corresponding confidence in the ‘powers of science’ and in human learning to solve the world’s problems. Hopefully the tide is turning (there is some evidence for that) but the after-effects are still with us. People are beginning to see how mixed and unreliable the ‘assured results of modern science’ are, which is good. There needs to be a corresponding rediscovery of the Word of God. Here is wisdom, heavenly wisdom, the real wisdom that we all need. Is that where you are looking for wisdom? In this chapter, I would suggest, there are at least three further things to learn about wisdom and its nature.
The orderliness that wisdom creates
The Bible is full of lists – lists of names, gifts and offerings, place names, virtues and vices. What is your attitude to lists? Personally, I am positive – I use them for shopping, for packing to go away; I often make a ‘to do’ list at the start of a day. Prayer lists can be useful too. It can also be fun to list your favourites – favourite songs, favourite foods, favourite books, etc.
There has been a bit of a fad for this in recent years. Some even believe that list-making is a way to personal fulfilment. There has also been a fashion for publishing books of lists over recent decades. I have one that includes fun things like ‘ten signs spring is on its way’; ‘ten things to do at 4 in the morning’; ‘ten actors who’ve played cartoon characters’.
Lists can be enjoyable. They can also be illuminating. Take shopping lists or laundry lists. They can be interesting in their own right. The older they are the more so. Insights into ancient Egypt and Colonial New England, for example, have been gained in recent years from just such lists. We have a fascinating list somewhere in the archives of our church from the thirties or forties listing charges for use of the premises.
However, some lists are hard to get much out of, even lists in the Bible. Maybe that is how you feel about the two here. Two possible reasons for this, it has been suggested, are unwillingness to do a bit of hard work and a lack of imagination. There is no real excuse for either. We can get something from these verses.
Consider these lists
The first list (1-6). This names Solomon’s chief officials, his cabinet if you like. Some seven or eight offices are listed and some 11 officeholders (some offices are held by more than one man). There are priests, secretaries, a recorder, the commander-in-chief of armed forces, a personal advisor and men in charge of district officers, forced labour and the king’s palace.
It is clear that Solomon was concerned about religion (hence the priests), keeping records (we cannot be sure exactly what the secretaries and recorder did) and the organisation of military and labour, as well as his own personal needs. He did not do everything himself but was happy to delegate and so make use of the talents of others. That is part of wisdom we can be sure. There is a mixture here of continuity with his father’s reign and innovation, using new people and new offices – another mark of wisdom. The one possibly ominous note is the reference to forced labour. We know that this eventually became a problem when his son Rehoboam succeeded.
The second list (7-19) tells how (7) ‘Solomon also had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.’ Their names and districts are then listed with one or two brief notes. Scholars have read all sorts of things into these verses but it simply explains the plan that Solomon adopted for providing for his own daily needs and those of his household. Some detail about this is given later in the chapter.
Rather than simply following the old tribal divisions he divided the land into 12, no doubt appropriate, districts for this specific need. Its beauty was that it kept the royal palace supplied and yet by spreading the load put no undue burden on any one district.
No doubt you can imagine the excitement in a given district – say ‘in the hill country of Ephraim’, the large hilly area north of Benjamin and Judah or ‘in Naphoth Dor’, the very fertile area on the northern tip of the Plain of Sharon, by the Mediterranean Sea – as their month approached. For 11 months of the year preparations had been underway and now for the next 30 days they were the ones responsible for making sure that there was a daily supply up in Jerusalem. They had not only to grow or acquire and store the crops and nurture the animals required but transport it all up so that it was in the right place at the right time. What a logistical challenge! Perhaps we can imagine someone reporting to Ben-Hur or Ben-Deker or one of Solomon’s sons-in-law, Ben-Abinadab or Ahimaaz, the month before about some problem and their wondering if they are going to be able to make up the potential shortfall.
The first list (1-6). This names Solomon’s chief officials, his cabinet if you like. Some seven or eight offices are listed and some 11 officeholders (some offices are held by more than one man). There are priests, secretaries, a recorder, the commander-in-chief of armed forces, a personal advisor and men in charge of district officers, forced labour and the king’s palace.
It is clear that Solomon was concerned about religion (hence the priests), keeping records (we cannot be sure exactly what the secretaries and recorder did) and the organisation of military and labour, as well as his own personal needs. He did not do everything himself but was happy to delegate and so make use of the talents of others. That is part of wisdom we can be sure. There is a mixture here of continuity with his father’s reign and innovation, using new people and new offices – another mark of wisdom. The one possibly ominous note is the reference to forced labour. We know that this eventually became a problem when his son Rehoboam succeeded.
The second list (7-19) tells how (7) ‘Solomon also had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.’ Their names and districts are then listed with one or two brief notes. Scholars have read all sorts of things into these verses but it simply explains the plan that Solomon adopted for providing for his own daily needs and those of his household. Some detail about this is given later in the chapter.
Rather than simply following the old tribal divisions he divided the land into 12, no doubt appropriate, districts for this specific need. Its beauty was that it kept the royal palace supplied and yet by spreading the load put no undue burden on any one district.
No doubt you can imagine the excitement in a given district – say ‘in the hill country of Ephraim’, the large hilly area north of Benjamin and Judah or ‘in Naphoth Dor’, the very fertile area on the northern tip of the Plain of Sharon, by the Mediterranean Sea – as their month approached. For 11 months of the year preparations had been underway and now for the next 30 days they were the ones responsible for making sure that there was a daily supply up in Jerusalem. They had not only to grow or acquire and store the crops and nurture the animals required but transport it all up so that it was in the right place at the right time. What a logistical challenge! Perhaps we can imagine someone reporting to Ben-Hur or Ben-Deker or one of Solomon’s sons-in-law, Ben-Abinadab or Ahimaaz, the month before about some problem and their wondering if they are going to be able to make up the potential shortfall.
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