所罗门

David,nowanoldman,isstillkingofIsrael.Amonghissons,theambitiousAdonijahandthecleverSolomon.Thetwoyoungmenarefiercerivals,sincebothare ros ectiveheirstothethroneandonlyonecanbesuccessful.Duringahuntingex edition,AdonijahchallengeshisyoungerbrotherSolomontoachariotrace.WhileSolomon,thoughbrave,stillretainsamodicumofcaution,thedaredevilAdonijahiseagertowinatallcosts--andlosescontrolofhischariot.SolomontakestheseriouslyinjuredAdonijahbacktoJerusalem.OnthewaytheretheymeettheattractiveAbishag,whodes iteheryouthisversedintheuseofhealingherbs.Sheactuallysucceedsinhel ingthe rince.AdonijahfallsinlovewithAbishag--butBathshebaarrangesthingssothatsheworksforDavid,ho ingthatheryouth,herbeautyandherhealing owerswillsoothetheoldking’ssuffering.Severalmembersoftheinfluential riesthoodandalsotheres ectedarmygeneralJoab,whoservedDavidloyallyformanyyears,su ortAdonijah’sclaimtothethrone--eventhoughDavidhasstillnotmadeanydecisionwithregardtoa otentialsuccessor.Thebattle-ex eriencedJoabregardsSolomonasanindecisiveweakling,underwhoseleadershi thekingdomwouldsoonfalla art.Whenthe ro hetNathanfindsoutaboutAdonijah’scons iracyheinformsBathshebaandSolomon,whourgeDavidtotakeimmediateaction.Andsoitcomesto assthat re arationstoanointthefuturekingofIsraelaremadebothattheS ringofEnrogel,whereAdonijahandhismenareencam ed,aswellasinJerusalem.Thefestive rocessionforAdonijahhasalreadybeenassembledandthe eo leenticedwithdeliciousdelicaciestocheerhimon,whenthenewsofSolomon’scoronationreachesEnrogel.The eo le rom tlyacknowledgethewillofKingDavidandstreamofftoJerusalemintheirhordestogreetSolomon,theirfutureruler.Adonijahremainsbehindwithahandfulofloyalfollowers.Herealizesthathehaslost--forthetimebeing.Humblyhe laceshislifeinhisbrother’shands.Adonijahisforgivenononecondition:thathealwaysremainsloyaltohisbrotherSolomon.ThegreatKingDavidisdead,andhissonSolomonhassucceededhimastherightfulrulerofIsrael.AdonijahnowhasarequesttomakeofBathsheba:hewantstomarryAbishag.Solomonhearsaboutthisseeminglyinnocentwish,andrecognizesitasarenewed loyonbehalfofhisbrothertoreclaimthethrone--Adonijah’smarriagetothelastwomantoshareKingDavid’sbedwouldstrengthenhis olitical ositionconsiderably.Solomonknowsthathehastoactquicklyanddecisivelyifheistosecurehisown ower.HehashisbrotherAdonijahandthelatter’sclosestassociateJoabexecuted.Afterthisradicaldecision,Solomonwithdrawsto resentsacrifices.InadreamtheLorda earstohimandgrantshimthefulfillmentofawish,whateveritmaybe.Solomonmerelyasksforwisdom--inordertobecomeagoodrulerandjudge.WarwithEgy tislooming.Toarmhiskingdomagainsttheterritorialambitionsofits owerfulneighbors,Solomonnotonlyintroducesseveralreformsbutalsodecidestomarrythedaughterofthe haraoh.TheEgy tian rincessdoesnotremainSolomon’sonlywife,however:astimegoesbythekingmarriesnumerousnoblewomenfrommanydifferentcountriesfor oliticalandeconomicreasons.Inthiswayhe reserves eaceforhis eo le,andcreatesgreat ros erity.Byallowingthewomentocontinue racticingtheirdomesticcustomsandreligiousritualsinJerusalemaswell,hecomesintoregularconflictwiththe riesthood,whoseetheforeignreligionsasendangeringIsrael’ssolecovenantwiththeLord.ThewisdomgrantedtoSolomonbyGodbecomesfullyevidentwhenthekingsitsinjudgment.Onedaytwoharlotseachclaimtobemotherofthesamebaby.Solomon’sdecisionseemsutterlycruel:hesaysthatthechildshouldbecutintwosothateachwomanreceiveshalf.Solomoncannowdeterminewhotherealmotherisfromherreaction:shewillnotallowherchildtobeharmed.Solomonhandsthechildbacktoitstruemotheramidcheersofa roval.Oneofthemostim ortanttaskshandeddowntoSolomonbyhisfatherDavidisbuildingthegreatTem letohousetheArkoftheCovenant.Ithastobelargerandmoremagnificentthanallothertem lesintheworld,andSolomonnowsetsaboutfulfillinghisfather’swish.He lacesJeroboaminchargeoftheIsraeliteworkersaschiefoverseer.Sevenyearslater,theworkiscom leted.Theex ensiveconstructionmaterialshavebeenbroughtfromfar-offlands,andthe eo leofIsraelhave aidexceedinglyhightaxeswithoutcom laintinordertofinancetheconstructionwork.TheArkoftheCovenantcannowfinallybetakentotheTem leinatrium hant rocession.Aftersomanyyearsofwandering,theIsraelites’mostsacred ossessionnowhasafixedhomeofitsown.Peo lestreamtoJerusalemfromacrosstheentirecountrytocelebratethegreatday.Abishag,nowmarried,comestooandbringsherfamily.Solomonhasdecidedtomingleamongthe eo leindisguise,andheandAbishagareoverjoyedwhentheyaccidentallymeetagainaftersomanyyears.TheTem lemakesJerusalemanditskingfamousthroughouttheworld.Eventhedark-skinnedQueenofShebasetsoffwithalargeretinuetovisitthewiseandcultivatedSolomonandadmirehismagnificentcity.Theadmirationturnsouttobemutual:Solomon,ca tivatedbyherbeauty,fallsdee lyinlovewithher.Thetwoofthemhaveachild,Menelik,butonedaytheQueenofShebadecidestoleave.ShedoesnotwantMeneliktobede rivedoftheregaldignityawaitinghiminhishomecountry.Solomonstaysbehind,withaheavyheart.Thekinghasnowachievedeverythinghesethishearton,butwiththe assingoftheyearsthewiseSolomongraduallybecomesamelancholy,ske ticaloldmanwhoregularlyquestionshisveryexistence.Materialthingsseemtore resenttheonlyrealityforhim.Healsorefusestoado tanykindofsteady olicy,es eciallyinreligiousmatters.Withhisforeignwives,Solomonsacrificestoforeigngods,andthisincursthewrathofthe riesthood.TheloyalJeroboama ealstohisking’sconscience,buttonoavail.DuringoneofSolomon’ssortiesindisguiseamonghis eo le,asim lefarmerremindshimofthefirstoftheTenCommandmentsrevealedbytheLordtoMoses:"Youshallhavenoothergodsbeforeme."Atanotherdecisivemoment,GodHimselfs eakstoSolomonandannouncesthe unishmentforhissinfulness:thekingdomwillcolla seafterSolomon’sdeath.Thekinghasgrownoldandweary.Hehaslosttouchwiththe eo leofIsrael,whoaresufferingfromheavytaxationandforcedlabor.Solomonhastreatedhislong-standingcom anionJeroboam,towhomheentrustedtheadministrationofthenortherntribes,withmurderousangereversincea ro het redictedthedivisionofthekingdomtohim.Thekingnolongerhasthestrengthtochangethings--hejustleavesthemastheyare.Theconsequencesofthisbecomeclearshortlyafterhisdeath.Solomon’ssonandsuccessorRehoboamtreatsthecountry’sleaderswitharrogance,and rovokesthedivisionofthekingdomintotwo arts:theonlytribestillloyaltohimisthatofJudah,whilealltheothersuniteunderJeroboam.The ro hecyhasbeenfulfilled.ThekingdomthatSolomonreceivedfromhisfatherDavid,andinvestedwithsuchmightandmagnificence,isnowdivided