Solomon's roller coaster

"The peoples of the Congo do not believe in a natural death, not even when it happens through drowning or any other accident." James George Frazer Folklore in the Old Testament Chapter V page 335.

     Solomon was the one guy I was really counting on. I thought he was actually going to be successful. He told God he wanted wisdom so he could judge his people. This is wonderful!!! This could actually get everyone on the same page! He could have asked for anything, but he asked for wisdom. With enough wisdom anything could be accomplished. Then again, maybe not. Solomon (the replacement), the son of David and Bathsheba, became king when his father died, and his mother arranged for him to take the throne. Everything is going great; the people are united, everyone is wealthy, Solomon builds a house for the Lord and a palace. Then he makes a huge mistake. He is led astray by foreign women and their gods. This should not come as a surprise because when he first asked for wisdom he was already married to the pharaoh's daughter in what probably seemed like a great way to make peace between the lands. I was hoping that when God gave him wisdom he would be able to figure out that going against God's law was a bad idea. Instead he decides to worship other gods and before you can say "where are we going and what are we doing in this hand basket" everything falls apart.   

     This is exactly the pattern we discussed in class. He was just a nobody; not even the one who was supposed to have any power. Out of the blue he gets power over the people and a great gift of wisdom from God. Then he starts going down hill and hits bottom again. Why the same story over and over? Maybe this pattern is to teach readers that just because you are doing well does not mean that you can let things go. Of course there is the lesson about obeying God; that's obvious. Even though I was hoping for Solomon to do the right thing, it would be more difficult if he had. How could anyone come after him? The guy has wisdom from God, riches beyond belief, and he must have been attractive considering the description of all the women he kept. There has to be a flaw or he is just a Ken doll; he is plastic. It is the flaws that make people and stories truly interesting. So, the pattern keeps the story interesting and gives readers a better moral message.