King Solomon: The Conflicted Ruler of Israel's Golden Age (31 pages) - $2.95

ISBN 978-1-936357-00-0
September 1, 2010

• A 13-lesson (31 pages) study by Gary Henry
• Each lesson consists of a series of questions to guide personal study and/or class discussion
• Suitable for individual or class study (permission granted to reproduce for class members)
• Lays foundation for study of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

When you order this product, you get the following digital file:

• solomon.pdf (138 KB) - 31-page document - prints out on regular-size 8.5 x 11 paper

This file will be available for you to download for 30 days, and you may download it a maximum of 3 times.

From the Introduction

This study is about King Solomon, the son of David. Solomon surely ranks as one of the most interesting characters in the Old Testament, and much of our interest in him springs from his "contradictory" life. Of all the kings of Israel, he is the most puzzling: how could a man as wise as he depart from the Lord in his old age?

But we all see something of ourselves in Solomon, don't we? For all of our knowledge of God's will, our actual conduct sometimes falls far below our "wisdom." We don't do as well as we know to do. So in Solomon, we see a struggle that we can relate to. Like him, we are often walking contradictions, able to give good advice to others but not always following that advice ourselves.

Solomon should stand as a warning to us: wisdom alone won't save us. Faithfulness to God is a choice that has to be made, and unfortunately, the wise don't always make that choice. So what about us today: will we do any better than Solomon did? Will we remain faithful? If he could speak to us now, Solomon would surely say, "Don't do what I did and forsake God when you've grown old. If you have any wisdom, don't just apply it to others -- apply it to yourself!"

Solomon was very much a philosopher. He had an inquisitive mind, and he liked wrestling with the big ideas and the big questions. I think it is no coincidence that we find Solomon such a practical study today. The issues he grappled with -- such as wealth and pleasure -- are the same ones we face in today's affluent, entertainment-crazed culture. And what Solomon says about these things is relevant to us, for after all, human nature has not changed much since his day.

• Lesson 1 - Background to Solomon's reign
• Lesson 2 - Solomon's Accession to the Throne
• Lesson 3 - Solomon's Kingdom and Wealth (1)
• Lesson 4 - Solomon's Kingdom and Wealth (2)
• Lesson 5 - Solomon's Wisdom (1)
• Lesson 6 - Solomon's Wisdom (2)
• Lesson 7 - Solomon's Building Program
• Lesson 8 - Solomon and the Temple (1)
• Lesson 9 - Solomon and the Temple (2)
• Lesson 10 - Solomon's Wives
• Lesson 11 - Solomon's Downfall
• Lesson 12 - Solomon and Ecclesiastes
• Lesson 13 - Conclusion: What Can We Learn from Solomon?