Leaders of the Bible: Solomon
1 Kings 3:1-15, 1 Kings 11:1-13, James 3:13-18
With every position of leadership comes a certain degree of power. Throughout the story of the Israelites and their rulers, some leaders have leveraged their power to honor the Lord, while others chose to use their power for personal gain. An example of this is King David, Solomon’s father. David used his power and position to abuse Bathsheba and then kill her husband. Solomon recognized the positive aspects of his father’s leadership - that he was “righteous and upright in heart” (1 Kings 3:6). However, as the son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon would’ve been aware that his father didn’t always make the wisest decisions.
Solomon, informed by his father’s failures, yet also shaped by his father’s time as king, asks the Lord for wisdom. He knows that as a leader with power, wisdom is a necessity.
Wisdom can be an abstract concept, though. Secular and religious thinkers alike would disagree on what wise leadership should look like. James, the brother of Jesus, describes what godly wisdom looks like in the letter he wrote to multiple early church communities.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom… 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
James 3:13,17
The wisdom that leaders need is marked by good deeds done in humility. It is not arrogant, but rather submissive. It does not antagonize, but rather is peace-loving. Jesus is the perfect embodiment of this wise leadership. He did not power-grab, but instead let himself be overtaken by the Romans. He did not start conflicts, but rather healed and loved his enemies.
When we humble ourselves and ask for wisdom from God, he is pleased to give it to us. That doesn’t mean it won’t come without time or sacrifice, but God will give us his heavenly wisdom as we follow him.
We must, however, choose to use this wisdom daily. Solomon miraculously received God’s wisdom in a dream. But that doesn’t mean he continuously chose to rely on it. Eventually, Solomon was dragged away by his lust (not unlike his dad), and was involved with many foreign women. Not only did he sin sexually, but his involvement with these women led him towards their gods and away from Yahweh. His leadership became tainted by his own sin and arrogance. He had the Lord’s wisdom, but he chose not to use it.
As followers of Jesus, all of us are leaders. We are all responsible for displaying the love of Jesus with our lives, and leading people to see Jesus in all of his grace, love, compassion, and authority. Everyday, we must choose to depend on the heavenly wisdom that Jesus models and James describes. This week, as we continue to read about biblical leaders, spend a few minutes each day praying that God would grant you wisdom, and that his Holy Spirit would empower you to depend on it each day.
