Solomon's Folly

When King Solomon gathered the elders 
of Israel and sold them his vision 
His vision to build a temple 
His vision to build palaces 
His vision to put Israel on the world map 
and make a statement of wonder and awe 
to the world at large 
He rode on the goodwill of David
He took advantage of the sentiments
of the Israelites towards their great
King
He used the faithfulness of David to 
stir the people 
He told them his "Heroic" Father had 
bought all it would take to build a ]
temple for God! 
All he had to do was execute his father's 
vision 
The seed had been planted
He was just a surrogate 
He wanted the nation with him 
He had to deliver his father's vision 
The advantages were numerous 
God would have a place in the midst of 
His people 
Idolatry will have no place in Israel 
Nobody will have an excuse not to serve 
the Lord
You don't even have to be in the 
temple to pray 
Wherever you are 
You just have to face the direction
Of the temple! 
YHWH will bless His people 
The priesthood will be institutionalized 
The kingdom will be firmly established
 They would become the envy of their
 enemies 
The world would come to see and respect 
the God of Israel and His people 
The people bought into it 
They agreed!
Solomon told them there was work to do 
Building materials would be needed 
Building experts and professionals will 
be needed
King Tyre would supply cedars 
Stone Masons would be needed 
Experts with iron works, gold smiths, 
crafters and skilled sculptors would be needed 
Israel didn't have all the expert 
They had to use what they
Have to get what they needed! 
The people agreed! 
He told them since they didn't have cash 
They would have to pay in kind 
The people agreed! 
Every able bodied man was drawn into 
forced labour for two months out of twelve 
Men were taken to the mines and forests 
to labour for the King's project! 
The tribes took turns!
Dan and Asher provided the men for January 
Judah and Manasseh provided the men 
for February and so on 
It was like paying a tithe of time 
You work on your farm for ten months 
You labour for the king for two months 
The King used the harvests from the 
community labour to pay for the 
supplies from abroad!
Israel did it with joy
Jeroboam was put in charge of the 
Labour project 
He became influential quickly 
Many who had challenges or 
personal issues to deal with 
would go to him #
"sir, my wife just delivered a bay, 
I can not resume duty now" 
"Sir, my mother is ill, please give 
me a week break" "Sir, sir, sir"
Jeroboam also became rich!
People brought him gifts
Those looking for favours approached
him
It was human nature to rub his back
People gave Jeroboam
People reasoned with him 
He was a good manager of people 
The work of the temple was completed 
in seven years 
Then the king insisted the people 
must labour on 
He was like Pharoah 
Making others work while he grew fat 
Solomon's wealth was built on the
Back of forced labour and cunningness 
He was the only one with God
 when he had the dream he had! 
We have to take his word for it! 
A whole nation laboured hard for 
this one monarch to attain eternal 
greatness!!!
He was wise and the wisdom made it 
all work out for his benefit!
Soon the people became restless 
They had laboured and laboured 
They have seen a temple built, 
a palace built for Pharaoh's daughter, 
a palace built for the king and yet 
they were kept in the labour camps 
The King didn't see the need to say 
"Enough" or stop! 
He was a dictator!
The cry of the people came up to God
Solomon had issues with idolatory
But that as just a trojan horse
The real issue was the discontent of
the people
It was building up very quickly
Prophet Ahijah met Jeroboam 
on his way to the labour camp in Lebanon 
Ahijah told Jeroboam he would be King 
after Solomon 
The Kingdom had been torn off Solomon's
hands
Somebody told King Solomon 
(Jeroboam does not travel alone
because of his position and Solomon
had loyal supporters in Jeroboam's
ranks)
Solomon tried to have Jeroboam killed 
Jeroboam ran away to Egypt 
Suddenly the pain and grief of the people 
had a point man
Jeroboam, a man without any royal blood 
who was appointment as Labour manager 
was legitimized by Pharaoh! 
Wow! Pharaoh must have seen potential 
in him 
For pharaoh to take the rebel in despite 
being an in-law to Solomon! 
The people noted this and the seed was planted
"If only Jeroboam could be their king!"
Some years later, Solomon died! 
Rehoboam became King 
Naturally he was the only one of royal blood 
He had been raised to rule 
The people came to him with a simple request 
"We are tired of the labour camps, 
shut down the camps since you now have 
all the buildings your father wanted 
Rehoboam said no
The people met and decided they would 
crown Jeroboam 
A man who was a nobody 
A man legitimized by Solomon's foolishness 
Like David before Him 
The outsider got the crown 
Because the one with the crown was unwise 
Political leaders should take time to learn
from the Word of God
History is key to governance!