Let me tell you something: He gave sacrifices three times a year seems a bit inadequate. The dude’s got people seeking him out from all over the world. And there’s no word of him attributing his wisdom to God? That seems like quite the oversight if he were actually faithfully attributing his wisdom to God.
Okay, okay. So he’s giving the required sacrifices every year. He’s built the massive Temple. In that day and age, it would be kind of understood that his success meant his god was powerful. Israel was growing stronger because they had that strong god on their side. I’m just not sure this is enough.
For that matter, Hiram has been giving him all the best wood for his construction projects. Why was Hiram less than happy with what he was given in return? He doesn’t seem like a particularly selfish man who’s likely to turn his nose up at anything you gave him. Could be wrong. His generosity could have been angling for something special, but it’s just one more slightly odd component to Solomon’s story.
I get that this account is brief. There are years covered in a few pages. He might have been telling everyone that complimented him or thanked him for his wisdom that yep, it’s all from my God, the one God. He could have been the reasonable one, and Hiram’s disappointment might have been ridiculous. It just all contributes to the feeling I got in the previous chapters that Solomon is just a bit off from the beginning, even before he gets led astray by the ladies.
What do you think? Do you think I’m reading too much into because I know where he’s headed? Or am I just picking up on the red flags that signal what’s ahead?
It’s sad either way. He pays really good lip service to the covenant. He makes it very clear he understands what his end of the bargain is supposed to be. Kinda makes his failure that much more bewildering.