Lesson six: Solomon goes international with trade alliances.

1. Read I Kings 2:46, 3:28 – 4:1 and 4:20. Note the similarity between the last verse of each of chapters two, three and four. What do they have in common? What do they sum up? Has the focus up to been on the internal issues of Israel or Israel’s relationships to other people/countries outside Israel’s borders?

2. Read I Kings 5:1 – 8. Has the focus changed yet? The food prepared for Solomon’s court was large in amount and the text presents it as impressive, but consider whether or not you eat a greater variety of food than Solomon. How many types of meat did he have? How many different types of grain/bread? How many types do have to choose from every day (for example consider the number of choices on the menu at any typical diner)? Was the abundance of food similar to what we experience in the U.S. today? Do grocery stores in other parts of the world today always have every shelf filled with food? Why are there lines waiting for grocery stores to open in other places? When was the last time you went to a store of any type and saw empty shelves? Has it been like this for most of recorded history, or would people from prior centuries be stunned if they saw what is available in our stores today?

3. Read I Kings 5:9 – 14. Is Solomon compared to people inside or outside of Israel? What type of subject matter does Solomon have wisdom in? Is Solomon a scientist? Is Solomon’s wisdom now presented as “book learning” or “street smart”? What did Solomon write that later became a book in the Bible? Is Solomon musically talented? Did any of his songs also become a book in the Bible? Did Solomon write any other books of the Bible? Did Solomon also gifted in literature?

4. Read I Kings 5:15 – 32. Consider the messages exchanged between Hiram and Solomon. Note the compliment that Solomon closes his message with in vs. 20 (where is Sidon compared to Tyre and Lebanon?). What was Hiram’s immediate reaction to that in verse 21? Do you think Solomon was a smart negotiator (read verse 22)? From verse 20, did Solomon know the limits of his own abilities and those of his people and did he know when to ask for help from other people who were experts at some particular skill?

5. In verses 27 – 30, did Solomon know how to organize and run a business? Did he give people time off? What were they moving that took so many people (vs. 31 – 32)? How good was the craftsmanship (Read I Kings 6:1 – 7)? Where were the stones cut and where did they finally put them together? Did they know how to make good blueprints?