We all have to make decisions every day. Most are small choices like what clothes to wear or what to eat for lunch. We also face choices that can affect the rest of our lives—decisions concerning education, career and friends or far-reaching moral judgments.

The ability to make good decisions by weighting the facts and taking actions that are beneficial to you and others without causing dire consequences is called wisdom. King Solomon's wisdom was legendary. People came from all over the world to hear his solutions to disputes and make judicial rulings.

His most famous case involved a dispute between two women who both claimed to be the mother of the same baby. Solomon ordered the child to be cut in half so that each woman would receive a portion. The real mother cried out to give the baby to the other woman. Solomon awarded her the child saying that only the real mother would love the child enough to give it up.

Solomon is also famous for his great foolishness. He amassed great amounts of wealth, experimented with misusing alcohol, and married a thousand women. The result of this lifestyle left him depressed and feeling hopeless. His life is an example of how to learn to make wise decisions and the consequences for making bad ones.

Points to build on

To better understand the lessons from Solomon's life read each of these passages and answer the accompanying questions.

1 Chronicles 28 & 29: Israel's king David instructs his son Solomon.

What was David's advice in 1 Chronicles 28:9? How can you apply this to your life?

What was David's advice in 1 Chronicles 28:20? How can you apply this to your life?

What did David pray for his son in 1 Chronicles 29:19? How can you apply this prayer to your life?

2 Chronicles 1:7-12: What did Solomon specifically ask of God at the beginning of his reign? What is wisdom? How is wisdom different than knowledge and understanding?

2 Chronicles 5, 6 & 7: Solomon builds the temple and dedicates it to God.

2 Chronicles 7:12-22: After Solomon built the temple, what did God tell him to do in order to remain successful?

2 Chronicles 8 & 9: Here is recorded the great wealth of Solomon.

1 Kings 11: As he got older, what began to pull Solomon away from loving God?

1 Kings 11:1-4: How could a boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, turn a person's heart against God?

Ecclesiastes 1 & 2: How did not putting God first in his life make Solomon feel? Have you ever felt like you turned your back on God? What was it like? How did you return to God?

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14: After his sinful escapades, what was Solomon's conclusion about how to live?

Application

The study of the life of Solomon is a study in wisdom and folly. In the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes we find important principles for making wise decisions.