Did Solomon Ever Fight as a Soldier or Shed Human Blood with His Own Hands?
score:2
Three times in 1 Kings ch2, Solomon orders the death of a political rival (Adonijah v25, Joab v29, Shimei v46). In each case, the execution was carried out by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, commander of the royal bodyguard. Of course Solomon himself was only "a child" at the time, and killing a man with the sword requires adult strength (compare Judges ch8 v20).
Also in 1 Kings ch11 we learn about three political adversaries. There was Hadad the Edomite (v14). There was Rezon who established the kingdom of Damascus and was "an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon) (v25). And Solomon "sought to kill" Jeroboam, who had received ambitious promises (v40).
David had done the major work of overcoming invaders and obliging neighbours to become tributary states, but a certain degree of police work and force was necessary to maintain the kingdom even in Solomon's time. However, it looks as though Solomon was always acting through subordinates and did not use any violence in person.
Upvote:2
Solomon's reign was extraordinary, and not just due to him building a glorious temple for the Lord in Jerusalem (1 Kings 3:12). It is correct that God would not allow king David to do that, despite David drawing up the plans, doing the ground-work. In 2 Samuel ch. 7 God said through Nathan the prophet that it would be David's son, Solomon, who would build a house for God's name, but that God would establish David's house and kingdom forever: "thy throne shall be established forever" (vs. 16). Later, 1 Kings 5 mention is made of the reason for no temple being built in David's day:
"And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house [i.e. temple] unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name." 1 Kings 5:1-5 A.V.
It seems that the reason for David not building the temple was his preoccupation with wars, but I cannot find the reason being that "his hands were full of blood" due to fighting in wars. If I have overlooked the place in the Bible which states that, please supply the text. I may well be wrong in saying it was because he was just too busy with warfare that he could not do more than plan and prepare.
However, if I am correct, then the reason why no mention is found in scripture about Solomon not being an active soldier, or a king who "shed human blood with his own hands" has nothing to do with him building the temple. There is, however, great parallelism in king Solomon's reign and the everlasting reign of the King of kings, Jesus Christ, as shown here:
"What we see, therefore, set forth in Solomon - his reign, his God given gifts and the kingdom over which he was granted to have power - all must be seen as representing the kingdom that the ultimate 'seed of David' should inherit in reality, rather than in representation. And what a representation! First, Solomon established his kingdom in righteousness, setting to rights those matters which David had, perforce, left in abeyance... Adonijah... Abiathar... Shimei..." The Glory of the Lord, Nigel Johnstone, p20, Belmont Publications 2011.
Christ establishes his Kingdom in righteousness - Acts 7:3 & Hebrews 9:12.
Satan, the rebel and would-be usurper of Christ's rule, was cast down and dealt with (as were Adonijah, Abiathar and Shimei) - Luke 17:24 & Revelation ch. 20.
Jesus said of himself, "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here" - Matthew 12:42.
Jesus also said of himself when standing in Herod's temple in Jerusalem, "In this place is one greater than the temple" - Matthew 12:6.
So, Solomon's wisdom, peaceful reign, and building of a glorious temple was but an earthly figure of Christ, who is greater than Solomon, and who is greater than any earthly temple to God in Jerusalem. And although he has the title "Prince of Peace", he also slays his enemies first. So, it is not necessary to prove that Solomon did not kill or have 'blood on his hands' in order to gain the honour of building a temple of stone on Earth. There is no temple in heavenly Jerusalem, where Christ reigns, "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" - Revelation 21:22
More post
- 📝 Does Dietrich Bonhoeffer fit the requirements to be declared an official martyr?
- 📝 Did Peter ever ask Jesus for forgiveness?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that reject Mary's virgin conception of Jesus?
- 📝 Is St. Adalbert venerated in Eastern Orthodoxy?
- 📝 What Prayer/words are associated with the solemn sign of the cross?
- 📝 An explanation from Calvinist about why Cain's offering is not accepted by God?
- 📝 How do Trinitarians explain verses where Jesus claims to have a God?
- 📝 What is God's throne like?
- 📝 Why did the reformers include the book of Hebrews in the canon?
- 📝 What help exists to help a LCMS Lutheran deal with h*m*sexuality?
- 📝 Are Jesus and Lazarus the only people raised from the dead?
- 📝 Which cup of wine did Jesus tell his disciples to drink during the Last Supper?
- 📝 What is mortal sin? Is agression a mortal sin?
- 📝 According to the triune concept, at what point does this logically structured statement become NOT True?
- 📝 Why do some people get healed, and others don't?
- 📝 Is there a 'correct' pattern for Anglicans and/or Roman Catholics when crossing yourself?
- 📝 Have any Catholics (e.g. Eastern Rite) ever followed the Old Calendar since the late 16th century?
- 📝 Is participation in the near occasion of mortal sin and openness to the possibility of sin, mortal itself?
- 📝 How do trinity-believers explain these verses from John 17?
- 📝 Why did Pope Francis tell atheists "just be good"?
- 📝 What should one do who was baptised twice in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches?
- 📝 How do churches (specifically WELS) proselytize while barring all forms of fellowship?
- 📝 How do Cessationists view "being filled with the Holy Spirit"?
- 📝 Justification of perpetual virginity of Mother Mary
- 📝 What is the history and explanation as to why the "diaconate" was MIA in the Western Church over a certain period of time?
- 📝 Is there any protestant method how to deal spiritual dryness?
- 📝 Mass obligation & travel to different diocese?
- 📝 Does Genesis 30:25-43 defy genetics?
- 📝 According to Catholic Teaching, what is sinning against the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 The Beasts in Daniel 7
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Did Solomon Ever Fight as a Soldier or Shed Human Blood with His Own Hands?
- 📝 According to Catholic Church, did King Solomon find grace with God after his death?
- 📝 Did Martin Luther ever admit that his approval of Philip's bigamy was wrong?
- 📝 To what extent did Isaiah understand his own prophecies?
- 📝 Did Augustine often complain that his contemporaries burdened the church with their traditions?
- 📝 Did it ever happen that a Christian died simply because he had no food at his disposal?
- 📝 Jesus called God his own Father, and this is supposed to mean that Jesus is equal with God. Why?
- 📝 Did church fathers ever deal with "Bible requires brutality" critics?
- 📝 Did Luther ever acknowledge that his Catechism would require textual changes as language evolves?
- 📝 How did Karl Barth justify his relationship with Charlotte von Kirschbaum?
- 📝 Did the Emperor Constantine ever present explanations for putting off his baptism?
- 📝 How did Pascal reconcile his wager with 2 Corinthians 9:7 and Psalms 50?
- 📝 When Jesus was nailed to the cross, did the nails go through his hands or through his wrists?
- 📝 How did Jesus reconcile his teachings with Judaism?
- 📝 Did God ever talk about his other creations?
- 📝 Did John Wesley use to pray in Latin due to the bad relationship with his wife?
- 📝 According to Chalcedonian theology, did Jesus retain his human nature after his ascension, or did he return to being only divine?
- 📝 Did women ever sing publicly with men present, other than their close family, in Bible history?
- 📝 Did Jesus ever say in the Bible to preach Christianity or his message to the Non-Jews?
- 📝 According to Protestant belief, when did Jesus present His blood into the Holy of Holies as required by Law?
- 📝 If flesh & blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God how did the Lord Jesus show His "hands and feet" after the resurrection?
- 📝 How does sola fide doctrine reconcile with how much David talks about his own righteousness?
- 📝 Did Prophet Jeremiah's soul pre-exist his conception in human form?
- 📝 Does Augustine ever say that Christians in his time identify their Deus [God] with the Roman deity Saturn?
- 📝 Jesus Christ purchased us with his blood - parties involved
- 📝 Why did Daniel feel the need to pray towards Jerusalem, even at the cost of his own life?
- 📝 Did God accept a sacrifice that was against His own law?
- 📝 How do we know the serpent did not act on his own to deceive Adam and Eve?
- 📝 Did King Solomon have any personal Prophets during his reign over Israel?
- 📝 Did Martin Luther write his own Bible?