And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
The last verse of 1 Kings 4 shows Solomon's reign at its peak. His wisdom had become world news, so why did wisdom — and not wealth or armies — draw the nations to Jerusalem, and what is it a picture of?
Wisdom Outran the Borders of the Kingdom
Solomon's political rule had fixed limits, marked out long before by God. His wisdom had none.
H. L. RossierSolomon's rule was only a weak picture of Christ's rule. Christ will have "the ends of the earth" (Ps. 2:8) for His possession. The king of Israel ruled "over all the region on this side of the river," "to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt" (vv. 24, 21). These were the limits the Lord had assigned to Israel in Joshua 1:4. But the wisdom of Solomon went far past those limits. All people came to hear him, and all the kings of the earth came to consult him (v. 34). Here we see a picture of what is said of Christ: "I will … give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth."
What There Was to Hear
The verse before lists what he spoke about: trees, animals and fish. This was far more than a collection of facts.
H. L. RossierHis wisdom ruled over all these things, from the cedar to the hyssop, from the beasts to the fish. He understood their life and the reason for their being. He understood how they relate to one another and to the whole of creation, and the examples God was providing through them for the moral life of mankind. He spoke of all these things. Modern science, with all its high claims, is nothing but darkness compared with these certainties.
Wisdom Sized to the Weight He Carried
Solomon had asked for wisdom because the nation he had to govern felt too big for him. The chapter shows how God answered.
W. W. FeredaySolomon pleaded that Israel was "so great": how could he carry the responsibility of guiding such a nation? Now compare verses 20 and 29 of 1 Kings 4. Verse 20: "Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea." Verse 29: "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore." Wisdom according to the need!
A Rehearsal of a Greater Reign
This worldwide traffic to Jerusalem was a preview of something far greater.
Leslie M. GrantThe fame of his wisdom spread throughout the world. From all nations people came with one aim: to hear the wisdom of Solomon (v. 34). How much greater will be the attraction awakened in the nations when the Lord Jesus, the King of kings, takes His great power and reigns in His millennial kingdom! Jerusalem will be the centre. The nations will come there to worship Him and to learn the wonders of His unequalled wisdom (Zech. 14:16).
The Travellers Become Witnesses
Jesus later pointed back to one of these visitors. Her journey turned into evidence against people who had something far better within walking distance.
William KellyThis showed how earnestly she wanted to hear the wisdom of Solomon. David's wise and wealthy son did not carry the Word of God in his ordinary speech, as the Lord Jesus did. Yet she came without a single miracle to attract her, without a sign to guide or confirm her, and heard the wisdom of Solomon: "and behold, a greater than Solomon is here."
Wisdom Heard Is Not Wisdom Obeyed
The man whose wisdom drew kings failed to guard his own heart.
L. M. GrantOf course, Solomon was a believer. But he had not been reigning long before he shamefully compromised the truth that he knew, by acquiring many wives and concubines. How forcefully this teaches us that the greatest wisdom and knowledge cannot by itself protect us from evil. Only a steady, dependent submission of heart to the Lord Himself will give such protection. To know the truth is one thing: to obey it is another.
Summary
- Given — Solomon asked for wisdom because the nation was too great for him, and God gave it in the measure of the need.
- Wide — it covered all creation, from cedar to hyssop. He knew why living things exist and the moral lessons God set in them.
- Far — his rule stopped at the borders God set for Israel. His wisdom crossed them, and people came from every nation to hear it.
- Forward — this traffic to Jerusalem is a small picture of Christ's reign, when the nations will come to worship Him and learn His wisdom.
- Greater — one visitor travelled far with no sign to convince her, and Jesus said that someone greater than Solomon stood among His hearers. Knowing the truth is one thing; obeying it is another.