Wednesday, August 11, 2004
While reading 1 Kings 4 today, I learned a couple of interesting things. Many of you may be familiar with a movie called ‘Ben Hur’ which involves chariot racing. But what I didn’t know was that Ben-Hur is also among the cast members of 1 Kings, as one of Solomon’s 12 district governors (he was governor of the hill country of Ephraim). And wouldn’t you know that chariots are discusses later in the same chapter (though not with reference to Ben-Hur)?
But I learned another thing as well: it seems that Solomon was something of a proto-Aristotle in both his reputation for knowledge (even with kings) and his love of studying nature. I quote:
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding
as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than
the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of
Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser
than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all
the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs
numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of
Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals
and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s
wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (1
Kings 4:29-34, NIV).
But I learned another thing as well: it seems that Solomon was something of a proto-Aristotle in both his reputation for knowledge (even with kings) and his love of studying nature. I quote:
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding
as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than
the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of
Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser
than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all
the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs
numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of
Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals
and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s
wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (1
Kings 4:29-34, NIV).
