When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters, his banquet service, she was breathless. David was a warrior, constantly at war to secure the borders of his kingdom. He settled on Jerusalem as his capital because it was neutral territory, not connected with any of the twelve tribes. When Solomon became king Israel was secure and he went on a building spree, with temple and palaces, constructing a true center of government. That splendor caused the Queen of Sheba to be in awe. However, there was flip side to the story. Solomon bled the countryside in order to create his capital. The ancient perogatives of the tribes were eroded by accumulating power and wealth to the central government. This caused resentment that led, after Solomon’s death, to rebellion and the division of the promised land into two kingdoms. Solomon was not very wise in only considering the needs of the moment. He needed, we all need, to think in view of the long term good for our families and community.
