On government and "collective right thinking"

I only recently learned that Solomon was not always a hero. In my consecutive reading of the Bible I had been reading about Solomon in I Kings. The NRSV version’s note on Chapter 3 (which includes Solomon’s dream where he asks for "an understanding mind") is instructive. It says, 

“At the beginning of the account the narrator makes two introductory remarks that indicate both Solomon’s growing power and the seeds of his eventual downfall. His political alliance with an unnamed king of Egypt indicates that Solomon is now powerful enough to be part of the world of international politics. He is also to become one of Israel’s most famous builders, expanding David’s original city, fortifying the walls, and building an elaborate royal palace and a splendid temple so that worship could take place appropriately at one site. However, Solomon also follows the common imperial practice of cementing political alliances with marriages (2 Sam 3:2-5; 5:13), and he participates in or at least tolerates the worship of his wives' native gods in Jerusalem, a situation that ultimately leads to his downfall (ch. 11).”

I was interested to see that there are some good stories in I Kings. From the Learn Religions site I found this:

"Outline of 1 Kings

·         David's death, Solomon's ascent as king - 1 Kings 1-2.

·         Solomon's wisdom and government - 1 Kings 3-4.

·         Building the temple and palace - 1 Kings 5-8.

·         Solomon's wives and his downfall - 1 Kings 9-12.

·         Northern tribes' revolt - 1 Kings 13.

·         Deeds of kings of Israel and Judah - 1 Kings 14-16.

·         Ministry of Elijah - 1 Kings 17-21.

·         Kings of Israel and Judah, Ahab's death - 1 Kings 22.

Landscape: 1 Kings is set in the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

·         Key Characters: King David, King Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Elijah, Ahab, and Jezebel."

The names Rehoboam and Jeroboam were unfamiliar, but David, Solomon, Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel really needed no introduction.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son by an Ammonite princess, was the last king of the United Monarchy and the first king of Judah after the northern tribes revolted. Jeroboam I was the first king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel).

 I asked myself: who ruled the Jews before the kings? The two kingdoms of Israel and Judah also puzzled me somewhat. I found this on the Jewish Virtual Library website:

"The experiment with the opulence and power of the great eastern kingdoms had ended in disaster for Israel. King Solomon created the wealthiest and most powerful central government the Hebrews would ever see, but he did so at an impossibly high cost. Land was given away to pay for his extravagances and people were sent into forced labor in Tyre in the north. When Solomon died, between 926 and 922 BCE, the ten northern tribes refused to submit to his son, Rehoboam, and revolted.

"From this point on, there would be two kingdoms of Hebrews: in the north - Israel, and in the south - Judah. The Israelites formed their capital in the city of Samaria, and the Judaeans kept their capital in Jerusalem. These kingdoms remained separate states for over two hundred years.

"The history of the both kingdoms is a litany of ineffective, disobedient, and corrupt kings. When the Hebrews had first asked for a king, in the book of Judges, they were told that only God was their king. When they approached Samuel the Prophet, he told them the desire for a king was an act of disobedience and that they would pay dearly if they established a monarchy. The history told in the Hebrew book, Kings, bears out Samuel's warning."

Here is a taste of what Isabel Perkins wrote in the August 1932 edition of The Christian Science Journal. (It could have been written at this time in history rather than in the Depression 1930s!) It's called Kings and Priests Unto God:

"Undoubtedly there are statesmen as well as economic chieftains whose efforts avail much. There are men and women, also, giving their time and talents towards the solution of world problems. But the general belief is that it is impossible for any one individual or any small group of individuals to assume the role of a full responsibility. The greatest need at this time is that all nations gain a higher understanding of God in order that they may better demonstrate government by divine Principle. The collective right thinking of those who have learned something of Truth will be far more effective as a way out of chaos than any other means." 

So. The Hebrews were led by Moses, then Joshua. I am also reminded of Mary Baker Eddy’s leadership. She said we were to follow her only as she follows Christ.

As the Hebrews of Bible times, and we today are led by God through Christ but secular leaders mostly gain a thirst for power which they wish to hold on to at any price. How many presidents of countries have ruined their nation through their personal greed and avarice.

Perhaps Elizabeth II, Queen of England, could echo David’s words to her successor:

"Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou does, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel" (II Kings 2:3, 4).

Joyce Voysey

Ed. Readers may find this article from The Christian Science Monitor about a new film on Martin Luther King of interest in the light of today's blog. Flaws we may all have, but they need not define us.