Solomon's Saga

I was reading last night about Solomon and the queen of Sheba. Solomon was wise, so wise that the queen of Sheba came to test his wisdom. She didn't believe any of the rumours she had heard about his power through wisdom. When she arrived and saw that he did not lack an answer for any question, she gave him extravagant gifts. For his wisdom was unparalleled; worth more than gold.

We are currently talking about the parable of the Shrewd Manager in our Life Groups. This parable is quite strange and it has had me thinking about the relationship of wisdom to shrewdness. In the parable, the shrewd manager (who is also a dishonest manager) is commended by his master for acting shrewdly (not dishonestly). Then Jesus tells to his disciples to be shrewd and win friends for themselves with their resources so that when this world passes away they will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Solomon seemed to do this well. He used his wisdom to create a legacy for the Kingdom of God, as he was God's representative to the people. He was able to win the queen of Sheba as a friend by his wisdom. However, the end of this passage is a sobering one. After the story tells of Solomons wealth and wisdom, and how much he did for his country, and how good of a life he had, it finally ends with..."Solomon rested with his fathers".


Ecclesiastes says that it is good to be wise, but even a wise man who saves a city by his wisdom is forgotten. That this too does not last. In our attempts to gain wisdom and act shrewdly for the Kingdom of God, we must keep one reminder at the forefront. We too are like grass that withers. Our fame is not the end. It is God who weighs the mountains like dust on scales.

If we are commended because we act shrewdly to win favor for God's Kingdom, it is because it is God's Kingdom that is awesome. The favor that shrewdness achieves may very well be from the people who are being brought into the Kingdom's awesomeness. People like Sheba, who, through you, have found a wisdom worth more than gold.