Stump of Jesse–From Fallen Kings To the Eternal King
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore. 1 Kings 4:29 ESV Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. 1 Kings 11:1 ESV
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday, the crowd that streamed out of Jerusalem to meet Him and the crowd that went ahead of him into Jerusalem cried out saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9, Psalm 118:26) They confessed Jesus to be the Messiah King promised to come from David’s family (2 Samuel 7:12). There were other kings that arose from David’s family and ruled. This week we will take a look at some of them, comparing them to the Eternal King, Jesus.
The first King to rise from David’s family was Solomon. The LORD appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream and asked what he could give to David’s son. He asked for wisdom to rule the nation. God was pleased with the request and gave him wisdom and understanding greater than any before or after him (1 Kings 3:12).
Solomon used the wisdom that God gave him to rule well, but in his personal life he made grave mistakes by marrying many foreign women and joining them to worship their false gods. In this way, Solomon, King of David was both wise and foolish. On the other hand, the Eternal King, our Lord Jesus made no such mistake…but became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Faith He grants us to believe it, Grateful hearts His love to praise;
Want we wisdom? He must give it, Hearing ears and seeing eyes.
The Lutheran Hymnal 358:4