The Half Has Not Been Told
In many ways, I believe the picture above is inspired. So many times when we read the Word we sometimes forget that vast amounts of time and events are condensed into a few short verses. In reality, even this very detailed picture above does not do justice to the court of King Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba says,
“And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.”
1 Kings 10:6-8
The house of Solomon
Today, I want to delve into the picture that God paints with the house of Solomon. Sometimes, eternal truths are hiding in plain sight until someone points them out to you.
When an old style typewriter struck a piece of paper, it left an imprint we call type. Depending on the key pressed, it makes an impression of a letter, a number or an apostrophe etc. The image left by the actual key is what we see, but is not the key itself. Many times persons or events are a “type” or”impression” ot the actual eternal truths in heaven.
Solomon, a type of the our Great King
Solomon’s kingdom is a picture (or type) of God in His eternal kingdom. The house of Solomon depicts the heavenly courts where Seraphim, Cherubim, and Angels dwell with our Lord. The keystones of heaven, result in real events here on earth. Christ death, burial, and resurrection results in Jonah spending three days and three night in the belly of a whale. Abraham willingness to sacrifice his only begotten son foreshadows God asking His son to die for our sins. Solomon’s house is a shadow created by the greater reality of the household of God in heaven.
When you look at the painting above, there are some things that many miss at first glance. If you notice, many of Solomons wives are seated behind his throne. Also, the Queen of Sheba, in revealing attire, approaches the great king with respect and deference. Order, light, and grandeur define the house of Solomon because they define God’s heavenly court.
A thousand wives
God says,
“And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.”
1 Kings 11;3
First of all, let’s dispel the common misconception that the number of wives Solomon had turned his heart from God. The number of wives had nothing to do with the son of David’s downfall. What did lead Solomon’s heart astray was marrying women who were not of the covenant of Israel or did not convert to Judaism. Solomon loved many strange (foreign) women who served many strange gods (idols). It was their idolatry coupled with Solomon’s love for them, which caused him to acquiesce to their idolatry. So, with that out-of-the-way, let us continue.
We will remember thy love more than wine
There were public and private areas in Solomon’s house. Many areas in the palace were public or semi public, but not all. Depending on your status and function, different portions of Solomon’s home were open to you. However, the inner house, where Solomon lived with His wives and children, was forbidden to all but the most elect.
God says,
“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 22:11-13
Within this inner sanctum, Solomon and his wives lived, raised their children, and loved. God doesn’t write much of what Solomon’s personal life was like, because it was private. However, we do have a glimpse into the intimate nature of the king in the Song of Solomon.
Thou art fair
Solomon writes,
“How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;”
Song of Solomon 7:6-8
Though epic in scope, the Song of Songs is but a small portion of what went on behind closed doors. In the inner chambers of the house of Solomon, he pursued the exploration of love just as much as he pursued any other area of interest.
Furthermore,
“How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!”
Solomon 5:6
and,
“…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
I said all that to say this,
“YHWH has much more in store for us, both here on earth and in the world to come than we ever imagined.”
However, the way this all comes to pass is through obeying God’s voice. It is a fact of Spirit lead intimacy that you cannot know God without knowing the Body of Christ. This is so because God dwells in the members of His body. Therefore, in order for God to manifest to us, He does so through the saints. Everything from John to the beloved laying his on Jesus’s lap, to Mary Magdalene washing Christ’s feet with her hair, involves intimacy. Frankly, love God through other believers involves more than the standard handshake or sideways hug.
The greater house of Solomon
We, the called out ones, are the greater house of Solomon. We are a building built without hands, literally created by the word of the Most High to be His home. The point of having a home to house a family. The genesis of God’s family is the love relationship between spiritually joined mates.
Likewise, in the house of God there are public places and private places. There are areas for daily living and there are areas for intimate relationships. Each has their proper place and function. To have a proper home you must have both. Right now, the church has living rooms, kitchens, and garages, but very few bedrooms. There seems to be little space in modern Christianity for intimacy, but this is exactly what God desires from us and between us.
The Song of Solomon is intimate for a reason
God anointed Solomon to pen his song of love in order to demonstrate to us YHWH’s desire for romance and intimacy with His people. Ours is an epic love story, written across the ages, and consummated on earth as it is in heaven. Loving God should be second nature to us, but we will never come into the revelation of the house of Solomon if we shun its secret places.
Lovers are awkward with their first few kisses, but soon become comfortable with each other. We, as the chosen of God, may be unsure and timid at first, but our lover is true and our Lord is patient. Allow God to love you through His body to the extent that His Spirit leads. You can trust God in yourself and in others and you love the Most High. Amen.