Having endured the shocking spectacle of the first two months of the Obama/Pelosi/Reid debacle, another historical parallel occurred to me. This one might not seem so obvious at first, but there is a real lesson to be learned from the latter parts of the reign of the biblical King Solomon.
We have probably all heard of WISE Solomon and the many references to the wisdom of the third king of Israel, the son of David. True enough, Solomon began with humility and asked for wisdom to serve his people and we are told that he was given it. There is much evidence given in the First Book of Kings for this wisdom of his. He wrote many proverbs and he promoted knowledge and arts. His shrewd insight into human motivations and character was revealed when he judged the case of the two women and the baby. He did oversee the creation of the First Temple, one of the most beautiful edifices ever created. He did build a seeming political peace with those around him. The Queen of Sheba traveled from far away to see this astounding wisdom for herself and was suitably impressed.
But there is more to the story than that. God warned Solomon ahead of time of TWO main dangers to him and thus to his people. He must avoid IDOLATRY and the immoral practices associated with it; and he must not OPPRESS his people or put unreasonable burdens on them. If he did not heed this warning, his kingdom would be split at his death.
You would think he would have studiously avoided any hint of these two dangers. But human nature being what it is, very gradual change can fool us. If you put a frog into boiling water, it jumps out, but if you simply put up the heat slowly by degrees, the frog will boil to death without realizing it. What was it that fooled Solomon into his fatal errors? Faith in the power of Government!
One way he began to expand his Empire was through the diplomacy of marriage. This meant not only the daughter of the Pharaoh, but the daughters of every small city or state in the area, assuming them into the Empire or making an alliance. We are told he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He brought them all to Jerusalem, built them palaces and temples to worship their own gods. As time went on, he began to join them in their temples ‘for company’s sake’ but, eventually, of course, he began to join in their IDOLATRY and immoral practices. (Now what was it that unified Israel as a nation? It wasn’t an ethnic unity but the uniqueness of their belief in one God and their morality very much like the United States today. What happens when that glue of unity is weakened by becoming “like the nations”? King Solomon was dooming the future identity of the nation.)
We’ve seen he was building many palaces for all those wives; well, he built many more for himself, all with the most expensive materials and needing many servants to support them. He rejected the traditional tribal organization and artificially imposed a massive bureaucracy beholden to his government; this was very troubling to his people but he did not respect their wishes to keep the religiously significant Twelve Tribe pattern. He began to build more and more roads. For the first time, he established a large standing army (including the famed “stables of Solomon”). How was this enormous expansion of government going to be supported? You guessed it: TAXES and FORCED SERVICE! Farmers had to surrender large amounts of their produce and livestock to the government. Their sons and daughters were forced to give long parts of their lives to serve in the palaces, working on the roads or in the army. He ended by crushing his subjects, something he was specifically warned about.
In I Kings 10:14, the author makes an offhand, seemingly innocuous comment that is actually very significant. He tells us the amount of yearly income that Solomon’s government took in: “SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX gold talents”. (One talent, by the way was an enormous amount of money in itself.) Now, I’m sure that wasn’t the exact amount every year. Why use that number? The perfect number is SEVEN, the number of the Covenant with God, where there is peace and wisdom; in fact, the Hebrew word for making a Covenant with God is literally “to seven”. Six Hundred and Sixty Six will always fall short of ‘Seven’. This is a way of saying Solomon had fallen short of the Covenant and broken it. He was the very powerful ruler who turned to Apostasy, the seeming peace-maker who brought the dis-ease of massive social injustice.
[No doubt, you may have recognized this number from the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. This verse in First Kings is what John was referring to. When trying to describe the future Antichrist or Man of Sin who will lead all to Apostasy, the seeming peacemaker who will bring Apocalypse, John could think of no one better than Solomon and that evocative number of his. The Antichrist will be very much like Solomon. By the way, I in no way am implying I think Obama or any of these people is the Antichrist! I don’t. I am comparing them to Solomon in what they have done and in their practical results. It’s the pattern I want to underline, not a conspiracy theory.]
After Solomon died, his young, inexperienced and arrogant son, Reheboam, refused to lighten the horrible government load and succeeded in splitting the Kingdom, just as predicted. The resultant fledgling kingdoms were doomed to be swallowed up by the Assyrians and Babylonians in future years.
There are too many parallels between this foreboding example and the present cabal’s behavior to list them all. The seizing of the Census, spending more money than has been spent in the history of the world, the biggest Government power grab in history in the ‘porkulus’ bill, ‘required voluntarism’, the diplomacy of go along to get along with no thought to future consequences, the looming threat of Universal Health Care and domestic militias: all of this points to the same kind of blind grab for power that seduced Solomon. Whatever they think they will get out of this, the power-grabbers should know that history does not lie; they will bring horrible disunity and injustice and suffering, if they do not change. Let us pray that they will be changed or thwarted in their deluded schemes. And let us all do everything we can to avoid these mistakes.
@mlajoie2,
This is an excellent and very timely (if not overdue) comparison to our government’s present path and destiny. Of course, we can expect atheists and humanists to scoff at any biblical references, but even as just a story it is an excellent primer in human nature.
All I can add to this is my own, firmer stance. Not only do we need “[to] pray that they will be changed or thwarted in their deluded schemes, [and] do everything we can to avoid these mistakes,” I think we MUST get involved – at whatever level possible – to “thwart their deluded schemes,” within the law, where possible, and by civil disobedience if necessary.
One thing is certain, in that “For evil to triumph, all that is necessary is for good people to do nothing.” I have a feeling you aren’t one of the “do nothings.”
Jeff V
On September 29th, 2008, the Dow dropped 777 points; the largest point drop in the history of the US Stock market. I remember being especially stunned, not so much at the large drop as much as the numbers(s) 777 and the date of September 29th. Biblically, including both the New and Old Testament, the number seven is “God’s number, often known as the perfect number.” The set of three is also significant. Perhaps it’s the reason slot machines’ winning combo is often 777 (didn’t research it, but it’s a reasonable guess).
In Catholic Liturgy, September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels.
Anyone interested in deeper angel theology can follow the link(s).
Why am I posting this? Like all of faith, we see things, large and small, through spiritual eyes. All things of earth are merely “symbolic” of the “unseen.” Sacred Scripture gives us countless revelations of God using his Angels to warn, teach, and heal among many other examples, including the incarnation of Jesus himself via the Angel Gabriel.
Angels are very powerful messengers from God.
St. Michael the Archangel, is the angel who defeats Satan in the Book of Revelation. St. Michael is also the patron Angel of Israel.
Chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation;
In keeping on topic of this excellent post, I wanted to add that God didn’t stop with Solomon. In addition to countless teachings in Scripture, God also in his infinite mercy never stops “sending messages” for those with eyes to see.
For the secular, I’m sure this is if not an annoying a silly useless post. Rest assured I’m not here to convert anyone; however I do feel a Christian obligation to “deliver the message.” It’s up to you if you want to shrug it off as a “coincidence.” But before you do that, you might also be interested in what other “sign” came on that same day.
For the first time again in Wall Street History, the bell did not toll. SILENCE!
God always warns and leaves us to our own freewill (and conscience). For the record, I remember searching the blogs on September 30th, a few Catholics “saw the signs” in a spirtual sense (the 777s), and on a very light secular level, Anderson Cooper gave the silence of the bell a bit of press.
What God was trying to tell us, I think, (and I DO think he was sending us some type of message) is what he has warned us of all throughout history, ourselves. His message never changes: Repent, believe, and honor his commandants.
Thanks for the great post malajoie2; and to you too Jeff!
For the REAL story behind the Montana plane crash, don’t expect to find it anyway in the MSM. Does anyone reading this think it’s a “coincidence” that the plane crashed into the ‘Tomb of the unborn’ dedicated to the aborted? There’s more…The family on board was Feldkamp family, owner of the largest for profit abortion chain in the nation! It’s also of note that the “7’s” (God’s number), again dominate in a national story.
For clarity, I’m not making any “assumtions” other than the fact God “allows” evil and suffering for a greater good. America would be wise to at least ask the question, Do ya think, maybe, God isn’t happy with our morality? For those without “eyes to see”, let me assure you, like Solomon, God ALWAYS warns when we have lost our way.
RIP Fedkamp Family.
I make no judgements on their souls, only noting the objective reality and most interesting circumstances surrounding a recent Montana plane crash.
Sorry pdill… you slipped over the religious conspiracy cliff there for me.
Mata I respectfully disagree, as there is no “religious conspiracy cliff.” God “revealed” all that I discuss. From the days of Abraham, God has “given signs”, at the same time, given all “free will” to dismiss or believe. I’m simply “duly noting” the obvious to those of Judeo-Christian faith.
For the record, I don’t waste my time on “raptures” and “end time prophecy”, only the fact that we are ALL going to end, in short enough time. No one in history of mankind has yet “beaten death.” Likewise, no “Godless” nation has ever survived.
I like most on this board love good political debate. I’ve argued from day one that the crux of our “problems” is a “consequence” of an immoral society. I even got my brainiac atheist nephew to agree that “If we all lived by the Golden Rule”, we couldn’t possibly be in the economic mess we are in today.
Sometimes, Mata, things really are cut, dry, and quite simple. In the meantime, God sends “signs” and is forever reminding us of his great mercy.
p.s. Even Andrew Sullivan found this story to be a “noteworthy blog.”
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/03/christianist-ne.html