Teaching Wisdom Once upon a time, a certain Greek philosopher ordered one of his students to distribute silver to those who would wear it for three years. At the end of the test, the teacher said: - Now you can go to Athens to learn wisdom. Upon entering Athens

Solomon's Prayer Solomon was born around 974 BC. e. and was enthroned by his father, King David, shortly before the latter's death. Solomon became king of Israel at the age of only twelve, so he was afraid that he did not have enough to rule the country.

Penetrating into the deep meaning of Solomon's words Although each parable has a seemingly obvious meaning, it is often, like a real treasure, hidden very deeply. And Solomon asks us to seek wisdom as if we were seeking silver or hidden treasure. (Proverbs 2:4). But for

Solomon's View of Diligence (It's Not What You Think) My computer dictionary defines the meaning of the word diligence as “a constant and strenuous effort in doing something.” I love the word “permanent.” And consistency is, of course, part of diligence. "Tense", on the other hand

Chapter 4 Solomon's Secret, how to turn dreams into reality Hope that does not come true for a long time torments the heart, and a fulfilled desire is like a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 Humanity's perpetual motion machine For over a hundred years, engineers and scientists have dreamed of an endless source of energy that

Steps Solomon Advises You Should Take to Overcome Conflicts and Troubles Armed with the concept of winning discussed above - achieving the best possible outcome in an argument - we will look at Solomon's advice on overcoming any

Solomon's Guide to Achieving Success Without Being Driven by Greed Solomon shows several paths to achieving success and prosperity. Focus on achievements, not money. What do you really want to achieve in life: start a family, do

The acquisition of wisdom Solomon gives great value the acquisition of understanding and an even higher meaning - the acquisition of wisdom. Here are some of the benefits it promises to those who build their lives on the foundation of wisdom. A treasure trove of knowledge. Imagine that you

“I promised - fulfill it! It’s better not to promise than to promise and not keep.”

“Whoever digs a hole will fall into it, and whoever rolls up a stone will return to him.”

“Cruel is anger, indomitable rage; but who can resist jealousy?

“And when you laugh, sometimes your heart hurts, and the end of joy is sadness.”

"The Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba." Fresco by Piero della Francesca, Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo

“Some people pour generously, and more is added to him; and the other is extremely thrifty, and yet becomes poor.”

“Whoever keeps his mouth guards his soul, but whoever opens his mouth wide is in trouble.”

“A wise wife builds her house, but a foolish woman destroys it with her own hands.”

“Hate stirs up strife, but love covers all sins”

King Solomon in old age. Engraving by Gustav Dore

“Better is a pinch with peace than a handful with labor and vexation of spirit”

“Whoever loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth will not profit from it. And this is vanity!

“There is no man who has power over the wind, and there is no power over the hour of death, and there is no leave in war, and the wickedness of the wicked will not save him.”

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to destroy, and a time to build; a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to hug, and a time to avoid hugs; time to seek, and time to lose; a time to save, and a time to throw away; a time to rend, and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace"

"Ask for what to give you." During the reign of Solomon, the son of David, the whole country enjoyed peace and prosperity. This time is called the “golden age” of Israel.

Soon after Solomon became king, he made a rich sacrifice to Yahweh. At night, the king dreamed of God, who told him: “Ask what to give you.” Solomon warmly thanked the Lord for all the mercies bestowed upon himself and his father David, and asked: “Give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people and discern between what is good and what is evil.” God really liked the modesty of the new king and He said: “Because you asked for this and did not ask for a long life, did not ask for wealth, did not ask for the souls of your enemies, but asked for reason to be able to judge, I will do according to the word yours. Behold, I give you a heart that is wise and understanding, so that there was nothing like you before you, nor will there be anything like you after you. And what you did not ask I give you: both wealth and glory, so that there will be no one like you among kings all your days.” To this God added that if Solomon follows the example of his father David in everything, he will live a long and happy life.

"Give her this child alive." Waking up, Solomon again performed a magnificent sacrifice and arranged a rich feast. But during the feast, an unexpected event occurred: two women came with a tiny child and asked the king to judge between them.

It turned out that they both lived in the same house and both gave birth to a boy. During the night one of the boys died. His mother woke up, quietly took the living boy for herself, and placed the dead one on her sleeping neighbor. When everything was discovered in the morning, the deceiver refused to give her son to the real mother and claimed that it was her own child. They continued to argue in front of the king, so that it was impossible to understand who was telling the truth and who was lying.

Then the king ordered a sword to be brought and said: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” One woman prayed in horror: “Oh, my lord! Give her this child alive and don’t kill him!” Another calmly said: “Let it be neither for me nor for you, cut it.”

The king pointed to the one who begged to spare the child and said: “Give this living child and do not kill him; She’s his mother.”

From then on, Israel began to fear Solomon, as they were convinced that nothing could be hidden from his wisdom.

Temple of the Lord. In the fourth year of his reign, Solomon sent people to his father’s friend, King Hiram of Tyre, asking for help in building a house for the Lord. Solomon made an alliance with Hiram, and they agreed that Hiram would help cut cedars and cypresses in the Lebanese mountains, and Solomon would supply him with wheat and olive oil.

All the grown men of Israel worked to build a house for God. Some, under the guidance of Phoenician craftsmen, cut down trees, others quarried stone, others built the temple itself, and others supervised the work.

Construction lasted seven years. In appearance, the temple did not turn out to be very large: sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. [height of a modern five-story building]; but it amazed with the richness and beauty of its decoration. The inside of Yahweh's house was lined with cedar and the floors were made of cypress. In the depths of the temple, a special room was fenced off, which was called the “Holy of Holies”: for the Ark of the Covenant. Above, two cherubs made of olive wood stretched out their mighty wings. The entire temple was decorated with gold plates and wood carvings covered with gold. Golden chains were stretched in front of the Holy of Holies. Many objects for worship were also made from gold.

Near the temple they installed a “copper sea” cast from copper - a huge vessel resembling a lily flower in shape. From one end to the other, the “sea of ​​copper” was one hundred and ten cubits long and five cubits deep. The vessel was filled to the top with water and stood on twelve copper oxen. Before entering the temple, the priests washed their hands and feet in it.

Yahweh's warning. When the Ark of the Covenant was solemnly brought into the built temple and Solomon turned to God, asking for His mercy for the people of Israel and for himself, God appeared to him again, praised the temple and confirmed: if the Israelis and Solomon himself worship only Him, then the descendants of David will rule Israel forever. Further, Yahweh threateningly warned: “If you and your sons turn away from Me and do not keep My commandments and My statutes that I have given you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will destroy Israel from the face of the earth, which I gave him, and the temple which I dedicated to my name I will cast away from before me, and Israel will be a byword and a laughing stock among all nations. And about this high temple, everyone passing by it will be horrified and whistle, and say: “Why did the Lord do this to this land and to this temple?” And they will say: “Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and accepted other gods, and worshiped them, and served them, for this the Lord brought all this disaster upon them.”

Solomon's Palace. The royal palace, built under David, seemed old and cramped to Solomon, and he decided to build himself a new one. Construction lasted thirteen years. Solomon's house turned out to be even more impressive than the house of Yahweh: one hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty high. The palace had three floors and was built of huge stone slabs and cedar. The palace had two extensions: a covered courtyard (the roof was supported by huge cedar pillars) with a front porch; the second annex was intended for judicial affairs - there was a throne on which Solomon sat when he had to judge his subjects.

Inside, the palace was decorated with two hundred large shields forged from gold and three hundred smaller gold shields. In the main hall, on a dais, there was a large throne made of ivory and gold, six steps leading up to it. The throne was guarded by two statues of lions, and two more lions reared on each step. All the dishes in the palace were gold, even silver was not used - it seemed too cheap to the king.

The power and wealth of Solomon. Under Solomon, the kingdom of Israel extended from the Euphrates to the borders of Egypt. His peace was guarded by a strong army: fourteen hundred war chariots, twelve thousand horsemen, and a huge number of infantry. The king bought horses and chariots from Egypt and Arabia.

Solomon equipped trading ships to distant countries: one of the ships sailed along the Red Sea to the mysterious country of Ophir for gold, precious stones and mahogany [scientists believe that this country was located somewhere on the east coast of Africa]; another ship sailed from Tire along the Mediterranean Sea to distant Tarshish every three years [ancient kingdom on the territory of modern Spain] and brought from there gold, silver, ivory, even monkeys and peacocks for the royal menagerie. The king preferred not to fight, but to trade with all countries. He was fabulously rich: 666 talents a year came into his treasury alone in gold. [talent is an ancient measure of weight, about 30 kg].

"Fix your heart to learning." Solomon was considered the wisest man in the world, he knew everything about everything, and people from near and far came to listen to him and marvel at his intelligence. Many of Solomon's sayings are useful for us to know.

He taught that only constant work allows a person to live well, and idleness leads to poverty: “You will sleep a little, doze a little, lie down a little with folded arms, and your poverty will come like a passer-by, and your need will come like a robber.” [those. completely unexpected for you].

The king believed that a person should study all his life: “Fix your heart to learning and your ears to clever words" It is the attitude towards knowledge that distinguishes the wise from the fool: “The heart of the wise acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”

A person must be able to behave and always maintain restraint: “A patient person has a lot of intelligence, but an irritable person shows stupidity.” You must listen to what those around you say about you: “A good name is better than great wealth, and good fame is better than silver and gold.” At the same time, you cannot be boastful: “Let someone else praise you, and not your mouth, a stranger, and not your tongue.”

Friendship plays a big role in life. To acquire it, you need to be friendly towards others: “Whoever wants to have friends must be friendly himself.” But in friendship you cannot be intrusive and annoying: “Do not enter your friend’s house more often, so that he does not get bored with you and hate you.”

You cannot treat people badly and do harm to them - bad deeds ultimately destroy the one who does them: “Whoever digs a hole will fall into it, and whoever rolls up a stone will return to him.”

We must feel sorry for those who are unlucky in life and, if possible, help them: “He who gives to the poor will not become poor.”

Queen of Sheba. The queen of the distant kingdom of Sheba, located in the south of Arabia, learned about the wisdom of Solomon. She, too, was a wise woman, and also curious, and decided to check whether the king of Israel was really as smart as they say he was.

A heavily laden caravan of camels set off across the arid desert to distant Palestine. The journey lasted for many days, and one day the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw a magnificent procession heading towards the royal palace.

Solomon received the Queen of Sheba, they talked for a long time, the queen asked him all the riddles that she knew, “and Solomon explained to her all her words, and there was nothing unfamiliar to the king that he would not explain to her.” The queen, delighted with the intelligence and charm of Solomon, the luxury of his palace, the beauty of his servants, could no longer restrain herself and exclaimed: “It is true what I heard in my land about your deeds and about your wisdom! But I did not believe the words until I came and my eyes saw: and behold, not even half of it was told to me. You have more wisdom and wealth than I have heard. Happy are your people and happy are these your servants who always stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has deigned to place you on the throne of Israel! Lord, by eternal love his to Israel, he made you king to administer justice and righteousness.”

The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon one hundred and twenty talents of gold, gems and a lot of incense. [This was the name given to aromatic substances extracted from certain plants that grew only in the south of Arabia; they were worth much more than gold.] Solomon did not remain in debt: he presented the queen with rich gifts, and, in addition, gave everything that she liked and that she asked for. After a warm farewell, the queen and her servants set off on their way back.

"King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women." Despite his wisdom, Solomon could not keep his word to God - to serve Him alone. The fact is that in ancient times the power of a king was judged by the number of his wives. Neighboring rulers greatly respected Solomon, even the powerful egyptian pharaoh considered it an honor to become related to him and gave his daughter to Solomon. In addition to the Egyptian princess, Solomon had many other wives. According to the Bible, “King Solomon loved many foreign women, except Pharaoh’s daughter, and he had seven hundred wives, and the wives corrupted his heart. During his old age, Solomon’s wives inclined his heart to other gods, and his heart was not completely devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of David his father.” For his numerous foreign wives, Solomon built temples of their gods, and he himself began to worship not only Yahweh, but also foreign deities.

Yahweh's Wrath. Then the angry Yahweh said to Solomon: “Because this is happening to you, and you have not kept My covenant, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. But in your days I will not do this for the sake of David your father; I will pluck him out of the hand of your son. And I will not uproot the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of David my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

And so it happened. Solomon reigned for forty years, like David, and after his death the united kingdom of Israel fell apart. Northern part Palestine retained the name Israel, and the city of Samaria became the capital of this state. In place of the southern half of Solomon's kingdom, there remained a state called Judea - after the name of the tribe of the descendants of Judah, the son of Jacob. Jerusalem remained the capital of Judea, where the descendants of David and Solomon ruled.

© Valery Aleksandrovich Kasym, 2018

ISBN 978-5-4490-2573-9

Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero

Dedicated to my dear and beloved brother Yuri!

“I really miss you, dear brother”!

Introduction

“There is nothing new under the sun,” said King Solomon, the richest man on earth.

Just as in those ancient times, during the reign of King Solomon, so now, people are experiencing problems in the financial sphere, are in poverty and suffer defeats in their lives. And the main reason for this is lack of knowledge.

God gave to humanity Great Book– The Bible, where His wisdom and guidance to life are recorded, applying which we can be successful and winners, both in the financial sphere and in other areas of life.

Today, many would like to get a millionaire or billionaire as a mentor (business coach)... But not everyone succeeds and not everyone will succeed...

King Solomon's advice changed the financial situation of many people and it can help you too, dear friend!

Listen to the advice of someone who is truly trustworthy and has proven the effect of these principles in their life.

“Counsels of King Solomon” is the second book in the series: “Secrets from the Book”, where main character, Yuri, who was experiencing constant financial difficulties and did not receive answers from the church, turned to God for help. And God responded by sending the main character to the richest and wisest mentor on earth - King Solomon.

Prologue

Yuri woke up from the fact that his legs seemed to be heated with a blowtorch.

Opening his eyes, he was seized with surprise and misunderstanding - he suddenly discovered that he was lying on bare stones under the scorching sun, which was already high at the zenith and mercilessly hot... Looking at himself, he saw that he was dressed in some kind of robe, which worn in the east in ancient times. “What the...? what kind of jokes?"...

Yura's legs were bare and already completely red from the sun...

- Where am I? – He rubbed his legs with both hands. - Ah-ah!.. It’s hot, however!..

Yura stood up and looked around. He discovered that he was on a small hill not far from the road that ran over the hill. It was a clear, sunny day. Thorn bushes grew nearby, the names of which were also unknown to our hero. Looking around, he saw ancient city, surrounded by stone walls around the perimeter. In the center of the city stood the Temple of Solomon...

- Jerusalem?!

Yes, Yuri knew this for sure! Although he had never been to the city of the world, he had seen it more than once in photographs and videos.

For about five minutes, Yura stood and admired the wonderful view. Yes, it was truly a beautiful picture! The majestic Temple of Solomon rose on the mountain and was clearly visible from afar.

“But how did I get here?” – Yuri began to strain his brain, hoping to remember how last evening ended...

“Yesterday I went to bed and...” - then he remembered how a mysterious stranger told him in a dream that he would help and send him to the best financial mentor...

“Maybe I’m all dreaming?” - Yura pinched himself to check if it was a dream...

"Ay"! – no, it was not a dream.

“What kind of outfit? Well, fashion, however, existed before...”

Yuri pulled the edges of the cape to the sides and looked at her with a not very pleased face.

He had sandals on his feet... leather ones.

"OK! It's better than nothing! So what should I do now? Where to go?

Instinctively, Yura lay down on the ground...

"Ouch"!! – one large thorn dug into his palm, which apparently fell off a plant growing just a couple of meters from the place where our daredevil lay down...

Pulling out the thorn, Yura began to watch the road along which people were already approaching...

The procession was already very close: two carts drawn by a pair of oxen, and travelers on foot, some of whom walked, some near the cart, and some a little behind... These were mostly middle-aged people. Several women with small children were sitting in carts, and grown men and several young guys were walking nearby... Yura estimated that there were about twenty or thirty people in all... They were all excitedly talking to each other in a language he understood! It was, of course, very surprising! After all, Yura had never studied Hebrew, but now he understood everything verbatim.

Yura lay hidden behind the bushes, trying not to make a sound, and carefully watched the procession, listening to their words.

- God!!! – Yura’s heart almost jumped out of his chest from fear and surprise...

Someone from behind lightly kicked him on the leg...

- Why are you lying here? Are you okay? Are you feeling well? At this time it is easy to get sunstroke without a headdress...

Yura, who felt cold inside from fear and surprise, slowly turned his head and saw behind him a young guy who was smiling and looking at him.

Yuri looked around himself, thinking maybe it wasn’t him they were talking to...

But there was no one else near him.

– What’s your name? – asked the stranger.

Here Yura hesitated a little...

- Me? I'm this, what's his name? - as if on purpose, Yura forgot all the Israeli names, - I am Simon from Haifa! – the first thing that came into his head, he blurted out in Hebrew.

– Simon from Haifa? Why are you lying here? Are you a Philistine spy? – the stranger joked.

Seeing that Yura was speechless, because he simply didn’t know what to think of, and seeing his face, the stranger laughed...

Yura stood up, shaking off his robe and looked at his interlocutor. It was a young man, about the same age as him. He had brown curly hair and big brown eyes. He was dressed in the same robe as our hero.

– I am Simon from Haifa, I arrived in Jerusalem to take lessons in wisdom from King Solomon himself! - Yuri answered and was surprised at what was said...

- And I am Agur, son of Iakeev! And if you want to hear the teachings of King Solomon, then you must hurry... By the way, - Agur pointed to a group of people who were heading to Jerusalem, - we are also going to listen to the king, and if you wish, you can come with us!

- Yes, sure! That would be great!! – Yuri was very happy with this offer and the unexpected turn of events...

- Then let's go! - and they hurried after the rest of the travelers, who had already pulled ahead, heading to the city of peace.

They were approaching Jerusalem.

- God! This is the golden gate! - Wow!! – Yura was unable to hide his admiration! “They passed through the famous golden gates of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was full of people. Here merchants offered various goods, from exquisite incense to silk...

- Yes, this is not Privoz or Seventh Kilometer!

Thousands of people crowded into the square, some trying to sell something, others trying to buy something.

There was everyone here: merchants of spices, jewelry, and artisans selling their products...

- Simon, don't lag behind! – his new friend shouted to Yuri, “hurry up, otherwise we’ll be late!”

Yuri saw that he had fallen considerably behind and almost blended in with the crowd in the shopping area... I made my way through the crowd, he caught up with Agur.

– I’ve never seen anything like it!

– Is this your first time at the market? – Agur asked smiling.

“No, why...” Yura hesitated...

- Here you go, weirdo! “Agur patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and they followed the rest of the travelers...

Having passed the market square, and then along one narrow street, they soon came to the royal square, which stretched right in front of the royal house.

The place was already full of people, probably several thousand. People came from all over Israel to hear wisdom and receive advice from King Solomon himself!

After the king resolved the dispute between two women who claimed rights to one child, the fame of his wisdom spread far beyond the borders of Jerusalem and all of Israel!

King Solomon is the wisest man of his time. He thought about absolutely all aspects of life in order to understand their essence and meaning. He also did not ignore the topic of relations between a man and a woman. How should their life, responsibilities and communication be structured so that there is happiness, peace and love?

A loved one is a jewel

A good wife — who will find her?It is more expensive than precious stones.
Proverbs 31:10

First, Solomon points out to men that a good life partner is a diamond. It must be purposefully sought, like seekers looking for treasure. What should women do at this time? Develop yourself and one day say “Yes” to the one who found you :)

Absolute trust

Her husband believes her with all his heart, with her he will not be at a loss. She brings him good, not evil all the days of your life.
Proverbs 31:11-12

There must be trust between close people: when you do not control the other person for treason, lies or other betrayal. You need to trust each other and always pay back with good, that is, not even allow yourself to think bad about the one with whom you go through life. In actions, even more so, you need to act kindly.

Loving and trusting relationships, according to Solomon, even affect financial success! A man who is confident in his woman will never be at a loss!

Qualities of an ideal woman

She chooses wool and linen and willingly works with his hands. She is like merchant ships— gets his bread from afar. It's dark when she gets up prepares food for his family and gives the maids work. Looks for a field and buys it; With what she earns she plants a vineyard. He eagerly gets to work, her hands are strong for her labors. She understands that her trade is profitable; her lamp does not go out at night. He puts his hands on the spinning wheel, her fingers hold the spindle. For the poor man she opens her palm and reaches out to those in need. In the snow he is not afraid for his family: her whole family dresses in scarlet clothes. She makes covers for her bed dresses in fine linen and purple. Fine linen and purple — that is, clothes made from fabrics that were expensive for that time.. She makes linen clothes and sells them and supplies belts to merchants. Dresses with strength and dignity and she looks cheerfully into tomorrow. She speaks with wisdom and good instruction in her tongue.She looks after her family's affairs she does not eat the bread of idleness. 28Her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also praises her: "There are many good wives, but you have surpassed them all.”
Proverbs 31:13-29

The qualities of an ideal housewife are described here. Of course, you don’t need to take everything literally (after all, the time is not right now), but you can extract useful principles.

So, men and women, pay attention! Qualities of an ideal wife according to King Solomon:

• Hardworking
• Selective (values ​​quality)
• Enterprising
• Knows how to negotiate
• Strategic
• Good at time management
• Initiative
• Influential
• Attentive
• Talented
• Caring
• Energetic
• Plays sports
• Generous
• Thoughtful
• Knows his worth
• Has sales and communication skills
• Positive
• Cheerful
• Wise
• Conscious
• Pleasant
• I want to praise and love her

There are even more qualities that can be identified, but these are the most important. How do you like it?)

An atmosphere of love creates success

Her husband is respected at the city gates.
Proverbs 31:23

The city gates in ancient times were the center of everything public life, near them discussions of the main issues and legal proceedings took place - with the elders of the country.

A man who is next to the right and wise woman is always respected. It is her intelligence and desire to create an atmosphere of love and care at home that helps her man achieve goals and climb higher on the ladder of influence.

The main secret to a happy relationship

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is worthy of praise. Give her the reward she deserves let her deeds glorify her at the city gates.
Proverbs 31:30-31

Solomon does not focus on a woman’s appearance: her beauty, grace or seductive figure. He's like wise man, I understood that this is all temporary, the main thing is the heart of the person who is next to you.

A relationship will be special when both a man and a woman honor God. When they sincerely try to fulfill His commandments, love Him and love each other. This is the most valuable thing!

Do you want to know more about the wisdom of Solomon? Read new book Itzhak Pintosevich “This is the whole person” - extended comments on the book “Kohelet” (“Ecclesiastes”). It's deep and incredible wise sayings about the earthly and spiritual, supported modern look And practical tasks from Isaac. You will learn who a person is, what his soul needs, and how to build your life the way God wants.