Taking her cues from her pagan neighbours, and motivated by discouragement with her leaders, Israel asked for a king and so began the period of the United Monarchy, first under Saul (1 Sam), then David (2 Sam), and Solomon (1 Ki 1-11). Saul was an unstable character, and most of his time on the throne were spent divided between fighting the Philistines (he would die fighting them) and attempting to destroy David because of his jealousy. Under David the conquest of the land was effectively accomplished and the pagan neighbours either subdued or absorbed into Israel.
Under Solomon Israel joined the leagues of the nations, and by royal marriages and treaties, the kingdom grew to its largest extent � politically, territorially, economically, and intellectually - Israel was ever to see. Kings and queens from all over trekked to Israel to admire its splendour as well as to court Solomon�s favour. The religious highlight of Solomon�s reign was the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. Two critical mistakes, however, would tarnish Solomon�s reign. First, Solomon�s many marriages (according to 1 Ki 11:3, he had �seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines�) laid the seeds for Israel�s eventual apostasy since royal marriages required the setting aside of space and resources for the foreign princesses to continue their pagan rituals. Second, Solomon resorted to forced labour (mostly from those who were not from his own tribe of Judah) to accomplish the vast building projects he had embarked upon. This was a mistake that would spark the break-up of his empire almost immediately upon his death.
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2013