Tommy Mann

In Proverbs 3 Solomon speaks of wisdom as a godly lady, and he tells his son the reason why he should pursue this lady named wisdom. One reason why is found in verse 17: "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Pleasantness and peace sound nice. Pleasantness means enjoyable or agreeable. Everyone wants to have an enjoyable and peaceful life, but I think Solomon might be saying something a little more clever than just that.  Although she is not mentioned by name in the book of Proverbs, according to 1 Kings 14:31, Solomon's wife's name was Naamah. The Hebrew word for pleasantness is noam,  which is closely associated with Solomon's wife's name (her name is also translated as pleasantness). But there is more. In the Song of Songs, Solomon's young wife is not named, but she is called Shulamite, which is the feminine form of Solomon's name (kind of like being called "Mrs. Solomon"). Shulamite is connected with the Hebrew ...

 In Luke 7 Jesus performed a miracle that led to an amazing declaration. After interrupting a funeral in the town of Nain and raising someone back to life, we read these words in verse 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” I believe that miracle was intended to call to mind a much earlier miracle performed by the Old Testament hero Elijah. In 1 Kings 17 the prophet raised the dead son of the widow of Zarephath. Elijah took the boy in his arms and presented him to his mother. Notice what happens next:  "And the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth (v.24).'” The accounts in 1 Kings and Luke are similar. Both Jesus and Elijah raised the dead son of a widow; both gave the boy to his mother; both made contact with the deceased, and thus ceremonially defiled themselves.  The comparison becomes even more apparent...

  In 1 Kings 3 we read about King Solomon and his famous demonstration of wisdom. When two women came to him, both claiming to be the rightful mother of an infant, Solomon asked for a sword to be brought to him so he could divide the child in two and give each woman half.   The rightful mom said she would rather give the baby to the other woman than to see her son hurt, and thus revealed herself to be the true mother. But in that same chapter, before the king is threatening to divide a baby, he shows us that he was divided within himself. Here is what the third verse says: “Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.” How is it possible to love the Lord and offer sacrifices at the high places? That means he brought offerings to other gods, the ones worshipped by his many wives. Solomon followed the practice of political polygamy, marrying the daughters of other heads of state to form alliances. ...