All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

A Bible Study for Women using the authorized King James Bible, the only inerrant Word of God

By Patricia Dowers

Introduction

King Solomon ascended the throne of his father, King David approximately 985 B.C. He ruled over the tribes of Israel in the former land of Canaan, the Promised Land. There was no other king before or after him so blessed by God and admired and honored by other kings and nations. There never will be another like him until the Lord Jesus comes to His throne (the same throne).

When we think of Solomon, a few attributes immediately come to mind. We think of his wisdom, his incredible wealth and perhaps, his humility before God (at least, in the beginning). We may also think of his famous deeds such as constructing the magnificent temple of God and making Israel the center for strength and power in the known world. But we may also think of his many wives and concubines. This was not wise and certainly not in God’s plan! How did Solomon get onto this path away from God?

What can we as believing women learn from studying the life of Solomon? We may not experience his wealth and grandeur but as we move through this Bible study, I believe we will see many spiritual parallels to our own lives. I pray you will also find wisdom, support and direction for living your life for God today. Please join me in this study of the remarkable, exciting and surprising life of King Solomon.

Please note: In this study, as in all others, it is important to read all Scripture references for yourself that you may know what God has to say.

Session 1

King David was dying. Among his sons, he chose Solomon, one of his younger sons and his child by Queen Bathsheba to be his heir (I Kings 1:32-34). This was a controversial move in the royal family but after much contention, (he was neither a first son nor a child of a first wife), Solomon took his place on the throne of Israel. David, aware of his impending death, gave a final charge to the son on whom he had placed his hopes for the kingdom. Please read I Kings 2: 1-4. What did Solomon need to do to prosper in all he did (v.3)?

David wanted Solomon to know that with all the glory of becoming king comes great responsibility, first of all to God. David had learned many hard lessons in that area. As new believers in Christ, we may be excited about realizing our new position in the family of God. In truth, we are part of His royal family. If we are spending time in the Word and under godly preaching, we soon come to realize that with our new life comes certain responsibilities the Lord entrusts to us. Let us look at some of them.

In each of the following verses identify the responsibility:

Rom. 8:17

II Cor. 5:20

Gal. 5:1

II Tim. 2:15

I Pet.1:22 (there are two in this verse)

Thus, began Solomon’s illustrious reign. Please read I Chron. 29:23-25 aloud with your group. What does verse 25 say about how God blessed Solomon’s accession to the throne?

Solomon began his reign acknowledging and revering the authority of God. He learned early from his parents, David and Bathsheba, the danger of diverging from God’s path. He also had his own heart for God. I Kings 3:3 tells us he “loved the Lord”. This reminds us that we can pass on to our children the wisdom of God but we cannot pass on our salvation. Saving faith in the Lord can only be personal.

Solomon spent much time and spared no expense in the sacrificial worship of God. What did he do at Gibeon (I Kings 3:4)?

God was pleased. He came to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he would desire from God. Please read I Kings 3: 5-9. Of all the things that he could have asked for he humbly chose wisdom. In v. 7 Solomon calls himself ___________________.

Verse 8 shows that he recognizes his awesome responsibility and verse 9 reflects his humility in realizing he cannot do this awesome task without God’s wisdom. For someone who called himself a child, Solomon is certainly displaying a great deal of maturity. We cannot mature in our Christian walk until we realize we are helpless and can do nothing without the Lord.

Please read I Kings 3:10-14. God granted Solomon’s desire for wisdom but what did He grant him in addition?

God often gives us gifts in addition to what we ask because He loves us and it pleases Him but we must remember God cannot ignore His own holiness and often, then as now, His gifts are conditional. What were Solomon’s conditions in v.14?

Thankfully, our only condition for eternal salvation is faith in the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary! Please join me in the next session to see what God allowed Solomon to accomplish next.

Session 2

It was the passion of King David’s heart to build a permanent earthly temple for God (I Chr. 17:1-4). Until this time worship was still taking place in the tabernacle God had instructed Moses to build in the wilderness. God, however, refused David. This must have been a crushing blow to David even though he knew God’s reasons were just and righteous. Please read I Chr. 22:8. What were God’s reasons?

Instead, God allowed David’s son, Solomon to build the temple. II Chr. 3 and 4 describe the detailed instruction God gave to Solomon for the construction of the temple at Jerusalem. The precision of every element was the same as given to Moses for the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. That is God’s way. We see that same precision in creation. We will see it again in the New Jerusalem and the new Earth.

Please read I Kings 6:11-13 aloud with your group. Here we see a condition for Solomon. What was the condition(s)?

What was the promise?

I Kings 7:51 tells us the temple was completed and all the beautiful vessels of gold and silver fashioned and dedicated by King David were brought in and placed according to God’s precise instruction, in preparation for His worship. The last but not least item to be placed was the Ark of the Covenant. Please read I Kings 8:6-8 aloud with your group.

Without the Ark, which is the mercy seat of the glory of God (Exo. 37:1-9), the temple, with all its beautiful adornments was just a shell.

Today, the believer is the temple of God and the heart is the mercy seat. Do we pay the same careful attention to our bodies and hearts that the Lord required of His earthly temple? Does the busyness of our days and lives overshadow what is really important to the Lord? Think about the example we set for those close to us and discuss with your group how to best set the Lord’s priorities.

Please read I Kings 8:10-11. What happened once everything was perfectly in place?

How does that compare with allowing the Lord to fill your life and heart?

I Kings 8:22-61 contains King Solomon’s prayer and dedication of the temple. Please read I Kings 8:22–61 in your private time to learn of Solomon’s true heart of humility, obedience and service.

As we read through this text, we get an amazing view of the solemnity of the occasion and the humility of Solomon’s heart before God and his subjects. He had every reason to be prideful about his accomplishments. Israel was at her peak of respect in the known world. She received tribute from other governments. Kings and rulers sought to make alliances with Solomon and wealth flowed into the land. Solomon’s army and horses were second to none, yet he enjoyed a time of peace. Solomon knew, however that all of this was not the accomplishment of his own human ability but gave all glory to God.

I Kings 8:22 tells us that Solomon _________ before the altar of the Lord in the _________ of all the congregation of Israel, and _________ forth his hands toward heaven. What a scene! I imagine King Solomon in all of his finery with the royal crown on his head and his arms outstretched before the altar of God, with his subjects spread out as far as the eye can see.

Next, King Solomon drops to his knees before God and all the people and delivers his prayer of dedication(I Kings 8:54). Had anyone at this time ever seen a sovereign king in such a public setting on his knees humbling himself before his God?

Solomon’s prayer is long, detailed and from the heart. It is a wonderful example to us of the sort of prayer in which the Lord delights. Sometimes our deepest prayers from our hearts are when we are in need. That is when it comes easy to pour ourselves out to God. Our thankful, praising prayers are too often brief and less mindful. When we read the beautiful psalms, many times our prayers of praise fall sadly short in comparison. I know mine do. Could it be that we have fallen out of the habit of studying the Bible on how the Lord wants to be praised? Could it be that is why He gave us so many examples?

The other important element of Solomon’s prayer is commitment to the Lord’s will. Commitment is what should always follow praise and thankfulness. That is how we show the Lord our praise is sincere and not just empty words.

We will end this session with the words of David in Psalm 63:1-8, one of many examples of praise and commitment from the Word of God. Please read it aloud with your group.

Session 3

Our God is amazing! Even though he knows the future and knows when we will fail, He still accepts our praise and best intentions in the moment. Please read I Kings 9:1-9 aloud with your group. The Lord however, has not left Solomon without a very specific warning. He knows our frailty and weaknesses (Mark 14:38). He also knows Satan’s temptations (I Pet. 5:8). Please copy this verse in the space below.

In the years following the temple dedication Solomon remained true to his intentions; at least for a while. The Song of Solomon describes the holy love between a bridegroom and his bride. Some say these two are actually Solomon and the daughter of Pharaoh, who was his first wife. There is a deeper meaning however, in that this book also describes the marriage of Christ and His bride, the Church. If we study this book with all of these aspects in mind, we will have a deeper sense of the love of Christ for us, His Bride.

The Song of Solomon is a short book. Please read it in its entirety and keep in mind that it describes God ordained, marital love between a man and woman (Gen.1:27; 2:23,24 and Heb.13:4). Solomon fully understood God’s direction in leading the nation of Israel. God spoke this to him directly. Solomon also understood God’s commandment on marital love and fidelity as he was inspired by God to write Song of Solomon. Not only was the direction clear but the warning was also clear. As we learned in the last session, Solomon’s own vow to God was very specific. No excuses!

Please read the following Scripture to see how the Lord’s expectations never change.

In Psa. 89:34 what two things will the Lord not do?

In Isa. 55:11 what are the three things that the words of the Lord will accomplish?

Please copy Heb. 13:8 in the space below.

We find comfort in these passages because we love and worship a God that we can count on, especially with so much uncertainty in this world. These verses also remind us, however that God is holy and requires complete obedience always. He knows and we know we are not capable of maintaining perfect obedience all the time. Thankfully, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to pay our sin debt. He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell us to comfort and convict. He also gave us His written Word to instruct, warn, and to be a source of spiritual food to keep us close to Him. How faithful He is to us and yet we still fail Him! We will see later on how Solomon failed God completely in this area.

God also gifted Solomon with amazing wisdom. Let us examine Solomon’s gift of wisdom that we associate with him even today. The Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament is a collection of wisdom, warnings and instruction inspired by God through Solomon for God’s people. They contain direction for every human circumstance as well as reminders throughout of God’s holiness. As we read through Proverbs we cannot help but be amazed at the depth of knowledge that the Lord provided to Solomon as He had promised. Please read Prov. 1:1-10 aloud with your group. In my mind, these first ten verses are a perfect introduction to the remainder of the book. What is the reason these proverbs were given? Please fill in your answers below.

In verse 2: to know and perceive

In verse 3: to receive

In verse 4: to give

Prov. 1:10 is a short verse with a wealth of powerful advice. Please copy it in the space below.

As we can see, The Proverbs are not just a personal life manual but a teaching manual, as well. How is it possible for a teacher who is blessed with wisdom to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” and then to fall away? The answer is in the verse we just copied above.

Please ask someone in your group to read Deut. 7:1-4. This was an early command from God for His people to remain separate from the pagan nations. It was not a new commandment to Solomon, but down through the years it had been widely ignored. This is no excuse, however, because God does not change nor does He speak in vain.

Now please read I Kings 11:1-13 aloud with your group. Verse 1 tells us, “But king Solomon _______ ______ ________

________.”

As believing women we are not exempt from the sin of lust and wanting what God does not design for us. This was a sad ending for Solomon but does not need to be for us. The Lord has given us His mercy and grace in salvation, the indwelling Holy Spirit and the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) for strength to battle against sin. Just as it was so for Solomon, it is the same for us; when we disobey, wisdom goes out the window. The two cannot exist together. Join me in our next session as we look at a remorseful Solomon and another King Who did not fail.

Session 4

As the years of Solomon’s reign continued, we learn that his wealth increased. His realm was admired by other nations all over the known world. Even the Queen of Sheba traveled a great distance to honor him (I Kings 10:1-13). The light of his own accomplishments became brighter to Solomon than the glory of God. As a sovereign king he was free to enjoy all that he saw but forgot about God’s law that was higher than his own. We learned in the last session that Solomon loved many women. It was a common practice at that time for a king to make alliances with other kingdoms by taking additional wives from other royal families. These were political marriage alliances that sometimes were never consummated. It was a worldly practice and not God’s way. God would have His people rely on His power to sustain a government, not on shaky political promises. In any case, Scripture tells us Solomon loved many women. These relationships were not political, but lustful. Just because he could did not mean he should. This is important for us to remember as believing women.

Please read Gal. 5:13 and fill in the blanks below:

...ye have been called unto __________; only use not _______ for an occasion to the _______…

And I Pet. 2:16

As _______, and not using your _________ for a cloke of ______________, but as the servants of God.

Solomon had more wives and concubines than any other king in Scripture, as well as the authority over an important kingdom and resources. All of these took his attention and heart away from the God he promised to serve. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we read of the thoughts and conclusions of Solomon after attempting to enjoy life from a human standpoint after neglecting his relationship with God. When the Lord ceases to be first in our lives and His ways become optional to us, whatever we are enjoying in our lives will soon fade. Solomon wasted many years learning this lesson. He expresses it beautifully and sadly in the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. Please read chapter 12 aloud with your group and copy v.13 in the space below.

We began this study describing the majesty and attributes of an earthly king. He was gifted with wisdom and wealth but was also flawed in many ways. Ultimately, he failed his God and his people. Now let us look at another King in the same line of David. This is the final King, perfect in every way, Who will never fail His people and will reign forever.

Below, you will find a hymn written many years ago that puts us in mind of the coronation ceremony of our King and Lord Jesus Christ. As you read through these lyrics aloud with your group please identify the references to the Lord’s birthright to the throne of Israel. There are three.

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Lyrics by Edward Perronet (mid 1700’s)

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God, who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.

Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line, Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let every tribe and every tongue before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of His earthly ancestor, David, is the perfect, sinless King worthy of all praise and honor and glory. When He returns to claim His throne there will be a coronation like no other, even Solomon’s. Scripture is full of references to King Jesus. Please read the following verses and fill in the blanks.

Psa.145:13 Thy kingdom_______________________________ and thy dominion ________________________________.

I Tim. 1:17 What are the four attributes of the King listed in this verse? ___________, ______________, _____________, _____________.

I Tim. 6:15 What are three of His many titles listed in this verse?

1.______________________

2.______________________

3._______________________

Please read Rev. 21:22-27 aloud with your group. What a wonderful, majestic scene in which to take part if our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Jesus Christ, the promised King, is the only One to fulfill the prophecy and claim the throne of God. I pray that He sits on the throne of your heart and you will join me at the coronation where together we will…

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.