The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed, a greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:42)

Greater Than Solomon

In the annals of man’s history, no central character has grasped the imagination of men more than the wisest and richest man who ever lived. The name synonymous with wisdom is Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. Solomon reigned for forty years over the people of God. During his leadership, the nation experienced a prosperity never known in history. Solomon made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. There was so much silver that it was considered worthless. The king’s drinking cups, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were solid gold. Solomon had a fleet of trading ships that, once every three years, returned loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on Earth. People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. Every year, everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

God had given Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. His knowledge exceeded all the wisdom of all the men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. Men from all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. The Queen of Sheba visited Solomon to see and hear of his great wealth and wisdom. She concluded that all she had seen was half the story of Solomon’s greatness. He surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. The son of David would go down in history as the greatest man of wealth and wisdom, even in modern time.

With all the wisdom given to Solomon, he was a man of failed character. Time and again, he demonstrated his knowledge of truth, but he could not discern the flaw of the human spirit – sin. He is remembered as a man with seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. His wives turned away his heart from serving the Lord God, who gave him such great wisdom. When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord. He had attained the most incredible wealth the world had ever known, wisdom beyond any man before or after him, and he enjoyed all the pleasures of life to the fullest. And yet he became a fool, a man devoid of wisdom when he allowed the trinkets of earthly pleasure to guide his heart.

Nine hundred years after the reign of Solomon, a baby was born in Bethlehem that would eclipse the fame of Solomon. His life would become greater than Solomon’s. The wisdom of this child would be established in the teachings of His heavenly Father, changing lives for thousands of years. Jesus Christ came into the world to save the lost. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles, proving He was the Son of God. His wisdom was challenged relentlessly by the scholars of His day and, each time, defeated. The Pharisees and chief priests sent officers to arrest Jesus, but they returned, proclaiming, “No man ever spoke like this Man.”

One day when Jesus was in a synagogue, a man with a withered hand was among the crowd. Jesus healed the man causing the Pharisees to find a way to destroy Him. Later, a demon-possessed, blind, and mute man was brought to Jesus. Jesus immediately healed him. The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out the demon by the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. The hearts of the Jewish leaders were so evil that they could not see the power of God when it was demonstrated before their eyes. Some of the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. What more could Jesus do to show He was the Son of God?

Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that the sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah. The Lord is speaking about His death, burial, and the greatest miracle of all – the resurrection. Jonah preached to the heathen, Gentile city of Nineveh, and they repented. God reminds Jonah that the city had one hundred and twenty thousand people. Jesus is a greater man than Jonah because He came to save the world. The queen of Sheba was amazed at Solomon’s wealth and wisdom, but Jesus was the one who gave Solomon his wisdom. A greater man than Solomon is here because instead of trying to decide which baby to cut in half, Jesus made the baby.

The wisdom of Solomon was great, but the wisdom of a man whose sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus is greater. Solomon lived for himself, and then he died. Jesus came to serve mankind and die for all men. There is no comparison between Solomon and Jesus. Solomon had great wisdom, and he failed. Jesus possessed the wisdom of His Father and lived a perfect life. The words of Solomon are only a part of the totality which makes up the teachings of Jesus. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. A greater man is found in Jesus Christ. If I was given a choice between being the wisest and wealthiest man on earth and being an uneducated poor man with his sins washed away – Lord, give me poverty and grace. When a man cannot see how great Jesus is, he cannot see.