Wisdom and Folly

By Cal Cook

Our readings through 1Kings bring us to the end of David’s life, a passing of the mantel of King from David to Solomon. Solomon’s elder half brother Adonijah however claims the kingdom for himself without the knowledge of King David, but with the blessings of the Chief Priest and the General of the armies. Seems like a perfectly acceptable thing to do for most everyone so they join in the coronation celebration. Might makes right…isn’t that the way of the world? Adonijah was the next in line after Absalom, as the eldest living of David’s sons tradition held that he would inherit the kingdom. Divine election however completely ignores human tradition, human sense of right and wrong…even human might. David was the youngest of his brothers, yet God chose him from among the sons of Jesse. Jacob was the younger and less noble of the sons of Isaac. God has other plans, greater plans, wiser plans than men can even conceive.

Solomon proves his worth when he asks the Lord for Wisdom…as if God were really surprised. God blesses him with wisdom and wealth and power and peace…and a conditional promise: And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” 1 Kings 3:14.

Wisdom calls out to all, an invitation for those who desire her (Proverbs 9) yet so does folly. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10. Which do we desire? Sometimes its folly and sometimes its wisdom, sometimes living as if in a drunken stupor to what we’re really doing, what impact our choices truly have on our life.

“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:14b.

Waking from the dead, is realizing what is really going on around you. Having the lights turned on so that you might see. The Light of Christ is shining for those who believe, bringing to focus the things of darkness, the foolishness of those things we once did without realizing what we were really doing, just going along with the crowd, listening to the call of folly sweet as it sounds…dark as it might be.