WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.359 Okay, let's jump into this. It's really quite 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:03.839 something when you think about it, isn't it? 00:00:04.500 --> 00:00:08.099 No matter who you are, King or commoner, we all 00:00:08.099 --> 00:00:11.539 share these basic fundamental human things, birth, 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:15.000 death, the whole journey. Right, it's a universal 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.539 starting point. Exactly, and our source material 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:19.519 today really leans into that right from the get 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:23.839 -go. There's this powerful quote, I too am immortal, 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.000 the same as all the rest. describing being formed 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.559 in the womb, breathing the common air, crying 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:32.479 that first cry. You know, the stuff everyone 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:34.679 goes through. It's very grounding. And then it 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:36.899 makes that point sharp. For no king has any different 00:00:36.899 --> 00:00:39.840 origin or birth. One is the entry into life for 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:43.159 all. And in one same way, they leave it. It really 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:44.880 levels the playing field, doesn't it? Totally. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:47.219 It strips away the status immediately. Which 00:00:47.219 --> 00:00:49.219 is, I think, a fascinating way to introduce our 00:00:49.219 --> 00:00:52.280 main figure today, King Solomon. Ah, Solomon. 00:00:52.859 --> 00:00:56.020 Known famously for his wisdom. Right, the legendary 00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:58.899 wisdom. But here's the thing for this deep dive. 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:01.880 We're not really looking at the legends about 00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:05.140 him. We want to explore Solomon's own perspective 00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:07.840 on wisdom. What did it mean to him? Where did 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:11.099 he think it came from? How did it actually affect 00:01:11.099 --> 00:01:13.400 his life? We're digging into his personal reflections. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:15.939 That's it. We're using his own words as our guide 00:01:15.939 --> 00:01:18.840 here, focusing on what he said about his shared 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:22.430 humanity and how he came by this wisdom. Not 00:01:22.430 --> 00:01:24.829 later interpretations, just his account. Which 00:01:24.829 --> 00:01:27.010 makes it much more direct, much more personal. 00:01:27.109 --> 00:01:28.930 So let's circle back to that first idea, his 00:01:28.930 --> 00:01:31.930 humility, acknowledging he's just like everyone 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:35.469 else. He really hammers this point home. I too 00:01:35.469 --> 00:01:39.049 am immortal. He talks about the 10 month gestation, 00:01:39.230 --> 00:01:41.730 being molded, breathing that air, falling on 00:01:41.730 --> 00:01:43.890 the earth, wailing. It's so visceral. It is. 00:01:44.129 --> 00:01:46.890 And you have to ask, why start there? Why establish 00:01:46.890 --> 00:01:49.430 that common ground so firmly before talking about 00:01:49.430 --> 00:01:51.900 wisdom? Good question. What do you think? Well, 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.140 maybe it suggests that true wisdom isn't about 00:01:54.140 --> 00:01:58.040 feeling superior or inherently special. It seems 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:00.540 to grow from recognizing that shared foundation, 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:03.620 that common mortal experience, you know? Like 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:05.920 maybe that humility is a prerequisite. But that 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:07.500 makes a lot of sense. It's like he's saying, 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.250 look, I started just like you. And then comes 00:02:10.250 --> 00:02:12.150 this big turning point, this moment where he 00:02:12.150 --> 00:02:14.870 actively goes seeking something more. Right, 00:02:14.990 --> 00:02:17.349 the prayer. Yeah. He says, therefore I prayed 00:02:17.349 --> 00:02:19.629 and prudence was given me. I pleaded and the 00:02:19.629 --> 00:02:21.849 spirit of wisdom came to me. So it wasn't just 00:02:21.849 --> 00:02:25.069 stumbled upon. No, it was sought, but also crucially 00:02:25.069 --> 00:02:28.250 given. He emphasizes that. Prudence was given, 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:31.009 the spirit of wisdom came to him. It wasn't purely 00:02:31.009 --> 00:02:33.349 his own achievement. Okay. So this interplay 00:02:33.349 --> 00:02:36.530 between seeking and receiving, he asks, pleads, 00:02:36.789 --> 00:02:39.400 but ultimately it's bestowed upon him. Like a 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:42.000 gift exactly it points to this idea of a divine 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.460 source something beyond just human intellect 00:02:44.460 --> 00:02:47.939 or effort a gift received and boy Did he value 00:02:47.939 --> 00:02:50.000 that gift? I mean the way he talks about it. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.039 It's put above absolutely everything He says 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:55.340 I preferred her deceptor and throne and deemed 00:02:55.340 --> 00:02:57.719 riches nothing in comparison with her That's 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:00.240 a huge statement for a king preferring wisdom 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.659 over power and wealth isn't it and the comparisons 00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:06.639 are just stark gold. It's like a bit of sand 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.840 silver just mire. I mean, he's really driving 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.840 home how little material wealth matters next 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:16.060 to this wisdom. And it's not just wealth or power. 00:03:16.259 --> 00:03:19.379 He goes further. Beyond health and beauty, I 00:03:19.379 --> 00:03:22.620 loved her. And I chose to have her rather than 00:03:22.620 --> 00:03:25.919 the light. Even light. Wow. Yeah, because, he 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:29.020 says, her radiance never ceases. He values its 00:03:29.020 --> 00:03:32.139 permanence, its inner quality over even physical 00:03:32.139 --> 00:03:34.500 well -being or beauty or something as fundamental 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:37.259 as light itself. It's a radical reordering of 00:03:37.259 --> 00:03:39.340 values. Okay, here's the twist, right? This is 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:41.539 the part that always gets me. He prioritizes 00:03:41.539 --> 00:03:44.680 wisdom, sets aside riches, and then. And then. 00:03:45.219 --> 00:03:47.240 Yet all good things together came to me with 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:49.960 her and countless riches at her hands. Huh. So 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:52.509 he gets it all anyway. It seems so. But notice 00:03:52.509 --> 00:03:54.750 the connection he makes. Because wisdom is their 00:03:54.750 --> 00:03:56.569 leader, though I had not known that she is their 00:03:56.569 --> 00:03:58.530 mother. It wasn't like a separate reward. It 00:03:58.530 --> 00:04:00.330 seems he believed wisdom itself brought these 00:04:00.330 --> 00:04:02.789 other good things. So it's not like choose wisdom 00:04:02.789 --> 00:04:06.129 or riches. It's choose wisdom AD riches might 00:04:06.129 --> 00:04:09.610 follow. Because wisdom is the source. That seems 00:04:09.610 --> 00:04:11.909 to be the idea. Like wisdom is the root, the 00:04:11.909 --> 00:04:14.990 guiding principle, and other benefits while good 00:04:14.990 --> 00:04:17.050 things naturally flow from it. It's a fascinating 00:04:17.050 --> 00:04:19.209 concept of interconnectedness. And it wasn't 00:04:19.209 --> 00:04:21.709 something he kept to himself, this wisdom. He 00:04:21.709 --> 00:04:33.790 felt compelled to pass it on. He says, Calling 00:04:33.790 --> 00:04:37.829 it an unfailing treasure that leads to the friendship 00:04:37.829 --> 00:04:40.230 of God for those who gain it. So sharing it actually 00:04:40.230 --> 00:04:42.470 deepens the connection. Right. It's not diminished 00:04:42.470 --> 00:04:45.040 by sharing. In fact, sharing seems... integral 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:47.319 to its nature and its ultimate purpose, that 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:49.600 connection with the divine, it's a gift meant 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.079 to circulate. No, what about the content of this 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:54.500 wisdom? What did it actually allow him to know? 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:57.240 It wasn't just like philosophical sayings, was 00:04:57.240 --> 00:04:59.740 it? Not at all, according to him. He says God 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:02.279 gave him sound knowledge of what exists, and 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.720 then he lists, well, pretty much everything. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.240 Yeah, the list is incredible. Let me see. The 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.220 structure of the universe, force of its elements, 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:12.220 beginning in the end in the midpoint of times, 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:15.779 changes in the sun's course, variations of the 00:05:15.779 --> 00:05:18.220 season, cycles of years, positions of stars. 00:05:18.699 --> 00:05:21.500 Keep going. Nature's of living things, tempers 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:23.500 of beasts, powers of the winds and thoughts of 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:26.399 human beings, uses of plants and virtues of roots. 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:30.780 Whatever is hidden or plain I learned. That's 00:05:30.780 --> 00:05:33.420 comprehensive. It really is. It spans cosmology, 00:05:33.579 --> 00:05:36.459 physics, chronology, astronomy, zoology, psychology, 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:39.399 botany. It's an understanding of the entire system, 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:41.939 seen and unseen, just immense breadth. And then 00:05:41.939 --> 00:05:46.519 he describes wisdom herself or itself. the quality 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.860 of it. The adjectives just pour out. They do, 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.240 it's quite poetic. Intelligent, holy, unique, 00:05:51.579 --> 00:05:56.019 manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, 00:05:56.519 --> 00:05:59.240 never harmful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:02.220 beneficent, kindly. Firm, secure, tranquil, all 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:04.459 powerful, all seeing, and pervading all spirits. 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:06.220 It's like he's trying to capture something almost 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:08.439 alive, almost divine. Yeah, it doesn't sound 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:10.560 like just being smart. Yeah. And the metaphors 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:13.579 he uses. like a breath of the might of God. Right. 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:16.120 And a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty. 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:19.720 Also, the reflection of eternal light, the spotless 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:21.920 mirror of the power of God, the image of His 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:24.879 goodness, it really elevates wisdom, connects 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:27.040 it directly to God's own nature. Absolutely. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:30.319 It's portrayed as this active pure essence flowing 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:32.939 from the divine. And active is the key word, 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:34.800 isn't it? It's not passive knowledge. She says, 00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:38.220 although she is one, she can do all things, and 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:40.160 she renews everything while herself perjuring. 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:44.040 And that it passes into holy souls from age to 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:47.040 age, producing friends of God and prophets, it's 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:50.339 transformative. And then this line, for God loves 00:06:50.339 --> 00:06:52.699 nothing so much as the one who dwells with wisdom. 00:06:53.180 --> 00:06:55.860 That's... Quite a statement. It really underscores 00:06:55.860 --> 00:06:58.120 the significance. It suggests that living with 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:00.819 wisdom aligns you with the divine will, makes 00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:03.860 you favored, even loved by God. It's not just 00:07:03.860 --> 00:07:06.079 about knowing stuff. It's about a way of being 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:08.600 that God cherishes. He keeps comparing it too. 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:11.939 It's fairer than the sun, better than any constellation 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:15.060 of the stars, brighter than light itself. And 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.240 crucially, wickedness does not prevail over wisdom. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.300 Implying its ultimate power and goodness, and 00:07:21.300 --> 00:07:23.680 then that final description of its reach. She 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:26.160 spans the world from end to end mightily and 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:29.519 governs all things well. It's this cosmic ordering 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.000 principle. Okay, so that's the sort of grand 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.279 cosmic view. But he also talks about it really 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:36.839 personally, doesn't he? Almost like a relationship. 00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:40.240 Very much so. He uses language of love and courtship. 00:07:40.819 --> 00:07:43.899 Her I loved and sought after from my youth. I 00:07:43.899 --> 00:07:46.360 sought to take her for my bride and was enamored 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:49.980 of her beauty. Taking wisdom is his bride. That's 00:07:49.980 --> 00:07:52.379 intense. It's not just abstract learning. It's 00:07:52.379 --> 00:07:55.000 a deep personal connection he's describing. Exactly. 00:07:55.420 --> 00:07:58.550 It shows a passionate pursuit and intimacy. And 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:00.610 he believed this close relationship brought tangible 00:08:00.610 --> 00:08:03.290 rewards, splendor of companionship with God, 00:08:03.769 --> 00:08:06.490 a deeper understanding of God, and guidance in 00:08:06.490 --> 00:08:08.589 his works. And practical stuff too, right? Not 00:08:08.589 --> 00:08:10.790 just spiritual insight. Oh, definitely. He links 00:08:10.790 --> 00:08:13.350 wisdom directly to producing all desirable things, 00:08:13.509 --> 00:08:15.970 making one a better artisan. And he explicitly 00:08:15.970 --> 00:08:18.990 says she teaches key virtues, moderation and 00:08:18.990 --> 00:08:21.829 prudence, righteousness, and fortitude. So it's 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:24.790 the source of skill, virtue, and spiritual connection. 00:08:25.100 --> 00:08:28.060 That seems to be the package, yes. He saw it 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:30.079 as foundational to living well and effectively 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:32.940 in every sense. Plus, it gave him foresight, 00:08:33.179 --> 00:08:36.259 knowing the past, inferring the future, understanding 00:08:36.259 --> 00:08:39.679 language, interpreting signs and wonders, real 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:42.340 depth of insight. And you see this play out in 00:08:42.340 --> 00:08:44.059 his life, according to his account. It wasn't 00:08:44.059 --> 00:08:46.480 just theoretical. No, he says wisdom was his 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.399 counselor in tough times, his comfort, and the 00:08:49.399 --> 00:08:52.919 results. glory among the multitudes, esteem from 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:55.039 the elders, even though he was young. Right. 00:08:55.139 --> 00:08:57.500 He mentions being keen in judgment and becoming 00:08:57.500 --> 00:08:59.840 a marvel before rulers. People would actually 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:02.100 wait for him to speak. Imagine that level of 00:09:02.100 --> 00:09:04.940 respect. Rulers hanging on his words. That's 00:09:04.940 --> 00:09:07.320 the kind of tangible authority and influence 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:10.059 he attributed directly to having wisdom. It gave 00:09:10.059 --> 00:09:13.090 him, he felt. immortality, through memory, and 00:09:13.090 --> 00:09:15.409 the ability to govern peoples and have nations 00:09:15.409 --> 00:09:18.269 subject to him. A lasting legacy built on wisdom. 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:20.970 A powerful testament to how central he believed 00:09:20.970 --> 00:09:23.429 wisdom was to his success and impact. But then, 00:09:23.470 --> 00:09:25.429 after describing all this power, all these benefits 00:09:25.429 --> 00:09:27.330 he brings it back around, he reminds himself 00:09:27.330 --> 00:09:30.070 and us... That he couldn't have possessed it 00:09:30.070 --> 00:09:32.970 unless God gave it. Exactly. And knowing that 00:09:32.970 --> 00:09:34.710 I could not otherwise possess her unless God 00:09:34.710 --> 00:09:37.710 gave it, and this too was prudence to know who's 00:09:37.710 --> 00:09:40.190 gift she is, I went to the Lord and besought 00:09:40.190 --> 00:09:43.200 him. It's fascinating, isn't it? Even the understanding 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:45.840 that wisdom is a gift is itself part of wisdom, 00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:48.500 part of prudence. It circles back to that need 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:51.000 for humility and actively seeking it from the 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:53.700 divine source through prayer. So summing up this 00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:56.799 deep dive, it feels like the key takeaways are 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:01.100 Solomon starting from that place of shared humanity, 00:10:01.259 --> 00:10:03.440 that common ground. Right, that humility. Then 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:05.580 the act of seeking through prayer, leading to 00:10:05.580 --> 00:10:08.279 wisdom as a divine gift. A gift he valued above 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:11.289 literally everything else. power, riches, health, 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:14.730 light. And understanding wisdom as this incredibly 00:10:14.730 --> 00:10:17.690 broad, active, almost divine force that encompasses 00:10:17.690 --> 00:10:19.769 knowledge of the universe, practical skills, 00:10:20.070 --> 00:10:22.090 virtue, and spiritual insight. And which ultimately 00:10:22.090 --> 00:10:24.909 brought him not just understanding but also esteem, 00:10:25.210 --> 00:10:27.570 influence, and paradoxically all those other 00:10:27.570 --> 00:10:30.210 good things he hadn't prioritized. And that crucial 00:10:30.210 --> 00:10:33.210 final point, recognizing it all, comes as a gift 00:10:33.210 --> 00:10:36.909 that needs to be sought. So, thinking about all 00:10:36.909 --> 00:10:39.700 that, reflecting on Solomon's journey, It really 00:10:39.700 --> 00:10:42.039 makes you wonder, doesn't it? About our own lives. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.399 Where do we look for knowledge, for insight? 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:48.559 Yeah, it poses a question. In our own search 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:51.320 for understanding, are we perhaps missing a dimension? 00:10:52.019 --> 00:10:54.480 Is there a wisdom, in Solomon's sense, connected 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:58.200 to humility, perhaps prayer or reflection, recognizing 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.779 limits that we tend to overlook? It's definitely 00:11:00.779 --> 00:11:03.000 food for thought. Thinking about those qualities 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:06.049 he has described to wisdom being kindly beneficent, 00:11:06.090 --> 00:11:09.429 tranquil, loving the good. Are those just nice 00:11:09.429 --> 00:11:12.230 side effects or are they part of the path to 00:11:12.230 --> 00:11:14.710 deeper understanding itself? That's a great question 00:11:14.710 --> 00:11:17.330 to ponder. Maybe cultivating those attributes 00:11:17.330 --> 00:11:19.850 isn't separate from gaining wisdom, but actually 00:11:19.850 --> 00:11:22.250 part of the process. Solomon's account certainly 00:11:22.250 --> 00:11:24.750 suggests a connection. It's a perspective that 00:11:24.750 --> 00:11:27.570 feels both ancient and incredibly relevant. A 00:11:27.570 --> 00:11:30.110 reminder that true understanding might be richer 00:11:30.110 --> 00:11:32.490 and deeper than just accumulating facts. Indeed. 00:11:32.929 --> 00:11:35.110 A powerful reflection on wisdom that definitely 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:37.070 stays with you. Absolutely. Well, thanks for 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:37.870 exploring that with us.