Episode 8: What's written on Solomon's Epitaph?
There's much to reflect on as we bring this season to a close - join us as we consider what we would write on Solomon's epitaph to sum up his life!
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Would you add anything different to Solomon's epitaph?
How has your view of Christ grown through studying 1 Kings 1-11?
Take some time to pray through how the Lord has been speaking to you over the last few weeks.
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This episode is sponsored by Dwell Bible app.
Bring the teachings and stories of Scripture to life, not just reading the words, but hearing them read over you and transform your daily moments, such as exercise or chores around the house, into divine encounters, helping you to build consistent routines.
Head over to dwellbible.com/twosisters for more information.
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The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.
Felicity: You're listening to the Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea podcast, the Bible Study podcast for everyday life. We're here for a 20-minute burst of Bible chats over a cup of tea and an English-style biscuit as we make our way through a Bible book over the course of the season and drive it to our hearts. And today we're wrapping up our time in 1 Kings chapters 1 through 11. Whether you've been listening for a while or have just found us, we're so pleased you're here.
Sarah: We're rounding off this season and thankful for our continuing partnership with Dwell, an app we've all been so grateful for over the last little while. In the midst of the busyness of life, the Dwell Bible app has been a game changer for us as it allows us to listen to God's word while we're on the go. Whether it's doing the laundry or in the car or on our walk back from the school drop-off, I pick my Bible book, choose my favourite voice, I love David Suchet, and before I know it, I've listened to a good chunk of scripture. Dwell also has helpful playlists, devotionals, and a new curated list of audiobooks to get stuck into as well. We love it and we highly recommend it as a way for getting into your Bible at any time and in any place. Now the folks at Dwell are giving Two Sisters listeners a 25 % discount. So do go to dwellbible.com/twosisters that's dwellbible.com/twosisters for your 25 % discount on this outstanding resource.
Felicity: Welcome to Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea. My name is Felicity and I'm here in the States. I'm here as ever with my sister Sarah. She's in the UK. And this is our final episode in One Kings chapters 1 through 11. We're going to be reviewing, wrapping up, reflecting on all that we've been reading and talking about. And we're sad to be at the end, but excited to have got to this point. Sarah, good to see you. I hear that you've got some sort of biscuit-y nugget to impart.
Sarah: I've got some biscuit chat. I don't have an actual biscuit with me, but I did wonder whether you knew what the world record was for chopping biscuits with your hand. How many biscuits do you think someone can chop with their hand?
Felicity: Who even thought of that as a thing? Chop it with your hands, so like a karate chop kind of. Okay. So how, as in the biscuits are stacked up and you have to chop it. Well, I mean, does it depend on what biscuit is? 26.
Sarah: No, a bit high. 18. 18 is the world record. There you go. I actually can't remember, but I read it. I think the kids have like a magazine that comes through the door and it was in one of those, so there we go. Felicity, we are gonna get into the question of what's written on Solomon's epitaph today. But before we get there, we wanted to kind of take a moment to just kind of sit in the reality that at the beginning of One Kings, we had David on his deathbed. He was aged and he was near the end of his life. And actually in chapter 11, here, we're here in a similar spot with Solomon that he has become old. And in his old age, that's when he's decided to make some perilous decisions for his life and the kingdom. And we just thought it was helpful to just reflect on that a little bit. I think that's, well, I say we, maybe me, as in I just think it's one of the things that's really struck me going through this kind of sandwich of the old age and keeping going on not keeping going in the old age.
Felicity: Yeah, I think it's really noticeable and Solomon has such a good, there are so many highs, aren't there? But the end is really important. And so what does it mean to keep going? And I think I've been struck by what does it mean to be guarded as we get older, to keep holding fast? It's not just to kind of one and done, you make this decision and then that's it, you're fine. Because Solomon made lots of good decisions, but in his old age. And I think it just raises the question like what, what's going on there? Why is it that we struggle to persevere? Why like to keep going to it like that just that we well we I say we but Solomon reflecting that potential we all have to just kind of give up a bit or to get distracted as we go on. I guess life can feel long while it's not actually that long is it? I don't know. What do you think? How has it been impacting your heart as you've been reflecting on it?
Sarah: Yeah, I think the kind of reality that we can be so. Our hearts are deceitful above all things. We're told that in the Bible, aren't we? And that actually we can think that sin isn't that big a deal. I read this really helpful quote that I'll read us now from a book. Actually was based on Genesis narrative, but just has really stuck with me this year. And it said this, over time sin carves ruts in our hearts, there are grooves of sin formed through repeated temptation and failure that get worn into us. The ruts in our hearts are not normally erased by the Spirit of God. He helps us not to slide into them. He gives us grace. He's more than able to keep us from falling. But in most cases, the ruts are still there. And I've just found that really helpful for the kind of acknowledgement of actually there will be paths of sin in our hearts that are not easily kind of just erased and actually to be on guard and to keep watch as Jesus tells us to that we wouldn't fall into temptation. That is an active, proactive thing through all of life, isn't it? And actually to see that actually at the end here, Solomon was not proactive, even though we've seen through these 11 chapters that there are particular temptations with women, with money, with power that were kind of there from the beginning. And I think that's just, yeah, it's just been really, yeah, good to be reminded of that.
Felicity: Yeah, really helpful and yeah yeah really helpful to know that that is still gonna be a reality like you don't sort of put those things to death once and for all but actually we need to be aware and there's a self-awareness in that isn't it as well and I guess as we age as we all age what it looks like to God against that to be self-aware in that and to continue to ask for the Lord's help that we would be those who who are not falling into the ruts that are there yeah
Sarah: Yeah, so we have got the question today of what would we put on Solomon's epitaph? What would be that one liner on his gravestone? We thought that might be a fitting way to kind of end our time with Solomon. Felicity, what have you got? What have you gone for?
Felicity: Well, I went for thinking about the big sweep of scripture and I just kind of went for God's partially promised King. But as I say that out loud, it makes it sound like Solomon is only part of a person, which is not what I meant. The partial promise is fulfilled in him. No, part of the promise is fulfilled in him.
Sarah: I think. Yeah? Yeah! You've got the subtext underneath the gravestone!
Felicity: I appreciate on a gravestone you couldn't qualify it in the way that I have there. What have you gone for? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Please ring this number if you'd like to find out what is meant here.
Sarah: Well, go on then, tell us what you actually mean by that. Why have you gone for that? Like, what's your reasons behind that?
Felicity: Well, I think that as you take a step back from One Kings and you see Solomon in the context of the whole sweep of the salvation story and scripture, particularly in relation to the covenants that are made, the Davidic covenant, know, the promise that God's King will be on God's throne forever and this God will be with his people and there'll be relationship that is enabled through the temple, what we ultimately, at this point through the temple, ultimately through Jesus. And I think I really have been struck by how Solomon is the, he's the staging post on the way to the full picture of that. And that's been really helpful to me to see then how Jesus ultimately does fulfill that. to really value having Solomon right here, right now, to show me that, that God is outworking his promises, his purposes are being fulfilled. And Solomon is very clearly exactly who God intended to have on the throne right here. And we see it from the beginning with David's, you know, God's king in those opening chapters, but opening chapters are very much the king, the king, the king, who's then establishing the line, the Davidic line, and then you get Solomon, and then just all the kind of establishment of him, ultimately that prayer of dedication at the temple, and the fact that God appears to him twice and says, Solomon, this is it, you've got it, giving the gift of wisdom, then also blessing him with this unbelievable kingdom that we talked about last time or the time before in relation to the Queen of Sheba's response. So I guess I was leaning towards the highs in that in relation to the salvation story and loving that Solomon gives us the partial picture of what is to come.
Sarah: Nice, yeah, yeah, that's good, it makes sense.
Felicity: Yeah, you're like, yeah, but you've got different words, I'm assuming.
Sarah: I think mine's better but like I think you've got a fair argument.
Felicity: All right, Epitaph writer, go for it.
Sarah: Mine's only better because I've nabbed it off Jesus though. So I've just gone with: someone greater is coming. Full stop. No phone number, no.
Felicity: Full stop, no qualifying text but. Okay, explain this Sarah, why have you gone for that? So looking more towards what's to come.
Sarah: Well I think, think man maybe this reflects our kind of slightly optimistic or pessimistic tendencies but I know but I've kind of sat with this original audience and just and those here at the time and those with it you know in exile and they're just the utter hopelessness that they would have been feeling in this disgraced king and the implications of his sin for the rest of them for hundreds of years and just that kind of they're left so wanting aren't they? That you know they they really thought this was it and he's really not and there's a gaping lack by the end and it's it's it's disaster and and I think just it's a very kind of real yeah to someone better is coming like this he wasn't he wasn't ever gonna be the pinnacle of God's story his salvation story and that's okay as you're saying, like he is just a staging post to the one who is better. And so his epitaph is here just simply just to remind us of that hope, like it's okay, someone better is coming. And I think that could have also, I want to say this is my optimistic tendency coming in that actually there's a bit of hope for Solomon. I really hope that in his latter days in humility he would have gone okay there's someone better than me. Like I am not it because I have just royally messed this up. And just the kind of, yeah, just the hopeful realisation for him that his hope was then firmly in the one who was going to come in the Lord Jesus.
Felicity: That is really helpful to particularly consider it from the perspective of the original readers, not the people who were in the midst of the story, but the original readers who would have been in exile and therefore seeing just total, well, disaster and yeah. And so I do see that, I do see that, then we need to know, they need to know that there is definitely this is not the end. This is not the end of the story. Yeah. Yeah, what do you think about, where do you fit the highs of Solomon's, you know, the, the, I guess, I guess what I'm saying, the God given this is God's King right here, right now. How does that fit with a little bit? Yeah.
Sarah: fit into my one liner? But I think it does because we've seen the real glories and still Jesus says someone greater is here. So we've gone wow a lot at Solomon and the kingdom and yet we've also gone a bigger wow at Jesus, haven't we? So the fact that he's looking so good in the highs, it's unimaginable how glorious the kingdom of heaven is gonna be in its complete fulfillment. so I think, I my line works for that because it's both it it straddles both i'm sticking with it
Felicity: Yeah, no, I think that's right. And that is something as I've been reflecting on these chapters and having spent time with it, I think we were just saying to each other just yesterday how it's a bit of a slow burner actually in terms of I feel like my wow factor to Jesus is kind of increasing as we get to this point and we look back and I feel God's word going to work in my heart because I think I'm more and more inclined to be wowed by Jesus as a result of this. And one of my big prayers, I think, as we've been walking through this is that my, that I would long to, well, is it long because I am under the reign of Jesus now, but that I would love that more or that I would desire that more, that there'd be a settling into that, that I think has really helped by seeing all the glories and knowing that Jesus brings better and brings more. And I do think you're right, I do think you're right that the royal mess up that is evidenced in these last couple of chapters, it does make you think, I'm so glad that Solomon is not the answer. Like this is, you know, we've got better, we've got better to come.
Sarah: Yeah, I mean, it's utterly hopeless, isn't it? And I guess that's where the epitaph thing then slightly fails. Or maybe it comes to a climax in the fact that for Jesus, we do not have an epitaph. We don't have to write one because there is no gravestone. There's no graveyard. no, you know, that tomb was empty and he sits on his throne at the right hand of God and he is ruling and which comes full circle right back to the beginning of chapters one and two where we have kind of grew in confidence that actually God's planned, but he's king on the throne and he's willing now in heaven. That's a wonderful thing to be reminded of, isn't it? And just that, the heartening hope that we have that it's not, it cannot be thwarted. Our hope in this King Jesus cannot be thwarted because death could not thwart him. Death could not touch him. And Hooray! Hooray! Yeah, there's no line to think of for him because there's no gravestone.
Felicity: I love that. I think that's so so so helpful just to sit of seat just remember that and We're not been waiting to see if Jesus messes up before he dies like you know that you know coz that we're reflecting on the old age thing at the start there but but actually this is secure he is ongoingly is the perfect sinless king who will not be swayed by any of these things that influenced and pulled Solomon back into those ruts and isn't that just so encouraging and I think encouraging in a sense of I am in the right place as I worship Jesus. My eggs are in the right basket which it seems like I feel like eggs and baskets are not quite the right language to be using here but there's a I feel assured in my worship of King Jesus. I'm in the right place by putting myself under his reign, by following him above all else. And the lack of an epitaph and the fact that he is the resurrected reigning king, it really does blow Solomon out the water. I would still say that in order to see that clearly and to love that holy and to be all the more convinced of that, we still need the foil of this being the partial picture. So the partial picture convinces us all the more that this is the real deal right here, resurrection King, real deal. So I will give you that, know, since you've used Jesus's words, I mean, I'm gonna give you it.
Sarah: Can't really disagree that one, can you? Would you change it slightly? Would you change it slightly to a better King is coming? I just feel slightly like not enough, not enough glory. You can't possibly diminish Jesus' glory, can you? Because he's just better in every way. And what a joy it's been to see that. I think just the reality, I think it's been helpful just in doing this with Women's Bible Study and just remembering that actually every page of scripture does show us something about Jesus' glory. And it's not always obvious, it's not always kind of, you know, blaring us in the face, but it is here and as you say, it's been a growing picture and I think doing this has given us more confidence to go into other parts of Old Testament and go, okay, Lord, show me your glory, show me where I'm going to see the glories of Jesus here. And it's given me a desire to keep digging, to keep working hard because it's here, he's here and yeah, God willing when we come back to One Kings at some point this really is going to set up for the next part of it, isn't it? But I think I really appreciate what the author has done here in slowing down for 11 chapters. He's deliberately done that, hasn't he? He didn't need to. He's deliberately slowed down and we've needed to as well. We've needed to take his pace there's a reason why he asked us to slow down. And as you were saying, that has helped us to kind of over time to sit and to gradually grow more and more in awe for the Lord Jesus. And that's been a real gift.
Felicity: I, yeah, wholly agree. And I think I'm excited to dwell on it more retrospectively, kind of this, and I think then seeing that, I think that's really helpful even just to notice that we can then dwell on that and seek that and look for these glories in every part of scripture. And it's a spiritual work, that isn't it, that we would see Jesus, that the eyes of our heart would be enlightened, that we might know know who we have in Jesus. We see it here and we see it obviously a little more clearly in the Gospels and other places but yeah. So do want to pray for us that we would be those who really can see it and know it and love it and all of those things.
Sarah: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for what you have shown us in the first 11 chapters of 1 Kings. We praise you Lord for the way that we have grown in our awe and in our wonder of the Lord Jesus. We praise you that his epitaph does not need to be written because the grave could not hold him. We praise you that he is our resurrected, glorious King of Kings and we do pray that as we go from here, as we shut 1 Kings for the moment Lord, that you would continue to root these truths in our heart, that we would have confidence that your purposes and your plans cannot be thwarted because we know that they are all fulfilled in Christ. And so we just pray, please would you keep doing that work in our hearts, helping us to see more of you and Lord, helping us to therefore to live under your right and wise rule for your glory. Amen.
Felicity: Well, that's it. But not it really, because we will be coming back.
Sarah: We will be back in the new year so do sign up for our newsletter if you haven't already to be first in the know of what's coming next. It's been an absolute pleasure to be in your earbuds over the last few weeks in One Kings and we look forward to seeing you in the new year. We'll see you then.
Felicity: See you then. Goodbye.
Sarah: This episode has been sponsored by Dwell.
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