Christ and the Fulfillment of Solomon's Wisdom

"Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven"

*** This post uses a Theological term, “typology”. If you would like a more detailed explanation of the term, I recommend a previous article, which you can read here. For now, just know that it’s a foreshadowing of the Old Testament that is fulfilled later in Scripture***

I once was listening to a podcast featuring Scott Hahn, the famous Catholic Bible scholar. In this particular episode, he highlighted the typological connection between Solomon and Jesus. Specifically how both were called “Messiah” in Scripture.

Now, this doesn’t mean that Solomon was the Savior of humanity. What it means is that Solomon was the “anointed one” before birth- he was set to be anointed the King of Israel by God Himself. If you didn’t know, the literal translation of Messiah is “anointed one”.

The connection runs much deeper than just their title. Solomon, a very flawed figure in Salvation History, made a great choice at the beginning of his reign as the King of Israel.

Wisdom is Godly, and God is Generous

Solomon is originally approached by God early into his reign as king, “‘Whatever you ask, I will give you’” (2 Chronicles 1:7). This is an enormous proposition from God. Whatever Solomon wants, it will be granted him!

Before the polygamy, the idolatry, and the arrogance that would stain Solomon’s reputation, he actually made an amazing decision! Solomon gave a request that God not only granted, but even commended, “‘Give me, therefore, wisdom and knowledge to govern this people, for otherwise who could rule this vast people of yours?’” (2 Chronicles 1:10).

God gives Solomon wisdom and knowledge, and He also gives the new King everything else that a king would typically desire, “‘Because this has been your wish. . . wisdom and knowledge are given you. I will also give you riches, treasures, and glory, such as kings before you never had, nor will those who come after you’” (2 Chronicles 1:11-12).

God is so generous to Solomon. Wisdom is viewed as a gift of the Divine. Just look throughout the Psalms, Proverbs, Book of Wisdom, etc. So, Solomon truly receives a spiritual, heavenly sustenance. In addition to the “treasure of Heaven”, Solomon is also cared for temporally. God not only meets the bare minimum to sustain Solomon’s life, but He gives Solomon an absolute abundance of temporal gifts! Any reader of the New Testament should find this scenario familiar because Christ fulfills all of this.

News Flash: God is Better Than We Are

Now, God is all-knowing. When He gave Solomon wisdom and knowledge, God knew that Solomon could abuse those gifts and reject Him. Despite that reality, God still chose to bless Solomon. Why? Well, God is infinitely smarter, wiser, and better than we are! Despite our proclivity to sin, God still wants to provide for us because He loves us and wants to draw us close to Him.

All of this is exactly what Christ was talking about in His Sermon on the Mount. When He revealed the love of the Father to us through His public preaching, Christ was extending the blessing that Solomon received to everyone who follows Him.

It’s Almost Like Jesus is God or Something. . .

When Catholics say that Jesus is God, it would make sense that His actions in the Gospels fulfill and echo back to the actions of God in the Old Testament. As if They are the same! (I know. It’s a crazy theory, but maybe- just maybe- John meant what he wrote in the opening of his Gospel!)

We see the first mark of Jesus fulfilling the foreshadowing of Solomon in the fact that Jesus, being God, prompts His followers in a similar way to how God the Father prompted Solomon, “‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’” (Matthew 7:7).

The blessing once extended only to Solomon is now open to all disciples of Christ- ask for anything and it will be given to you! Obviously, it comes with some qualifiers. God only gives us those things which will ultimately lead to our salvation. This isn’t a prosperity Gospel, after all.

Jesus also makes obvious that He fully understands our potential to choose evil, but because God is so good- He still wants to provide for us, “‘If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him’” (Matthew 7:11). This is all very similar to the interaction between God and Solomon.

This Blessing is Greater Than What Solomon Received

We already learned that wisdom is viewed as a gift from Heaven. In many ways, wisdom is ultimately about pursuing God and eternal life with Him. That is important to keep in mind when we read what Christ also said in the Sermon on the Mount, “‘Your heavenly Father knows that you need them [food, water, clothing]. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides’” (Matthew 6:32-33).

In the same way that Solomon asked for wisdom (seeking the Kingdom of Heaven first) and was also rewarded with temporal goods, so too we are to strive after the Beatitudes, the Sacraments, our spiritual lives, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, etc- then God will provide the means to sustain us as we pursue those ends.

Jesus is ultimately fulfilling the wisdom of Solomon because His promise is universal, and it comes with storing up treasure in Heaven by grace, something that Solomon didn’t have the means to accomplish like we do. We should keep in mind that Jesus begins speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven and the providence of God with a bold statement. Christ says that what He is about to tell His disciples is greater than what Solomon was given, “‘But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them’” (Matthew 6:29).

I write all this to hopefully invite my readers to trust more deeply in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Christ delights in providing for us, and He wants to bring us into deeper relationship with Him. The blessings that He promises are greater than what we could possibly imagine.

Yes, we have the capability to abuse and reject the gifts that God has given us, but we also have the capability to accept the salvation that Christ offers. He will provide all that we need spiritually AND temporally, and we need only to trust in Him. After all, Jesus is an infinitely greater, more faithful leader of His people than Solomon could ever be.