Jesus the Star of the Drama of Solomon

In our story about Solomon many will be tempted to think that Solomon is the star of the drama but in fact Jesus is the star of the story. Jesus is the One who set up the kingdom for David and set the stage for Solomon to reveal the principles of God or of satan. Jesus is the One who allowed Solomon (Peaceable or Perfect) to be born to David and Bathsheeba and was the One who changed Solomon’s name to Jedidiah (Beloved of the Lord) by th hand of Nathan the Prophet. II Samuel 12:24-25. Without Jesus, the Pre-Incarnate Son of God, there would be no story of Solomon and no recording of this story in the Scriptures. In fact, Peter states that it is through the Spirit of Christ that the prophets recorded these stories for our instruction, as well as the instruction for the angels. I Peter 1:10-12; I Corinthians 10:1-11

Before I continue with the story of Solomon lets us review a few more details that the Bible provides us about Jesus being the God of the Old Testament. Genesis 1:26 indicates that Jesus is part of the "Us" that created the earth and created man in "Our" image. Colossians 1:12-17 clearly states that the Father created all things through Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-2 repeats this idea that the Father created all the worlds, not just the Earth, by the hand of Jesus. John 1:1-3 also clearly states that the Word, Jesus Christ, was the Creator of the Earth and that Jesus created all things. In the Bible the Creator is the One worthy of all worship and praise. Exodus 20:8-11. In Revelation 4:11 the Father is worthy to receive praise because He created all things. In Revelation 5 the focus on the One worthy of praise is that of the Lamb of God as well as He who sits on the throne. In Revelation 14:7 we are again brought back to the fact of worship belonging to the One who created "heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." So it would appear that the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all involved in the Creation but that Jesus is the God who was the primary individual who created the world.
In I Timothy 2:5 the Bible says that there is "One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." In Hebrews 7:25 Jesus is presented as One who "ever liveth to make intercession for them." This was the job of Jesus after sin entered into the world through Adam. Jesus is presented as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:8. It has been Jesus’ function to intercede for man ever since sin separated man from his Creator. Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 5:13-21; Isaiah 59:1-2

Another facet of revealing Jesus in the Old Testament is the story of Noah. Peter claims that the flood in Noah’s day was a type of baptism and equates this as an example of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I Peter 3:18-22. In addition God – Father, Son, or Holy Spirit was the Spokesperson for the Godhead in interacting with the people at the time of Noah. Since Jesus is the Intercessor between God and man I would have to believe that the God who determined the 120 probation on the people before the flood was the same God who covenanted with Abraham and set the times of probation on the Amorites/Egyptians in Genesis 15:13-16. This God who covenanted with Abraham, and was before Abraham, was Jesus. John 8:56-58

Jesus also claimed to be the God in the Old Testament who was the leader of Israel while they were in captivity to Egypt. The Angel of the Lord, God, Jesus, Who spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4) was to be called the I Am. Exodus 3:13-14. Jesus claimed to be the I Am in John 8:58 and the Jews took offense that a man would claim to be the God of the OT. In addition Paul also claims that the One who led Israel through the wilderness was Christ. I Corinthians 10:1-11 All through the Old Testament we see the mercy and grace of Jesus on display as He worked with His rebellious people Israel. We see the many ways that Jesus worked with His slow and difficult people instructing, guiding, and disciplining them to reveal Him to the world.

One of the greatest displays of His mercy and condescension was in the building of the sanctuary service. In Exodus 25:8 Jesus asks the people to build Him a sanctuary so that He could dwell among them. It is this concept that John refers to in John 1:14 where the word "dwelt" was a reference to the tabernacle which Jesus Himself claims was His body. John 2:18-22. This temple/sanctuary/tabernacle was one of the key stories of how Jesus chose to interact with Solomon and had given Solomon instruction through David as Jesus had given instruction to Moses, to build the sanctuary in Solomon’s time. This sanctuary concept was one of the primary parables given in the Bible to instruct us on the procedural aspects of salvation. This temple issue was repeated in the time of Ezra and then revealed again through the church. I Corinthians 3:16-17; I Peter 2:4-10; Ephesians 2:19-22

Another facet of Jesus that is revealed in the Old Testament is that of Jesus being the "Wonderful Numberer" of Daniel 8:13 Margin Reference. It was Jesus who established the prophetic visions through out the Bible and established the wonderful precision by which all things were fulfilled so that we could have confidence in His great abilities. Solomon was a type of this facet of Jesus in the wisdom that Jesus granted Him and Joseph was a type of this quality in revealing the prophecies Jesus gave to Pharaoh in Genesis 41:1-36. As a result of this ability Pharaoh gave Joseph a special name "Zaphnath-paaneah" which means "A Revealer of Secrets" which is similar the name Palmoni of Daniel 8:13 which can also mean "A Numberer of Secrets". So all through Scriptures, and all through time, the Wonderful Numberer continues to reveal His will, and wisdom to His children in the church.

In the 70 week prophecy we are told when it is that Jesus would come on the scene in the tabernacle of flesh. Hebrews 10:5-10 Jesus took on a human form to come and dwell among His people. Exodus 25:8. Jesus came to reveal God in a form that we could tolerate and not be harmed by, for we know from Scripture that Jesus, in His Godly form would be too much light for us and we would be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. II Thessalonians 2:8. Jesus lived the life we should have lived, He magnified the law by His life, and He died the death we should have died. Then Jesus was raised from the dead to testify to the power of His resurrection. Then Jesus returned to heaven to begin His priesthood of the New Covenant to continue His intercessions for us in the Real Sanctuary in heaven. All of these events were testified to by the prophets and the Apostles to strengthen and encourage us in our walk with Christ. Ephesians 2:20; Acts 3:17-26

Finally Jesus, who has watched over His precious church all of these years, has granted to us the Apostles, as well as the prophets, and is continuing to prepare His church for His second coming. When Jesus is content that His church is without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:23-27) and that His bride is fully prepared (Revelation 19:7-9) then Jesus will come and gather His people – those who live through to the end without seeing death and those who will be resurrected from the dead. I Thessalonians 4:13018 and I Corinthians 15:51-57. After taking us to heaven for 1000 years, He will then bring His church back from the honeymoon, and bring the church, and the New Jerusalem, to the earth, resurrect the wicked, complete the judgment process, and then create a new heaven and a new earth. This is the Jesus that is to be revealed I the life and experiences of Solomon and his people. This is the Jesus of the Bible.