Who Actually Wrote Proverbs?

Question: who is the wisest man to ever live? If you said "King Solomon" then pat yourself on the back and give yourself a cookie, because that's exactly what the bible tells us in 1 Kings. He was the son of Israel's greatest king, King David, and in addition to his wisdom was the richest man alive circa 950 B.C. God appeared to him one night in a dream, telling him to ask for whatever he wanted and it would be given to him. Solomon, understanding this favor and great kindness the Lord had shone, asked not for riches or harems or political clout, but instead desired a "discerning heart to govern the people and to distinguish between right and wrong" (1 Kings 3:4-15). This answer pleased the Lord, and "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore" (1 Kings 4:29).

Perhaps you've heard of the decision that made him famous? A modern terminology-laden history lesson won't hurt. Let's say you're a judge in New Orleans presiding over a district court, and you have sole authority to determine a case. Two prostitutes from the local brothel stroll in, and the first one tells the story of how the second woman, while sleeping one night, rolls over and smothers her newborn child, killing him. Since they live in the same brothel, the woman who accidentally kills her son sneakily goes over to the first woman while she sleeps, takes her newborn and replaces him with her dead son. You follow? Of course in the morning, the first one sees the child by her side is dead and not hers, and because the DNA labs are down, it's really a case of she-said she-said, and now she's appealing to you, Judge. What do you to? What is the wisest decision you can make? What's fair? Thinking it over while surveying the room, you come to a conclusion, turn to the bailiff, and whisper quietly into his ear. He opens the door to your back chamber, grabs the Dragon Strike Shinobi Katana ninja sword you have on display, and returns it to you. Solemnly and devoid of any emotion, you stand and say, "Bring me the child, I will cut him in two, that you way you both can have a piece of the boy."

Whoa, curve ball.

Now you know good and well that forgery of a sword couldn't cut through a stick, much less a baby boy, and you wait to see if they call your bluff. The first whore cries in desperation, "Please judge, don't kill my baby, let her have him." The second one states matter-of-factly, "The Judge's ruling is final; neither one of us shall have the baby." Jackpot. Obviously any mother would never wish to see her own son sliced and diced before her very eyes; you don't wait for a recess to render your decision, the women have made it for you: "Give the baby to the first woman, for she is the real mother." Way to go, Judge, you made the right call.

The bible tells us that like the game of telephone, word spread about Solomon's historical decision regarding the two prostitutes; the entire nation held the king in awe, because they saw God had granted him the ability to administer justice fairly. Not only that, he was the smartest guy in every room he was ever in. We learn in 1 Kings 4 that Solomon:
- had knowledge of every discipline, field and area of study known to man;
- was wiser than all the men of Mesopotamia and Arabia (all the known world at the time);
- was a poet and songwriter, respectively composing over 3000 and 1000 in his lifetime;
- studied and taught botany;
- instructed the people on biology and zoology;
- was and international superstar in a non-digital age.

Ever heard of the Queen of Sheba? Modern archaeological evidence identifies Sheba in southwestern Arabia, about 1200 miles from King Solomon's hometown of Jerusalem, and the town profited from commodities trade with nearby Israeli cities of Damascus and Gaza. The Queen of Sheba took a road trip - how long does it take to caravan by camel through the desert 1200 miles? - just to pay tribute to Solomon. News had spread of his wisdom, and she wanted to see for herself. So impressed with Solomon was the queen that she showered him with more spices than had ever been given or known ever in Israel, gold, precious stones, the whole nine yards, and praised Solomon's God (1 Kings 10:1-13).

It's hard to make a 21st century comparison, but Solomon was an international rock star. If he were a baseball player, he would be a five-tool player; if he were a football star, he'd be in the hall of fame; if he were a musician, he'd be Michael Jackson (without the pedophilia); if he were a business man, he'd be Bill Gates; he was definitely Smarter than a 5th Grader - you get the point. He was all these talents rolled into one - there has never been a man like him before or after him, and all the nations of the earth recognized it. It's one thing to say you're the best, but when you can back it up with stats, your accomplishments speak for themselves. But more importantly, the most essential aspect of Solomon's talent was summed up neatly by the Queen of Sheba on her visit: "Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness."

Here's the rub...when God granted Solomon the ability to discern right from wrong and made him the wisest man to ever live, the people from all nations, not just Israel, recognized it. Our American political correctness doesn't like this - we call it judging, or polarizing, or [insert favorite gerund here] - but the nations in Solomon's time didn't have any qualms about it. For them, the king who said the God of heaven and earth had given him such wisdom was all the proof they needed, because the saw the truth of what he said by his actions. In other words, he walked the walk, and because of this, they gave tribute to that which Solomon gave tribute - God.

Proverbs is the biblical book that records many of King Solomon's wise sayings, and we're going to attempt to thoughtfully engage his proverbs and see whether or not they ring true. If they stand up to scrutiny, then whether we engage in personal or business transactions, they ought to be applied. Knowing the background of any author or writer helps to give credibility to his or her publication. If a man has the corner on wisdom, his life ought to show it...we'll find out.