2 Chronicles 9 – The
Queen of Sheba hears of Solomon’s
fame and comes to Jerusalem “test him with hard questions” (9:1), to test the
wisdom he was reputed to possess. She brings a great retinue carrying spices,
gold and precious stones. He answers all her questions and impresses her so
with the plenty of his court that she is overwhelmed. She recognizes the
greatness of Israel’s Lord and gives Solomon many gifts: “9,000 pounds of god,
great quantities of spices and precious jewels” (9:9).
Hiram also brings red sandalwood and precious stones from
which the king makes steps for the Temple and musical instruments (lyres and harps)
for the singers. The account tells of all the gold and goods brought by traders
and merchants, gold from which Solomon made many lovely things: gold shields, a
great ivory throne overlaid with gold and with two great lions for armrests and
twelve smaller lions along each side of the six steps leading up to the
throne. Silver counted for almost
nothing—gold was so plentiful. “Thus
King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom” (9:22).
“Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had
given him” (9:23).
He had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, 12,000
horses imported from Egypt and elsewhere stationed in the chariot cities he
established. He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the
Philistines and down to the border of Egypt. All the acts of Solomon are said
to be recorded in the history of the prophet Nathan and in the prophecy of
Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of the seer Iddo concerning Jeroboam,
son of Nebat. He reigns in Jerusalem 40
years. Rehoboam succeeds him.
Augustine’s Treatise
on the Profit of Believing
16 - But it will
be said, the truth is with some few; therefore you already know what it is, if
you know with whom it is. Said I not a little above, that we were in search of
it as unlearned men? But if from the
very force of truth you conjecture that few possess it, but know not who they
are; what if it is thus, that there are so few who know the truth, as that they
hold the multitude by their authority, whence the small number may set
itself free, and, as it were, strain
itself forth into those secrets? [“strain itself
forth” ???]
Do we not see how few attain the highest eloquence, whereas
through the whole world the schools of rhetoricians are resounding with troops
of young men? What, do they, as many as desire to turn out good orators,
alarmed at the multitude of the unlearned, think that they are to bestow their
labor on the orations of Cæcilius, or Erucius, rather than those of Tullius?
All aim at these, which are confirmed by authority of our forefathers. Crowds
of unlearned persons essay to learn the same, which by the few learned are
received as to be learned: yet very few
attain, yet fewer practise, the very fewest possible become famous. It is always true in every field that the best interpreters
of it are those who have totally dedicated everything in them to understanding
it. He speaks of the literature that the learned were expected to master in his
day.
What, if true
religion be some such thing? What if a multitude of unlearned persons
attend the Churches, and yet that be no proof, that therefore no one is made
perfect by these mysteries? And yet, if they who studied eloquence were as few
as the few who are eloquent, our parents would never believe that we ought to
be committed to such masters. Whereas, then, we have been called to these
studies by a multitude, which is numerous in that portion of it which is made
up of the unlearned, so as to become enamored of that which few can attain
unto; why are we unwilling to be in the
same case in religion, which perhaps
we despise with great danger to our soul? For if the truest and purest
worship of God, although it be found with a few, be yet found with those, with
whom a multitude albeit wrapped up in lusts, and removed far from purity of
understanding, agrees; (and who can doubt that this may happen?) I ask, if one
were to charge us with rashness and folly, that we seek not diligently with
them who teach it, that, which we are greatly anxious to discover, what can we
answer? [Shall we say,] I was deterred by numbers?
Why from the pursuit of liberal arts, which hardly bring any
profit to this present life; why from search after money? Why from attaining
unto honor; why, in fine, from gaining and keeping good health; lastly, why
from the very aim at a happy life; whereas all are engaged in these, few excel;
were you deterred by no numbers? In a matter as
important as religion, it makes the greatest sense to seek after the wisdom of
those who are completely dedicated to it and not make decisions about it based
on the talk of the “many” who trail along behind those who are popular or are
good at manipulating crowds. That’s what I hear him saying. Like if I know that
this guy Augustine has been looked to and revered by people all over the
religious spectrum for centuries, then one should perhaps listen to what he
says and not just throw him out because he’s associated with a version of the
faith that you don’t really like.
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