Solomon proves the question of love

Among famous love quotes posted on Google’s home page for Valentine’s Day was Oscar Wilde’s: “You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

Of course, many of the greatest romantic love quotes of all time are found in the King James Bible, but you won’t likely find them on any internet search engine's promo material.

One of the best-ever romance authors is King Solomon, responsible for the Song of Solomon.

I Kings says that “all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.”

In chapter 4, we learn that “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore . . . And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. [33] And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
[34] And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.”

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People like to defend Islam as one of the great “love” religions, but the fact is the book doesn’t do well in the realm of love, and never once gives “love” as an official attribute of Mohammed. Calling him "The Loving" is the only mention in the "99 names of Allah."

Similarly, the Islamic tradition has perverted the biblical notion of Solomon “speaking” to animals, making it literal and attaching to him a power over “jinns,” or the demons popularly written about in the Koran who were said to inhabit trees, stones, rivers and mountains and be influenced by Muhammad.

In Sura 27:18-19  of the Koran, Solomon is said to overhear a conversation of ants, even though the reality is ants use smell, not sound, to communicate.

One translation of the passage reads: “Till when they came to a valley of ants, one of the ants said: ‘Ants, get into your habitations or Solomon and his armies may trample you without [even] knowing it.’ He smiled, at what she said. And he said: ‘My Lord, support me to be grateful for the blessings that You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and grant me to do the pious deeds, which please You; and admit me, with Your abounding Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous people.’ ’’

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On the website “Understanding Islam,” a writer defends the Koran’s use of the word “said” in the above translation, arguing, “The Arabic word like its English counterpart 'said' does not necessarily imply verbal communication or communication through spoken words. On the contrary, both these words, in their respective languages may sometimes be used for communication of ideas, feelings and thoughts, through any mode of communication.”

“It may further be noted that the Qur'an has not used any such words like 'listen', 'hear' or 'overhear' for Solomon's comprehension and understanding of what the ant 'said'. The Qur'an, on the contrary, has only implied that Solomon (pbuh) understood and comprehended what the ant 'said'.

“The Qur'an does not 'say' that ants communicate through speech, on the contrary, it only 'says' that whatever the mode of communication in ants, Solomon (pbuh) comprehended and understood their communication, as a part of the special favors that he was granted by the Almighty.”

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In a huge encyclopedia I have on mythology, it says that according to Islamic tradition, “Solomon ruled over all the Jinns, as well as humans, animals and birds . . . He could speak all the languages, including those of the animals and birds, many of which submitted to his judgment. He is believed to have built the first temple in Jerusalem with the help of the angels and demons.”

Obviously, it’s a real slam on God to say Solomon built the Temple with the aid of demons! As for Solomon literally talking to trees and animals and such, this represents a complete misreading of Scripture.

“The Bible’s not talking about some hokey thing where he’s over there talking to the trees!” explains my preacher, Richard Jordan. “No, that isn’t what he’s doing. It’s talking about how he became an expert in horticulture. He became somebody who knew about the plant life. He worked in sciences. It says ‘he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.’ He became an expert in animal husbandry. He was a biologist.”

Jordan continues, “Solomon had a tremendous curiosity of the world about him. The verse says, ‘There came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.’

“But it wasn’t just that he was wise; it wasn’t just that they were coming to say, ‘Wow, man, he’s smart!’ They came to hear what he had to say. They came to learn those 3,000 proverbs and take them home. Horticulture, animal husbandry, the sciences—they wanted that wisdom and information to bring home with them and put to use.”

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A classic passage detailing the vast wealth, not just the wisdom, of Solomon, is in I Kings 10 when the queen of Sheba, having heard of the fame of God’s chosen man, pays a visit to “prove him with hard questions.”

The passage reports, “She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
[3] And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
[4] And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
[5] And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
[6] And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
[7] Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.”

Jordan explains, “When it says ‘the half was not told me,’ I mean, the newspapers and CNN, and the reporters from ABC, NBC, CBS, they didn’t tell half of what was going on there it was just so great.”