IN the early years of his reign Solomon prized wisdom and understanding above all things, and God in His goodness responded to the desire of his heart and gave him wisdom “exceeding much.” He excelled in wisdom all the men of the East and all the sages of Egypt. “He was wiser than all men... and his fame was in all nations round about.” In consequence “they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, for all the kings of the earth had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:29-34). In Proverbs 2:13 he commends wisdom thus: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” Rubies and fine gold, he tells us, are worthless in comparison. But as the material prosperity of his kingdom developed, we are told that his imports were “gold and silver, ivory, and apes and peacocks” (1 Kings 10:22). Every three years the supply of all these was maintained by ships of Tarshish.
“Apes and peacocks!” For a man pre-eminent in the earth for wisdom this is a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. We find a strange blending of things that differ in Ecclesiastes 1:17: “I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly.” In ch. 2:12 also: “I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly.” Not at the same moment, surely! First, he valued wisdom as more precious than rubies and fine gold; then he resorted to madness and folly. Apes are she synonym of folly, and peacocks of vanity.
We recall J. N. Darby’s well-known lines:
“O Lord, alas what weakness
Within myself I find;
No infant’s changing pleasure
Is like my wandering mind.”
up our hands in amazement at the fickleness of Israel’s great king; but what about ourselves? Wisdom such as Solomon never imagined is within our reach today, but do we long after it? The Apostle prayed for the Colossian saints that they “might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9). He had in mind the great treasure which had been entrusted to him for administration, “the wisdom of God in a mystery” (1 Cor. 2:7)―the mystery of Christ and the Church (Eph. 3) God’s greatest and grandest thoughts concerning the glory of Christ have been revealed since His rejection on earth and His return on high. What men refused Him―the kingship of the Jews―was a small thing compared with that with which the Father has invested Him. He has placed Him at the head of the universe, and—wonder of wonders―He has given Him a body to share His glory, and that body is made up of sinners saved by grace. In the great mystery of God is “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). What value do our hearts set upon this? Paul could not teach the mystery at Corinth because of the carnality of the believers in that city.
“Apes and peacocks” — folly and vanity! Yet Solomon desired them. We may not value these particular creatures as pets, but do we in any degree cling to things which correspond to them? We sometimes sing:
“All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood.”
But let us consult our hearts and examine our ways. What vanities have we surrendered is response to the appeal of the precious blood? In the bird world it is the male who flaunts his splendor. The pea-hen is modest in comparison with her mate. But in the world of men and women it is the female that is in special danger. Hence the Spirit’s pointed words in Timothy 2:9, “That the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety (or, with modesty and discretion); not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh worn professing godliness) with good works.” God appreciates ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. In His sight it is of great price” (1 Peter 3:4). Are these instructions always obeyed by women who profess to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ? Are men absolutely immune from the ape and peacock danger? Alas, no! The writer has sat alongside an “elder” at the Lord’s Supper who had carefully waxed his mustache before leaving home, and this as recently as the year 1943!
Our God hates fleshly display. When Hezekiah displayed all his treasures to the messengers of the king of Babylon (probably feeling flattered by their visit) he was told that they should all be carried to Babylon, and that his sons should be eunuchs in the King’s palace (2 Kings 20:12-19)