If you go to church regularly, you will likely be regularly exposed to teachings on major Christian topics such as grace, faith, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and salvation. You might spend weeks or months studying one of those topics.
There are probably many times you have heard a Scripture and said to yourself, “I wish someone would give me a short lesson on a particular word or topic. Not a long treatise, but enough to get a better understanding.” The purpose of this series is to do that for a wide variety of topics. For that reason, some of these videos are shorter than the typical Eyewitness episodes.
As we often caution, we are not trying to add to what the Bible says, we are trying to add context that will help you understand the Bible better. So, please read the applicable Scriptures in the study guides for these stories so you will know exactly what the Bible says.
Americans, especially Texans, are fond of thinking “bigger is better.” The Bible often shows how God works through small things to show his awesome power and control, while using small things to remind humans of their frailty and lack of control.
King Solomon wrote Song of Songs 2:15, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards.” He knew that seemingly little choices have the potential to cause big damage. Unfortunately, he never seemed to put that lesson into practice.
1 Kings 10:26 details how Solomon acquired 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses from Egypt and Kue. He had so much silver that is was considered as common as stones. 1 Kings 11:3 shows he had 1,000 wives and concubines. However, five centuries before his time, Moses had commanded future kings of Israel not to acquire horses from Egypt, have many wives, or accumulate a lot of gold and silver (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).
It’s impossible to guess which decision put Solomon on those paths of destruction, but one possibility is found in 1 Kings 3:1. “Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by marriage, and too Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the City of David.” This alliance probably helped increase trade with Egypt and help secure Solomon’s borders.
