The Success of Solomon as a King
John Drane came to the conclusion that 'Judged by the standards of
world powers, Solomon was outstandingly successful, the greatest of
all Israel's rulers. But judged by the moral and spiritual standards
of the covenant, he was a miserable failure.' I agree with Drane in
this statement because there were indeed many things Solomon did in
his reign that were beneficial to the people and the country. However,
for a man working for God, he does not seem to apply the covenant of
Yahweh very much to the decisions he makes as king.
Previously, during the reign of David, a new kingdom was beginning to
be established. The small towns of the tribal confederacy were
developing into larger cities throughout the land, noted for their
economic and political importance. Israel was growing into a powerful
nation, while David's powerful armies were defeating others around it.
Therefore, when Solomon became king, he inherited an already large and
stable kingdom in a secure position, with relatively large military
forces and a reasonably content population. He also had the great
example of his own father to follow, unlike Saul previously. However,
his Father advises him to follow the word of God, which he does not
take much heed of. He did many things within his reign that
consolidated not only his own position, but also aided the position of
Israel.
Solomon was 'born to the purple' (Anderson), and never knew anything
but the sheltered, extravagant life of a king's palace. However, it
was this influence that made him want to demonstrate his power and
wealth to the surrounding nations, therefore both building up ...
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...was a successful king: he brought military strength, strong alliances
and trading routes, great wealth and efficient central administration.
All of these are imperative to a stable and successful kingdom.
However Anderson argues that all of this glory and security was
achieved through 'harsh measures of exploitation', which is evident
through the evidence of taxation and forced labour Solomon inflicted
on the country. Drane and Bright both agree that 'He had become like
the kings of other nations in every bad sense', and he was 'the
embodiment of all a king ought not to be'. Solomon's reign is a
controversial one, and although he was successful in many ways, his
greed and desire for absolute luxury brought out qualities that led to
the disintegration of himself and Israel, particularly as a nation
that followed Yahweh.
James II of England was the first king to succeed to the kingdoms of both England and Scotland and to be crowned King of both. He was also known as the Duke of York, the Duke of Albany, and the honorary Duke of Normandy; a title that was never to be held again by an English monarch. He was called Lord High Admiral as he commanded the English navy in the Anglo- Dutch war, which resulted in a new English city renamed for him (New York). He became King of England on February 6, 1685 and remained so until he fled to France, escaping the hatred of his countrymen and the threats of his son-in-law on December 11, 1688. He was crowned King of Scotland 11 weeks after his coronation in England on April 23, 1685 and continued ruling over Ireland, even after his deposition, until July 1, 1690 when he was defeated by William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne. Despite his numerous titles and seemingly unlimited influence, his views concerning God, his unpleasant personality, and his outdated views on government would lead to the reconstruction of the English government and a removal of a second monarch, less than 100 years after the removal of Charles I. It’s an impressive resume for a not so impressive man.
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This is a paper over King James I of England that I wrote for my honors english class. I received an A on the the assignment. King James I On June 19, 1566 in Theobalds, Hertfordshire, England, Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her only child, a boy whom she named James. James' father was Henry Stewart, also known as Lord Darnley.
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following his religon. As he gets older he endures much pressure to follow the exact teachings of
word here is obey, we need to keep our side of the covenant and follow
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