Lesson and the Arts: 1 Kings 2 & 3

Aug 19, 2012

There is something almost magical about this particular lectionary passage (I Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14). God appears to Solomon in a dream and offers to grant him one wish. When Solomon responds with apparent humility by extolling God’s faithfulness to his father David and requesting wisdom so that he might best serve God’s people, God rewards him with riches and honor. It is difficult not to picture God in the guise of Aladdin, emerging in a puff of smoke in the midst of Solomon’s dream and offering to grant wishes. Indeed, even Solomon’s humility and God’s subsequent bestowal of rewards for this humility has the flavor of a fairytale in which a “little” child is rewarded for not being power-hungry, and money-grabbing when he has the chance.

Even scholars recognize a hint of the formulaic in this narrative, though rather than drawing it forward in time to contemporary fairytales, they look back to political propaganda and call narratives in the ancient world. Indeed, two of the big questions of this text are whether or not Solomon is genuine in his humility and whether or not God is as magnanimous as a quick read might indicate. If the narrative is an archetype of political propaganda or call narrative, perhaps Solomon isn’t as humble as he appears, perhaps this is simply political posturing (he wasn’t the only one after the throne after all), or perhaps the bit about being a small child is simply a normative phrase in such call narratives. It is easy to think of other biblical characters who also claimed humility and unworthiness when called upon by God. With regard to God’s magnanimity in granting Solomon more than he asks for, one can point quickly to the conditional nature of these gifts: “if you walk in my ways …” So the question of validity remains: is Solomon really as humble as he seems? Is God really as magnanimous as it appears?

Without being a biblical scholar, it is probably not possible to definitively say whether or not Solomon is as humble as he appears or if God is as magnanimous as a Disney genie. But what these questions do hint at is the use of foreshadowing as a literary device in this passage. Questions of Solomon’s humility and God’s conditional promises force the reader to look forward in the story to see if Solomon is indeed humble and if God does follow through on God’s promises. Is this passage indicative of the relationship that will develop between Solomon and God? Or is it merely the formality and politeness associated with a first meet and greet?

Foreshadowing is a well-known literary device in classical and contemporary literature. From Juliet faking her own death in Romeo & Juliet well before both characters take their own lives to Mary Shelley’s use of the past tense to describe Clerval in Frankenstein before the reader knows of his death, the use of foreshadowing is a popular one that helps readers begin to anticipate what is to come. Indeed, we see it in the Gospels as well when Jesus foretells his own death, albeit in cryptic terms.

It is not often, I would imagine, that sermons get preached on literary devices, but foreshadowing could preach. Often we think of God acting only in the past: it is easier to see God’s movements in the biblical texts (where of course they are pointed out for us) or looking back on our own lives. Indeed, frequently it is difficult to know exactly where God is acting in our present lives. But today’s lesson reminds us that God is moving and acting in the present moment, even if we don’t know how it will turn out in the future.

Sometimes foreshadowing alerts the reader to danger that is lurking down the road: for little Red Riding Hood, it is her mother’s warning to not stray off the path that anticipates her later encounter with the big, bad, wolf. Other times, foreshadowing can clue a reader in to a seemingly small detail that will later play a large role: Anton Chekov is famous for saying that a loaded gun should not be put onstage if it is not going to be fired later. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the phoenix Fawkes functions in this role. He is introduced early in the story when Harry visits Dumbledore’s office, but comes to play a crucial role only at the end of the novel when he helps Harry defeat Tom Riddle and his serpent.

One of the reasons that we read Scripture each week is in the hopes that it will begin to foreshadow elements of our parishioners’ lives. It is as true with faith as it with all else: we often do not see what we are not looking for. Scripture helps us remember to look for the movements of God in our midst. Scripture passages remind us of the various ways in which God has worked in the past in order that we might notice God’s work in our present. Whether the Scripture is warning us of potential pitfalls (one need only think of the overzealous Pharisee praying aloud in the Temple) or drawing our attention to a small item that can play a big role later, Scripture helps us remember and imagine the ways in which God might be moving in our lives.

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