Eucharistic Meditation, August 29

1 Kings 3:15
The story of Solomon?s request for and reception of wisdom is framed by references to worship. At the beginning of the story, Solomon is in Gibeon, worshiping at the bronze altar that Moses built in the wilderness, and then he ascends to the ark-shrine in Jerusalem, the tent that David set up to house the throne of Yahweh.

There is a progression here. Having been given wisdom, Solomon moves from the old high place and ascends to a new height. In this, the text demonstrates that Solomon is a greater Adam. Adam was placed in the garden, but because of his sin never ate from the tree of knowledge and never ascended to the higher ground in the land of Eden. Solomon, however, is offered the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and once he?s received it, advances to a higher place, to the highest place that any man has ever been, to stand ?before the ark.?E He advances from the court area of the Garden to the throne-room of Yahweh in the land of Eden.

At the same time, he progresses from offering ascension offerings to offering peace offerings, and making a feast for his servants. Solomon does not feat in Gibeon; the offerings he brings are ascension offerings, and there are no leftovers for worshipers in the ascension offering. Having become the king of wisdom, the new and greater Adam, Solomon not only offers ascensions but celebrates a feast, the feast of wisdom.

This is the feast we celebrate here as well. Solomon tasted from the tree of knowledge, and was equipped to judge. We, Paul says, are equipped to judge angels, since we are indwelt by the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus has ascended to the throne of God, entered the ark-shrine, and taken His place on that throne. And He prepares a feast for His servants on the mountain of Eden, a feast of wisdom, where we eat from the tree of life AND the tree of knowledge.