Lifting Our Heads in Suffering: Following David and Solomon

Nathan And after him Nathan rose up to prophesy in the days of David. David As the fat is selected from the peace offering, so David was selected from the sons of Israel. He played with lions as with young goats, and with bears as with lambs of the flock. In his youth did he not kill a giant, and take away reproach from the people, when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling and struck down the boasting of Goliath? For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High, and he gave him strength in his right hand to slay a man mighty in war, to exalt the power of his people. So they glorified him for his ten thousands, and praised him for the blessings of the Lord, when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him. For he wiped out his enemies on every side, and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines; he crushed their power even to this day. In all that he did he gave thanks to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory; he sang praise with all his heart, and he loved his Maker. He placed singers before the altar, to make sweet melody with their voices. He gave beauty to the feasts, and arranged their times throughout the year, while they praised God’s holy name, and the sanctuary resounded from early morning. The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his power for ever; he gave him the covenant of kings and a throne of glory in Israel. Solomon After him rose up a wise son who fared amply because of him; Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God gave him rest on every side, that he might build a house for his name and prepare a sanctuary to stand for ever. How wise you became in your youth! You overflowed like a river with understanding. Your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with parables and riddles. Your name reached to far-off islands, and you were loved for your peace. For your songs and proverbs and parables, and for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you. In the name of the Lord God, who is called the God of Israel, you gathered gold like tin and amassed silver like lead. But you laid your loins beside women, and through your body you were brought into subjection. You put a stain upon your honor, and defiled your posterity, so that you brought wrath upon your children and they were grieved at your folly, so that the sovereignty was divided and a disobedient kingdom arose out of E′phraim. But the Lord will never give up his mercy, nor cause any of his works to perish; he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one, nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him; so he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David a root of his stock. Rehoboam and Jeroboam Solomon rested with his fathers, and left behind him one of his sons, ample in folly and lacking in understanding, Rehobo′am, whose policy caused the people to revolt. Also Jerobo′am the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin and gave to E′phraim a sinful way. Their sins became exceedingly many, so as to remove them from their land. For they sought out every sort of wickedness, till vengeance came upon them.

Sirach 47:1–20 traces the heroic arc of David and Solomon, showing how suffering was met by trust, and how that trust produced a legacy of worship and rest.