I remember well when I learned that I was going to be a father for the first time. My mind raced with excitement about the child and what he/she would become. I also remember thinking, naively, that I was going to be the best father that had ever been.

Creating a child was the easy part, raising her was the difficult part. While most fathers have grandiose dreams for their children you just don't know who they will turn out to be. Consider Adam, he had three sons: Cain ~ a murderer, Abel ~ a God worshiper, Seth ~ God pleaser

Parenting is a thrilling & challenging responsibility that far too many take too lightly! Let us take a closer look at Solomon as one the wealthiest and most powerful fathers who ever lived.

His name means: "peace or peaceable" He was also called "Jedidiah", meaning "beloved of the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:25). He was the 10th son of David, the 2nd of Bathsheba. Solomon is perhaps one of the greatest tragedies the sacred records bear. He was born to wealth and privilege, yet choose to reside in the gutters of sin and debauchery. He was a mountain that became a mole-hill. He was a man wise beyond belief who chose to live foolishly. He was blessed, aided and guided by God, but neglected, ignored and abandoned it all for the love of the flesh.

Solomon authored three books: Song of Solomon deals with marital bliss and love. Ecclesiastes, deals with the vanity of self indulgence and Proverbs a book of wisdom, warning and pleading from Solomon to his sons. It is a book of regret and repentance.

In the both Ecclesiastes and Proverbs Solomon writes in detail about his failures in life.

First there was Spiritual success. David had prepared for Solomon's reign. He had gathered tons of materials for Solomon to build the temple--a glorious, edifice, built in honor of Jehovah, (2 Chronicles7:11). When it was competed it was a wonder to behold.

But there were miserable failures as well. In 1 Kings 11:1-10, we read that Solomon’s many foreign wives turned his heart from God and in verses 9-10 we read, "So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice… but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded him.

But what about Solomon as a Father? We are told in scripture about three of Solomon’s children: A son, Rehoboam, and two daughters: Taphath, Basmath, (1 Kings 4:11,15)

Probably because Rehoboam was to be king, the book of Proverbs was written for or to him. In this book of wisdom he warns and pleads to his son throughout , "don't do as I have done." He seemed to fear that his son would follow in his footsteps. Many times he writes, "my son" followed by instructions :

Flee from sin 1:10, 1:!5, 5:20, 19:27; Listen to my words, 1:8, 2:1, 3:1, 3:21, 4:10, 4:20, 5:1, 6:20, 7:1, 23:26; Remain Faithful, 24:21; Don’t cause your parents the usual grief of an evil son, 17:21, 17:25, 19:13, 28:7, 10:1; Please be a good son, 15:20, 19:26, 23:22 He then closes with the joys of a good son, 23:19, 23:15, 23:25, 27:11.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us that he had virtually tried everything that most men think will bring them happiness and fulfillment. His conclusion in the end however is to "Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). What a great lesson for a father (even one had had failed many times) to pass along to his son!