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The Greatest Thing Before Sliced Bread



Everybody, I think I’ve made a discovery. I think I’ve discovered the greatest thing before sliced bread. Everyone always talks about this invention or that creation being the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

To be honest, I’m not sure how sliced bread became the standard by how we’re amazed. What should be more amazing is that it took humanity so long to figure it out. It was 1928 when Otto Rohwedder invented the first single loaf bread-slicing machine.1 But it’s not like he cured cancer. He sliced bread. 

I digress. You’re here for the discovery of the greatest thing before sliced bread. I actually found it in the Bible, in the book of 1 Kings to be precise. The splendor of the King Solomon is being described in great detail. It includes the building of the Temple of the Lord. It details the building of his own palace, plus several other buildings he designed. 

We’re told of the riches that are brought into Israel every month and every year. King Solomon was the popular guy that everybody just gave stuff to. He made Israel powerful. They were the world power and everybody else knew it. Word spread to the Queen of Sheba and she came just to check it out. She even said the gossip didn’t represent half of the amazing stuff happening. 

Solomon’s wisdom was world class and the riches were second-to-none. 1 Kings 10 describes how silver was as common as stone. Solomon had stuff made of gold and plated in gold. Everything sparkled more than an episode of My Little Ponies. Yeah, it was glamorous. And who am to question Solomon’s thinking, but he had a fleet of ships bringing him more gold, silver, ivory, peacocks, and apes. Apes?2

My point is that the author here s not short in describing how amazing Israel was at this time. So I don’t believe he was willing to waste words or throw in meaningless details. If the description was included, it was because it was incredible. So what was the greatest thing before sliced bread? Check this out.

Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. ~1 Kings 10:18-20

Did you see it? It’s arm rests! On both sides of the seat! Verse 20 seals it when it says “nothing like it had ever been made.” It took the wisest man who ever lived to realize just how comfortable we could be if we had arm rests on both sides of our chair. After all, don't you hate it when you're ruling your subjects and you have no place to put your arms?

So when you’re sitting in your Lazy-Boy, or even your desk chair with double arm rests, you can thank God for blessing Solomon with so much wisdom that he thought of everything. Double arm rests!

Oh, and in case you’re looking for something a little bit more spiritual from me today, here it is.   1 Kings 10:1 tells us that Solomon’s fame brought honor to the Name of the Lord. I don’t know what you’re asking for today, but the end goal should be bringing honor to God. 



1 Don’t pretend not to be impressed. Sure, I looked it up on Google, but that was more effort than you were going to put forth.
2 I’m picturing Planet of the Apes,, but where everyone gets along.

Comments

Anonymous said…
How do you know how much effort I was going to put forth? All you bloggers...some day I'll try it, Mr. Solomon.
November 30, 2018 at 9:05 PM
Rick Nier said…
Honestly, you may have, considering you took the time to post a comment. You and I can just acknowledge that line was for the other 90% of my readers.
December 1, 2018 at 9:06 AM
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