Haym Salomon was a broker in Philadelphia, and lived for 45 years. His role in the American Colonies was cause to remember him, in the hall of history as a pivotal person in political activism. Although he was able to provide extensive amounts of money for the war effort, further details reveal that his soul had undercurrents waving over his life, that would drown him into a black hole of despondency.
Salomon and King Zedekiah were both leaders who dabbled in alliances with foreign allies, eroding the undercurrent of their beliefs and practices in disobedience to the commands of the Lord. Salomon and Zedekiah both experienced heavy losses towards the latter years of their life. They both suffered losses of position, finances, family deconstruction through death or estrangement. They were taken captive by a culture promising freedom and yet in the end they were slaves. They were broke, busted and disgusted and why?
Salomon did practice his Jewish faith, even refusing to sign a petition that he received on a Shabbat from the government. However, not fully obeying his Jewish heritage of warnings against idolatry was the tsunami wave that eventually drowned him. Deuteronomy 12:29-31 speaks of this to the nation of Israel. Chapter 13 is even stronger in the admonition that Moses was given to by the Lord God.
Although Salomon found a place in history, his tsunami of events eroding slowly in his soul, brought his downfall as did King Zedekiah. (Jeremiah 34-39). Reading through these passages reveals questions to ponder and ask ourselves. Am I being a light and not compromising my beliefs and faiths? Am I aligning with anything outside of God’s commands, and how will this affect my decisions now and long term? Am I looking with temporal or eternal lenses. Do you prefer to be remembered in the Hall of earthly history or the hall of faith for eternity? Eternal vs temporal investments are the best deposits a broker can make.
Written by Gemma Valentina PhD