Front matter (continued, part 53)
The golden lampstands and tables (vv. 48–49; 2 Chron. 4:7–8, 19–20). In the tabernacle that Moses constructed, there was only one table for the loaves of bread, but the temple had ten golden tables, five in a line on each side of the Holy Place. The tabernacle had one golden lampstand with seven lamps on it, but the temple had ten golden lampstands in the Holy Place, five along the north wall and five along the south wall. They provided the light needed for the ministry in the Holy Place.
The miscellaneous utensils (vv. 40–50; 2 Chron. 4:7–8, 11–22). The priests required many different utensils in order to carry on their work, including wick trimmers, bowls for sprinkling water and sacrificial blood, dishes, ladles, large pots for cooking the meat from the peace offerings, and shovels for removing the ashes. The temple was an imposing structure that contained expensive furnishings made of gold and polished bronze, but the daily ministry would have been impossible without these small utensils.
CHAPTER FOUR 1 Kings 8:1—9:9, 25–28 (2 Chronicles 5—7) GOD'S HOUSE AND SOLOMON'S HEART F
It's difficult to calculate the cost of this building in modern currency. It isn't enough just to know the price of the precious metal today, but we also need to know its purchasing power. Then we must calculate what Solomon paid for manpower and materials and try to express it in contemporary equivalents. When you consider that there was gold overlay on the inside walls and floors, the furniture, the doors, and the cherubim, you have no hesitation concluding that this was a very costly building. And yet all this beauty was destroyed and this wealth was confiscated when the Babylonian army captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple (see Jer. 52). Nebuchadnezzar robbed the temple and deported the captives in stages, and eventually his men burned the city and the temple so they could get their hands on all the gold that was there.
ellow citizens, we cannot escape history." Abraham Lincoln spoke those words to the American Congress on December 1, 1862, but King Solomon could have spoken them to the Jewish leaders when he dedicated the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles in the twenty-fourth year of his reign.1 No matter where the Jews are in this world, or what the century is, they have their roots in Abraham, Moses, and David. King David is mentioned twelve times in this section,2 and Moses is mentioned three times. During his prayer, Solomon referred to God's covenant with his father (2 Sam. 7) and also to the covenant God gave to Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 28—30. The main thrust of his prayer is that God would hear the prayers directed toward the temple and forgive those who sinned, and this request is based on the promise given in Deuteronomy 30:1–10. Israel's kings were commanded to make their own copy of the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 17:18–20), and Solomon's many references to Deuteronomy indicate that he knew the book very well.
D.Dedicating the temple—8:1—9:9
How painful it is to realize that Solomon, the man who constructed the temple, was the man who married a multitude of foreign wives and encouraged idolatry in Israel, the very sin that turned the nation away from God and brought upon them the fiery judgment of the Lord.
Notes 1 After the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish remnant began to rebuild the temple at the same time of the year (Ezra 3:8). 2 Second Chronicles 2:14 identifies his mother with Dan, not Naphtali, but when you remember how Solomon established
What kind of a "house" did Solomon dedicate that day?
A house of God (8:1–11; 2 Chron. 5:1–14) Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the leaders of the
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(Num. 9:15–23), but now the glory came to dwell within the beautiful temple Solomon had built. As the glory filled the house, the priests praised God with voice and instruments, for the Lord inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3).
tribes of Israel and whoever of the citizens could attend, from the north to south (v. 65), that they might assist him in dedicating the house of God. The word "house" is used twenty-six times in this passage (thirtyseven times in 2 Chron. 5—7), for this structure was indeed the "house of God." (vv. 10, 11, 17, etc.). But what made this costly building the house of the Lord? Not simply that God commanded it to be built and chose Solomon to build it, or that He gave the plans to David and provided the wealth to construct it. Those matters were important, but the thing that made this temple the house of the Lord was the presence of the Lord God Jehovah in the sanctuary.
The presence of God's glory was the distinguishing mark of the nation of Israel (Ex. 33:12–23; Rom. 9:4). The sins of the people caused God's glory to depart from the tabernacle (1 Sam. 4:19–22), but now the glory had returned. But the nation would sin again and be taken to Babylon, and there Ezekiel the prophet would have a vision of the glory of God leaving the temple (Ezek. 8:1–4; 9:3; 10:4, 18–19; 11:22–23). However, God would also allow Ezekiel to see the glory return to the kingdom temple (43:1–5). The glory came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14; Matt. 17:1–7), but sinners crucified "the Lord of glory" (1 Cor. 2:8). When Jesus returned to heaven, the cloud of glory accompanied Him (Acts 1:9) and the temple was left "desolate" (Matt. 23:38–24:2).
The ark was brought in (vv. 1–9; 2 Chron. 5:1–9). In the Holy of Holies, Jehovah was "enthroned between the cherubim" (Ps. 80:1 niv). The pagan nations had their temples, altars, priests, and sacrifices, but their temples were empty and their sacrifices useless. The true and living God dwelt in the temple on Mount Moriah! That's why Solomon's first act of dedication was to have the ark of the covenant brought from the tent David had pitched for it (2 Sam. 6:17) and placed into the inner sanctuary of the temple.3 The tabernacle equipment and furnishings were also brought to the temple and stored there (2 Chron. 5:5). The ark of the covenant was the only piece of the original furniture that was kept in active service, for nothing could replace the throne of God or the law of God that was kept in the ark. That this dedication service took place during the Feast of Tabernacles was significant, for the ark had led Israel all during their wilderness journey.
Since the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), God's glory has resided in each of God's children individually (1 Cor. 6:19–20) as well as in the church local (1 Cor. 3:16) and the church universal (Eph. 2:19–22). Until Jesus comes to take us to the eternal glory, our privilege and responsibility is to bring glory to Him as we serve here on earth. Each local assembly, worshipping the Lord in spirit and truth, should manifest the glory of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:23–25).
A house of testimony (8:12–21; 2 Chron. 6:1–11) God not only graciously dwells with His people, but He also gives them His Word and faithfully keeps His promises. That's the major theme of this section, for in it Solomon glorified Jehovah by reviewing the history of the building of the temple.
The priests placed the ark before the large cherubim that Hiram had made, whose wings spanned the width of the Holy of Holies (6:23–30). The cherubim on the original golden mercy seat looked at each other, while the new cherubim looked out toward the Holy Place where the priests ministered. The angels of God not only "look into" the mysteries of God's grace (1 Peter 1:12), but they also behold the ministry of God's people and learn about God's grace (1 Cor. 4:9; 11:10; Eph. 3:10; 1 Tim. 5:21). At one time, a pot of manna and the staff of Aaron stood before the ark (Ex. 16:33; Num. 17:10; Heb. 9:4), both of which were reminders of rebellion in Israel (Ex. 16:1–3; Num. 16). But the nation was now making a new beginning and those items weren't needed. The important thing was that Israel obey the law of God that was kept in the ark. The Jews were no longer a pilgrim people, but the staves were left in the ark as a reminder of God's faithfulness to them during those forty years of discipline.
The mystery of God (vv. 12–13; 2 Chron. 6:1–2). The king was standing on his special platform (2 Chron. 6:13), facing the sanctuary, the priests were at the altar (5:12) and the people were gathered in the assembly, and all of them had just seen a marvelous manifestation of the glory of God. Yet Solomon opened his address by saying, "The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud" (v. 12 nkjv). Why speak of darkness when they had just beheld God's radiant glory? Solomon was referring to the words of the Lord to Moses at Mount Sinai: "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever" (Ex. 19:9 nkjv). There was indeed a thick cloud of darkness on the mountain (Ex. 19:16; 20:21; Deut. 4:11; 5:22), and Moses went into that darkness with great fear (Heb. 12:18–21). Solomon was connecting the events of that day to Israel's past experience at Sinai, for the people of God must not be cut off from their roots in history.
The glory came down (vv. 10–11; 2 Chron. 5:11–14). The ark was but a symbol of the throne and presence of God; it was the actual presence of the Lord in His house that was important. Once Solomon and the people had honored God and placed His throne in the Holy of Holies, the glory of God came and filled the house of the Lord. The glory cloud had guided Israel through the wilderness
God is light (1 John 1:5) and dwells in light (1 Tim. 6:16), but He cannot fully reveal Himself to man because "there shall no man see me, and live" (Ex. 33:20). The emphasis at Sinai was on hearing God, not
1 Kings 7—9
prayer ("hands folded and eyes closed") was unknown to the Jews. Their posture was to look up by faith toward God in heaven (or toward the temple) and lift their open hands to show their poverty and their expectancy as they awaited the answer (v. 38, 54; Ex. 9:29, 33; Ps. 63:4; 88:9; 143:6). This practice was carried over into the early church (1 Tim. 2:8). The word "heaven" is found at least a dozen times in verses 22–54. Solomon opened his prayer with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. "There is no God like thee" (v. 23; compare Ex. 15:11 and Deut. 4:39). He then referred to God's covenant with his father, David, the covenant that appointed Solomon as David's heir and the builder of the temple (2 Sam. 7). But Solomon also claimed the covenant promise of the Davidic dynasty and prayed that David's royal line would continue just as God had promised. Of course, the ultimate fulfillment of that promise is in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26–33, 67–75; Acts 2:29–30; Rom. 1:3). As Solomon prayed, he was overwhelmed by the contrast between the greatness of God and the insignificance of the work he had done in building the temple. How could Almighty God, the God of the heavens, dwell in a building made by men's hands? Solomon had expressed this same truth to King Hiram before he began to build (2 Chron. 2:6), and the prophet Isaiah echoed it (Isa. 66:1). Stephen referred to these words from Solomon and Isaiah when he defended himself before the Jewish council (Acts 7:47–50), and Paul emphasized this truth when preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 17:24). Solomon realized that God's willingness to dwell with His people was wholly an act of grace.
seeing God, lest the Jewish people would be tempted to make images of their God and worship them. Like the church today, Israel was to be a people of the Word, hearing it and obeying. King David envisioned the Lord with darkness under His feet and darkness as His canopy (Ps. 18:9, 11; see 97:2). There is mystery about God that humbles us, because we don't always understand Him and His ways, but this mystery also encourages us to trust Him and rest upon His Word. Solomon didn't want the people to think that God was now their "neighbor" and therefore they could speak to Him or about Him any way they pleased. "But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him" (Hab. 2:20 nasb).
Like a servant reporting to his master, Solomon announced that he had built the house to be God's dwelling place (v. 13). This reminds us that Moses finished work of building and erecting the tabernacle (Ex. 40:33), that our Savior finished all that the Father instructed Him to do (John 17:4), and that both John the Baptist and Paul finished their courses successfully (Acts 13:25; 2 Tim. 4:7). All of us will give an account of our life and service when we see the Lord (Rom. 14:10–13), and it behooves us to be faithful to the calling He has given us, so that we end well.
The goodness and faithfulness of God (vv. 15–21). Over more than fifty years of ministry, it's been my privilege to assist many local churches in dedicating new sanctuaries, and in my messages, I've tried to emphasize the work of God in the history of His people. As A. T. Pierson used to say, "History is His story." It's easy for new church members and new generations that come along to take for granted or forget the history of their church. The weekly Sabbath, the annual feasts (Lev. 23), and the presence of the temple would bear witness to the Jewish people, young and old, that Jehovah was their God. The word "remember" is used at least fourteen times in the book of Deuteronomy because God didn't want His people to forget the lessons of the past.
The burden of his prayer is in verses 28–30: that the Lord would keep His eyes on the temple and His ears open to the prayers of the people and answer them when they prayed toward the temple. He asked the Lord to forgive the sins of the people when they prayed (vv. 30, 34, 36, 39, 50) and in so doing maintain "the cause of his people Israel" (v. 59). Solomon knew the terms of the covenant found in Deuteronomy 28—29, and the calamities he mentioned in his prayer are the very disciplines the Lord promised to send if Israel disobeyed His law. But Solomon also knew that Deuteronomy 30 promised forgiveness and restoration if God's people would repent and turn to the Lord. Jonah looked toward the temple and prayed, and God forgave him (Jonah 2:4), and Daniel prayed for the people as he looked toward Jerusalem (Dan. 6:10). "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Isa. 56:7 nkjv; Matt. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).
God in His goodness and grace made a covenant with David concerning his family and his throne (2 Sam. 7), and He included in that covenant the promise of a son who would build the temple. What God spoke with His mouth, He accomplished with His hand (v. 15), and what He promised to David, He performed through Solomon (v. 20). But God did these things for the honor of His name, not for the glory of either David or Solomon (vv. 16–20). God's name is referred to at least fourteen times in Solomon's address and prayer. The king was careful to give God all the glory. Whenever the people would come to worship, they would remember that the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord made the temple possible.
Solomon presented to the Lord seven specific requests.
A house of prayer (8:22–53; 2 Chron. 6:12–42) According to 2 Chronicles 6:13, Solomon knelt on the special platform near the altar as he prayed this prayer, his hands lifted to heaven. Our traditional posture for
(1) Justice in the land (vv. 31–32; 2 Chron. 6:22–23). Solomon had begun his reign by judging between two women (3:16–28), but it would be impossible for him to handle every case of personal
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Him, He would shelter His people and their land from these calamities. But once again, Solomon asked the Lord to forgive His people when they confessed their sins, and to restore their land (see 2 Chron. 7:13–14).
conflict in the land and still perform all the duties of the king. Judges were appointed in Israel to hear local cases (Ex. 18:13–27; 21:5–6; 22:7–12; Deut. 17:2–13; 25:1), and the priests were also available to apply the law and render decisions (1 Chron. 23:4; 26:29). If a man was accused of sinning against his neighbor, the accused could take an oath at the temple altar and the Lord would declare whether or not the man was innocent. How this verdict was declared isn't explained, but perhaps the priest used the Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8). Justice in the land is essential if citizens are to enjoy "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." How tragic that, in later years, it was the godless kings of Israel and Judah who allowed injustice into the land.
In his prayer, Solomon frequently mentioned the land (vv. 34, 36–37, 40–41, 46–48) because this was part of Israel's inheritance from the Lord. When the people began to sin, God punished them first in the land (see the book of Judges), and when they persisted in their rebellion, He allowed enemy nations to take them out of the land. In 722 BC, the Assyrians conquered Israel and assimilated the people, and in 606–586 the Babylonians defeated Judah, burned Jerusalem and the temple, and took many of the people captive to Babylon. When God punished His people out of their land, He finally cured them of their idolatry.
The judges' responsibility was to "condemn the wicked … and justify the righteous," but when it comes to our salvation, God justifies the ungodly (Rom. 4:5) on the basis of the sacrifice Christ made on the cross (Rom. 5:6). God has condemned all people as unrighteous (Rom. 3:23) so that He might show grace to all mankind and save those who will put their trust in His Son.
(5) Foreigners who came to pray (vv. 41–43; 2 Chron. 6:32–33). These were not the "resident aliens" in Israel who settled in the land and had certain privileges and responsibilities under the law (Lev. 16:29; 17:10, 12; 18:26; 19:34; 20:2; 25:6, 45). The "foreigners" were people who would come to Israel because they had heard of the greatness of the Lord and His temple. (Gentile workers had helped to build the temple.) It was the responsibility of Israel to be a "light" to the pagan Gentile nations and to demonstrate to them the glory of the true and living God. Solomon had this in mind when he asked the Lord to hear and answer the prayers of people outside the covenant, so that "all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You" (v. 43 nkjv; see v. 60). If these people began to pray to the Lord Jehovah, perhaps they would come to trust and worship Him.
(2) Military defeat (vv. 33–34; 2 Chron. 6:24–25). This defeat is caused because the people have sinned in some way (Josh. 7) and the Lord is displeased with them. If Israel obeyed the terms of the covenant, there would be peace in the land and God would give Israel victory over any enemies who attacked them. But if Israel sinned, God would allow their enemies to triumph over them (Lev. 26:6–8, 14–17, 25, 33, 36–39; Deut. 28:1, 7, 15, 25–26, 49–52). If this defeat brought the people to repentance, then God would forgive them and see to it that the prisoners were released and returned home.
From the very beginning of the nation, when God called Abraham and Sarah to leave Ur and go to Canaan, God declared that He wanted Israel to be a blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3). God's judgments against Pharaoh and Egypt were a witness to the nations (Ex. 9:16), as was His opening of the Red Sea at the Exodus (Josh. 2:8–13). When God dried up the Jordan so Israel could enter the Promised Land, He revealed His power and glory to the other nations (Josh. 4:23–24). His blessing on Israel in the land of Canaan was a witness to the pagan nations (Deut. 28:7–14), and so was David's victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 17:46). God blesses us that we might be a blessing, not that we might horde the blessing and boast. The Jews prayed, "God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations" (Ps. 67:1–2 nkjv). The church today needs to pray that prayer and keep that purpose in mind.
(3) Drought in the land (vv. 35–36; 2 Chron. 6:26–27). Israel had title to the land because of God's covenant with Abraham, but they could possess it and enjoy its blessings only if they obeyed God's law. One of the severest disciplines listed in the covenant was drought in the land (Lev. 26:19; Deut. 28:22–24, 48). The Lord promised His people that He would send the rain in its season (Deut. 11:10–14) only if they honored Him. Since the Israelites were a pastoral and agricultural people, rain was absolutely necessary for their survival. Whenever the people obeyed the Lord, they enjoyed bumper crops and their flocks and herds were healthy and multiplied. The purpose of drought was to bring the people to a place of repentance, and God promised to forgive their sins and send the rain. See 1 Kings 18.
(4) Other natural calamities (vv. 37–40; 2 Chron. 6:28–31).4 God warned in the covenant that Israel's disobedience would bring divine discipline to them. He would send famine (Lev. 26:26, 29; Deut. 28:17, 48), blight (Lev. 26:20; Deut. 28:18, 22, 30, 39–40), invasions of insects (Deut. 28:38, 42), and various sicknesses and plagues (Lev. 26:16, 25; Deut. 28:21–22, 27, 35, 59–61). However, if they obeyed
(6) Armies in battle (vv. 44–45; 2 Chron. 6:34–35). When God sent His people into battle, it was a "holy war" that could be won only by His strength and wisdom. Using the silver trumpets, the priests sounded the call to arms (2 Chron. 13:12–16; Num. 10:1–10). They assisted the armies to ascertain
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prayer with a plea that the Lord not reject him, the anointed king, David's son and heir. "Remember the mercies of your servant David" (2 Chron. 6:42 nkjv), referring to God's promises to David in the covenant (2 Sam. 7; Ps. 89:19–29).
God's will (1 Sam. 23:1–2), and they encouraged the men to fight for the glory of the Lord and trust Him alone (Deut. 20:1–4). Even in the midst of battle, the soldiers could look toward the temple and ask the Lord for His help. When he described the Christian soldier's equipment, Paul included prayer as one of the essentials for victory (Eph. 6:18–19). The French writer Voltaire said, "It is said that God is always on the side of the heaviest battalions," but the truth is that God is on the side of those who pray in His will.
These "sure mercies of David" (Isa. 55:3 nkjv) involve the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, to be the Savior of the world (Acts 13:32–40).
A house of praise (8:54–61; 2 Chron. 7:1–3) The king had been kneeling on the special platform near the altar, his hands lifted to God, but now he stood to give the people a blessing from the Lord. Usually it was the priests who blessed the people (Num. 6:22–27), but on a special occasion such as this, the king could give the blessing as David did (2 Sam. 6:18, 20). Solomon blessed the whole assembly and through them the entire nation, and he gave thanks to God for His great mercies.
(7) Defeat and captivity (vv. 46–53; 2 Chron. 6:36–39). The pronoun "they" in verse 46 refers to the people of Israel, and Israel's history shows that the nation was prone to sin. All of us are sinners (Prov. 20:9; Rom. 3:23), but God's special blessings on Israel and His covenant with them made their disobedience that much more serious. By disobeying God's law and imitating the sins of their idolatrous neighbors, the Jews were sinning against a flood of light. In the covenant, God warned that repeated rebellion would lead to captivity (Lev. 26:27–45; Deut. 28:49–68). The other disciplines took away from the Jews the blessings of the land, but captivity took them away from the land itself. The Jewish people did experience defeat and captivity. Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 and Babylon conquered the southern kingdom of Judah in 606–586 and took the Jews captive to Babylon. This terrible event was predicted by Isaiah (6:11–12; 11:11–12; 39:6) and Micah (4:10), and Jeremiah revealed that the Babylonian captivity would last for seventy years (Jer. 25:1–14; 29:11–14). When the prophet Daniel understood what Jeremiah wrote, he began to pray that God would keep His promises (Deut. 30:1–10) and set the nation free (Dan. 9:1ff.). No doubt many other believing Jews ("the remnant") also interceded, and God stirred Cyrus, king of Persia, to allow the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their temple (Ezra 1; 2 Chron. 36:22–23).
As Solomon reviewed the history of the Jewish nation, his conclusion was that the promises of God had never failed, not even once. God's people had often failed the Lord, but He had never failed them. He promised Moses that He would give the nation rest, and He did (Ex. 33:14). By His power, He enabled Joshua to overcome the nations in Canaan and claim the land for Israel's inheritance. Moses told the people that when they had entered into the promised rest, God would give them a central sanctuary where they could offer their sacrifices and worship God (Deut. 12:1–14), and now that temple had been provided. In his farewell speech to the leaders, Joshua emphasized the same truth (Josh. 23:14–15, and see 21:45). But Joshua also reminded them that the warnings would be fulfilled as well as the promises, and he cautioned them to obey the Lord in all things.
Solomon especially emphasized one promise that God gave to the patriarchs and repeated often in Jewish history, that the Lord would not leave His people or forsake them. God was with Abraham during his life, and He promised to be with Isaac (Gen. 26:3, 24) and Jacob (Gen. 28:15; 31:3; 46:1–4). He renewed this promise to Moses (Ex. 3:12; 33:14), and Moses repeated it to Joshua (Deut. 31:6–8, 17). The Lord Himself also gave the promise to Joshua (Josh. 1:5, 9; 3:7; see 6:27). He also gave it to Gideon (Judg. 6:15–16), and the prophet Samuel repeated it to the nation (1 Sam. 12:22). David encouraged Solomon with this promise when he appointed him to build the temple (1 Chron. 28:20).
Solomon gave the Lord several reasons why the Lord should forgive His people when they repented and returned to Him. After all, they were His people whom He had purchased and delivered from Egyptian bondage (v. 51). Israel was His special people, separated from the other nations to glorify God and accomplish His mission on earth. Again, Solomon revealed his knowledge of the book of Deuteronomy (4:20; 7:6; 9:26–29; 32:9).
He closed his prayer by asking the Lord to keep His eyes upon the temple and the people who worshipped there, and to keep His ears open to the requests of the people who prayed at the temple or toward the temple (2 Chron. 6:40–42). His benediction in verse 41 is found in Psalm 132:8–10.5 Israel was no longer a pilgrim people, but they still needed the Lord to guide and help them. (See also the words of Moses in Num. 10:35–36.) Thanks to David's victories on the battlefield, God had kept His promise and given Israel rest, but as Andrew Bonar said, "Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle." Solomon closed the
After the days of Solomon, the prophet Isaiah repeated this promise and gave comfort to the Jewish people who would experience the Babylonian captivity (Isa. 41:10, 17; 42:16; 44:21; 49:14–16). The Lord used it to encourage Jeremiah (Jer. 1:8, 19; 20:11), and Jesus gave it to His disciples before He ascended to the Father (Matt. 28:19–20). The church today can claim the promise just as did believers long ago (Heb. 13:5). See also Psalms 27:9; 37:25, 28; 38:21.
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(or fellowship offering, Lev. 3 and 7:11–34) was presented to the Lord, but part of the meat was given to the priests and part was retained by the worshipper. He and his family could enjoy a feast and even invite friends to share it with them. The Jews raised their animals for milk, wool, and young and didn't often eat meat, so the fellowship feast after the sacrifice was a real treat. The dedication lasted a week, the feast lasted another week, and the event closed with a day of solemn assembly (2 Chron. 7:8–9). The sacrifices must have been offered day after day, for the meat of the fellowship offering could be eaten only two days and all leftovers had to be burned the third day (Lev. 19:5–8).
Solomon also asked God to help him and his people to have hearts that were inclined to the Lord and eager to obey His commandments (v. 58). He knew the book of Deuteronomy and must have had 5:29 in mind—"Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (nkjv). Solomon admonished the people to have sincere hearts and to follow the Lord wholeheartedly (v. 61).
Finally, Solomon asked the Lord to remember the prayer that he had spoken with his lips and from his heart (vv. 59–60). Our spoken words are but breath and sound, and they vanish almost immediately. It encourages us to know that no believing prayer spoken to the Lord is ever forgotten, for God remembers our prayers and answers them in His time and in His own way. (See Rev. 5:8 and 8:3.) Solomon's prayer was not selfish. He wanted the people of Israel to be faithful to the Lord so that all the nations of the earth might come to know and trust the God of Israel. How encouraging to know that the prayer of one man could touch and influence a whole world! God still wants His house to be called "a house of prayer for all nations."
While some churches go overboard on eating—"the upper room has become the supper room"—there is nothing wrong with God's people eating together. Jesus often used meal settings to teach the Word, and the early church occasionally held what was called "a love feast" (agape), a potluck meal that may have been the only decent meal some of the members had all week, especially the slaves (1 Cor. 11:20–22, 33–34; Jude 12). The members of the various Jerusalem assemblies often ate together (Acts 2:42–47; 4:35; 6:1), and hospitality was a virtue often encouraged in the epistles (Rom. 12:13; 16:23; 1 Tim. 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9; 3 John 8). "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31 nkjv).
The Lord answered Solomon's request by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices on the altar, and once again the glory of God filled the house (2 Chron. 7:1–3). God sent fire from heaven when Aaron the priest blessed the people (Lev. 9:23–24), and also when Elijah the prophet called upon God (1 Kings 18:38). Now he sent fire when Solomon the king offered his prayer and his sacrifices to the Lord. But the people all responded by bowing to the ground and praising the Lord. Imagine the sound of thousands of people shouting, "Truly he is good, truly his lovingkindness is everlasting" (2 Chron. 7:3 nasb). God had accepted the prayer of the king and the worship of the people!
However, the peace offering symbolizes Jesus Christ who is our peace (Eph. 2:14) and who has given us the gift of His peace (John 14:27). Because of His sacrifice on the cross, we have "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1), and by surrendering to Him, we can have "the peace of God" in our hearts (Phil. 4:6–9). God's people "feed" on Jesus Christ as we read the Word and make it a part of our lives, and as we obey what it commands. Jesus Christ is the center of our fellowship, just as at the dedication of the temple the peace offerings were the center of the fellowship.
A house of fellowship (8:62–66; 2 Chron. 7:4–10) The assembly that gathered for the dedication of the temple came from the southernmost boundary of the kingdom ("the river of Egypt" = the Wadi of Egypt) to the northernmost boundary ("the entrance to Hamath") and formed a "great congregation" (v. 65 nkjv; and see 4:21). Many of them brought sacrifices to the Lord and Solomon himself provided 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. The new altar was too small for the offering of so many animals, so to expedite matters, the king sanctified the courtyard and it was used for sacrifices.
God doesn't live in the church buildings we erect, but when we assemble in these buildings dedicated to Him, we ought to emphasize worship, fellowship, joy, and witness. Such meetings are occasions for both joy and solemnity. "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (Ps. 2:11 nkjv). When the Holy Spirit is in control, both rejoicing and reverence will characterize the gathering.
A house of responsibility (9:1–9; 2 Chron. 7:11–22) The presence of God's glory in the temple and the coming of fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices assured Solomon that his prayer had been heard and was accepted by the Lord. But there would not always be that same splendor of glory in the temple, nor would fire from heaven consume every sacrifice; so the Lord spoke His Word to Solomon, for "the Word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:25).
It was customary to feast and rejoice during the week set aside for the Feast of Tabernacles. The feast celebrated God's gracious care of His people during their years in the wilderness, and the people of Israel could look back and give thanks. But now they could look around and give thanks for the new temple, the promises of God, and the presence of the glory of the Lord. Just like the other sacrifices, the peace offering
Promise (vv. 1–3; 2 Chron. 7:11–16). As He had done at Gibeon (3:4–5), the Lord appeared to
1 Kings 7—9
was once honored and from which the gospel of Jesus Christ was sent out to a lost world.
Solomon and spoke the word that he needed to hear. He assured the king that He had heard his prayer and would answer it. His eyes would be on the house Solomon had built and dedicated, and His ears would be alert to hear the prayers of His people. The people and their king had dedicated the house to the Lord, but now He would sanctify the house and make it His own. God's name was on the house, God's eyes were watching, and His ears listening. It was indeed the house of the Lord.
From Solomon's death in 931 until the reign of Zedekiah (597–586), the Davidic dynasty would continue for God would keep His promise to David. But the only Jew alive today who qualifies to sit on David's throne and can prove it from the genealogies, is Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, Son of God. One day He will reign from David's throne and "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14 nkjv).
The text in 2 Chronicles 7:11–16 mentions some of the specific requests that Solomon had made in his prayer, and the Lord promised to answer every request. He was willing to forgive His people when they sinned if only they would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their sins. God has never made a covenant with any other nation but Israel, but since Christian believers today are God's people and called by His name, they can claim this promise.
Notes 1 The sequence of events as recorded in 1 Kings appears to be as follows. First, the temple structure was built in seven years (6:1–38). Then, the royal palaces were built in thirteen years (7:1–12), making a total of twenty years for all this construction (9:10). During that time, Hiram was constructing the furnishings of the temple and supervising the work within the building (7:13–51). When all this work was completed, Solomon dedicated the temple (8:1–66), following which God appeared to Solomon the second time (9:1–9). The Lord's words to Solomon in 9:3 [2 Chron. 7:12] are not as meaningful if the dedication had taken place thirteen years before. 2 The text mentions the city of David (v. 1), God's choice of David (v. 16), and especially God's covenant with David (vv. 15–18, 20, 24–26). The Lord kept His promise and gave David a son who built the temple that David wanted to build (v. 20). When the people left the dedication service and the feast that followed, they rejoiced at the good things the Lord had "done for David" (v. 66). 3 David's first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem failed miserably, but his second attempt was successful. Solomon followed his father's example by offering many sacrifices as the priests carried the ark from the city of David to the temple. However, unlike his father, Solomon didn't dance in the holy procession. 4 Amos 4 describes how God did send many of these judgments to the kingdom of Israel. 5 It's generally accepted by students that Psalm 132 was composed for use when the ark was brought to the temple and the temple was dedicated. The petitioner asked God to bless the king (Solomon) for the sake of David (vv. 1, 10), that is, because of the covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel 7. David wanted to build the temple (vv. 2–9), but God chose his son to do it. The Lord also promised to keep David's descendants on the throne (vv. 11–12, 17) and defeat Israel's enemies (v. 18).
Obedience (vv. 4–5; 2 Chron. 7:17–18). The Lord made the matter very personal and spoke specifically to Solomon, referring to the covenant God had made with his father, David (2 Sam. 7). The Lord reaffirmed the terms of the covenant and assured Solomon that David would always have a king on the throne so long as his descendants obeyed the law and walked in the fear of the Lord. Solomon couldn't expect God's blessing just because David was his father and he had obeyed David and built the temple. Solomon had to be a man like his father, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), a man of integrity (Ps. 78:72). It's interesting that the Lord said nothing about David's adultery, deception, and plot to murder Uriah. These had been serious transgressions for which David had paid dearly, but David had confessed them and the Lord had forgiven him.
Warning (vv. 6–9; 2 Chron. 7:19–22). God had given the Jewish people His Word, and He expected them to obey it, and the king had to practice the law and set the example for others. It's tragic that after the death of Solomon the nation divided and both kingdoms gradually declined until they were destroyed. The Lord in these words was only rehearsing the terms of the covenant found in Leviticus 26 and Deuternomy 28—30, a covenant that the Jewish people knew well. The kingdom of Judah did turn to idols, disobey the Lord, and invite His chastening. The Babylonian army devastated the land, destroyed Jerusalem, and robbed and burned the temple Solomon had dedicated. Instead of being a blessing to all the nations of the earth, the ruined city and temple would shock visitors from other nations and move them to ridicule.
E.Building the royal houses—7:1–12
CHAPTER FIVE 1 Kings 7:1–12; 9:10—10:29 (2 Chronicles 8:1—9:28) THE KINGDOM, POWER, AND GLORY M
Before we pass judgment on David's royal line, let's consider how many local churches, schools, denominational agencies, and other Christian ministries have abandoned the true faith and ceased to bring glory to the Lord. We could honestly write "Ichabod—the glory has departed" on many an edifice in which Christ
ost people remember King Solomon as the man who built the temple of God in Jerusalem, but during his reign, he was occupied with many
1 Kings 7—9
soft to provide protection, these shields were not used in battle but were there to impress visitors. They were taken from the building only when displayed on special ceremonial occasions.
different activities. These chapters record a series of vignettes depicting some of the things Solomon did to advance his kingdom and enhance his life. But these activities also reveal Solomon's character and expose some of the areas of weakness that later produced a bitter harvest. Gradually, Solomon became more interested in prices than in values, and in reputation rather than character, and in the splendor of the kingdom rather than the good of the people and the glory of the Lord.
From the hall you moved into the throne room, the "Hall of Justice," where Solomon met with his officers, settled disputes referred to him, and gave judgment concerning governmental affairs. It was there he had his magnificent throne described in 10:18–20. Solomon's living quarters, and, we assume, the queen's quarters, were behind this throne room (7:7–8 niv). Of course there were other entrances to various parts of the building, all of them protected by the king's special bodyguard, and Solomon had a private concourse that led from his residence to the temple. Next to the temple of the Lord, Solomon's "palace" must have been an imposing structure.
Solomon builds a palace (7:1–12) The work on the temple structure was completed in seven years,1 but it took several more years for Hiram and his crew to decorate the interior and construct the furnishings. While they were busy at the temple, Solomon designed and built a palace for himself that was a combination of personal residence, city hall, armory, and official reception center. "I enlarged my works," he wrote, "I built houses for myself" (Eccl. 2:4 nasb).
F.Miscellaneous royal projects—9:10–24
Solomon disappoints a friend (9:10–14; 2 Chron. 8:1–2) Hiram, king of Tyre, had been David's good friend, and David had told him about his plans to build a temple for the Lord (5:1–3), plans the Lord didn't permit David to carry out. After David's death, Solomon became Hiram's friend (Prov. 27:10) and contracted with Hiram to help build the temple (5:1–12). Hiram would send timber and workers if Solomon would pay the workers and provide Hiram with food in return for the timber. Solomon also conscripted Jewish men to cut stone (5:13–18) and the aliens in the land to help bear burdens (9:15, 20–23; 2 Chron. 8:7–10).
When you read this description of the project, you get the impression that it involved several isolated structures, but 1 Kings 9:10 refers to "the two houses [buildings]," the temple and the "palace." The palace was twice as large as the temple and probably had two if not three stories. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. (The temple was 90 x 30 x 45.) The total structure included two porches or colonnades, Solomon's own residence, a residence for his Egyptian wife2 (and perhaps part of his harem), a throne room ("hall of justice"), and a spacious reception hall, all tied together by a large courtyard set off by walls like those at the temple.
But 1 Kings 9:11 and 14 inform us that Hiram also supplied Solomon with 120 talents of gold (about four and a half tons)! King Solomon had at least 3,750 tons of gold available before he began to build the temple (1 Chron. 22:14–16), and the fact that he had to get gold from Hiram surprises us. The gold, silver, and other materials for the temple that are inventoried in 1 Chronicles 22, 28–29 were all dedicated to the Lord, so they couldn't be used for any other building. This means Solomon needed the gold for the "palace" complex, perhaps for the gold shields, so he borrowed it from Hiram, giving him the twenty cities as collateral. These cities were conveniently located on the border of Phoenicia and Galilee.3
We don't have a detailed description to guide us, but it appears that when you approached the building, you came to a smaller porch that served as the main entrance (v. 7). This led to a larger porch or colonnade with cedar pillars, which probably served as a waiting room. From here you moved into "the hall of pillars," a large assembly hall with sixty cedar pillars (vv. 2–3), forty-five of which held up the cedar-beamed ceiling that formed the floor of the second story. Fifteen pillars were placed opposite each other against the side walls, to the right and left of the entrance, and fifteen down the center of the room, all bearing the cedar beams. The other fifteen pillars were placed strategically where needed, especially at the entrance (see v. 6 niv).
Apart from the fact that Solomon shouldn't have been so extravagant in building his "palace," he didn't have the right to give twenty cities away just to pay his debts. All the land belonged to the Lord and could not be deeded away permanently (Lev. 25:23). One purpose for the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8ff.) was to make sure the land that had been sold was returned to the original owners and so that no clan or tribe could be deprived of their inheritance. But Solomon was starting to behave like his Egyptian father-in-law who had wiped out the population of an entire Canaanite city and given the city to his daughter as a wedding gift (v. 16). But Hiram didn't like the cities that Solomon gave
Because of the abundance of these cedar pillars from Lebanon, the structure was known as "the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon." The assembly hall was no doubt used for official government occasions. In this hall, Solomon displayed three hundred large shields and two hundred smaller shields, all made of wood covered with gold (10:16–17). The larger ones used seven and a half pounds of gold each, a total of 1,500 pounds, and the smaller shields three and a half pounds apiece, making 1,025 pounds, a total of 2,525 pounds of gold for all five hundred shields. Since gold is too
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who had once ruled the land (v. 20; Gen. 15:18–21; Josh. 3:10). In building the temple, he had also enlisted the temporary help of the Jewish men (5:13–14; 9:15, 22–23), but no Jewish worker was treated like a slave. The Jews were made officers and leaders in these building projects.
him! After looking them over, he called them "Cabul" which sounds like a Hebrew word that means "good for nothing." He didn't think the collateral was worth the investment he had made. However, the story seems to have had a happy ending. Solomon must have paid back the loan because Hiram returned the cities to him and Solomon rebuilt them for the Israelites (2 Chron. 8:1–2). Did Solomon pay off the loan with the 120 talents of gold that the Queen of Sheba gave him (10:10)?
Solomon worships the Lord (9:25; 2 Chron. 8:12–16) Annually, the adult Jewish males in Israel were required to appear at Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, (Ex. 23:14–19; Deut. 16:1–17). To Christian believers today, these three feasts signify the death of Christ, the Lamb of God, for our sins (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7); the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 15:23; Acts 2); and the future regathering of God's people in the kingdom (Rev. 20:1–6). To the Jewish people, Passover looked back to their deliverance from Egyptian bondage while Tabernacles commemorated God's care during their years in the wilderness. Firstfruits (Pentecost) celebrated the goodness of God in sending the harvest.
Solomon exhibits in this incident some character traits that disturb us, including the extravagant cost of the "palace" that necessitated a loan, and then giving a friend poor collateral that wasn't even his to give away. Humanly speaking, were it not for Hiram, the temple would not have been built, and this was no way for Solomon to treat a generous friend.
Solomon strengthens his kingdom (9:15–24; 2 Chron. 8:1–11) When the Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon, He promised to give him riches and honor to such an extent that there would be no king like him all the days of his life (3:13). He kept that promise and made Solomon's name famous and his accomplishments admired by people in other nations. Solomon's father, David, had conquered enemy territory and added it to the kingdom, but he hadn't attempted to build an international network that would make Israel powerful among the nations. David was a mighty general who feared no enemy, but Solomon was a shrewd diplomat and politician who missed no opportunity to increase his wealth and power. This section lists for us the achievements of Solomon both at home and abroad.
Solomon lived in Jerusalem, but he set an example by going to the temple and offering sacrifices. Of course, it was the priests who offered both the sacrifices and the incense. The burnt offering signified total dedication to the Lord; the fellowship or peace offerings spoke of peace with God and communion with Him and one another; and the burning incense was a picture of prayer offered to the Lord (Ex. 30:1–10; Ps. 141:2; Rev. 8:3). There are no instances in Scripture of the common people bringing incense to be offered on the golden altar, since this was a task the priests performed twice daily for the whole nation. However, Psalm 72, "A Psalm for Solomon," mentions continual prayer to be made for the king (v. 15), and there is no reason why Solomon could not have provided some of the spices needed for the special incense (10:2, 10; Ex. 30:34–38). The account in 2 Chronicles 8 indicates that Solomon also provided the sacrifices that were needed during these feasts as well as on the special Sabbaths and the new moon festivals. He obeyed the law of Moses in this regard, and he also followed the plan instituted by his father, David, for the ministry of the priests and Levites in the temple (1 Chron. 23—26). Asaph was chief over the musicians (1 Chron. 16:4–5), and there were 4,000 singers divided into twenty-four courses. Each singer ministered at the temple two weeks every year. There was also a special choir of 288 singers (1 Chron. 25:7). Solomon was careful to see to it that David's songs and instruments were used and that his plan for organizing the priests and Levites was honored.
We don't usually think of Solomon as being a military man, but this one exploit is recorded in Scripture (2 Chron. 8:3). Hamath was a city north of Damascus at the farthest northern border of the kingdom of Israel (Num. 34:8; Josh. 13:5). People from this area attended the dedication of the temple (8:65; 2 Chron. 7:8). The city was situated on a very important trade route from which Solomon could collect custom and duty and also guard against invaders. Along with Hamath, Solomon fortified Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer and made them "store cities," that is, places where chariots, horses, arms, and food were stored for the use of the Jewish troops. Solomon knew that if he didn't protect the outlying areas of the kingdom, he might find himself at war with his neighbors, his treaties notwithstanding.
G.Solomon's glory—10:1–29
Solomon also strengthened and extended "the Millo," the terraced area next to the walls of Jerusalem that buttressed the wall and gave more protection to the city. The word millo means "to fill." This was an "earthfill fortification" that was begun by David (2 Sam. 5:9) and continued by Solomon (9:24; 11:27). The king and his family, the people of the city, and the wealth in the temple and the palace all had to be protected.
Solomon expands his influence (8:26—10:13; 2 Chron. 8:17—9:12) Solomon was a great entrepreneur. He made trade agreements with many nations, built a navy, and hired
To accomplish all this work, the king conscripted the aliens in Israel, the descendants of the Canaanites
1 Kings 7—10
gaudy display of wealth. Even Solomon wrote, "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs [vegetables] where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred" (Prov. 15:16–17 nkjv). Hearing Solomon's words of wisdom may have excited the dinner guests, but the officers and servants had heard it before. One of the dangers of living in that kind of situation is that we begin to take things for granted, and before long, we don't value them at all. This can apply to spiritual treasures as well as material wealth.
Hiram's expert seamen to manage it for him. Being an inland people for the most part, the Jews were not given to maritime pursuits, so Solomon depended on the Phoenicians, a coastal people, to handle this aspect of his enterprises. Importing products from the east enriched Solomon's coffers and helped to make the kingdom more international in its outlook. This outreach surely gave opportunities for the Jews to bear witness of their God to the pagan Gentiles, but there's no record that there was such a ministry. Solomon had to maintain a huge budget and he needed as much money as he could get. On one trip they brought back 420 talents of gold, about sixteen tons of gold. The ships also brought luxury items like ivory, apes, and peacocks. It appears that Solomon also had a zoo (Eccl. 2:4–9). The words of the English poet Oliver Goldsmith come to mind:
When the queen said, "Blessed be the Lord, your God," she wasn't affirming her personal faith in Jehovah. People in those days believed in "territorial deities." Each nation had its own god or gods (1 Kings 20:28) and when you left your land, you left your gods behind (1 Sam. 26:19). Once she returned home, the queen would worship the gods of her own land, even though she had seen the glories of the God of Israel and heard His wisdom. Jesus didn't commend the Queen of Sheba for her faith but for the fact that she made every effort to travel about 1,500 miles to hear the wisdom of Solomon, when the Son of God, one "greater than Solomon," was in the midst of the Jewish people (Matt. 12:39–42). The tragedy of lost opportunity!
Ill fares the land, to hast'ning ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay.4
The visit of the Queen of Sheba (10:1–13) was undoubtedly motivated both by Solomon's mercantile endeavors as well as her own desires to meet Solomon, see the glories of his kingdom, and test his highly esteemed wisdom. Sheba was a wealthy and highly civilized nation located in southwest Arabia, and the queen brought with her expensive gifts that also served as samples of what her country had to offer (Isa. 60:6; Jer. 6:20; Ezek. 38:13). She "told him all her heart" and he told her what she wanted to know. What she heard and what she saw left her breathless. She had heard the reports but she didn't really believe them until she saw it all for herself. We're reminded of the experience of Thomas (John 20:24–29).
It's interesting to contrast this account of the meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba with the account of Solomon's first act of justice as king when he met two prostitutes (3:16ff.). They were commoners but she was a queen, and they had very little but she was very wealthy. Yet the king's door was open to all three of these women and he sought to help them. Of course, the Queen of Sheba negotiated a trade pact with Solomon, but there's no evidence that she trusted the true and living God.
The commercial network that Solomon established certainly helped the economy of the nation and brought many influential visitors to Jerusalem, but did it help the king and his people draw near to God? Israel wasn't supposed to be isolated from the community of nations, because she was to be a light to the Gentiles, but she was supposed to be separated from the sins of those nations that didn't know the true and living God. Along with the influx of foreign merchandise came the influx of foreign ideas, including ideas about religion and worship; and eventually Solomon himself, influenced by his foreign wives, succumbed to idolatry (11:1ff.).
The record of her visit gives us an opportunity to get a glimpse of life in the palace. The queen not only marveled at Solomon's palace, but she was impressed by the meals (4:7, 22–23), the livery and conduct of the servants, the seating of the officers and guests, and the incredible wealth that was displayed on and around the tables. She walked with Solomon on his private concourse to the temple where she watched him worship. (See 10:5 and 2 Chron. 9:4 niv margin.) The wisdom of Solomon's words and the wealth of Solomon's kingdom were just too much for her, and she was no pauper herself! She brought Solomon expensive gifts, including an abundance of spices and 120 talents of gold (four and a half tons). Solomon reciprocated by giving her whatever she asked for out of his royal bounty.
Solomon lives in splendor (10:14–29; 2 Chron. 9:13–28) When God promised to give Solomon wisdom, He also promised him riches and honor (3:13). It isn't a sin to possess wealth or to inherit wealth. Abraham was a very wealthy man who gave all his wealth to his son Isaac (Gen. 24:34–36). Earning money honestly isn't a sin, but loving money and living just to acquire riches is a sin (1 Tim. 6:7–10).
The queen couldn't contain herself. She announced publicly that Solomon and his servants had to be the happiest people on earth, yet it was Solomon who later wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and declared, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" We wonder if Solomon's officers and servants didn't gradually grow accustomed to all the pomp and circumstance of court life, especially the
Solomon himself wrote, "Whoever loves money
1 Kings 10—11
never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless" (Eccl. 5:10 niv). Someone has wisely said, "It's good to have the things that money can buy, provided you don't lose the things money can't buy."
2 Nothing is said about Solomon's wife Naamah, the Ammonitess, who gave birth to Rehoboam, Solomon's firstborn son and successor (14:21). 3 Control of the cities would give Hiram whatever resources were available, including taxing the citizens or conscripting them for service. It was not a nice way for Solomon to treat his own people. 4 "The Deserted Village" by Oliver Goldsmith, lines 51 and 52. 5 It's futile to connect the number 666 with Revelation 13:18. When you add Hiram's loan of 120 talents of gold (9:14) with the 420 talents brought in by the navy (9:28) and the 120 talents given by the queen of Sheba (10:10), you have a total of 660 talents of gold. It is said that the number six in Scripture is the number of man, always short of the number seven, the perfect number that belongs only to God. If this is true, then Solomon's 666 talents represents man's ultimate wealth, not the true eternal wealth that comes only from God. We brought nothing into this world, and we shall take nothing out (1 Tim. 6:7; Job 1:21; Ps. 49:17).
Solomon's annual income was 666 talents of gold, or about twenty-five tons.5 It came from several sources: (1) taxes, (2) tolls, customs, and duty fees, (3) trade, (4) tribute from vassal rulers, and (5) gifts. His use of conscripted labor was also a form of income. It took a great deal of money to support his splendid manner of life, and after Solomon's death, the people of Israel protested the yoke they were wearing and asked for the burden to be lightened (12:1–15).
Why did Solomon need five hundred shields that required 2,525 pounds of gold to make? Why did he need an ivory throne overlaid with gold? Why must he and his guests drink only from golden vessels? To what purpose were the thousands of horses and chariots he assembled? Why did he need seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines? In pursuing each of these goals, Solomon disobeyed the very Word of the Lord! The Lord warned in Deuteronomy 17:14–20 that Israel's king was not to multiply horses and go to Egypt to get them, nor was he to multiply wives or gold. Solomon not only acquired thousands of horses, but he became a horse dealer himself! Deuteronomy 17:20 warns the king that he must remain humble before the Lord "and not consider himself better than his brothers." It's not difficult to believe that Solomon's heart was lifted up with pride, and pride always leads to destruction and a fall (Prov. 16:18).
CHAPTER SIX 1 Kings 11:1–43 (2 Chronicles 9:29–31) THE FOOLISH WISE MAN S
III. The kingdom divided (1 Kings 11:1— 14:31) A.Solomon's folly—11:1–43
cripture never blinks the defects of its heroes," wrote the gifted British expositor Alexander Maclaren. "Its portraits do not smooth out wrinkles, but, with absolute fidelity, give all faults."1 This inspired biblical honesty is seen in the record of the life of King Solomon. God gave Solomon unusual wisdom, incredible wealth, and great opportunities, but in his older years, he turned from the Lord, made foolish decisions, and didn't end well. "A man's own folly ruins his life" (Prov. 19:3 niv). Solomon wrote those words and probably believed them, but he didn't heed them.
To the world of that day, and especially to the Jewish people, Solomon became a model of wealth and splendor, and no doubt many envied him. But Jesus said that one of the Father's lilies was more beautifully arrayed than Solomon in all his glory (Matt. 6:28–30). True beauty comes from within, from "the hidden person of the heart" (1 Peter 3:4 nkjv). The more we must add to our possessions before people will admire us, the less true wealth and beauty we really have.
It isn't difficult to trace the steps in Solomon's downward path.
David had prophets and priests who advised him and even warned and rebuked him, but nobody seems to have admonished Solomon to pay more attention to making a life instead of amassing a fortune. A Roman proverb says, "Riches are like salt water—the more you drink, the more you thirst." Henry David Thoreau said that a man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to do without, and Jesus asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26 nkjv).
Solomon disobeyed God's Word (11:1–8) Going back to Egypt may have been Solomon's first step in turning away from the Lord. He secured a bride from Egypt (v. 1; 3:1; 9:24), and he purchased horses and chariots there (4:26–28; 10:26–29). Both of these actions revealed Solomon's unbelief. He married the Egyptian princess in order to establish a peace treaty with her father, and he wanted horses and chariots because he didn't really believe that Jehovah could protect the land. What his father David had written was not in Solomon's creed: "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God" (Ps. 20:7 nkjv). His marriages and his procuring of horses and chariots were in direct disobedience to the Lord's clear commands (Deut. 17:16; 7:1–6; Ex., 23:31–34; 34:15–16; Josh. 23:12–13). Solomon's bad example in choosing wives
Notes 1 The timber and the stones had to be brought from a distance and the stones carefully cut to fit into the structure without any further dressing. All of this took time. Doing the delicate gold work within the temple, plus making the many pieces of furniture and utensils, would also require time. This explains why it took twenty years to finish both structures.
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king was openly worshipping and supporting the idols of those nations? He used to offer sacrifices and burn incense only to the Lord Jehovah, but when he got older, he started to include the false gods his wives worshipped (8:25; 11:8).
from pagan nations created problems for Ezra and Nehemiah over four centuries later (Ezra 9:2; 10:2–3; Neh. 13:23–27).
In terms of "biblical geography," Egypt represents the bondage of the world.2 The wilderness pictures the unbelief of God's people today as, like Israel, they wander and fail to lay hold of their inheritance in Christ.3 The Promised Land represents the rest God gives to those who trust Christ, submit to Him, and go forth to conquer by faith. All believers have been delivered from the world system that is contrary to God (Gal. 1:4), and all believers are exhorted to claim their inheritance in Christ now and not to wander aimlessly through life. No Christian believer has to trust the world for anything, because we have received in Christ every blessing that we need (Eph. 1:3; 2 Peter 1:1–4). We are in the world physically but not of the world spiritually (John 17:14:19), and all our needs come to us from the Father in heaven (Matt. 6:11; Phil. 4:19).
When you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you discover that when Solomon's heart began to turn from the Lord, he went through a period of cynicism and despair. He even questioned whether his life was worth living. Without a close walk with the Lord, his heart was empty, so he pursued pleasure, became involved in commercial ventures with many foreign nations, and engaged in vast building programs. However, he still found no enjoyment in life. At least thirty-eight times in Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote, "Vanity of vanities."
His love for spiritual values was replaced by a love for physical pleasures and material wealth, and gradually his heart turned from the Lord. First he was friendly with the world (James 4:4), then spotted by the world (James 1:27), and then he came to love the world (1 John 2:15–17) and be conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). Unfortunately, the result of this decline can lead to being condemned with the world and losing everything (1 Cor. 11:32). That's what happened to Lot (Gen. 13:10–13; 14:11–12; 19:1ff.), and it can happen to believers today.
The danger of marrying pagan unbelievers is spelled out in v. 2 nkjv, which is a quotation from Deuteronomy 7:4: "they will turn away your heart after their gods." That's exactly what happened to Solomon (vv. 3, 4, 9). The Ammonites and Moabites were descendants of Abraham's nephew Lot (Gen. 19:30ff.). The Ammonites worshipped the hideous god Molech and sacrificed their infants on his altars (Lev. 18:21; 20:1–5; and see Jer. 7:29–34; Ezek. 16:20–22). Chemosh was the chief god of the Moabites, and Ashtereth (Astarte) was the goddess of the people of Tyre and Sidon. As the goddess of fertility, her worship included "legalized prostitution" involving both male and female temple prostitutes, and that worship was unspeakably filthy. (See Deut. 23:1–8; 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46.) The Babylonians also worshipped this goddess and called her Ishtar.
Solomon ignored God's warning (11:9–13) The Lord wasn't impressed with Solomon's royal splendor, for the Lord looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7) and searches the heart (1 Chron. 28:9; Jer. 17:10; Rev. 2:23). It was Solomon who wrote, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23 nkjv), yet in his old age, his own heart was far from the Lord. Since the discovery of the circulation of the blood by William Harvey in the 17th century, everybody knows that the center of human physical life is the heart. But what's true physically is also true morally and spiritually. We're to love God with all our heart (Deut. 6:5) and receive His Word into our hearts (Prov. 7:1–3). God wants us to do His will from our hearts (Eph. 6:6). If our heart is wrong toward God, our entire life will be wrong, no matter how successful we may appear to others.
Solomon had exhorted the people to have hearts that were "perfect with the Lord" (8:61 kjv), that is, undivided and totally yielded to Him alone; yet his own heart wasn't perfect with God (v. 4). Solomon didn't totally abandon Jehovah but made Him one of the many gods that he worshipped (9:25). This was a direct violation of the first two commandments given at Sinai (Ex. 20:1–6). The Lord Jehovah is the only God, the true and living God, and He will not be put on the same level as the false idols of the nations. "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me" (Isa. 46:9 nkjv).
When Solomon was born, he was greatly loved by the Lord and given the special name "Jedidiah" which means "beloved of the Lord" (2 Sam. 12:24–25). But now we read that God was angry with Solomon because the king's heart had turned from the Lord. Solomon was turning his back on a wealth of blessing God had given to him and sinning against a flood of light. To begin with, the Lord had given Solomon a father who, though he wasn't perfect (and who is?), was devoted to the Lord with a single heart. David had prayed for Solomon and encouraged him to do the will of God and build the temple. Twice the Lord had appeared to Solomon (3:5; 9:2) and reminded him of the terms of the covenant He had made with his father (2 Sam. 7). Solomon certainly knew the terms of the
Solomon's compromise wasn't a sudden thing, for he gradually descended into his idolatry (Ps. 1:1). First he permitted his wives to worship their own gods; then he tolerated their idolatry and even built shrines for them. Eventually he began to participate in pagan practices with his wives. His sensual love for his many wives was more compelling than his spiritual love for the Lord, the God of Israel. He was a man with a divided and disobedient heart, and people who are doubleminded and unstable are dangerous (James 1:8). How could Israel be a light to the Gentile nations when their