1 Kings 10 - Solomon's wisdom known worldwide

Click to read 1 Kings 10

Synopsis

Solomon's wisdom was known all the world over. Many kings and dignitaries would visit him to seek his wisdom or simply to see for themselves if Solomon was really that wise. Queen Sheeba was one of those. She quizzed him to satisfy herself that he was indeed as wise as he was known.

Solomon asked for wisdom from God and God granted him more than that; riches and honor. Solomon's riches were beyond calculation and Israel was at the golden age. It was no longer a second-rated nation, but one that was wealthy and powerful and which was honored by many other nations the world around.

Unfortunately, Solomon was so focused upon gathering wealth that he forgot about God's instructions. This marked the downfall of Solomon and the nation.

Major Verses

V10 - Queen Sheeba was so overwhelmed by Solomon's wisdom after asking him many hard questions that she became an admirer. She also gave Solomon 120 talents of gold (about 4 metric tons).

What I learned

When God's favor is upon us, others will be drawn to us and they will also give us their favors. When we receive these favors, let us not forget to give honor and thanks to God, who is the ultimate Giver of these favors.

V14 - 666 talents of gold is equivalent to 23 metric tons. That was a lot of gold! When Solomon asked for wisdom, God also promised to give him riches. This chapter gives an indication of how wealthy Solomon was; he used gold to make battle shields.

What I learned

What God promised, He will fulfill. He is a trustworthy and faithful God.

V23 - 25 - Solomon's riches was legendary and many kings and great men from many nations sought audience with Solomon to seek his wisdom. Israel was at its golden age. Now why did the bible placed so much emphasis on Solomon's riches? In the old testament times, riches was considered as a evidence of God's blessing. Although contrary to God's words, prosperity was seen as proof of right living. But in truth, wealth does not prove that a person is really living right before God and thus poverty does not indicate sinfulness. However, that is how the world sees in and sadly, some churches today also teach this concept. Jesus taught that the greater evidence of right living is when the person's heart is truly after God and His Kingdom. Gaining heavenly treasures is far more rewarding than having silver and gold on earth.

What I learned

God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. Through our love and blessing to others, they will see God's love for them and thus will find a reason to repent and return to His fold. A person with wealth may not be a happy one if he does not have certainty about his eternity. On the other hand, one whose heart is after God will always be assured of His provision - he is surely the wealthier of the two.

V26 - In accumulating chariots and horses, and great wealth (beyond what was needed) Solomon was violating God's commands for a king which were recorded in Deut 17:14-20. God knew that these activities would hurt the people and nation. The more luxurious Solomon's court became, the heavier were the taxes. The higher the taxes, the more unhappy the people became.

What I learned

While God had promised Solomon riches and honor, Solomon went beyond what was needed and accumulated more. More importantly, he violated God's clear instruction about how a king was to behave. We must guard our hearts against the temptation to have more than what we need. Excessive wealth, many times, leads people to trust in mammon than in God.

Summary

While Israel under Solomon became a powerful and wealthy nation, eventually it was these that drew Solomon away from God. Wealth is good only if God is in control of its usage. Otherwise, it will be a burden for a person to handle the wealth.

Up next...

Solomon continued to violate God's commands and married many pagan wives. Coming up in 1 Kings 11 ... 31st Dec.