Today in God's Word—February 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
February 19, 2 Chronicles 9
Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. - 2 Chronicles 9:22-24
Who's the greatest? I remember a boxer who proclaimed himself The Greatest. I also remember a popular song by a well-known artist in which he proclaimed, "I am the greatest, in this world, in the next world, in any world!"
I suppose King Solomon could have laid claim to that title in his day as well. He was uniquely blessed by God with wisdom, wealth and honor. In the eyes of the world around him, he must have seemed to be the greatest king ever. He was very smart. Like Flipper the dolphin on the old television show, "No one you see is smarter than he." Solomon was also very, very rich. Powerful, wealthy visitors like the queen of Sheba lost any contest about who could give the richest gifts. More than any athlete or entertainer who claims to be the greatest, Solomon could have made a strong case to win the title for himself.
In the eyes of the world, Solomon must have seemed to be an absolute success. God blessed him with great wealth, and the money just kept rolling in, year after year. He had lots of gold, and his mining and shipping businesses brought in more every year. Explorers and conquerors contributed to his treasure, and visiting royalty brought gold and other presents, seeking his favor. Solomon wasn't one of those quiet multimillionaires you'd never know was rich. He flaunted his wealth in opulent displays of success. He made and displayed hundreds of shields of pure gold. He sat on a massive throne of ivory and gold. There was no silverware on Solomon's dinner table. All the vessels and pieces were of pure gold. Solomon
“out-riched” any pop music star or athlete. I do not think God gave Solomon the riches that he did so Solomon could make an unending prideful display of his wealth, do you?
And about that famous wisdom...Solomon was surely celebrated as wise by his peers, allies and adversaries alike. But was he wise in God's eyes? Would Solomon meet his own definition of wisdom, in his own words? He wrote in Proverbs, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Ecclesiastes is about his search for meaning and significance apart from God. Remember his conclusion? "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." But this chapter shows Solomon had no regard for God or his commandments at all. His excesses were flagrant violations of God's prohibitions against the king amassing wealth, wives, horses and chariots. Solomon tested positive for all those excesses and more.
Those "gifts" the visiting kings brought to Solomon were actually tribute or taxes they owed as vassal kings under Solomon's dominion. Their praise was flattery of the great king who controlled them and their little neighboring kingdoms.
For all his wealth, wisdom and honor, Solomon was foolish, bankrupt and shamefully disobedient to God. Ecclesiastes may well be Solomon's confession, acknowledging that his quest for meaning apart from God through all kinds of excess had been a dismal failure. His counsel to his readers was to remember God while they were young, to fear him and keep his commandments. He said it was the whole duty of a human life.
After 40 years on Israel's throne, Solomon died. When death came, how much gold he had or how smart he was did not matter anymore. Like his father before him, he died and a son took his place. Rehoboam would prove to be a foolish son who made decisions and took actions that would divide the nation, leaving the house of
David with only a small portion of what Israel had been before.
Jesus said much was required of those to whom much was given. Solomon's story is a tragedy because he turned away from God and served idols even after God had given him so much. Let's be wise in God's eyes, regardless of what others may think. Let's be rich in spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ. And let's use what God has given us for God's glory. Let's learn from Solomon's sad story and not repeat it. Let's never allow any possession, any position or any person to ever turn our hearts away from God!
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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