1 Kings 4:1-34 Solomon Does Well

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1 1 Kings 4:1-34 Solomon Does Well Great Kingdoms need a great government Delegating authority the development of a kingdom ruled well. Of course, Samuel warned them of what a human King would do to the people: 1 Samuel 8: So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. 11 And he said, This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Delegation of Authority: Delegation is the assignment of responsibility or authority to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. o It is one of the core concepts of management leadership. However, the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. o Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e. it is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational level to a lower one. Delegation, if properly done, is not abdication. o The opposite of effective delegation is micromanagement, where a manager provides too much input, direction, and review of delegated work. o In general, delegation is good and can save money and time, help in 1 building skills, and motivate people. Exodus 18 Jethro instructs Moses on how to delegate his authority Bring only the most difficult cases to Moses Exodus 18: Kings

2 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. Jesus delegates His authority: Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 1 So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were his officials: Azariah the grandson of Zadok, the priest; (or chief officer) 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; (or secretaries, minutes of meetings) Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; (Commander of the Joint Chiefs) Zadok and Abiathar, over the priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king s friend; (principle officer and the King s buddy) 6 Ahishar, over the household workers/staff; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force. (the tax man) 12 Governors to 12 Regions: 7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. 8 These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9 Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; 13 Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of Argob in Bashan sixty large cities with walls and bronze gatebars; 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 16 Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin;

3 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land mentioned. 20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the (Euphrates) River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Now Solomon s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour (2 pound bread loaves for 14,000 people), sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. The vine and fig tree were both symbols of the nation Israel and pictured the Promised Land s agricultural abundance. 2 Isaiah 60: The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; 2 Thomas L. Constable, 1 Kings, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), Kings

4 And I will make the place of My feet glorious. 14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you Shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, So that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, A joy of many generations. 16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, And milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold, Instead of iron I will bring silver, Instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace, And your magistrates righteousness. 18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise. Micah 4:4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. Zechariah 3: Says the LORD of hosts, And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, says the LORD of hosts, Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree. 26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. Solomon should have learned his Dad s lesson of fully depending on the Lord in times of trouble: Psalm 20:6 9 (from David, as though he wrote it just for Solomon) 1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according to your heart s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

5 May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. 9 Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call. Solomon s numerous horses (12,000; cf. 2 Chron. 1:14) and many chariots (1,400 according to 2 Chron. 1:14) were kept in several locations (called chariot cities in 2 Chron. 9:25; cf. 1 Kings 9:19). o Though the Hebrew here has 40,000 stalls (cf. NIV marg.), this was probably the error of a copyist in transcribing the text which read 4,000, the number in 2 Chronicles 9:25. o The horses and chariots, used for national defense, served as a strong deterrent to potential foreign aggressors. o Barley and straw for all Solomon s horses was supplied daily by the district governors.3 Megiddo: 3 Thomas L. Constable, 1 Kings, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), Kings

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7 27 And these governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon s table. There was no lack in their supply. 28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge. 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. These 12 Governors were responsible for supplying Solomon s house o Thousands of horses 30 Thus Solomon s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. The Koran (Sur. 27:17) praises him as knowing the languages of men and demons, of 4 birds and ants; these all, it says, he could hold intercourse with. The Turks still possess a work of seventy folio volumes, which is called the book of 5 Suleiman, i.e., Solomon. 32 He spoke 3000 proverbs, and his songs were Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. His wisdom included: 3000 proverbs (an exact number denoting cataloging and preserving) o 915 in the book we call Proverbs 1005 songs (an exact number denoting cataloging and preserving) o Psalm 72 and Psalm 127 have Solomon s name attached 6 o Possibly Psalm 132 and Psalm 2 Botany o Herbs, Trees, Weeds Biology o Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Aquatic Life 4 John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 Kings (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), Kings

8 12 Rules of Delegation January 17, 2008 Author: PM Hut 12 Rules of Delegation By Richard Lannon Delegation is one of the most important skills. Technical professionals, team and business leaders, managers, and executives all need to develop good delegation skills. There are many rules and techniques that help people to delegate. Good delegation saves money, time, builds people and team skills, grooms successors and motivates people. Poor delegation sucks! Ask any employee. It causes frustration, demotivates and confuses people and teams. It is important to develop good delegation skills. These twelve rules of delegation should help you out. 1. Delegation is a two-way street. That s right! Delegation is meant to develop you and the people you work with. Consider what you are delegating and why you are delegating it. Are you delegating to build people, get rid of work you don t like to do or to develop someone? 2. To be a good delegator you need to let go. You can t control everything so let go and trust the people you work with. Hand over those tasks to other people that are stopping you from reaching your full potential. 3. Create a delegation plan. Use a delegation matrix that shows your people and the main task components and how you can develop your people and get the work done. This will help your people understand the expectations being set. 4. Define the tasks that must be done. Make sure that the task can be delegated and is suitable to be delegated. Some things you have to do and others can be done by someone else. Be clear on what the task is and is not. People like clarity when being delegated to. So ensure you are clear. If you are not clear your people will not be and you will be disappointed. Worst, your people will feel like failures. Not cool! 5. Select and assign the individual or team that should take on the task. Be clear on your reasons for delegating the task to that person or team. Be honest with yourself. Make sure you answer the question what are they going to get out of it and what you are going to get out of it? Think of it as listening to the radio station WII-FM (what s in it for them). It s a good motivator. 6. Make sure you consider ability and training needs. The importance of the task may need to be defined. Can the people or team do the task? Do they understand what needs to be done? If not, you can t delegate it to them. If resources are an issue, sit your team down and move things around or develop a mentoring-support program that enables your people. 7. Clearly explain the reason for the task or work that must be done. Discuss why the job is being delegated and how it fits into the scheme of things. Don t be afraid to negotiate points that are discussed when appropriate. Don t say it is because we are told to do it. For your people to own the task you must own the task. Reframe and rephrase it so you have ownership. 8. State the required outcomes and results. Answer questions like what must be achieved, what the measurements will be, and clarify how you intend to decide that the job was successfully done. 9. Be prepared to discuss the required resources with the individual and team. Common challenges arise with every person and team including people, location, time, equipment, materials and money. These are important concerns and should be discussed and solved creatively. However, sometimes it is simply as it must be done. Be prepared. 10. Get agreement on timeline and deadlines. Include a status reporting feature to ensure things are getting done. When is the job to be done? What are the ongoing operational duties? What is the status report date and how is it due? Make sure you confirm an understanding of all the previous items. Ask for a summary in their words. Look for reassurance that the task can be done. Address any gaps and reinforce your belief in the individuals or teams work. They need to know you trust them. 11. Remember the two way street, well it is most likely a multi-directional intersection. Look around and support and communicate. Speak to those people who need to know what is going on. Check your stakeholders list and make sure you inform them what the individuals or teams responsibility is. Do not leave it up to the individual or team. Keep politics, the task profile and importance in mind. 12. Provide and get feedback for teams members and individuals. It is important that you let people know how they are doing and if they are achieving their aim. Don t get into blame-storming. You must absorb the consequences of failure, create an environment where failure is an opportunity to learn and grow and pass on the credit for success. Pay it forward if you can.

9 Delegation used as a tool develops you and your people. The better you are at delegation the better the people around you and your teams will do. It is part of command skills and should be used to let go and trust in your people. The difference between success and 7 failure is often a matter of letting go and delegating Kings