Samuel Thru Solomon: Lesson 38-1 Kings 9:1-11:42 and 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:31

Transcription

1 Samuel Thru Solomon Lesson 38-1 Kings 9:1-11:42 and 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:31 In the last lesson we studied the dedication of the Temple. We saw how after seven and a half years of construction Solomon finished the work and dedicated it at the Feast of Tabernacles. At that time he brought up the Ark of the Covenant from Mt. Zion and placed it in the new Holy of Holies. At the same time he took the golden candlestick from the Tabernacle into the Holy Place and replaced the old appointments with new. He stored the old ones in the treasuries of the new Temple. Solomon addressed the people, and the LORD signaled his acceptance by sending fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifices, and having the glory of the LORD fill the Temple. There were many people there from all over Israel, and they celebrated the feast for seven days as prescribed, and then went home. 1 Kings 9:1-2 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 2 Chronicle 7:11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, 1 / 20

2 This was the second appearance of the LORD to Solomon. It took place thirteen years after he had finished the Temple, and 24 years into his 40 year reign. Most of Solomon's self indulgent behavior was an established pattern by that time. 1 Kings 9:3 The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting to put my Name there forever. My Yet my eyes and my heart will always be there. This literal translation I have substituted is much better. If God made the promise as translated by the NIV, he has have broken His promise. His name and presence have not been there forever. For nearly 50 years after 585 BC, and nearly 2000 years since 70 AD there was and has been no Temple. The literal translation makes it clear that God's name on Mt. Moriah forever was Solomon's intention and David's intention. It was never God's. God's name is on Mt. Zion where Christ was crucified. Here, God makes clear that His name in the Temple is conditional and likely to be reversed. (verse 8) See 2 Kings 23:27. 2 Chronicle 7:12-16 the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or 2 / 20

3 send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple [a] so that my Name may be [b] there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. In both these passages, the LORD confirms by word what He had demonstrated by fire and cloud thirteen years earlier. He had consecrated the Temple to replace the Tabernacle. 1 Kings 9:4-5 "As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' 2 Chronicles 7:17-18 "As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.' This confirmed a promise from God to Solomon which He had sent him while he was building 3 / 20

4 the Temple. [c] God had unconditionally promised that the Messiah would come from David's descendants and would reign forever. This promise to Solomon makes a conditional promise that the Messiah would also come through Solomon. However, this promise was conditional, and also involves a promise for blessing the temple and Israel. They are given in the next section. 1 Kings 9:6-9 "But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 2 Chronicles 7:19 "But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, This does not mean they were to be "sinless." The Law of Moses recognized the inevitable sinfulness of mankind and provided for a remedy through the acknowledgement of that sin before the LORD by the sinner. Forsaking that acknowledgement inevitably led to serving other "gods." The conditions of the LORD's promise were violated in Solomon's reign as we shall see. This made the promise of the Messiah through Solomon's line void. Instead the blood line of Christ went through David's son Nathan, Solomon's younger brother. Not only Solomon, failed, but the majority of the 19 Kings from his line failed this easy standard. About 11 of them probably worshipped other gods. Only about four could have been said to have really sought the LORD. 4 / 20

5 1 Kings 9:7-9 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' People will answer, Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them--that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'" 2 Chronicles 7:20-22 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' People will answer, Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them--that is why he brought all this disaster on them.'" Because of the failure of the line of Solomon, which first ruled the unified Kingdom, and later the southern Kingdom of Judah, their people were driven into exile, and the temple was destroyed. 1 Kings 9:10-14 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two buildings--the temple of the LORD and the royal palace-- King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and pine and gold he wanted. But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given [d] him, he was not pleased with them. "What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?" he asked. And he called them 5 / 20

6 the Land of Cabul, Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold. [e] a name they have to this day. 2 Chronicles 8:1-6 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the LORD and his own palace, Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram had given him, and settled Israelites in them. Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. [f] He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath. He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses --whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled. Evidently, King Hiram of Tyre made an exchange of land and villages along their common border. Solomon seems to have gotten the best of the deal. Solomon also strengthened and fortified his borders and his armies. 1 Kings 9:15-21 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD's temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. (Pharaoh King of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife. [g] And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land, as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses --whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled. All the people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not 6 / 20

7 Israelites), that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites could not exterminate --these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day. 2 Chronicles 8:7-8 All the people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites), that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites had not destroyed--these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day. Having conscripted the aliens to forced labor to build the Temple, Solomon left them in that status to build his other projects. 1 Kings 9:22-23 But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers. They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon's projects--550 officials supervising the men who did the work. 2 Chronicles 8:9-10 But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. They were also King Solomon's chief officials--two hundred and fifty officials [h] supervising the men. 7 / 20

8 Solomon did not enslave the Israelites for his building projects. They served in his army. 1 Kings 9:24 After Pharaoh's daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the supporting terraces. 2 Chronicles 8:11 Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, "My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy." [i] The Pharaoh's daughter, being the cement of his most important alliance with Egypt, got her own palace. Considering the number of Solomon's other wives, it was probably a practical move. 1 Kings 9:25 Three times a year [j] Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship 8 / 20

9 offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense before the LORD along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations. 2 Chronicles 8:12-16 On the altar of the LORD that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the LORD, according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons and the three annual feasts--the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day's requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered. They did not deviate from the king's commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries. All Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid until its completion. So the temple of the LORD was finished. I am assuming this meant that Solomon had the priests sacrifice the offerings. During Solomon's life at least, the feasts, sacrifices and offerings were observed according to the Law of Moses and the directions of David. [k] This was not true during the whole existence of the Temple. Innovations were introduced and at one time the Temple was closed for several years. 9 / 20

10 1 Kings 9:26-28 King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. And Hiram sent his men--sailors who knew the sea--to serve in the fleet with Solomon's men. They sailed to Ophir [l] and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon. 2 Chronicles 8:17-18 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. And Hiram sent him ships [m] commanded by his own officers, men who knew the sea. These, with Solomon's men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, [n] which they delivered to King Solomon. Solomon entered an arrangement with the Phoenicians of Tyre to open up trade on the Red Sea to India and beyond. They were renowned as navigators and traders in the Mediterranean, but they had no access to the Red Sea. Solomon supplied the access and common sailors, while Hiram supplied the ships and officers. During this time at least, the enterprise was successful. Unfortunately, t he navigation of the Red Sea by sailing ships is notoriously difficult, and ships sailing as far north as the Gulf of Aqaba or Suez were often wrecked. Nine hundred years later, when the Romans opened trade in the Red Sea, they established a port at Berenice, almost 400 miles south on the Red Sea and caravanned their goods 150 miles to the Nile rather than risk the sea journey north. At the time of Solomon, the Kingdom of Sheba, located in present day Yemen, 1,200 miles to the south, had the monopoly on trade with the India, China and the East. Solomon's enterprise clearly was going to cut into their trade. 10 / 20

11 1 Kings 10:1-13 When the queen of Sheba [o] heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan--with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones--she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness." And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.) King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan--with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones--she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! [p ] 11 / 20

12 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the LORD your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness." [q] Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (The men of Hiram and the men of Solomon brought gold from Ophir; they also brought algumwood and precious stones. The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.) King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. I cannot see in this anything more than an account of a high level ambassadorial mission to establish a treaty of peace. Clearly the people of Sheba could have interrupted Solomon's trade by attacking his ships. The queen of Sheba needed to see if Solomon's kingdom would be a threat to her if she decided to attack his shipping. The story illustrates the human fame and glory of Solomon's kingdom, even to the far off Kingdom of Sheba. At the end of the day, the two monarchs exchanged gifts and the queen went home. How much of what the Queen said was sincere, and how much was just diplomacy, I don't think we can say. 1 Kings 10:14-15 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land. 12 / 20

13 2 Chronicles 9:13-14 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. Considering what we know about Solomon, I don't think we can ignore the significance of the number 666 in relation to Solomon's wealth. Remember, Solomon was described by David as the answer to God's covenant, and the one who would build the Temple God had promised. We know he wasn't. It made him a false Messiah or anti-christ. The number 666 only appears significantly one other time. It appears in Revelation 13:18 as the number of the Beast who is also a false messiah or antichrist: [r] Revelation 13:18 "This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." The number of man is six since God created man on the sixth day. Three is a number associated with God (the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Six three times (666) thus speaks of a man making himself like God. This is also man imitating Satan. [s] 666 talents of gold at today's prices would be worth over $700 million. 1 Kings 10:16-17 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. 13 / 20

14 2 Chronicles 9:15-16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of hammered gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred bekas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. These shields would have weighed almost a ton and a half in gold, and were more than twice in weight what was put in the Temple. It would be worth close to 3 billion dollars today. 1 Kings 10:18-21 Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days. 2 Chronicles 9:17-20 Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's day. 14 / 20

15 So, in the course of time, the Palace Solomon had built for himself was far larger and far more expensive than the Temple built for God. Such was the level of Solomon's arrogance and self indulgence. The LORD had blessed him, but instead of being a servant to his people, his people became his servants. This is in stark contrast to the real "son of David" who said: Matthew 20:25-28 "Jesus called them together and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" 1 Kings 10:22 The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. 2 Chronicles 9:21 The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram's men. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. The Solomon / Hiram joint venture in trading prospered. The three year round trip voyage mentioned here would seem to indicate that their trading must have gone as far afield as China, Japan, and the East Indies to the east, and perhaps as far as South Africa, and Madagascar to the west. The cargo carried also seems to indicate that. 15 / 20

16 1 Kings 10:23-24 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in given his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. 2 Chronicles 9:22-24 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in given his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. The wisdom God had given Solomon was a keen intelligence. On offer was also spiritual understanding (an offer he makes to all of us). Solomon made the most of his keen intelligence and understanding of science and human motivation to make himself powerful and extremely wealthy. The secret of this last was something all the kings of the earth were eager to find out. They did not come to admire the greatness and mercy of God, but the riches and wisdom of Solomon. 1 Kings 10:26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 16 / 20

17 2 Chronicles 9:25-26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. He ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. This had been expressly forbidden by the Law of Moses: Deuteronomy 17:16a "The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them." The extent of his rule covered all the lands that David had conquered, with minor additions. 1 Kings 10:27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 2 Chronicles 9:27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 17 / 20

18 Solomon lavished all his wealth on Jerusalem. This developed great resentment on the part of the other sections of the country. 1 Kings 10:28-29 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue [t] --the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. 2 Chronicles 9:28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries. In that day, the most advanced and feared weapons were horse drawn chariots. In effect, Solomon was involved in the arms business. [a] God chose to consecrate the Temple Himself. [b] Note the contrast of this sentence with the following sentence. Here God's name "may" be in the Temple. In the next sentence, His eyes and heart "will" be there. Why the difference? Because God knew the Jews would disobey and the Temple would be destroyed twice. The Chronicles version is slightly different from the one in 1 Kings 9:3. [c] 1 Kings 6:11-12 "The word of the LORD came to Solomon: As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and 18 / 20

19 obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father." [d] The Hebrew word used here is Ö ªÖ Ÿ {nä than'} which can mean "to exchange" or "to sell." That is clearly the meaning here. Solomon exchanged them for 230 talents of gold. [e] Cabul means "binding." The term expresses Hiram's displeasure with the deal. [f] Hamath Zobah extended the northern frontier of Israel into the territory of Zobah. David had defeated Zobah (2 Samuel 8:3), but not taken any of their territory. This had to involve war. So clearly Solomon was not a man of peace as David had said he would be. [g] This is a tantalizing piece of information. Gezer was a Canaanite city which had survived on the border of Ephraim. The question is how did the Egyptian come to have a force in the middle of Israel to destroy Gezer? My guess is that when Pharaoh came up to his daughters wedding, he brought a strong force with him. He must have lulled the Gezerites into a false sense of security and breached their gates and destroyed the city. In this sense, it was a wedding gift. [h] There is obviously a number transcription error in either 1 Kings 9:23 or 1 Chronicle 8:10. [i] Solomon realizes that his wife is unholy, yet he sees nothing wrong with marrying her. [j] The three feasts - Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles. [k] These had been directed by the Holy Spirit (1 Chronicles 28:12). 19 / 20

20 [l] Ophir is usually considered to be in India. [m] These ships had to have been sent in pieces overland from Tyre. [n] Obviously another number transcription error in either 1 Kings 9:28 or 1 Chronicle 8:17. [o] "Sheba" is from the same root as "Sabbath" and means "seven" or "oath." [p] Remember, Solomon's own comment on the result of his brand of wisdom was "Meaningless!" [q] This view reveals the Messianic expectations of Solomon. [r] 1 John 2:18 "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour." [s] Isaiah 14:14 "I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." [t] Kue was located in what is now south central Turkey, in the general area of Paul's old home town of Tarsus in Cilicia. At that time it was the region of the Hittites. 20 / 20