DEVOTIONAL

The passage today captures the remaining years of King Solomon’s reign before he dies. For a king with such a legacy, his story is concise in 1 Kings. The legacy of wisdom God fulfills in Solomon is poured out in the pages of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. As I read the details of wealth Solomon builds up, it hits me square in the face that his wisdom God promises ends up with more print in the Bible than his wealth. This leads me to ponder: are the things I am chasing after as my legacy in line with what God desires? Now you see why it hit me in the face. Shake it off and jump into 1 Kings 9 with me.

After the beautiful temple dedication, God visits King Solomon a second time and lays out two options for Solomon (and us): follow God or turn away from Him. It’s straight forward, sans games or manipulation. In His visit, the warning God gives Solomon promises what he builds up as king will crumble to ruins if Israel turns away from God. Why? Look at verse 9 which says, “they abandoned the Lord their God… laid hold on other gods.” A few verses back, King Solomon is bowed before God with a wholly devoted heart to God. So, why insert this warning? Oh, we are people prone to wonder. And God whispers loving wisdom at just the right moment for us, I mean Solomon. Remember how Solomon stepped on the throne as king? He was young, humble, and seeking wisdom from men wholly devoted to God. He cast out evil men like Joab. With about a decade or more under his belt as king, Solomon is not met with war or plots of evil, but lavished with abundance in every place he turns. Do the riches of store cities, thousands of chariots and horses, tables filled with the finest foods, and clothes uber soft buckle the knees of Solomon in awe and wonder of the incredible, astounding, steadfast promises of God? Let’s keep reading.

Word spreads quickly to other nations about the surmounting wealth and wisdom of King Solomon. It is bizarre to me how other nations send to King Solomon their gold, chariots, spices, ivory, special stones, etc. Where were these other nations when King David was on the run with Israel seeking refuge? All in God’s plan, but I still scratch my head. In 1 Kings 10:1-13, the specific account of Queen Sheba gives us a taste of the reaction to Solomon’s wealth to someone in that day with power, position, and wealth. She visits to find out for herself whether the rumors are true, and how true are they. It is not until Queen Sheba arrives to Jerusalem, experiences the city, and listens to King Solomon speak that she understands the depth of it all. The experience Queen Sheba has with beholding King Solomon’s wealth and wisdom represents for me how it was when I met God. I heard the stories of God’s promise to make Abraham the father of many nations, the sacrifice of Jesus, and of course how cool it was God parted the Red Sea. However, it was not until I experienced for myself the love of God, the forgiveness of my sins, and the grace of God for me that I believed the rumors were true. I could not describe the experience better than how Queen Sheba felt in 1 Kings 10:5, “there was no more breath in her.” What a holy moment. Even though Queen Sheba most likely did not worship Yahweh, she is all consumed by the lavished grace and abundance of God. There is no denying it.  

Q: What is the last experience you had where God took your breath away?

It feels like a hard turn in 1 Kings 11 because Solomon turns away from God. And we may be tempted to ask, “Solomon, how could you?” However, the progression is exactly what can happen in my life too. Solomon takes the first step away from God back in 1 Kings 3 when he takes Pharaoh’s daughter of Egypt as his wife. While King Solomon is doing the work of God to build the temple and speak wisdom to Israel, he holds onto the love of foreign women. He takes wives who do not bow to the God of Israel, but worship and serve other gods. As Solomon’s love for his wives grows stronger and stronger, his heart turns away from God. The Holy One of Israel who graciously gives Solomon the wisdom he prays for in 1 Kings 3 goes a step farther to lavish wealth upon Solomon. God provides everything from gold to chariots, to peace and good food for Solomon and his people. Yet, Solomon holds fast to the love of his wives greater than his love for God. It breaks my heart for Solomon, but also makes my heart desperate to lean on God to help not let people or things gain my affections greater than the affections I have for Him.

What I learned in the story of God and Solomon is the promises of God will be fulfilled in abundance and the best place to land is wholly devoted to God. With God, Solomon spoke wisdom. With God, Solomon experienced peace. With God, Solomon held power and wealth. With God, Solomon lacked nothing.  

Q: What is the “one thing” to pull you away from the Lord? The thing you are willing to compromise or sacrifice in order to serve yourself? Spend time with the Lord today in confession and ask Him to stir your affections greater for Him.

Additional reading: 2 Chronicles 8-9