Week 22
1 Kings 2:13-3:28 and 2 Chronicles 1:1-13
Solomon deals justice to the men who had not been faithful to his father David, and Adonijah’s continued treachery seals his own fate, and he dies.
Solomon appears before the tabernacle of Moses in Gibeon, where the alter of sacrifice was still used, and he humbled himself before God. The Lord gives Solomon one request, and rather than ask for riches, long life, or superiority over his enemies, he asks God to give him wisdom to lead God’s people. This request pleases God, and he grants to him wisdom greater than any man on earth, and also promises to bless him with great riches and honor among the nations of the world.
1 Kings 5-6 and 2 Chronicles 2-3
Solomon communicates with king Hiram of Lebanon his plans to build a temple to the Name of the Lord, and they agree on all that will be provided by Hiram, and all that Solomon will pay. There is great detail in all that gets constructed, which God had previously shown to David, who not only provided for all that was needed, but even the plans for his son to use. Construction of the temple was started in the 4th year of Solomon’s reign, and took 7 years to complete.
1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 4
Details are provided for many of the temple furnishings, the bronze pillars outside the temple, and the bronze laver for washing. Hiram, a skilled metal worker from Lebanon (whose mother was a Hebrew), was sent to Solomon to oversee all of this work, and to teach his expertise to Solomon’s experts in Israel.
1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5:1-7:10
After Solomon had completed all the work of building the temple, and all of the utensils and furnishings, he called all of Israel together to dedicate and consecrate that place for the worship of God’s Name. All of the furnishings and utensils in the tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon were brought to the temple in Jerusalem, and the ark of the covenant was brought there from Zion, where David had pitched a tent for it.
Please note the emphasis on the Lord’s Name in relationship to this temple. From the beginning, Solomon planned to build it as a place to honor the Name of God, and in various places God confirmed that He would place His Name there. This temple is not a place where God dwelt, since not even the heavens can contain Him, but the scriptures say that He placed His Name there, so that it might be glorified, and sought by all the peoples.
Solomon and Israel take 2 weeks to consecrate and dedicate the temple in Jerusalem, and he prays a great prayer for God to hear the requests of all who appeal to His Name in that place, regardless of where they are located, or even if they are strangers from foreign countries.
The Lord hears all of the prayers of Solomon and the people, and His presence fills the temple, and fire comes down from heaven and burns up all the sacrifices presented to Him there.
1 Kings 9:1-10:13 and 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:12
After the dedication of the temple, the Lord speaks to Solomon a 2nd time, and confirms His promises to David and the nation, with the proviso that when the king and the people forsake the Lord, He will judge them, and even allow the temple to be completely destroyed. The temple was indeed destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar to the people of Judah captive into Babylon, and then rebuilt after more than 70 years of that captivity. The temple was again completely destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans, and it has yet to be rebuilt since then, although it will be built again in the last days.
The Queen of Sheba comes to see Solomon with great gifts, and she is blown away by all of his wisdom and knowledge. Tradition has it that Solomon allowed her to take a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which is reportedly in existence today in Ethiopia, and guarded by priests with their lives. Ethiopian tradition also holds that she bore a son to Solomon, named Menilek, who became king, with a line of kings all the way down to Haile Selassie in the early 1970’s.
1 Kings 4, 10:14-29 and 2 Chronicles 1:14-17, 9:13-28 and Psalm 72
There was no king in Israel who was ever as wise and rich as Solomon. He ruled from the Euphrates River to the border of Egypt, and kings came from all over the known world to hear his words of wisdom. From an earthly perspective, he may have been the richest and smartest and wisest king in the history of the world. However, even though he was mostly faithful to God, he did not have his father David’s heart after God. There is little beyond these external glories described during his 40 year reign, and little he did for God after completing and dedicating the temple.
Proverbs 1-3
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge, and it is from that basis that Solomon counsels his son to seek wisdom (in the fear of the Lord). God will protect and bless those who fear and serve Him, and those who love violence and injustice will receive their just rewards.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.