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"Under
God's Microscope, pt.2"
• 1.29.17 •
Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- After 20 years, God the Father answered King
Solomon's prayer with the same message that He had given him 20 years earlier.
Solomon was to walk as his Father David had walked.
- He was to honor the Word that had been
delivered to him, to live in it's light. Chapters 9 and 10 exist to reveal
why God's warning had been necessary.
- God is laying out His case for all to see and
His Spirit began with Solomon's sins against what was generally known and held
among the people.
- The stories revolve around singular acts, but
like all stories, they represent patterns of life. That being the case,
Solomon's way of life left much to be desired.
- He had used his wisdom to take advantage of
business dealings. He enslaved a group of people that God had specifically set
apart for destruction.
- Then, he played the hypocrite, worshipping
the Lord at the feasts while he continued to serve his own interests, both at
home and abroad.
- As we enter chapter 10, I would suggest that
the Spirit of God moves from the general law which governed all of God's
people, to the specific set of laws that applied to God's King.
- How did Solomon fare against these laws? The
Lord is about to open the curtain and let us in. It begins with a harmless
visit from a fellow dignitary. Verse 1.
Text
•
I Kings 10:1-3 : "Now when the queen of Sheba heard
of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard
questions. She came
to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much
gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him
about all that was in her heart. So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so
difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her." : The queen of Sheba is arguably the most famous Gentile woman in
the Old Testament but there isn't consensus on her country of origin.
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There are those who believe Sheba to be modern day Yemen. Others hold that she
is a distant cousin to Solomon through Abraham's concubine Keturah.
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Still others maintain that she is of African descent, from the land of Cush. Depending on who you listen to, she may
have traveled as much as 1,200 miles to visit Solomon!
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Most people come to her. Solomon's reputation was so impressive that she
decided to go to him! With security and comfort being the premium concern, this
could have taken a while!
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She is coming to investigate what has been reported to her. The HCSB says that
she heard about his fame, "connected with the name of Yahweh." Who has
ever heard of such a thing?
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Solomon's fame and wealth, in the eyes of the watching world, spoke of
something that had to be divine!
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The queen, being of royal lineage herself, has seen and heard it all. She has
to see this for herself. What is happening with him? What is his secret? How
can I share in his experience?
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These are the questions that the natural man has for the person in relationship
with God!
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Her purpose is to test or prove him. The word relates to experience gained by
the natural senses. The Queen wants to personally see if Solomon will live up
to his reputation.
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She's equipped with riddles, difficulties, questions ranging from civic policy
to spiritual life, which would expose Solomon's wisdom or lack thereof to her.
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I believe that she believed herself to be on an equal plane with Solomon. The
author describes her entrance into the city, which would have been quite a
sight!
-
Her retinue or caravan was impressive, carrying exotic spices, gold and
gemstones that might have intimidated another King. Solomon probably wondered
why she brought her trash!
-
When the Queen finally had the chance to interrogate Solomon with her queries,
she found that he was more than a match for her questions! He didn't even break
a sweat! Verse 4.
•
I Kings 10:4,5 : "And when the queen of Sheba had
seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating
of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers,
and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her." : The Queen took the time to thoroughly inspect every part of the
daily experience for Solomon's court.
-
There was seemingly no end to the wisdom that Solomon possessed. It was evident
in every detail from the grand architecture to the food that was served to him.
And the servants had it good!
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"The seating of his servants" is better understood as their residence
or the servant's quarters.
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How they worked and how they looked while they worked left an impression. You'd
have to imagine that being so well cared for, brought about the effect of great
and caring service.
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Do you think it was their joy to serve that King that caught her eye? Whatever
it was the text indicates that her royal breath was taken away! Verse 6.
•
I Kings 10:6-9 : "Then she said to the king: 'It was
a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words
until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me.
Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are
these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you,
setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever,
therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.'" : She had been told of Solomon's greatness, but had been
skeptical.
-
She had seen other Kingdoms and realms and exaggeration wasn't uncommon. But
this was different! Not only were the reports actually true, but they were also
incomplete!
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She hadn't been told the half of it! She was ill-prepared to face this moment.
His wisdom and riches were far greater than the story of his reputation told
which is hardly ever true in life!
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Most people are half as great as their reputation! That wasn't the case here!
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Please make note of that order. The Queen was floored, first by his wisdom and
then by his prosperity. Can you see her breathlessly going on about Solomon?
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This is quite out of character for a royal member, who is supposed to remain
composed and demure under all circumstances. She just can't help herself!
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Everyone in Solomon's service had to be grateful to the Lord for installing him
as their King! Israel was indeed a blessed nation.
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"They are all lucky just to get to hear you speak to them!" God
deserves the praise! The Queen knows enough to know that Solomon wasn't the
cause of his own ascendancy!
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She properly recognizes the delight, the favor that God has shown both to the
King as well as the people!
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Wherever the Queen was from, she was perhaps even personally aware, that not
all Kingdoms could boast of a King that did what was right by the people and
right before the Lord.
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Even with a debilitated spiritual life, Solomon ran the Kingdom, at least on a superficial level, in a godly way.
It seems that there is a part of her that would almost wish to stay herself!
Verse 10.
•
I Kings 10:10-13 : "Then she gave the king one hundred
and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones.
There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to
King Solomon. Also,
the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of
almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. And the king made steps of the
almug wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments
for singers. There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen
to this day. Now
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked,
besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she
turned and went to her own country, she and her servants." : 120 talents of gold in our measurement is equal to 9,000 pounds.
It was a token of her esteem but likely also the ground for a trading
partnership in the region.
-
Her gift came at about the same time that Hiram's ships returned with great
planks of almug.
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Nobody knows the type of tree that this was, but it was strong enough to make
stairs for the temple and for his house, as well as being pliable enough to
make musical instruments.
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As for the Queen, Solomon gave her everything that she asked for besde what was
common for royal generosity! He said, "Up to half my Kingdom" and she
took him up on it!
-
Ultimately, half is what she received. Like most people who call themselves
"seekers," they investigate the life of the believer, having noted
their peace or their joy.
-
They wonder about the method that the righteous person employs. How can they
live above their circumstance? How can they thrive as they are?
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They come and see, sometimes with an entourage, and they might even offer a
gift!
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If they walk away impressed with everything you have become, but aren't
introduced to the One that is responsible for producing it in your life, they
come away with only half!
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Unfortunately, there are many who have not been told the half of it and the
Queen of Sheba is just another person who very likely walked away impressed
with the effect, but not the cause!
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For Solomon's part, the Queen's visit seems to be marked by the Holy Spirit as
the catalyzing point for what comes next. Notice how the narrative shifts.
Verse 14.
•
I Kings 10:14,15 : "The weight of gold that came to
Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, besides that from the traveling
merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from
the governors of the country." : 666
talents of gold represents an annual salary equivalent to a billion dollars
which is nothing to sneeze at in the modern world, let alone the ancient world!
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If I were him, I would have sought to give one away or see if I couldn't get at
least one more!
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666. Not 665. Not 667. Is there a corrolary to the "number of a man"
in Revelation 13? The number of the
beast is related to financial transaction.
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Some have said that it represents man's attempt at perfection apart from God.
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It's something to consider, but this amount was just what came to him from the
government coffers. This didn't include the other revenue streams that he had
access to!
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There were the taxes that came from trade as well as the tribute that came from
the other Kingdoms that surrounded Israel.
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Riches and Kingdoms go hand in hand. Most Kings have an opulent reserve, but, this
is again, a direct act of disobedience on the part of Solomon.
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Deuteronomy 17 is a passage that I
would ask you to review as you consider these next verses. Deuteronomy 17:17 tells us that an Israelite King was not to
multiply gold to himself.
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Gold had been a part of the Temple and rightly so. By the way, it had all been
laid aside by David for that very purpose. Apparently, there was even enough
left over for his own palace.
-
But it wasn't for Solomon's personal use. Yet, that is exactly what is
beginning to do. And just how will he use all of this gold? Verse 16.
•
I Kings 10:16-20 : "And King Solomon made two hundred
large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each
shield. He also made three hundred shields
of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them
in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and
overlaid it with pure gold. The throne had
six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests
on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.
Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of
the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom." : These two hundred large golden shields, each about 15 pounds,
were simple decorative items. The three hundred smaller shields served the same
purpose.
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Gold is far to soft to be effective in battle. These were simply items that
adorned the walls!
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Moving into the throne room, Solomon's throne, which had been made from ivory, was
then overlaid with pure or fine gold!
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Six steps separated the throne from all other visitors. Solomon elevated
himself high above everyone that would approach the throne and the lions
represented his own assessment of his power.
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Again, I refer you to Deuteronomy
17:18-20. Solomon was to hold fast to his own personal copy of the Word of
God, that his "heart might not be lifted up above his brethren!"
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Solomon believes Himself to be the King of the King of the beasts! He might
have even believed himself to be the lion of the tribe of Judah! No other King
had such a throne.
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I daresay that no other godly King would have thought to presume such
greatness! Verse 21.
•
I Kings 10:21-25 : "All King Solomon’s drinking vessels
were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure
gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of
Solomon. For the
king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every
three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and
monkeys. So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches
and wisdom. Now
all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had
put in his heart. Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold,
garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year." : Nobody in the houses of Solomon had any regard for silver! Why
was this?
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Because there was a continual supply of gold flowing into the Kingdom every
three years!
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Hiram kept supplying Solomon with increasing amounts of gold and silver, as
well as ivory, apes and monkeys!
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Put all of the Kings of the earth together, gather their riches and Solomon
still wins but did you notice the exchange?
-
The King surpassed every other King in riches and wisdom. He was once known for
his wisdom. Now, he is principally known for his riches! He is gaining the
whole world, but losing his soul!
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Other Kings came to hear the wisdom that God put in his heart and Solomon
profited by it year after year! You'd think he would be satisfied. He wasn't. Verse
26.
•
I Kings 10:26-29 : "And Solomon gathered chariots and
horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand
horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king
at Jerusalem. The
king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as
abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. Also Solomon had horses imported
from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current
price. Now a chariot that was imported from
Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty;
and thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings
of the Hittites and the kings of Syria." : It's
plain to see that Solomon had blatantly ignored God's demand that he not add
gold unto himself.
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Verse 26 details a further and final
transgression that will complete our study today.
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Chariots and horsemen were the ancient answer to tanks and marksmen. Solomon
had 1,400 chariots and nearly as many horsemen.
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Deuteronomy 17:16 prohibits the King
from multiplying horses for himself.
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The King was to be the first to stand and declare his trust in God against that
which could be gained through military power. Instead, Solomon collected
chariots and horsemen!
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Silver carried the value of stone and cedar was the new sycamore. Everything is
booming! Is Solomon satisfied? Not remotely.
-
Solomon got involved in the horse trading business, buying them wholesale from
Egypt and selling them retail to the nations around them, specifically the
Hittites and the Syrians.
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It's amazing to say, but even here, God's Word to Him was so abundantly clear.
Solomon doesn't just miss the sign. He blatantly kicks it over, spits on it and
tramples it under his feet!
•
Deuteronomy 17:16 : "But he shall not multiply horses
for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for
the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’" : God's indictment can not be more clear! Solomon not only turned
the people back toward Egypt metaphorically. He led the way physically,
financially!
Conclusion
- We are very
close to the end of this section, but we are far enough down the road to see
that Solomon was a King who personified failure in the sight of God!
- This stands
as an enduring testimony to the contrast that Jesus, our King provides. Jesus
fulfilled all of God's law and purpose in His life.
- He did not
offer sacrifices mixed with a hypocritical life. He offered His perfect life on
the altar of sacrifice for the sins of the Jews and Gentiles alike, all who
would believe upon Him.
- As a result,
His servants are happy and the world marvels at them. When they tell the world
about their King, who lived and died for them, they are told the whole story!
- And if they
come to Him, they having been skeptical, will go away realizing that the half
hadn't been told to them!
- Thank God that
the story doesn't end with Solomon's riches, but the true wisdom and riches of
Jesus Christ, our King forever!