The first time that God came to Solomon He offered him a
blank check, upon which Solomon wrote the word "wisdom" - and cashed
it humbly. God came to Solomon again and officially informed him that He had
accepted the temple which he had built. It must have been very gratifying for
Solomon. But, God didn't stop with just a commendation; He added that if
Solomon and the people would follow Him continually, then blessings would
abound. But, if they were ever to forsake Him then He would in turn forsake
them too. It was a strict arrangement... one that was destined to bring ill
upon Israel, a division of the monarchy, the destruction of the temple and a
temporary (albeit lengthy) rejection of the Jews.
The remainder of this chapter is a general description of
some of the other projects that Solomon undertook. There were certain cities
which he built or rebuilt and there were multiple people groups from whom
Solomon collected taxes and services. Practically, he was reaping the benefits
of David's military dominance over the surrounding nations. We know that his
success in these endeavors was a product of God's blessings upon him. In truth,
we aren't even scratching the surface of what Solomon accomplished. It is recorded
here that he built the wall of Jerusalem, built a navy, collected much gold,
gave cities to Hiram king of Tyre, and more... but he was only half way through
his 40 year reign at that point. Much
more was to come. Although, not much of it would be good.
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