A lot of 1 Kings 4 – 9 is devoted to describing Solomon’s wealth (plus the building of the Temple). Chapter 10 is the last such chapter, beginning with the visit of the Queen of Sheba:
The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and his connection with the Name of GOD. She came to put his reputation to the test by asking tough questions. She made a grand and showy entrance into Jerusalem—camels loaded with spices, a huge amount of gold, and precious gems. She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about, emptying her heart to him. (1 Kings 10.1, 2, MSG)
The queen was a wealthy woman in her own right, but…
When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon’s wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials and sharply dressed waiters, the lavish crystal, and the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at the steps leading up to The Temple of GOD, it took her breath away. She said to the king, “It’s all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself; they didn’t exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance—far more than I could ever have imagined. (1 Kings 10.4 – 7, MSG)
The chapter ends with a description of Solomon’s wealth (see 1 Kings 10.14 – 29). Here’s a summary:
- 25 tons of gold annually
- Shields of gold
- Throne of ivory
- Gold chalices – nothing made of silver
- A fleet of ships
- Wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth
- 12,000 horses “brought in from Egypt”
Wow…except there’s an oops in there – do you see it? Look at Moses’ instructions about their future kings:
When you enter the land that GOD, your God, is giving you and take it over and settle down, and then say, “I’m going to get me a king, a king like all the nations around me,” make sure you get yourself a king whom GOD, your God, chooses. Choose your king from among your kinsmen; don’t take a foreigner—only a kinsman. And make sure he doesn’t build up a war machine, amassing military horses and chariots. He must not send people to Egypt to get more horses, because GOD told you, “You’ll never go back there again!” And make sure he doesn’t build up a harem, collecting wives who will divert him from the straight and narrow. And make sure he doesn’t pile up a lot of silver and gold. (Deuteronomy 17.14 – 17, MSG)
- No “war machine, amassing military horses and chariots”
- No going to Egypt to get horses
- No harem (we’ll get there shortly, but here’s a sneak peak: 1 Kings 11.1 – 3)
- No piling up a lot of silver and gold
Solomon did what the Law of Moses told him not to do, and there’s no record that he did what the Law told him to do:
This is what must be done: When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is make himself a copy of this Revelation on a scroll, copied under the supervision of the Levitical priests. That scroll is to remain at his side at all times; he is to study it every day so that he may learn what it means to fear his GOD, living in reverent obedience before these rules and regulations by following them. He must not become proud and arrogant, changing the commands at whim to suit himself or making up his own versions. If he reads and learns, he will have a long reign as king in Israel, he and his sons. (Deuteronomy 17.18 – 20, MSG)
It’s tough. God promised him wealth, but the wealth became a distraction.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8.36, ESV)