Solomon’s Wives
First Kings 11: 1-8

Solomon’s wives DIG: What was Solomon’s basic problem? Why didn’t his wisdom save him? Why was intermarriage forbidden (Deuteronomy 7:1-4)? What purpose did royal weddings serve? Why have concubines? What happened in the worship of Molech (Second Kings 23:10). Why is God so harsh, knowing that those shrines were only for the wives?

REFLECT: What is my heart condition? What is the greatest object of my affections? Honestly, am I growing ever more deeply in love with Yeshua, or is my heart turning away toward tragedy, as Solomon’s did? What weaknesses hurts my relationship with ADONAI? With others? How was the worship of Molech then similar to the worship of abortion of today?

Even the greatest spiritual gifts will not keep us from sin if our hearts turn away from God.

Most Bible stories are comedies – not in the popular sense in that they are funny, but in the literary sense that they have a happy ending. Noah and his family passed through the deep waters of the great Flood, but they saw the rainbow on the other side. Joseph got sold into slavery, but rose to greatness and saved Jacob and his family from famine. And so on. The Bible is full of happy endings. The happiest of all, of course, is the Gospel, in which Yeshua rises again on the third day after dying, and then comes to us with the promise that our own story will have a happy ending also: eternal life through faith in Him.

But not every story has a happy ending. Some Bible stories are tragedies – not simply in the popular sense that they are sad, but in the more technical sense that we use the word “tragedy” in literature. Shakespeare wrote several famous tragedies – great plays like King Lear, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. And before that there were the ancient Greek tragedies. From these tragedies, we learn that a tragedy is a story of a great man who makes a wrong choice and falls into bitter disgrace and (sometimes) learns from his mistakes.

One of the saddest tragedies in the Bible is the story of Solomon. He was the greatest king the world had ever seen. Yet, at the end of his life he made one of the most disastrous choices ever made, with tragic consequences for himself and his kingdom. O Solomon! Where did you go so wrong, and what lessons can we learn to avoid making the same mistakes that you did?²¹⁵

Solomon’s greatness: A tragedy is always a story about some great person, even more, greatness of spirit. Solomon meets this qualification and then some, for he was one of the greatest men who ever lived. To begin with, he came from a noble birth. As the son of David, he was heir to the world’s most famous dynasty. He was the king of Isra’el. Furthermore, almost everything he did was a total success. He was a famous builder. His golden Temple in Jerusalem was one of the wonders of the ancient world. In addition to everything else, Solomon was a man of prayer. Very simply, Solomon was one of the greatest men who ever lived. Anyone who ever heard the wisdom of his counsel or watched him lead people in prayer would never have expected his kingship to end in tragedy. “Anyone by Solomon,” they would have said. “He is the last person that I would imagine falling into serious sin.”

Dear Heavenly Father, How Holy and Awesome You are! Praise You for loving me with a love greater than anyone could conceive. Praise You that Your love is always steadfast and You are totally righteous and faithful. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him (Psalms 103:11). Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep (Psalms 36:4-5b).

If Solomon had focused on eternal pleasures rather than temporal joys, his life on earth and in heaven would have been filled with eternal joys! Please help me to always remember that life on earth is fleeting, both the good times and the hard times; but heaven will last forever! It is a joy to please You now, even when others laugh at us and tell us of the pleasures that we are missing. How much better to live with our eye on the eternal reward of being with You! Knowing that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will raise us also with Yeshua and bring us with you into His presence . . . For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (Second Corinthians 4:14 and 17). I love you! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Solomon’s folly: In a tragedy, the main character is always responsible for his own downfall, since he has made the tragic choice. The Greek word Aristotle used for this tragic flaw was hamartia, which also happens to be one of the most important words in the B’rit Chadashah for sin – missing the mark. Some defect which is painful or destructive. So what was Solomon’s destructive defect? King Solomon was not faithful in his marriage, he loved many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Br – Do Not Commit Adultery). He foolishly squandered his affections on women he was forbidden to touch. There were women from the Moabites, Amorites, Edomites, Tzidoni and Hittites. And having foreign wives was a violation of Exodus 34:15-16 and Deuteronomy 7:3-4. When the Bible says that Solomon was deeply attached to them by his love, the connotation is frankly sexual. He had 700 wives, all princesses, and 300 concubines (First Kings 11:1 and 3).

But Solomon was guilty of more than sexual sin. The mention of princesses is a clear indication that many of those marriages represented political alliances. By marrying the daughters of foreign kings, Solomon was practicing politics, lusting after power as well as sex. Those women came from the very nations that God told Isra’el to drive out of the Promised Land. Yet, Solomon foolishly allowed them to share his bed.

Even worse, the king began to worship their gods. This was something that Ha’Shem had warned about from the very beginning: Don’t intermarry with them – don’t give your daughter to his son, don’t take his daughter for your son. For he will turn your children away from following Me in order to serve other gods. If this happens, the anger of ADONAI will flare up against you, and He will quickly destroy you (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The issue with those foreign wives was not their ethnicity, but their religion. The women whom Solomon married did not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but came from nations about which ADONAI had said to the people of Isra’el, “You are not to go among them or they among you, because they will turn your hearts away toward their gods.” But Solomon clung (Hebrew: dabaq) to these pagan women in love (11:2).²¹⁶

Solomon’s polygamy turned him into a polytheist. For when Solomon became old, his wives turned his heart away toward other gods; so that he was not wholehearted with ADONAI his God, as David his father had been. Solomon followed ‘Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milkom the abomination of the Ammonites (First Kings 11:4-5). Ashtoreth was the sex goddess of the Canaanites. Mikom is less familiar, although some scholars identify him with Molech, who was worshiped with child sacrifices (Jeremiah 32:35). Nevertheless, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Mo’av on the hill in front of Jerusalem, and another for Molech the abomination of the people of ‘Amon. This is what he did for all his foreign wives, who then offered and sacrificed to their gods (First Kings 11:7-8). The hill east of Jerusalem is the Mount of Olives, which stands directly opposite the Temple Mount. Thus, Solomon practiced those damnable pagan rites of worship within plain sight of God’s Holy Temple. The one that Solomon himself had built and dedicated!²¹⁷

Thus, Solomon did what was evil in ADONAI’s view and did not fully follow ADONAI, as David his father had done (First Kings 11:6). What Solomon did was not only wicked, but also foolish. It was foolish to lust after sex and power, foolish to have a thousand wives, and foolish to worship their gods. These things were foolish because they violated God’s Word.

Solomon’s wicked folly is very familiar, because the sins that he committed are just as common today. We are living in a sex-crazed society, where the seductions of sin are always on display. Longing for intimacy, young believers today are often tempted to do what Solomon did and have relations with someone who doesn’t even believe in the God of the Bible. Rather than worshiping the one true God, they worship many false gods: money and pleasure, work and leisure, self and sexuality. Solomon seems like the perfect king for these postmodern times. His sins are still very much with us, which means that we ourselves may be in danger of a tragic downfall. Unless we learn from his mistakes, we might fall to sexual temptation, end up marrying an unbeliever, or get involved with false religion, just like he did.²¹⁸

Lesson 1 – The little choices we make: Typically, a tragic hero will learn from his mistakes. His story does not simply end in destruction, but leads to some profound recognition of what went wrong. The hero comes to a place of self-awareness where he sees the tragic choice that led to his tragic failure. He may even come to the point of repentance.

First Kings does not directly tell us what Solomon learned from his mistakes. For this we need the book of Ecclesiastes (to see link click Cc – The Failure of Earthly Things), where he learned to fear ADONAI and keep His mitzvot (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Yet, we can study First Kings and look carefully at what went wrong. Solomon’s famous wisdom failed him, but he may yet become a source of wisdom for us.

First, we start falling into sin long before we fall into disgrace. So if we wish to avoid our own tragic downfall, we need to fight against every little sin that creeps into our lives by the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Notice the contrast, or even contradiction, between the way Solomon’s life began and the way it ended. When he rose to power and chose wisdom over wealth, the Bible tells us that he loved ADONAI (First Kings 3:3). The word used here for love (Hebrew: ahab) is the same word that is used at the end of his life to describe the king’s relationship to foreign women (First Kings 11:1). An absolute change had taken place in Solomon’s affections. The man who once loved God ended up loving many pagan wives. Tragic.

How did this change take place? It didn’t happen overnight. Solomon started falling into sin long before he ever fell into disgrace. He didn’t wake up one day and suddenly decide to stop loving God and start loving someone else. No, the spiritual change happened little-by-little, as it always does. His life was like a tower of blocks. With each tragic and sinful choice, he was pulling another block out of the structure of his existence. For a long time his life still seemed solid, at least from the outside. But the king was getting weaker and weaker until finally he collapsed in a heap of ungodly sins.

Learn from Solomon’s mistake! Resist every little sin as if your life depended on it. The Puritans sometimes compared little sins to baby snakes: they are tiny, but deadly, and if they are not put to death when they hatch, they will grow up to be huge serpents. So whenever we see a little sin creep into our lives, we need to resist it with the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Then we should ask ADONAI to give us the grace to make the right choices with our money, our relationships, and everything else in life. Even if it is only a small decision, making the right decision will keep us from falling into spiritual decline. If we are young, we are wise to choose the road that God wants us to take in life and then stay on it. If we are old and have already chosen a good path, we should not turn away from it the way Solomon did in his later years. Choose for Yeshua and then keep choosing for him all the way to the end of your life.²¹⁹

Lesson 2 – Sin is where the heart is: This lesson helps us understand the mystery of Solomon’s tragedy. How could such a wise man be so foolish? If God truly gave Solomon the gift of wisdom, then why wasn’t he wise enough to avoid falling into disgrace? The answer is that the gifts of God never operate independently or automatically, but always according to the affection of our hearts. The heart is the control center of our lives, and thus the use of our gifts is governed by the condition of our heart. Our talents can be useful for building the kingdom of God, but only if our hearts are committed to the glory of God. If our hearts turn away from God, even the gifts that He has given us will be used against Him.

At the beginning of his reign, Solomon’s heart was in the right place. The reason he asked God for wisdom was that he had a heart for God’s people and he wanted to rule them well. When he prayed for an understanding mind, more literally he requested an understanding heart (First Kings 3:9). Having a heart for God is the essence of what it means to be a believer. Solomon started out with that holy affection; the living God was his first and truest love. This was evident from the way he governed his people and prayed to God.

The tragedy is that Solomon’s heart ended up in the wrong place. He lost his first love (see the commentary on Revelation Az – The Church at Ephesus). These verses emphasize this by diagnosing his downfall as heart failure. In First Kings 11:1 we read that the king loved many foreign women. Then in First Kings 11:2, when God explains what is wrong with taking pagan brides, He says: They will turn your hearts away toward their gods. And that is exactly what happened: His wives turned his heart away. Or again: For when Solomon became old, his wives turned his heart away toward other gods; so that he was not wholehearted with ADONAI his God (First Kings 11:4).

The vocabulary used to describe the change in Solomon’s heart is enlightening. The TaNaKh typically uses the verb for clinging (Hebrew: dabaq) to describe the way someone holds on to God by faith (Deuteronomy 30:20). But in Solomon’s case the same verb is used to describe how Solomon clung (Hebrew: dabaq) to his wives in love (11:2). The Bible says it over and over again: Solomon’s story became a tragedy because his heart loved other things more than the living God. He did love God, to a certain extent, but he had a deeply divided heart that also loved too many women and worshiped too many gods.

If our hearts turn away from God, our spiritual gifts will not prevent us from falling into serious sin. Solomon’s wisdom did not keep him holy, nor did the Temple he built keep him from idolatry. The Bible says that Solomon ended up doing what was evil in ADONAI’s view (First Kings 11:6). The same man who was wise enough to build a house for God was so foolish that he ended up building high places for the worship of pagan deities. Learn from Solomon’s mistake and apply this lesson to your own life: spiritual gifts will not keep us from sin if we have a heart that is turning away from God.

What ever happened to old king Solomon? People wonder what happened to Solomon in the end. Did he ever repent of his sins? Will we see him in heaven? Was he saved? This is always the most important question for anyone? Nothing is more important in life than where we will end up for eternity. For eternity is a long, long time. A person may commit harmful sins, as Solomon did, yet still end up in heaven by the grace of God through faith in Yeshua. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah alone.

We have good reason to be hopeful about Solomon’s salvation. One reason to be hopeful is that ADOANI had promised David that although his son would be disciplined, he would not be abandoned: I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for Me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and blows, just as everyone gets punished; nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha’ul, whom I removed from before you (Second Samuel 7:14-15). If the book of Ecclesiastes is any indication, the king learned from his mistakes and came back into a right relationship with God.

Whether or not Solomon was saved or not, we can be absolutely sure of our own salvation. Even after all our wrong affections – after all the times that our own hearts have wandered away from the God we love – our salvation is still secure (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). ADONAI has mercy for us, even after all the tragic choices that we have made and all the wrong affections that have led us away from Him. Therefore, Yeshua is a new kind of hero, one who steps into our tragic story to take our place. We are the people with the tragic and sinful flaw. We are the ones who deserve to suffer the consequences of our sin. Yet Yeshua has stepped in to suffer the wrath of God in our place. This is why He came into the world: to enter into our tragic situation and rescue us from our downfall. By dying in our place, Yeshua turns our tragedy into a comedy – a story with a happy ending. Ha’Shem is angry with us because of our sin. We deserve to fall under his righteous judgment. But God has saved us from His own wrath by sending His Son to be our Savior.²²⁰

Solomon’s Decline
First Kings 11: 1-42

As Paul House relates in his commentary on First and Second Kings, one final assessment of Solomon now appears. Unlike the earlier ones, this account lays bare the faults and frailties of this brilliant man. Those failings affected the king himself, of course, but they affected the nation even more. So far, the people had certainly worked hard and had enjoyed material success that their leader’s wisdom had brought them. They seemed to have remained faithful to ADONAI, at least in part because of the presence of the Temple. Like their king, Isra’el was riding the crest of power and influence previously unknown. To be sure, hints of problems appear in the text, yet such potential difficulties appear to be annoyances, not threats.

Unfortunately, the plot takes a tragic turn. Solomon and Isra’el had risen to great heights only to fall into idolatry, division, decay, and ultimately, exile. So begins the story of decline. Each stage of deterioration is made all the more regrettable because it could have been avoided. Covenant faithfulness would have allowed the covenant people blessing and safety, but their disobedience left Ha’Shem no alternative except to discipline. Solomon’s sin may have begun small. It may have developed gradually over time. But however it started, it began a national disintegration that was at times slowed, but never completely halted.²¹⁴

It is important to note that the Chronicler omitted a large part of First Kings 11:1-42. This portion of Kings reports Solomon’s failures and the resulting division of his kingdom. The Chronicler’s purpose in omitting these materials was not to deny Solomon’s failures, but to create an ideal model for his post-exilic readers. For this reason, Chronicles moves directly from Solomon’s worldwide fame to the notice of his death (to see link click Ca – Solomon’s Death).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your great love that rescues those who love You from sin’s grip when they turn to you confessing You as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). Praise You for Your love that goes beyond initial salvation, to a love that desires to bless me by both living within me (John 14:23) and by rewarding me for making right choices with a godly heart attitude (First Corinthians 3:12-13).

May you give me the spiritual clarity to see that dabbling in a small sin is a step closer to falling into deeper, more serious, sin. May I meditate on Your holiness so often that I don’t want to disappoint You. May I recognize that the future in heaven is for eternity. Problems will soon be no more. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). All of life’s issues – the hard times and the good times will be no more. The most important thing that will last thru eternity will be my relationship with You! I love You so much! May my thoughts and actions bring You joy. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Solomon’s Treasure
First Kings 10:14-29 and
Second Chronicles 1:14-17 and 9:13-28

Solomon’s treasure DIG: How did Solomon make his money? Why did Solomon need an ivory throne overlaid with gold? Why did Solomon need five hundred shields that required 2,525 pounds of gold to make? How did Solomon violate Deuteronomy? As a man of unparalleled wealth, why do you think Solomon later wrote Ecclesiastes that wealth is meaningless?

REFLECT: In studying the incredible riches of Solomon, what do we learn about the possession of riches by a believer? What guidelines do you find in First Timothy 6:17-19? Is it right for believers to accumulate large amounts of wealth? Why? Why not? How does having money give the appearance of wisdom? Where is your heart on this? When do you say, “Enough is enough.”

Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.

Solomon’s treasure: Now the golden age of Solomon’s empire, which stands as the high-water mark of kingship in Isra’el before the coming of Messiah, is described. The key word in this section is gold. The author, inspired by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, wants to impress us with the splendid glories of Solomon’s golden kingdom. But we also need to keep all this in its proper biblical context, remembering how quickly earthly glory will pass away, and how easy it is for gold, and wealth in general, to become our god.

One way to measure Solomon’s glory is to weigh all of his gold, which is what people still do today. The Bible says that the weight of the gold Solomon received annually came to twenty-five tons. This is a staggering figure. It amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in today’s economy – maybe as much as a billion. But that is not all. We need to include Solomon’s international trade and count all the gold which came from customs duties and sales taxes; also, all the Arab kings and regional governors brought gold and silver to Solomon. We don’t know exactly how much gold that was, but we can make a fair estimate by visiting the king’s summer palace: King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds of gold went into one shield. He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, with seven-and-a-half pounds going into one shield; the king put these in the House of the Lebanon Forest (1 Kings 10:14-17; 2 Chronicles 9:13-16). Today we would make them into bars, but the gold in Solomon’s treasury was fashioned into ceremonial shields. Each shield was worth a small fortune, and Solomon had five-hundred of them, both large and small.

The king also owned many other precious treasures of opulent beauty. Consider his great throne, he made it out of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. The throne had six steps and a gold footstool, a back with a rounded top, arms on either side of the seat, two lions standing beside the arms, and twelve more lions standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it anywhere in the world (First Kings 10:18-20; Second Chronicles 9:17-19). The lions were emblems of the tribe of Judah, and thus they served as royal symbols of the king’s God-given-power.

All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold; and all the utensils in the House of the Lebanon Forest were of pure gold. None was of silver, for in Solomon’s time it was regarded as having little value. There was so much gold that it led to the devaluation of silver. He was also successful in business. The king had a fleet of large ships that would go to Tarshish along with Hiram’s fleet; once every three years the “Tarshish” fleet came in, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks (First Kings 10:21-22; Second Chronicles 9:20-21).

So, King Solomon surpassed all the kings on earth in both wealth and wisdom. All the kings on the earth sought to have an audience with Solomon, in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. Each one brought his present – articles of silver, articles of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses and mules; and this continued year after year (First Kings 10:23-25). All these treasures, both animal and mineral, kept flowing into Jerusalem. Solomon’s kingdom became a major center for international trade. With all the revenues and exchanges, to say nothing of the taxes and tariffs, the king’s global business accumulated an enormous fortune.

The golden age: This all sounds very impressive, but how does the Bible evaluate the glory days of Solomon’s empire? What are we to make of all his gold? What can the king’s treasure teach us about the spiritual implications of wealth and our relationship to the good things of this life? We need to recognize that there is nothing inherently wrong with gold. It is good in itself. So are apes, peacocks, silver, and even ivory, depending on how it is obtained. These are beautiful things created by God for the enjoyment of His people. Gold is especially beautiful, which is one of the reasons why it is universally acknowledged as a valuable treasure. In keeping with this reputation, the Bible often puts gold in a positive light, as we have seen in the interior of the Temple. There are hundreds of references to gold in the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah, and many of them recognize its lasting splendor.

We must remember that the golden age was ADONAI’s answer to Solomon’s prayers. In Psalm 72 the king asked for the wealth of the Gentile nations – not for himself alone, but for the sake of God’s Kingdom. The king’s gold was an answer to prayer, therefore, and also the fulfillment of that promise. Back at the beginning of his reign, when Solomon honored YHVH by asking for wisdom, the LORD promised him the added blessing of incomparable riches: But I am also giving you what you didn’t ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life (First Kings 3:13). So this is what we are to make of Solomon’s gold: it was the answer to his royal prayers and the fulfillment of a divine promise, to the glory of the kingdom of God.

This passing splendor: Yet for all its glory, we always need to remember that earthly gold is only a passing splendor. No matter how costly it is, from an eternal perspective gold is extremely limited in value. Therefore, we should be careful not to be overly impressed with the glories of Solomon’s kingdom, let alone our own earthly treasures. Soon Solomon’s glory days would be over. He was already reaching a point of diminishing returns. How many golden shields can one king really use, anyway?

To keep things in perspective, we need to hear the other side of what the Bible says about gold. While openly acknowledging its splendor, the Bible also mentions some spiritual things that are much more valuable. Gold is not as precious as wisdom, for example (Proverbs 16:16; Job 28:15-17). Also, gold is less valuable than the Word of God (Psalm 19:10 and 119:127). As valuable as it is, gold cannot compare with the priceless treasure of knowing and doing the will of God or believing in the Gospel of Yeshua Messiah. This is because gold cannot satisfy the soul. Therefore, we should not put our confidence in earthly treasures. Job was on the right track when he said: If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant . . . I would have fallen to God above (Job 31:24-25 and 28).

Remember this well: you will lose all your gold when you die. You may well lose it sooner than that, as many people do. But even if you amass a large fortune, and manage to hold on to it until you are old and gray, you will still have to leave it behind when you die. Charles Spurgeon told the story of a shipowner who was asked about the state of his soul. “Soul?” the man replied, incredulously. “I have no time to take care of my soul. I have enough to do just taking care of my ships.” But as Spurgeon pointed out, the man was not too busy to die, which he did only a week later. Is there a better example of this truth than King Solomon? How quickly his glory passed away! In First Kings 14:25-26 we read how Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of ADONAI and the treasures of the king’s house. He took everything. He also took away all their shields of gold that Solomon had made.

But of course, Solomon was dead by then anyway. He had already left all his earthly treasure behind, as everyone does. Thus passes the glory of the world, as Solomon knew it would. In Ecclesiastes 2:18, the king lamented having to leave everything to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool. As it happened, Solomon’s worst fears were realized: he left his treasures to his fool of a son Rehoboam, who proceeded to lose it all. If we say this about Solomon, we should also be prepared to say it about ourselves and our own golden treasures, for they too will pass away.²¹¹

Fool’s gold and other temptations: The most important thing in life is to glorify ADONAI. And this is where the life of Solomon took a tragic turn. As wise as he was, at least for most of his reign, somewhere along the way, Solomon started making some deadly spiritual compromises (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Bc – The Church at Thyatira). He stopped choosing to follow God with his whole heart every day, and started living for his own glory, seeking his own security and pursuing his own pleasure (see Br – Solomon’s Choice). Not only that, at some point Solomon started to neglect the Torah.

Moshe commanded: When the king has come to occupy the throne, he is to write a copy of this Torah for himself in a scroll. It is to remain with him, and he is to read in it every day, as long as he lives; so that he will learn to fear ADONAI his God and keep all the words of this Torah and these statutes and obey them; and so that he will not turn aside either to the right or to the left from the mitzvah. In this way he will prolong his own reign and that of his children in Isra’el (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). If he would have done so, he would have read this: Be careful not to forget ADONAI your God . . . otherwise, after you have eaten and are satisfied, built fine homes and live in them, and when . . . increased your silver and gold . . . then . . . forget ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves (Deut 8:11-14).

The fact that Solomon kept accumulating more and more gold was a sure sign that he was going down the wrong road. The Torah explicitly told the king of Isra’el not to acquire for himself excessive silver and gold (Deuteronomy 17:17). Maybe it’s hard to decide exactly how much gold is too much, but for Solomon it was probably somewhere between his first and his five-hundredth golden shield. The desire to horde was starting to take control of his life. Yeshua said: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

Solomon faced another serious temptation, which was to put his trust in military power. This teaching ends with a further sign of spiritual danger. Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen; he assigned them to the chariot cities and to the king in Jerusalem. The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. Solomon’s horses had been brought from Egypt and from Cilicia, with the king’s agents having bought them from the dealers in Cilicia at the going price. A chariot from Egypt cost fifteen pounds of silver shekels and a horse three-and-three quarters pounds [of shekels]; all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram purchased them at these prices through Solomon’s agents (First Kings 10:26-29; Second Chronicles 1:14-17).

Solomon also had 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and his 12,000 horsemen; he assigned them to the chariot cities and to the king in Jerusalem. He ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River through the land of the Philistines to the border of Egypt. The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. They brought horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries (Second Chronicles 9:25-28).

To put it bluntly, King Solomon had become an arms dealer for the Middle East. As the middleman between the Egyptians and the Syrians – importing and exporting chariots, buying low and selling high – Solomon turned a handsome profit. Yet, in the long run this proved to be very foolish. In later days the Syrians and the Egyptians both attacked the Israelites (First Kings 14:25-26; Second Kings 5:1-2). Thus, the king was supplying his enemies with the weapons for Isra’el’s own destruction!

What Solomon did was also a direct violation of the Torah, which said the king should not acquire many horses for himself or have the people return to Egypt to obtain more horses, inasmuch as ADONAI told you never to return that way again (Deuteronomy 17:16). By trading with Egypt for horses and chariots, Solomon was going to the place that he was forbidden to go. By the time we get to First Kings 11, Solomon will be spiritually bankrupt. But the warning signs of his eventual downfall are obvious in First Kings 10. His misguided quest for more and more gold, as well as his misplaced confidence in military power. King David had prophets and priests who advised him and even warned and rebuked him, but nobody seems to have encouraged Solomon to read Deuteronomy and make a life for himself rather than making a fortune.²¹²

Glory days: One day there will be another golden Kingdom. In fact, Solomon’s gold held the promise of this most glorious Kingdom. It was for this reason, perhaps more than any other, that ADONAI gave Solomon so much gold: He did it to prepare us for the golden Kingdom of God. When Yeshua preached the kingdom of God, he assumed that people had some idea what a kingdom was, and He used Solomon’s kingdom as the best example, Yeshua called it: Solomon in all his glory (Matthew 6:29).

Yet for all its glory, Solomon’s gold gives us only a glimpse of the greater glories of the Kingdom of Yeshua Messiah. When we get to the book of Revelation, where the Bible opens a window on eternity, we see many glittering splendors. The crowns of the twenty-four elders are made of gold (Revelation 4:4), each having gold bowls filled with incense (Revelation 5:8). There is a gold altar in front of the throne of God (8:4). The main street in the New Jerusalem will be made of pure gold (Revelation 21:21). In fact, the whole heavenly City is described as a golden metropolis – a city of pure gold (see the commentary on Revelation Fu – The New Jerusalem had a Great, High Wall with Twelve Gates). This is the place to store our treasure, not in a world that is passing away, but in a golden age that will never end (see Revelation Fq – The Eternal State).²¹³

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that a loving relationship with You is the greatest gift that anyone can have – worth far more than any amount of earthly wealth! Praise You for offering the gift of Yourself to those who love You. The treasures of this world will soon be gone, but the treasure for those who love You, of everlasting joy and peace, will last for all eternity! Knowing that the One who raised the Lord Yeshua will raise us also with Yeshua, and will bring us with you into His presence. . . For our trouble, light and momentary, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (Second Corinthians 4:14, 17). I love to serve You with all my heart, for You are my very great treasure! In Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
First Kings 10:1-13 and
Second Chronicles 9:1-12

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba DIG: How should the current-day believer view the splendor of Solomon? What impressed the queen? Why did she come? How did she “see” wisdom? How did the queen complement Solomon? What did she say about the God of Solomon?

REFLECT: What does this story stir up in you? Who truly admires you or seeks out your opinion? How is love for God evident in your walk? What one question would you ask the wisest man in the world? What will you do this week to thank someone you admire?

We respond to Yeshua by honoring His breathtaking wisdom,
worshiping His royal majesty, and offering Him our golden treasure.

See for yourself: Solomon and the queen of Sheba are a study in contrasts. Arab meets Israelite; a curious woman visits a wise and wealthy man. Their encounter was full of diplomatic intrigue. Although state visits are more common today, it was somewhat unusual in those days for a reigning monarch to make such a journey in person. Typically, someone like the queen of Sheba would have sent emissaries to Solomon’s court. Instead, she traveled more than a thousand miles through the desert to meet Isra’el’s king in person. King Solomon is more famous today, of course, but the queen of Sheba was an important person in her own right. As a reigning monarch, the queen had a large entourage. She was worth a fortune. She arrived in Yerushalayim accompanied by a very great entourage, including camels bearing spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones (First Kings 10:2a). The queen of Sheba, who ruled a kingdom in what is now the country of Yemen, was one of the most powerful and influential people in the world.²⁰⁷

Yet the true source of the woman’s greatness was her intellectual curiosity. It was not simply what she owned that made her important, but also what she wanted to know. When the queen of Sheba heard what was being said about Solomon because of the name of God, she came to test him with difficult questions, or riddles of the wise, such as those mentioned in Proverbs 1:6. When she appeared before Solomon, she spoke with him about everything in her mind and on her heart (First Kings 10:1 and 2b; 2 Chronicles 9:1).

And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. After the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the manner of seating his officials, the manner in which his staff served him, how they were dressed, his personal servants and his burnt offering which he offered in the house of ADONAI, it left her breathless (First Kings 10:3-5; 2 Chronicles 9:2-4). Solomon’s words were matched by his deeds. But she desired more than intellectual combat and eye candy. She recognized that only a great God could produce such a great king. In other words, she sought spiritual insight from one famous for possessing the wisdom of ADONAI.

Dear Heavenly Father, How Awesome You are! Your wisdom knows no limits, You know the future as if it was the past, and you know every heart and the real emotions and feelings behind every act. Your love is steadfast and unfailing! It is such a comfort that no matter what is happening in the world or in our lives, Your love surrounds us! Since Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You (Psalms 63:3).

How wise was the Queen of Sheba to lay aside the important duties of her kingdom to seek after wisdom that Solomon had received from God Almighty. May we also put aside earthly time – consuming activities to spend time seeking after Your wisdom. To seek after Your wisdom is true wisdom! Only by following what You say, can anyone really be wise. It is a joy to read Your Word and meditate on Your wisdom and power! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

She said to the king, “What I heard in my own country about your deeds and your wisdom is true, but I couldn’t believe the report until I came and saw for myself. Actually, they didn’t tell me even half of it – your wisdom and prosperity surpass the reports I heard. How happy your people must be, how happy these servants of yours who are always here attending you and get to hear your wisdom! Blessed be ADONAI your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on the throne of Isra’el. Because of ADONAI’s eternal love for Isra’el, He has made you king. Because of your God’s love for Isra’el, to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to administer justice and righteousness fairly.” Then she gave the king four tons of gold, a huge amount of spices, and precious stones; never again did there arise such an abundance of spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon (First Kings 10:6-10; Second Chronicles 9:5-9).

Between the confession of Solomon’s greatness and the offering of her gifts, she makes an important statement about ADONAI. She claims that God deserves praise for choosing him to rule Isra’el. In fact, the presence of Solomon on the throne proves ADONAI’s eternal love for Isra’el. This love had motivated God’s choice of Isra’el (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), David (Second Samuel 7:15-16), and now Solomon. How must Solomon reflect God’s love? By maintaining justice and righteousness in the Land, the very gift Solomon requested in First Kings 3:1-9. Those comments were similar to those that Hiram made in First Kings 5:7. Both Gentile monarchs recognized ADONAI’s supremacy in Isra’el’s history. Quite ironically, Solomon and the future kings of both Isra’el and Judah chose to ignore what even Gentile rulers seemed to understand: God ruled Isra’el and He blessed obedient Israelite kings.

Hiram’s servants who had brought the gold from Ofir, or Yemen today, now brought sandalwood and precious stones. The king used the sandalwood to make walkways for the house of ADONAI and for the royal palace, also lyres and lutes for the singers. None like these had been seen before in the land of Judah (First Kings 10:11-12; Second Chronicles 9:10-11). These verses remind readers of the Hiram-Solomon trading practices in 9:26-28. The author probably wanted to remove any doubts the preceding verse might raise about Solomon’s ability to bring gold and spices to Jerusalem. He and Hiram were able to accomplish this task effectively on their own. Therefore, the queen’s gift grew in significance given the magnitude of Solomon’s trading success.²⁰⁸

Now the story ends on good terms. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted, whatever she asked, more than what she had brought to the king. Although Solomon benefited from his relations with others, he was always the dominant partner. After this, she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants, richer than she came. Solomon had received blessing from her, but he, in turn, was a blessing to her. This theme recalls the patriarchal promise to the same effect in Genesis 12:2b-3: I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you . . . and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed (First Kings 10:13; Second Chronicles 9:12).²⁰⁹

The queen of Sheba is a wonderful example to follow in coming to trust in Messiah. She moved from unbelief (or disbelief) to faith in the Kingdom of ADONAI. At the same time, she also shows us how to respond to the King of that Kingdom. Keep in mind that Solomon is a type of Messiah. Therefore, in the story of Solomon and the queen of Sheba we see how to respond to Yeshua: by honoring His breathtaking wisdom, worshiping His royal majesty, and offering Him our golden treasure.

Honor the King’s breathtaking wisdom: Since godly wisdom was what the queen of Sheba was seeking, godly wisdom was exactly what she found. Questions that were hard for others were easy for Solomon. With the divine gift of wisdom, he knew all the answers. We can still see Solomon’s wisdom today by contemplating his famous Proverbs, reading his love letters in the Song of Solomon, or studying his philosophy in the book of Ecclesiastes. The queen of Sheba recognized that Solomon’s wisdom was not simply for his own benefit, but for the blessing of his people, who found their greatest joy in the service of their worthy king.

We should give even more honor to and find even more joy in Messiah, for as wise as Solomon was, he did not know even a fraction of what Yeshua knows. Talk about breathtaking! The Bible says that in Messiah are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)! There is nothing to be known that the Lord doesn’t already know. He is absolutely omniscient; His wisdom is infinite; He is the only wise God (First Timothy 1:17). How happy we should be to serve this all-wise King, and to hear His words of wisdom! We honor His wisdom by praising Him for everything we see in creation. We honor His wisdom by listening to what He says and then doing it as best we can in our fallen state. We honor His wisdom by trusting in His plan of salvation, fully believing in the cross and the empty tomb.

We also honor the wisdom of God by trusting what He is doing in our lives right now. Sometimes it is easy to think that ADONAI could or should be doing a little better than He is at managing our affairs. When we consider our family situation, our work situation, or our financial situation, it can be tempting to think that we know some wiser way for Him to run our lives. This too is breathtaking . . . breathtaking in its arrogance. If Yeshua Messiah is the all-wise God of creation and salvation, then we honor His wisdom by fully trusting His plan for our lives. How much happier we are when we learn to believe in the wisdom of our King without doubting, complaining, or second-guessing His will.

Worship the King’s royal majesty: As soon as the queen of Sheba caught her breath, she had something to say. Here was her response of praise: Blessed be ADONAI your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on the throne of Isra’el. Because of your God’s love for Isra’el, to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to administer justice and righteousness fairly. Thus, the queen of Sheba worshiped the king’s royal majesty. With high praise, she rejoiced in Solomon, the ruler of God’s kingdom, and in that rejoicing, she worshiped the royal majesty of YHVH Himself – the King of all kings.

By her good example, the queen of Sheba draws us into the worship of ADONAI. Whatever she said about Solomon is something we can say even more emphatically about Yeshua Messiah as the King of God’s everlasting Kingdom. As much as the Father delighted in Solomon, He delights even more in His eternal Son (Matthew 3:17 and 17:5). He is so pleased, in fact, that He has placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the Church (Ephesians 1:20-22). The Father has done this because He loves us and because He wants to establish His justice and righteousness on the earth. He has given us Messiah to be our King, to rule and defend us. So we worship His royal majesty, saying, “Blessed be ADONAI Your God, who has delighted in You and set You on the throne in heaven!” In saying this, we worship both the Father and the Son who is the proof of our Father’s love.

What made the queen’s worship especially significant is that she came from Sheba, which was outside the covenant community. This made Sheba one of the first fulfillments of the ancient prophecies that God would bless all the nations of the world with His saving grace. She became the answer to Solomon’s prayers. In Psalm 72, he prayed that ADONAI would bless his royal kingdom. He specifically asked that the desert tribes would bow down before Him, that kings would fall at His feet, and that all nations would call Him blessed (Psalm 72:9, 11 and 17). Earlier, in his prayer of dedication for the Temple, Solomon prayed that all the peoples of the earth will know that ADONAI is God (First Kings 8:60). With the arrival of the queen of Sheba, his prayers were coming true.

This is why the queen of Sheba is so significant, and why her journey to Jerusalem is one of the most important state visits in the history of the world. His royal highness is a Gospel sign pointing us to the global worship of Yeshua Messiah. Already in the TaNaKh we see Ha’Shem working His plan for all nations and all peoples to worship Him. The international fame of Solomon anticipates the Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah and the worldwide scope of His Kingdom. When we worship Yeshua in His royal majesty – whoever we are and wherever we are from – we fulfill the purpose of ADONAI in the world.

Give the King your golden treasure: One final thing we can do for our King is to give him our golden treasure. The queen of Sheba did something more than simply feel faint in the presence of Solomon’s superior wisdom, or speak to him in words of praise; she also did something tangible: Then she gave the king four tons of gold, a huge amount of spices, and precious stones; never again did there arise such an abundance of spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon (First Kings 10:10). Nor was she the only one, for Hiram’s servants who had brought the gold from Ofir, now brought sandalwood and precious stones. The king used the sandalwood to make walkways for the house of ADONAI and for the royal palace, also lyres and lutes for the singers. None like these had been seen before in the land of Judah (First Kings 10:11-12).

Once again, these extravagant gifts remind us what the prophets said about the Savior – prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah said: Nations will go toward Your light and kings toward Your shining splendor . . . caravans of camels will cover Your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah all coming from Sheba, bringing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of ADONAI (Isaiah 60:3 and 6). This was one of the many promises fulfilled in the birth of Yeshua Messiah. The magi from the east came to do something more than merely worship the newborn King. They also brought gifts of gold and frankincense (Matthew 2:11). The wealth of kings that God had promised would come from camels coming from Sheba. They would bring their treasure to the King.

Messiah is worthy of all our golden treasure, and everything else that we can offer Him. Not that we could ever add to His bank account, of course, as if he needed anything from us (Romans 11:35-36). Who has ever given anything to God? Whatever we have is from Him and through Him. But whatever we have is also for Him, and therefore, He is worthy of our wealth. So we bring Him our golden treasure, giving money to the King for the work of His Kingdom. We support the ministry of His Word, the worship of His Church, and the proclamation of His grace to the nations. We do this because Yeshua Messiah is royally worthy to receive our tribute, and because the work of His glorious Kingdom is the best investment we can possibly make.

Receive the King’s royal blessing: All this talk of golden treasure may lead some people to think that it is very costly to be a believer in Yeshua. People probably said the same thing about the queen of Sheba. After all, she gave Solomon large gifts from her own personal fortune. But in the end, this proved to be for her own benefit, because in return she received a royal blessing. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted, whatever she asked, more than what she had brought to the king. After this, she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants (First Kings 10:13). Solomon gave the queen everything she wanted – not just wisdom, but also wealth. He sent her home with the bountiful blessing of His kingdom – richer than when she came.

An even greater blessing still awaits her, on the last of all days, when Yeshua Messiah will come into His everlasting Kingdom. Then the queen of Sheba will receive the blessing of eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). We know this because Yeshua explicitly stated that she would be present at the final judgment, standing with the righteous. The Lord said to the people of His own generation who wanted Him to give them some sort of a sign to prove that He was the Messiah. They wondered if it was worthwhile to follow Him. He told them: The Queen of the South will appear at the Judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Shlomo, and what is here now is greater than Solomon (Luke 11:31). Therefore, we should come to Yeshua the way the queen of Sheba went to Solomon. We should say of Messiah what the queen said when she met Solomon, “Blessed be ADONAI” (First Kings 10:9)! Even old King Solomon was worthy of some recognition. The queen of Sheba proved it by traveling a thousand miles to honor his wisdom and give him her gold. But if Solomon was worthy to receive all of that, then Yeshua is worthy even more . . . more honor, more worship, and more treasure.²¹⁰

Practical Application from
First Kings 9:10 to 11:43

As Paul House examines in his commentary on First and Second Kings, individuals and congregations often come to pivotal moments in their lives. Actions and decisions at these strategic times need to be sound, or their consequences would be profound. This section in First Kings illuminates what readers or hearers of its words may expect when faced with life’s turning points. Therefore, the first point of emphasis is that persons and congregations must learn to discern when a pivotal moment has arrived. For some the moment comes after a time of great success, while for others, it comes after a failure, and for still others after one of life’s normal passages, such as a marriage, graduation, or retirement. Proper assessment should help faithful persons stay the course.

Second, when people disappoint us, it is important to remember that ADONAI remains trustworthy regardless of how unstable people may be. YHVH made eternal promises to David and made sure those promises were kept. God’s people can be confident, then, that the Lord never judges incorrectly, never breaks faith and never holds a grudge. His Word is certain and thus a foundation of hope.

Third, Ha’Shem’s use of prophets indicates that the Lord always finds ways to reveal warnings, encouragement, and counsel. Chief among those means, of course, is Scripture, as the author’s repeated allusions to the Torah indicate. Yet, God also uses persons to confront or to counsel other persons. The prophets are good examples of the difficulty, yet importance, of sharing God’s truth with other people.

Fourth, the ramifications of Solomon’s actions should give us further food for thought when we are tempted to sin. Individual sin affects the whole community, especially when that sin is committed by the leader of a group, whether of a nation, a congregation, or a family. Each person must therefore examine the wider consequences of his or her actions. This principle is particularly true in spiritual matters, since our relationship to ADONAI is more important than any other issue in life.

Fifth, Solomon’s spiritual apostasy in his time emphasizes the need for faithfulness in today’s postmodern, pluralistic society. Multiculturalism, competing worldviews, and fear of appearing narrow minded are not new. Biblical characters from Abraham to Moses, to Dani’el to Esther, to Paul and John faced the same problems. Unlike those people, Solomon tragically chose to please his wives, give in to competing religions, and worship other gods. The Bible insists that anyone may trust Messiah, but also that there is no other way of salvation (Exodus 20:3-11; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Acts 4:12). People of faith may suffer for this conviction, yet the effort must be made for the world to come to God.^206.

Historical Details Related to
First Kings 9:10 to 11:43

As Paul House discusses in his commentary on First and Second Kings, certain foreign, domestic, economic, and religious factors changed during Solomon’s last sixteen years. First, Isra’el’s relationship with Egypt deteriorated over time. Though 9:16 states that the Pharaoh, possibly Siamun, conquered Gezer and gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife, by 11:14-25 a new pharaoh, possibly Shishak, supported Solomon’s enemies. Unlike his immediate predecessor, Shishak was able to unite Egypt and then mount aggressive campaigns against neighboring countries. Eventually Shishak invaded Jerusalem itself during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son (to see link click Dc – A House Divided). Similarly, Solomon’s influence in Syria was weakened when Rezon seized control of Damascus (First Kings 11:23-25) and when Hadad became king of Edom (First Kings 11:14-22). Probably Razon’s power threatened Isra’el more than Hadad’s. Still, coupled with Egypt’s new attitude, Edom and Syrian’s rebellions presented Solomon with foes on all sides.

Domestic tensions grew as well. The northern tribes began to feel that they were shouldering more than their fair share of the tax and conscripted labor burden. They perhaps felt that Judah received special treatment for being David’s clan. This fits with the north’s complaints after Solomon’s death (First Kings 12:1-4). Probably not even Judah appreciated the taxes that all Solomon’s building projects required (First Kings 4:1-28). Jeroboam, a young and vigorous opponent, arose as an alternative to the house of Solomon (First Kings 11:26-28). Because of Solomon’s spiritual idolatry, Ha’Shem supported Jeroboam’s rise to power, as did Shishak of Egypt, though for less religious reasons (First Kings 11:29-40).

Despite such complications, however, Solomon was able to maintain order, mostly because of his economic prowess. Isra’el enjoyed prosperity for most of these years because of Solomon’s ability to utilize the trade potential that remained at his disposal. For instance, he sustained his shipping partnership with Hiram of Tyre. Solomon built the ships, but Hiram’s men commanded and sailed them (1 Kgs 9:26-28). This arrangement must have benefited Hiram, since he continued the relationship even after he felt Solomon’s payment of several Gililean towns was worthless (1 Kings 9:10-14). Solomon also strengthened his caravan trade by improving relations with the queen of Sheva, a nation that had come to dominate the trade in spice and incense for which southwestern Arabia was famous. Since Solomon controlled part of the land route and had shipping interests as well, it was in the queen’s best interest to pay Isra’el’s king a visit. All these financial ventures bought Solomon peace at home, as the presence of luxury items often does (1 Kings 10:14-29).

All of these details contribute to the author’s accurate historical portrait of Solomon’s final years in power. However, as in the whole book, the major problem is Solomon’s spiritual apostasy to ADONAI. In this regard, he was a tragic figure. Unlike his father David, Solomon worshiped other gods, in particular those of his many wives (see Bx – Solomon’s Wives). This decision violated both the Mosaic and Davidic Covenants and left Solomon open to the discipline implicit in them. Earlier the prophet Nathan helped Solomon become king (see Al – A Royal Conspiracy). Now a prophet named Ahijah will prophesy the end of the Davidic dynasty’s exclusive rule over Isra’el (see Bz – The Prophecy of Ahijah). Solomon’s dynasty could have weathered foreign, domestic, and economic challenges, but idolatry was the last straw, so to speak. For whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4). How could the dynasty survive?²⁰⁵

Solomon’s Choice
First Kings 9:1-28 and
Second Chronicles 7:11-22

Solomon’s choice DIG: What happened at Gibeon? How did God dedicate the Temple? Was He more present in the Temple than anywhere else? How so? What would happen if Solomon or his descendants were disobedient? Why would God say that? Who will scoff? Why?

REFLECT: What choices are you facing right now? How can the blessings and cursings of the Torah affect you today? Does that mean that God’s love is conditional? Why or why not? What modern day gods compete for your allegiance? Which road are you on right now?

Everyone has a choice to make in life, and this choice is always before us,
even if we have made the right choice before.

There are only two roads to go by – two paths to follow in this life – and everyone must choose which one to take. Yeshua said it this way: Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14). According to Yeshua, everyone must choose which road to follow, and taking the narrow gate and the hard road makes the difference between eternal life and everlasting destruction. Some believers seem to think that this is a choice we make only once in life, when we first decide to follow Messiah. But, in fact, we face this choice every day, at every moment. Will I choose God’s way or my own way, His Kingdom or my kingdom, His sovereign plan or my personal agenda? Which road will I take and how I handle my work, my free time, and how I treat people I live with? Which way will I go, and which road will I take? Where in life am I facing the choice between God’s way and the wrong way?

One way or another: The choice came to Solomon at the apex of his achievement: After Solomon had finished building the house of ADONAI, the royal palace and everything else he wanted to build for himself (First Kings 9:1; Second Chronicles 7:11), ADONAI appeared to Solomon by night a second time, as He had appeared to him in Gibeon (to see link click As – Solomon’s Wish). Solomon had asked for many blessings to come to the royal family and the nation through the Temple. He looked to the Temple as the source of divine help whenever the people strayed or faced hardships.¹⁹⁴

There were common elements to both visions. First, both begin with a positive answer to a previous request by Solomon; secondly, in both cases, God goes beyond the actual request that Solomon makes. In the first request ADONAI gave him wealth and honor, which he did not ask for; in the second request is the dedication of the Temple. Thirdly, Ha’Shem makes a conditional gift. In the first case, long life for obedience, and in the second case an unending dynasty.¹⁹⁵

At some unspecified time after the dedication services, ADONAI spoke to Solomon and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea that you made before Me: I have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice forever. This made it clear that God approved of the hopes David and Solomon had placed in the Temple. But God gave specific instructions to the nation when she faced hardships in the future. If I shut up the sky, so that there is no rain; or if I order locusts to devour the land; or if I send an epidemic of sickness among my people; then, if My people, who bear My Name, will humble themselves and acknowledge their completed dependence on Me, pray, seek My face, repent and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their Land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears will pay attention to the prayer made in this place. For now, I have chosen and consecrated this house, so that My Name can be there forever; My eyes and heart will always be there (First Kings 9:2-3; Second Chronicles 7:12-16). More than any other portion of this section, these verses spoke directly to the post-exilic community.

ADONAI would honor the eternal side of the Davidic Covenant; the temporal side of the covenant, the part about Solomon and his descendants, however, was dependent on human obedience.¹⁹⁶ If Solomon chose to follow in David’s footsteps, he would be going down the right road. As for you, if you will live in My presence, as did David your father, in pureness of heart and uprightness, doing everything I have ordered you to do, and observing my statutes and ordinances ; then I will establish the throne of your rulership over Isra’el forever (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David), just as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You will never lack a man on the throne of Isra’el.’ (First Kings 9:4-5; Second Chronicles 7:17-18; Micah 5:1-5). Those words guaranteed that despite the fact that a king may not always sit on the throne of Jerusalem (as in the post-exilic period), the nation should look for the rightful heir of David and follow his leadership. In the Chronicler’s day that man was none other than Zerubbabel and/or his descendants (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Ag – The First Return).¹⁹⁷

The same principle also applies to us: if we follow ADONAI in the way of obedience, we will have His blessing. Obedience itself will be a blessing, as we experience the joy of walking with the Lord. Virtue really is its own reward. But obedience also leads to many other blessings. If we work the way God wants us to work, we will have something to share with others (Ephesians 4:28). If we love the way God wants us to love, we will be able to make strong relationships that last a lifetime. When we feed the hungry, help the sick, and visit people in prison, we will enter into our Father’s joy (Matthew 25:31-40). These and many other blessings will be ours if we travel down the road that leads to life.¹⁹⁸

But there is another way to go in life, the way of disobedience that leads to destruction. Here is how Ha’Shem posed the choice to Solomon. But if you (the singular is now changed to the plural because the fate of the nation as well as that of the dynasty is dealt with) turn away from following Me, you or your children, and do not observe My mitzvot and regulations which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, worshiping them; then I will pull them up by the roots, cut off Isra’el from the Land I have given them. They will not lose ownership of the Land. Under the Abrahamic Covenant their ownership is unconditional (see the commentary on Genesis Eg – I am the LORD, Who Brought You Out of Ur of the Chaldeans to Give You This Land), but they will lose the enjoyment of the Land, based on obedience. This house, which I consecrated for My name, I will eject from my sight; and Isra’el will become an example to avoid and an object of scorn among all peoples. So this changes from conditional blessings above to conditional cursings here.

This house, now so exalted – everyone passing by will gasp in shock at the sight of it and will ask: Why has ADONAI done this to this land and to this house? But the answer will be, ‘It’s because they abandoned ADONAI their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and took hold of other gods, worshiping and serving them; this is why God brought all these calamities on them” (First Kings 9:6-9; Second Chronicles 7:19-22). Like Sodom and Gomorrah, Isra’el would become an example of divine judgment, a permanent object lesson of what happens when people make the wrong choice and turn away from God.

Without question the book’s intended audience would have understood this warning as God’s grace to Solomon. All the king had to do was remain obedient to ADONAI, shun idols, and continue to enjoy God’s favor.¹⁹⁹ But what started out as Solomon’s foolish choice (see Bx – Solomon’s Wives) would become a national disaster. Then the whole world would know that the king and his country had sinned by worshiping idols.

This is also a gracious warning to us about where our own idols will lead. Choose the wrong road in life, and it will end in such disaster that even people outside your congregation will know you have taken a wrong turn. However attractive other gods may seem to us – money and material possessions, sex and physical pleasure, power and interpersonal control – they will lead to our own destruction. The road to a life of deception begins with one little lie. The road to bankruptcy begins with one foolish indulgence. But before long, our sins will be exposed, we will suffer the consequences of our own wrong choices. Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go and costs you more than you wanted to pay.

Solomon’s past success: Over the course of his reign, Solomon did all the things that kings hoped to do. Consider a few of Solomon’s many accomplishments. At the end of twenty years, during which time Solomon had built the two buildings, the house of ADONAI and the royal palace, King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of the Galil (recall that Hiram the king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress logs and with all the gold Solomon wanted). Which once again shows that the Abrahamic Covenant has not been fulfilled. Hiram came over from Tyre to see the cities Solomon had given him, but he was not satisfied with them. He said: What kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother? So, they have been called the land of Kabul [good for nothing] till this day, for Hiram had sent the king four tons of gold (First Kings 9:10-14). Solomon was a total success, a man who accomplished everything he wanted in life and received all kinds of accolades. God would do whatever Solomon asked. But for all his past success, Solomon still had to choose for God every day, and every moment of every day. We face the same choice – the choice of daily obedience. What we did for God yesterday will not answer the demand He places on us today. No matter how well we began our walk with the Lord, no matter how faithfully we answered ADONAI’s call to service, no matter how earnestly we turn to YHVH in prayer, no matter what we have accomplished in ministry, the choice is still before us today and every day the rest of our lives.²⁰⁰

Solomon’s future accomplishments: Solomon was also a success at completing huge building projects. The king had a passion for building, and in addition to the Temple and his palace complex, his massive labor force constructed extensive military fortifications. Following is the account of the forced labor levied by King Solomon for building the house of ADONAI, his own palace, the Ophel or the terraces to fortify the southern slope of the Temple compound, the wall of Yerushalayim, and the chariot cities of Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it to the ground and killed the Canaanites living in the city; then he had given it as a dowry for his daughter, Solomon’s wife. This was an important city because it was a Canaanite blockade on the Via Maris road, the main trade route of that day, and when this was cleared out by the Egyptians it was able to add wealth to Solomon. So Solomon rebuilt Gezer; he also built Lower Beth-Horon, Ba‘alath, Tadmor in the desert, in the Land, as well as all the cities that Solomon had for storing supplies, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and the other buildings Solomon wanted to build for himself in Yerushalayim, in the Lebanon and throughout the land he ruled (First Kings 9:15-19). Solomon built whatever he wanted to build.

In addition to all his wealth and military might, Solomon also had power over his people. Thousands of workers came from other nations. All the people still left from the Amorites Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not part of the people of Isra’el, that is, their descendants remaining after them in the land, whom the people of Isra’el were not able to destroy completely – from them Solomon levied his permanent forced laborers. Other workers were Israelites, who did not labor as slaves, but as temporary servants of the king (see Az – Materials and Labor for the Temple). But Solomon did not raise any of his forced labor from the people of Isra’el; rather, they were the soldiers, his servants, administrators and commanders, and the officials in charge of his chariots and horsemen. There were 550 chief officers over Solomon’s work, in charge of the workers (First Kings 9:20-23).

Even though there was peace throughout Solomon’s reign, he maintained a standing army. The king felt that was necessary to deter other nations from attacking Isra’el. However, Deuteronomy 17:16a says that he was not to acquire many horses for himself. The principle reason for acquiring horses was related to warfare, specifically chariot warfare. But the Israelite form of warfare was not supposed to be in the number or type of troops but in the strength and presence of their God. They had already experienced YHVH’s aid against an enemy equipped with horse-drawn chariots at the Sea of Reeds. In the days ahead, there would be similar occasions. For example, in Debra’s war (Judges 4-5), the Israelite forces were at a strong disadvantage in facing the chariot-equipped Canaanite forces, but once again victory was achieved through the intervention of Ha’Shem.²⁰¹

Solomon also had a beautiful wife, who was well cared for, with a palace of her own, due to her special status. Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the City of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her. After that he built the Ophel terraces (First Kings 9:24).

The king also fulfilled his religious duties. Three times a year, at Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot, Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for ADONAI, offering incense with them on the altar before ADONAI (First Kings 9:25).

There is more. King Solomon also had a royal navy, which enabled him to form lucrative shipping partnerships that gained him even more gold. He built ships at Ezion-Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. Archeologists have discovered the remains of chariot wheels at Ezion-Geber at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. This site, on the eastern arm of the Red Sea, gave Isra’el access to trade routes of the south and Ophir, apparently a location in Southern Arabia where the children of Isra’el crossed the Sea of Reeds (see the commentary on Exodus Ch – The LORD Will Fight for You, You Need Only to Be Still). Hiram sent some of his own servants, experienced sailors who understood the sea, to serve with Solomon’s servants. They went to Ofir, today called Yemen, and that was probably how the Queen of Sheba learned about Solomon (see Bu – Solomon and the Queen of Sheba). They took from there gold, fourteen tons of it, which they brought back to King Solomon (1 Kings 9:26-28). This is the first of three agreements of a navy agreement between Hiram and Solomon. It is also mentioned in First Kings 10:11-12 and 10:22. This shows that the disagreement over the land of Kabul (1 Kings 9:14) did not annul the treaty between them.²⁰²

In short, Solomon had everything that a king could ever want out of life; money, property, possessions, servants, and beautiful women. It was his kingdom, and he was living in it, with more of everything than anyone else in the world. Yet every day he still had to make a spiritual choice. No matter how successful he was – no matter how much money he had, how much power over other people – Solomon still had to choose for God or choose against Him. Would he thank the LORD for all his money, and then put it to use for Kingdom work? Would he exercise his power to serve the poor and protect the weak? Would he grow proud of what he had accomplished, or would he give all the glory to ADONAI?

The more we have of what this world has to offer, the easier it is to think that we are on the right track, even when we are wandering down the road to idolatry. What really counts in life is not academic success, or athletic accomplishments, or a bigger bank account, or reaching the top of our profession, or taking pride in our family, but the spiritual choice we make in our hearts every single day for God or against Him.²⁰³

What Yeshua chose: To see what is at stake in this choice, we need only to consider what happened to King Solomon. He didn’t finish nearly as well as he started as we will discover when we get to Chapter eleven and read about his spiritual bankruptcy. Solomon didn’t stay on the right road, but chose to turn in another direction. So even when the Bible records the splendors of the Solomonic age, it is setting the stage to show how even the greatest earthly glories are lost when people stop choosing the one true God.

How can we avoid Solomon’s folly and keep choosing God? It would be nice to think that we will make the right choices in life, and keep on making them, but this will take more than our good intentions. Not everyone makes the right choice in life. Indeed, not everyone can. In fact, there is a sense in which no one can.

This was the lesson that Isra’el learned in the last days of Joshua, and afterward. The choice that God gave to Solomon was very similar to the choice that Joshua gave the people of Isra’el just before he died. That day Joshua challenged the people to choose which God they would serve. They chose wisely saying: We will serve ADONAI, for He is our God. It was a promising beginning. But Joshua believed in the doctrine of depravity, and thus he responded with a reality check: You can’t serve ADONAI; because He is a holy God (Joshua 24:18-19). Joshua was right in saying that sinful people are really incapable of making all the right choices in life. So even if we begin with the best of intentions, without the grace of God we still end up on the road to destruction. Joshua’s warning turned out to be the story of Solomon’s life. It also happens to be the story of our own lives; not always choosing for God, but often going in the wrong direction, even to our own destruction.

Praise God that we have a Savior who always made the right choice in life, going down the road that led to the cross. Yeshua had to make the same choice that we have to make. There were always two roads before Him, forcing Him to choose for, or against, the will of the Father. He had to make the choice when He was a little boy and needed to learn obedience. He had to make it again when He was attacked by the devil in the wilderness, facing all the temptations of hell. He had to make it when He was with His Father in the garden, wondering if there might be some alternative to crucifixion.

Yeshua chose God. He chose God every moment of every day, even when it cost Him His life. But because He is the only person who ever did choose God – all the time . . . every time – He was able to make perfect atonement for our sins. Now Yeshua is able to bring us all the way down the road to salvation. He Himself is the road to God, the way of eternal life. If we trust in Him, His right choices count for us, even when we make the wrong choice. And when the choice comes to us again, as it does every day, and we are struggling hard to choose for God, Yeshua is there to keep us on the road that leads to life.²⁰⁴

Solomon Builds His Palace
First Kings 7: 1-12

Solomon builds His palace DIG: Was Solomon guilty of spending almost twice as long building his own place than the Temple? Why? Why not? Why did Solomon spend so much time, effort, and money on his palace? Was he greedy?

REFLECT: How much time, effort and money do you spend on your own house compared to God’s house? If you could build five buildings for the Lord, what would they be? What kind of materials would you use? Thrifty or expensive?

Solomon did everything imaginable to show that as YHVH is a great God, he was a great king.

There are two houses in this story: one for God and one of Solomon. The king built his own house – the royal palace – for himself and for his successors, but he did not begin until he had finished the house of God, so that nothing might hinder that holy work. We know this because First Kings 9:10 says: At the end of twenty years, during which time Solomon had built the two buildings, the house of ADONAI and the royal palace. Solomon built a palace for himself, taking thirteen years to finish it (7:1). Some commentators view this statement as a negative, because he took seven years to build the Temple, but it need not be so. The Temple had only two rooms with a single purpose, whereas Solomon’s residence had many rooms for a variety of different purposes. In addition, David had made extensive preparations in advance for the building of the Temple that would not have been true for the Palace.¹⁹⁰

Solomon’s palace included five buildings that were part of the great royal complex. The Temple had quite a bit of cedar of Lebanon (First Kings 6:9-10 and 15-16, 18, 20 and 36); however, the palace was packed with so many cedars (First Kings 7:2-3, 7, 11 and 12) that it was called the House of the Lebanon Forest.¹⁹¹

The first building described was the throne hall. Solomon’s throne was overlaid with gold, reflecting the king’s glory. Twelve lions, one on each of the six steps leading to the throne, may have been intended to represent the twelve tribes of Isra’el. It was one hundred and seventy-five feet long, eighty-seven-and-a-half feet wide and fifty-two-and-a-half feet high, on four rows of cedar posts, which made it appear forest-like, with cedar beams on the posts, making that one room itself larger than the Temple. It had a roof made of cedar and supported by beams lying on forty-five posts, fifteen in a row. There were three rows of window openings, placed so that the windows on facing walls were opposite each other at all three levels. All the doors and doorways were rectangular and opposite each other at all three levels (First Kings 7:2-5). It also served as a state treasury, displaying selected objects received as tribute. This hall displayed 200 large shields of hammered gold, seven-and-a-half pounds each, and 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, three-and-three-quarters pounds each. Evidently the 500 shields were intended for spectacle only for gold is a soft metal.¹⁹²

Within the complex he made a hall of pillars, eighty-seven-and-a-half feet long and fifty-two-and-a-half feet wide, with a columned, eaved porch in front of it (First Kings 7:6). It may have served as a waiting-room for those seeking an audience with the king. In addition, he made the hall of judgment; it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling (First Kings 7:7). This was where the king governed and where the court sessions would be held, including the famous case of the disputed baby (to see link click At – A Wise Ruling). His own living quarters, in the other courtyard, set back from the hall of judgment, were similarly designed. He also made a house for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Solomon had taken as his wife (First Kings 7:8). Nothing is said of Solomon’s own living quarters and the house for Pharaoh’s daughter except they were of similar design and set back from the public building.

All these buildings were made of expensive stone blocks, cut to measure and finished by saws on the inner surfaces as well as the outer ones. These stones were used from the foundation to the eaves and outward from the buildings all the way to the Great Courtyard, which united both the Temple and all five of these buildings. The foundation was of expensive stone blocks, very large ones – stones fourteen to eighteen feet long. Above these were costly stones, cut to measure, and cedar-wood, and this description of the building materials seems to apply to all the buildings Solomon built, including the Temple. The surrounding Great Courtyard had three rows of cut stone. Limestone in the area can be cut with a saw when freshly quarried, but hardens when exposed to the elements. And a row of cedar beams like the inner courtyard of the house of ADONAI and the courtyard by the hall of the house (First Kings 7:9-12).

Fine stone and wood were used to build these structures. Indeed, Solomon had built himself an impressive home. But is the project self-indulgence or another example of God’s blessing? The author does not comment, though his readers must wonder if this extravagance is in keeping with Moshe’s declaration that kings must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold (Deuteronomy 17:17). At least it is quite possible that Solomon did everything imaginable to show that as ADONAI was a great God, he was a great king. Or, is what was displayed here far more about Solomon’s riches and honor than his wisdom?¹⁹³

Dear Great Heavenly Father, Praise You for the awesome home Yeshua is preparing for me. Though King Solomon’s palace was magnificent by earthly standards, it totally pales in comparison to the home Messiah is now preparing in heaven for His bride (Second Corinthians 11:1). Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3).

There will be many great and wonderful aspects to my home in heaven; including no pain, no sorrow and death being a thing of the past, never more to occur for all eternity! But the most wonderful part of heaven will be Your presence continually with me! Behold, the dwelling of God is among mankind, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4).

What a comfort it is for me to focus on my eternal heavenly home and realize that the hard times on earth are only a blink compared to the forever joy of living in my heavenly home! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). We worship and thank You for all the pain and suffering You went thru to redeem me. I delight in living for You with my heart full of love, expressed in my living to please You as best I can. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

His Love Endures Forever
Psalm 136: 1-26

His love endures forever DIG: This psalm is called “the Great Hallel” and is recited at the Pesach Seder. What is the purpose of the “call and response” to prayer? What types of “wonders” are listed? In what different spheres of life has ADONAI been actively involved? How so? How are the acts of verses 10 and 17-20 signs of God’s everlasting love? How can the refrain be translated? Is the refrain monotonous or does it center your thoughts?

REFLECT: Which one of the wonders listed here especially moves you to thanksgiving? Why do you think ADONAI so earnestly calls us to give thanks in his and other psalms? Is there anything you want to thank YHVH for? Why? Do you ever tell yourself that God’s love for you is conditional, dependent on your performance? How can you hold on to the reality that God’s love is unconditional and once you are saved, you are His child and He loves you?

Yes, indeed, His love endures forever.

The general theme of this Psalm is a call to praise ADONAI on account of what He, in nature and history, has revealed Himself to be. This is the Great Hallel psalm, which was associated with the Pesach Seder. While we do not know who wrote this Psalm, we do know that it was sung in Solomon’s Temple (Second Chronicles 7:3 and 6), and by the armies of Jehoshaphat when they sung themselves into victory in the wilderness of Tekoa (Second Chronicles 20:20-21). The chief characteristic of the Psalm, so immediately apparent, is the recurrence, twenty-six times, of the refrain for His love endures forever. These lovely words are included in every verse. Being an expression of relationship, the word love (Hebrew: chesed) could be translated faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, love or compassion, but primarily loyalty to a covenant (see the commentary Ruth, to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed). The repetition of this phrase was for liturgical reasons. It was to be sung responsively, either by the Levitical singers or by the congregation.¹⁸⁷

A. Call to Worship: These verses give us a threefold call to worship. Here, we are encouraged to: Give thanks to ADONAI, for He is good (1), His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods (2), His love endures forever. And give thanks to the LORD of lords (3), His love endures forever (Psalm 136:1-3). In this exhortation we learn that we are to worship ADONAI, the personal God of Isra’el (Exodus 3:14). He is also the God of gods, there are no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). He is also the LORD of lords, there is no other dominion or authority above Him.

But why are we to worship this God? The answer is not merely because He exists. We are to worship Him because He has revealed Himself to us worthy of our worship. He is good; that is, He is perfect and brings all things to His perfection. But this is not the bottom line. Even more than His goodness is His love, which endures forever. He is the God who commits Himself unconditionally to His people and never abandons that commitment (Deuteronomy 31:6-8). We change, the world changes, but ADONAI endures forever and His love never wavers toward us. No wonder we are to worship this God. But how are we to understand His love? The answer is given by surveying God’s power in creation. In the created world where we live, God commits Himself to us.

B. Praise to the Creator: It is of utmost importance for the Bible that the God of Redemption is also the God of Creation. It is from His throne that He brings all things into being. As He creates us, He addresses His court, which consists of the holy angels gathered before Him. This explains why He says in the plural: Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:27). Since He is the Creator, when He redeems us, He is not redeeming us from creation; He is redeeming us as His fallen creation.

The psalmist calls us to give thanks to God, who alone does great wonders. These great wonders or miracles are usually related to His mighty acts of redemption. Here, however, they are applied to His acts of creation. He is the God that by His understanding made the heavens. As Proverbs tells us: ADONAI by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19). What this means is that He has a divine plan in creation, which comes through His wisdom. He also spread out the earth upon the waters, made the great lights, the sun to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night (Genesis 1:14-18). In the creation, YHVH shows us His power, His order, and His sovereign plan for the world. It is also upheld by Him, and a sign of His covenant love. As we meditate on each facet of His great wonders, we are to remember that all of this comes from Him by reciting: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:4-9).¹⁸⁸

C. Praise to the Redeemer: Having dwelt on the wonder of creation, and having there found so many reasons for thanksgiving and praise, the psalmist now turns to another great wonder, the deliverance of Isra’el from Egypt from bondage. This section of the Psalm parallels Psalm 135:8-9 where the psalmist exhorts us to praise him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. This was the last and the greatest of the plagues (see the commentary on Exodus By – At Midnight the LORD Struck Down all the Firstborn in Egypt). He brought Isra’el out from among them, they would never again return to Egyptian bondage. Here is another instance of the loving kindness that endures forever, and another reason for praise. YHVH was their Redeemer from slavery. It was evident that only a divine power could have accomplished it. How right that the remembrance of the exodus should be an integral part of the Great Hallel, the psalm of praise.

Having brought His people out from Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, Ha’Shem then divided the Sea of Reeds for them. The waters obeyed their Creator and stood up in walls on either side of the pathway which God designed. He brought Isra’el through the midst of it to freedom, but swept the tyrant Pharaoh and his army, pursuing with their horses and chariots into the Sea of Reeds. The Redeemer had fulfilled His promise that His love endures forever (Psalm 136:10-15).

D. Through the Wilderness: Deliverance from Egypt was not ADONAI’s entire purpose for His people. His intention was to lead His people through the wilderness, but the inhospitable wilderness lay between Egypt and Canaan. This part of the psalm is analogous to Psalm 135:10-12. Having led them out, now the LORD led them on, until their way was barred by great nations (Ps 135:10) whose kings are described as great, mighty, and famous. These were men of valor, men of renown, mighty in battle. As in Psalm 135, two of them are particularly identified, Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Those kings blocked Isra’el’s way to Canaan, and, despite their fame and might, Ha’Shem struck them down.

In the plan and purpose of ADONAI, the land of Sihon and Og was not legitimately theirs. God had reserved it for Isra’el His firstborn, and those who lived there were merely squatters. The Land had been given to them as an inheritance, an inheritance which would forever after be disputed by the Gentile nations. His love endures forever (Psalm 136:16-22). Isra’el was not only His firstborn, but also His servant. Those who had been the slaves of Pharaoh were now servants of YHVH. The LORD had demanded of Pharaoh: Let My people go, that they may serve Me (Exodus 9:1 and 13, 10:3). Pharaoh had oppressed them, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would give them a land of their own: His love endures forever.

C. Praise to the Redeemer: It was not the greatness of the children of Isra’el that prompted the LORD to free them from their enemies. They were but a feeble people, a nation of slaves. But He remembered their low estate. It could be said of them, “ADONAI did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples. But it was because you were the fewest of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7). In His sovereign grace, He had remembered them, and had redeemed them from enemies far greater than they. It was the reason for giving thanksgiving and praise: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:23-24).

B. Praise to the Creator: He gives food to every creature. But great as His love for Isra’el might be, ADONAI’s gracious redemption is not confined to the apple of His eye. This even goes beyond the boundaries of humanity. Another Psalm declares: The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:15-16). It is not only mankind, but animals and birds, also, reptiles and fish, and even the flying and creeping insects of the land, air, and sea, are still dependent upon Him who cares for us all. Yes, indeed, we can all enthusiastically join in the refrain: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:25).

A. Call to worship: The Great Hallel ends as it began, with a renewed appeal to grateful people to render due thanksgiving to the God of heaven. How wonderful is this, that the praise of those on the earth should ascend to YHVH in heaven. Heaven and earth in one accord, uniting in praise, cry out: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:26).¹⁸⁹

Fire from Heaven
First Kings 8:54-66 and
Second Chronicles 7:1-10

Fire from heaven DIG: Why sacrifice so many animals? Why can’t Isra’el eat fat or blood (Leviticus 3:16-17). How do the bronze and gold alters differ (Exodus 30:6-7)? What feast is celebrated during this time of year (Lev 23:34, 41-43)? What irony do you see in this timing?

REFLECT: What good things has God done for you lately? What sacrifices does God require today and why? What exactly do you worship? Your spouse? Your family? Your job? Your body? A sports team? Your computer? Are you offering God the praise that He deserves?

Just as the Israelites went home praising their God and their king,
we too are called to take the joy of the Lord with us everywhere we go.

For every festival there must be a feast. What would a wedding be without a reception, or Christmas without a family dinner, or a youth soccer championship without a pizza party, or a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah without knish at the kiddush after the service? Good food and drink are essential to any grand celebration. Since this is true, then there was only one appropriate way for Solomon’s Temple prayer to end. The king was dedicating the most important building in the history of the world – the one place where God promised to meet with His people. So, after the king’s prayer was finished, and the burnt offerings and sacrifices had been made, fire came down from heaven and consumed them. Then it was time for a feast.

To see how the people feasted, and why, we first need to hear the blessing that Solomon gave – a blessing that was also a prayer. When Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and plea to ADONAI, he got up from in front of the altar of ADONAI, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven, stood up, and raised his voice to bless the whole community of Isra’el. He said: “Blessed be ADONAI, who has given rest to His people Isra’el, in accordance with everything He promised in His covenant with Moshe (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Dd – The Mosaic Covenant). Not one word has failed of His good promise, which He made through Moshe his servant (First Kings 8:55-56).

The blessings we need from God:

1. Solomon asked for God’s abiding presence: May ADONAI our God be with us, as He was with our ancestors. May He never leave us or abandon us (First Kings 8:57). More than all the other blessings that YHVH has to give, we need God Himself in the living presence of His grace. All the great spiritual leaders in the Bible understood this. We see it in Moses, who was promised that the God of the burning bush would go with him wherever he went (Exodus 3:12). We see it in Joshua, who was told that YHVH would never leave him or abandon him (Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 31:6-8). We see it in the psalmist, who said: ADONAI will not abandon His people (Psalm 94:14; Hebrews 13:5). In all of life’s decisions and difficulties, we need God to be with us to help us through.

2. King Solomon had a specific reason for asking God to be with his people. He wanted them to be holy. So he prayed for God’s sanctifying Spirit: In this way He will incline our hearts toward Him, so that we will live according to His ways and observe His mitzvot, statutes and ordinances which He ordered our fathers to obey (First Kings 8:58). This prayer shows deep insight into the spiritual need of fallen human beings. The sad truth is that because of sin, our hearts are not inclined to walk in God’s ways, to say nothing of keeping his commandments. Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to sin, and so hard to be holy? It is because our sinful hearts lean away from YHVH, not toward Him. Therefore, we need a powerful work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to turn our hearts back in His direction. So we pray for the sanctifying Spirit to make our hearts want what God wants.

3. Next Solomon prayed for God’s listening ear: More specifically, he asked God to listen to his people when they made any of the seven requests he just prayed (see Bm – Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication). May these words of mine, which I have used in my plea before ADONAI, be present with ADONAI our God day and night, so that He will uphold the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Isra’el day-by-day (First Kings 8:59). Solomon was asking God to let his prayer of dedication stand for all time, so that when his people prayed for justice, forgiveness, or protection, or deliverance – whatever they asked in faith, at any time of the day or night – God would hear their prayers and answer in power.

4. Then King Solomon prayed for God’s universal glory, asking then all the peoples of the earth will know that ADONAI is God; there is no other. So be wholehearted with ADONAI our God, living by His commandments and observing His mitzvot, as You are doing today (First Kings 8:60-61; Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 45:5). This prayer was based on the belief that there is only one God. The people of YHVH declared this every morning in their daily confession: Hear, Isra’el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). Since this is true – that God is unique, that He is the one-and-only God – then it should be acknowledged everywhere. Therefore, Solomon prayed for God’s glory among the nations, that He would be known to be God by all people in all places.¹⁸³

Fire from heaven: Having finished with Solomon’s prayer of dedication, the Chronicler continued to follow the account of Kings. He recorded a powerful display of God’s acceptance of Solomon’s Temple, prayers, and sacrifices as fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices (to see a video on the dedication of the Temple click here). The descent of fire upon a sacrifice appears elsewhere as a miraculous display of divine approval. This had happened on two other occasions. First, fire came down from heaven to consume the sacrifice that David offered on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (see the commentary on The Life of David El – David Builds an Altar), and it would happen again, in a time of crucial decision for Isra’el on Mount Carmel (see the commentary on Elijah and Elisha Aq – Elijah and the Prophets of Ba’al) when ADONAI’s fire came down and devoured the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and licked up the water from the trench.

Dear Heavenly Father, How magnificent You sending down fire from heaven to consume Solomon’s sacrifice, yet how fantastic and awesome will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!  Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude – like the roar of rushing waters or like the rumbling of powerful thunder – saying, “Halleluyah! For Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready (Revelation 19:6-7). How beautiful will be the bride, the Church (Second Corinthians 11:1), dressed in righteous deeds-white linen. It was granted to her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure,” for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). What joy floods my heart when I focus my eyes and hope on my eternal home in heaven with You. Trials are but for a short time, while the joy of living with You, our Loving Eternal Father, in heaven will be forever! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). We love and worship you! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

And the Sh’khinah glory of ADONAI filled the house, so that the priests could not enter because the glory of the LORD filled God’s house. This glory recalls the Sh’khinah that previously halted priestly services inside the Temple. Perhaps the Sh’khinah subsided slightly during Solomon’s prayers and the priests tried to proceed with their responsibilities. At this point, however, the priests could not enter because the glory of ADONAI filled God’s house. All the people of Isra’el saw when the fire came down, and the Sh’khinah glory was on the house; they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the flooring; prostrating themselves, they gave thanks to ADONAI, “for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136). Earlier only the priests sang this psalm , but now the entire assembly added their voices to this song (Second Chronicles 7:2-3). Mention of Solomon (7:1), the priests (7:2) and all the people of Isra’el (7:3) created an ever widening circle of joy. The Chronicler reported how God’s response to Solomon’s prayer overwhelmed all who were there in order to inspire his readers to re-establishing the Temple and its services in their day. They wanted to exchange their hardships for joy. Yet, such splendid festivity could occur only if they followed Solomon’s example and give due attention to the Temple.¹⁸⁴

The priests stood at their appointed stations, while the Levites used the instruments that David the king had provided for making music to ADONAI in order to “give thanks to ADONAI, for His grace continues forever,” by means of the praises David had composed. Opposite them the priests sounded trumpets; and all Isra’el stood up. Then the king, together with all Isra’el, offered more sacrifices before YHVH. Before Solomon’s prayer innumerable sacrifices were made (Second Chronicles 5:6). For the sacrifice of peace offerings which Solomon alone offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. It is impossible to assess whether the enormous numbers of sacrifices are to be taken literally or not. Apparently 142,000 animals would have meant an offering every three seconds for ten hours a day for twelve days. The most that can be safely said is that the numbers were unusually large even for Solomon’s time, requiring a special dedication of the courtyard (see below) and presumably simultaneous offerings.¹⁸⁵ Thus, the king and all the people of Isra’el dedicated the house of ADONAI. So numerous were the sacrifices that Solomon arranged to dedicate the center of the courtyard in front of the Temple; because he had to offer so many of the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar before ADONAI was too small to receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings (First Kings 8:61-64; Second Chronicles 7:4-7).

So, Solomon celebrated the festival at that time for seven days, together with all Isra’el, an enormous gathering; they had come all the way from the northern border at the entrance of Hamat to the southern border at the brook of Egypt. The geographic references in this verse may be unfamiliar to most believers today, but it indicates that the whole nation of Isra’el celebrate this feast. They all were doing the same thing. They were united in their praise to ADONAI and His anointed king. In addition to blessing the LORD, the people blessed their king. So at the same time they rejoiced in God and His holy Temple, they also rejoiced in Solomon and his royal kingship. They blessed their king for the honor he gave to YHVH in building a holy Temple for worship. Solomon was the joy of his people.

But this does not mean this fulfilled the Abrahamic Covenant because much of this territory was under tribute and not under Jewish settlement in peacetime. So people who use this verse to prove that the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant have already been fulfilled and there is no future promise for Isra’el, do not read these verses in context.

We have a similar, yet greater, joy in the Kingdom of Yeshua Messiah. The praise we offer to ADONAI is centered on our King, Yeshua Messiah, both on His glory as the Son of God and on His salvation through the cross and an empty tomb. This joyful worship is not just for Shabbat or Sunday, but for every day of the week and every place we go. Just as the Israelites went home praising their God and their king, we too are called to take the joy of the Lord with us everywhere we go.

On the eighth day, which followed the seven-day Festival of Sukkot (see the commentary on Leviticus Eg – Hag Sukkot), the people assembled for another seven days, just before returning to their homes, a total of fourteen days in all. Then, on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, the people blessed the king and he sent them away to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness ADONAI had shown to David his servant, to Solomon and to Isra’el His people (First Kings 8:65-66; Second Chronicles 7:8-10).

When Solomon and his people dedicated the Temple, they had the volume turned all the way up. With every blessing they pronounced and every animal they sacrificed, they declared the glory of God. They kept the volume up all the way home as they praised their king and his kingdom. How do you go home from worship in the house of the LORD? Do you go rejoicing in Messiah and His Kingdom, offering Him the obedience He requires and the sacrifice He demands? Or does your attention quickly turn to the things you really worship: the relationships, the pleasures, and the entertainments that claim your higher allegiance? Whatever you choose to worship, make sure it is worthy of a feast, as only Yeshua is.¹⁸⁶

Solomon’s Prayer of Intercession
First Kings 8:31-61 and
Second Chronicles 6:22-42

Solomon’s prayer of intercession DIG: How can Isra’el reverse the curses of disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-24)? What does this passage say about repentance and salvation? Why are spoken words so important? Would private faith, unexpressed and silent, be just as powerful? What was the reason the Jews turned and faced God’s house when they prayed?

REFLECT: Do you consider affliction to be punishment for sin – always, sometimes, or never? In what cases? What prayers do you want to direct toward God’s heavenly Temple? Do you first need to confess some sin? Have you taken advantage of the promise of “rest” given to God’s people? Who are you interceding for? What intercessory prayer do you need now?

Every request that Solomon prayed for is answered in Yeshua Messiah.

As he relates in his commentary on First Kings, Philip Ryken writes that there are many notable “sevens” in the Bible, including some that really do reach perfection. In seven days at the beginning of the world, God created everything there is, and then rested from His work. Noah brought seven pairs of clean animals with him on the ark (Genesis 7:2). The blood sacrifice was sprinkled seven times to make complete purification (Leviticus 16:14 and 19). Messiah performs seven miraculous signs in the Gospel of John, and there are seven letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, where seven is also the number of the fullness of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Revelation 5:6).

Then there is the prayer that King Solomon offered up when he dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem, which contains seven requests for the people of God. According to Yeshua, the Temple should be a house of prayer (Luke 19:46). Thus, it was appropriate for Solomon to dedicate his Temple with a long prayer. The king opened by praising ADONAI and asking Him to keep the promises He had made to his father David. Then he blessed the people and God (to see link click Bm – Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication). But the heart of Solomon’s prayer consisted of seven appeals of future confession. The mention of the Temple, or “this house,” is crucial. The reason God established the Temple as a place to pray for forgiveness was that it was where the sacrifices were made for sin. Knowing how certain his people were to sin, the king anticipated the trouble they would get themselves into and interceded for their forgiveness, even before they sinned! Standing in front of the bronze altar where atonement was made for sin, he asked Ha’Shem to listen to the prayers for the Israelites and forgive them for their many transgressions: Hear from where You live in heaven; and when You hear, forgive (1 Kings 8:30).

Solomon’s prayer is a model for our own intercession. It teaches us how to pray, both for ourselves and for the people of God. It also reminds us how Yeshua prayed for us as our Savior. Thus, Solomon’s prayer is everything that anyone could ever want in a prayer – a sevenfold perfection of intercession. There is a request for everyone somewhere in this prayer.¹⁷³

The first request – a prayer for justice: If a person sins against a fellow member of the community, and he is made to swear under oath, and he comes and swears before Your altar in this house; protect the sanctity of the oath and hear it in heaven, act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, so that his way of life devolves on his own head, and vindicating the one who is right, giving him what his righteousness deserves (First Kings 8:31-32; Second Chronicles 6:22-23; Exodus 22:6-12; Leviticus 5:21-24). The situation Solomon described is a familiar one. In fact, one that the king had already dealt with himself (see At – A Wise Ruling). Sin is all too common; it happens every day. But what if there are no witnesses? How will justice ever be done? Not even Solomon in all his wisdom could adjudicate everything. Therefore, Solomon prayed that when an oath is brought before Ha’Shem, the Judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25), would judge the guilty party and established the innocence of the other.¹⁷⁴

The second request – a prayer for rescue: Solomon’s second request was a prayer for rescue and return. Again, it is clear that the king believed in the utter depravity of the Israelites. When Your people Isra’el sin against You and in consequence are defeated by an enemy; then if they turn back to You, acknowledge Your name, and pray and make their plea to You in this house; hear in heaven, forgive the sin of Your people Isra’el, and bring them back to the Land You gave to them and their ancestors (First Kings 8:33-34; Second Chronicles 6:24-25). According to Leviticus 26:17 and Deuteronomy 28:25, one of the ways God will punish Isra’el is by allowing her enemies to defeat her. Isra’el’s defeat by lowly Ai (Joshua 7:1-11), the constant losses in Judges, and the humiliation at the hand of Philistia (First Samuel 4:1-11) illustrate this principle.¹⁷⁵  Solomon knew that Isra’el was likely to experience this kind of judgment again. Sooner or later, God’s people would be defeated in battle and carried off by some foreign army – a theme which he will return in the seventh request. But Solomon also believed in the loving mercy of a forgiving God. So he prayed that when his people were defeated, God would hear their prayers at the Temple, forgive their sin, and bring them back to the Land that He had promised.

Because the Temple was where sacrifices for sin were made, the king was praying that there would be a way back home for fallen sinners, as there always is. YHVH is such a loving Father that when we finally come back home after wandering far away in our sin, He will come running to meet us (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Hu – The Parable of the Lost Son and His Jealous Brother). Yeshua Messiah is the Good Shepherd who comes looking to find every lost sheep that belongs in His pasture (see The Life of Christ Hs – The Parable of the Lost Sheep). When we are lost and far away, the God of mercy will hear our prayer for rescue and return.¹⁷⁶

The third request – a prayer for provision: Military defeat was not the only punishment that God’s people would undergo. Sometimes the Land itself would suffer for Isra’el’s sin. When they sin against You, and in consequence the sky is shut, so that there is no rain; then, if they pray toward this house, acknowledge Your name and turn from their sin when You have brought them low; hear in heaven, forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Isra’el – since You keep teaching them the good way by which they should live – and send down rain on Your Land, which You have given Your people as their inheritance (1 Kings 8:35-36: 2 Chronicles 6:26-27). Notice that in his requests, Solomon is dealing with the principles of the Torah with its blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Leviticus 26:19). The situation described in these verses is straight out of Deuteronomy 11:13-14 and 16-17, which shows how important knowing the Scriptures is to the life of prayer. Solomon does hope, then, and his hope is founded on God’s Word; but that hope is not wishful thinking or giddy optimism spawned by the excitement of the moment. Rather, it is the real hope that comes from applying the realistic Word of a realistic God. Anything else is not true hope.¹⁷⁷

The fourth request – a prayer for deliverance: Solomon’s fourth request was similar to the third. As the king anticipated further difficulties his people were likely to face as a result of their sin, he prayed for deliverance from disaster. Solomon began by listing a comprehensive series of natural disasters: Famine in the Land (Leviticus 26:19-20 and 26; Deuteronomy 28:25), or blight (Leviticus 26:25), windstorm, mildew (Leviticus 28:22), locusts (Deut 28:38) or shearer-worms; or if their enemy comes to the Land and besieges them in any of their cities, or plague or sickness (Leviticus 26:16; Deut 28:59-61). We should not necessarily assume every time we see one of these disasters take place somewhere in the world that Ha’Shem is punishing a nation directly for its sin. The Gentile nations are not in covenant with ADONAI in the way that Isra’el is.

Nevertheless, there are some biblical judgments against sin, all of which call for prayers of repentance. So, Solomon said: Then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all Your people Isra’el makes – for each individual will know what is plaguing his own conscience – and the person spreads out his hands toward this house; hear in heaven where You live, and forgive, and act, and, since You know what is in each one’s heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because You, and only You, know all human hearts), so that they will fear You and therefore live according to Your ways throughout the time they live in the Land You gave our ancestors (First Kings 8:37-40; Second Chronicles 6:28-31).

Like the rest of Solomon’s prayer, this request was answered later in the book of Kings. In the days of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, besieged Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18:13 to 19:13). The situation was desperate, for in those days Assyria had the world’s strongest army. But Hezekiah did what a king should do when his nation is in trouble; he went into the Temple and spread out his hands toward God’s house in prayer, asking God to save his people (2 Kgs 19:14-19). God answered Hezekiah’s prayers (see the commentary on Isaiah Gw – Then the Angel of the LORD Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp). History actually shows us how these prayers actually work, giving us confidence for our own requests. Whenever we are afflicted, we may pray for God to deliver us. He knows what is really in our hearts. If our repentance is sincere, He will forgive our sins and deliver us if that is His will.¹⁷⁸

The fifth request – a prayer for foreigners: For the people who were present at the dedication of the Temple, Solomon’s fifth request surely must have been the most surprising. Most of them undoubtedly regarded the Temple as a house of worship for the Jews. Yet Solomon also prayed for the foreigners, Gentile proselytes, converting to the God of Isra’el. He said: Those who do not belong to Your people Isra’el – when they come from a distant country because of Your great reputation, Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house; then hear in heaven where You live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to You; so that all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as does Your people Isra’el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears Your name (First Kings 8:41-43; Second Chronicles 6:32-33).

The Temple was an international house of prayer. This is because ADONAI has always had a missionary heart for the nations of the world. Even His sovereign election of the Jews was for the sake of all peoples. The global reach of His grace went all the way back to the promise He made to Abraham (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). They were a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6). Solomon longed for these foreigners to join the family of God. Thus, he asked YHVH to hear and answer their Temple prayers , so that everywhere on earth people would know the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.¹⁷⁹

The sixth request – a prayer for those who are engaged in war but are far away from Isra’el: If Your people go out to fight against their enemies, no matter by which way You send them, and they pray to ADONAI toward the City You chose, toward the house I built for Your name; then, in heaven, hear their prayer and plea, and uphold their cause (First Kings 8:44-45; Second Chronicles 6:34-35). Solomon was honest about his people’s sin; he knew that often they were their own worst enemy. But he also knew that they had other enemies as well, enemies who would wage war against them. So, the king prayed that when his people went out to battle and prayed for the help of their God, He would grant them the victory. It was not the Temple per se that would render their prayers effective; it was Ha’Shem, who had seen fit to dwell there, who would answer as they prayed.¹⁸⁰

This does not mean that every army that prays to God will win the battle. The kind of warfare Solomon had in mind was a holy war in which ADONAI-Tzva’ot explicitly sent His own people to fight the enemies of His Kingdom (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). Therefore, Solomon’s prayer has no direct application to any army, either then or now. Where it does have direct application is to the Church of Yeshua Messiah in its spiritual warfare with Satan and the powers of darkness. Today we fight our spiritual battles, and when we pray, God hears our plea and upholds our case.

The seventh request – a prayer for those who have been carried away into captivity: Solomon’s last request was probably the most important – a prayer for total forgiveness, and Isra’el’s “worst-case scenario.” Here’s how the king began his final request: When they sin against You – for there is no one who doesn’t sin – and You are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to the land of their enemy, whether far away or nearby (First Kings 8:46; Second Chronicles 6:36). Of course, that is exactly what happened. Solomon’s “if” was really more like a “when.” By the inspiration of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, his last request was a preview of Isra’el’s future history. The people did sin against the LORD, and He was angry with them, and He did give them to an enemy, and they were carried away captive. Solomon was praying in advance about the tragic events of 586 BC (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ga – The Fall of Jerusalem), when Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed by the mighty armies of Nebuchadnezzar, and when God’s people were carried off to Babylon for seventy long years of exile (see Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule).

Yet, Solomon believed in the grace of ADONAI as much as he believed in God’s justice. Thus, he prayed for Isra’el’s forgiveness, prophesying the nation’s repentance and return, saying: Then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to You in the land of those who carried them off captive, saying, “We sinned (Hebrew: chata, meaning to miss the mark), we acted wrongly (Hebrew: avah, meaning, to commit iniquity) , we behaved wickedly (Hebrew: rasha, meaning to be wicked),” if, in the land of their enemies who carried them off captive, they return to You with all their heart and being, and pray to You toward their own Land, which You gave to their ancestors, toward the City You chose and toward the house I have built for Your name; then, in heaven where You live, hear their prayer and pleas, uphold their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned (Hebrew: psha, meaning rebellion) against You – forgive their transgressions which they have committed against You, and give them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they will show compassion toward them; for they are Your people, Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the flames of the iron furnace (First Kings 8:47-51; Second Chronicles 6:37-39). Solomon believed in the merciful compassion of a rescuing God. Even when we fall into sin and wander far away from God, He will still hear our prayers, and when we pray, He will forgive, even though we still have to suffer the consequences of our own sin in this world. Throughout his prayer Solomon put great emphasis on the Temple, but he did not do so for reasons of vain glory, as though the building was his special accomplishment. His basic concern was for his people. Now, my God, please, let Your eyes be open, and let Your ears pay attention to the prayer being made in this place, so that You will hear them whenever they cry out to You (First Kings 8:52; Second Chronicles 6:40). But God, who is not confined by a building and who is certainly not dependent upon it, will even survive its destruction and hear the people’s prayers in exile.¹⁸¹

Solomon’s prayer ends as it began, with hope for the present and the future based on ADONAI’s past covenant loyalty to Isra’el. He asks that the LORD pay the utmost attention to His requests. Why? Solley because the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob made a distinction between them and all the peoples of the earth by making them His inheritance, as He said through Moshe Your servant when He brought our ancestors out of Egypt (Exodus 19:5; Leviticus 26:40-45). Solomon concluded his prayer by saying: Now go up, ADONAI, God, to Your place of rest, You and the ark through which You give strength. May Your priests, ADONAI, God, be clothed with salvation; may those loyal to You take joy in good. ADONAI, God, don’t turn away the face of Your anointed one; remember the mercies of Your servant David (First Kings 8:53; Second Chronicles 6:41-42).

Praying like Solomon: Solomon’s seven requests cover almost everything that anyone could ever need, even in all the desperate troubles of a fallen world. Solomon prayed for deliverance from danger, provision for daily needs, and victory over fierce enemies. He prayed that even in the worst-case scenario, God would bring His people back home. Solomon prayed this for his people who were far away from ADONAI, even for people who had never known Him at all. But most of all, Solomon prayed for our biggest need, which is the forgiveness of our sins against a holy God.

We also make Solomon’s prayer our own by offering these requests for one another. When he made these requests, Solomon was not praying for himself, but for all the people of God. This was a corporate prayer, and we too are called to pray for God’s people. We pray that justice will be done in the Church, so that any dispute will be fairly judged, and that the persecuted Church will receive its reward on the last day. We pray that God will provide for His people’s needs and rescue them from every danger, including natural disasters. We pray for victory over our enemies: sin, death, and all the temptations of the Adversary. We pray for all the people and nations that are far away from ADONAI, asking Him to create the circumstances that would give them a moment of “spiritual clarity” so they could make a decision to follow Him. We pray for all the wayward sinning believers whose faith is in a spiritual desert, asking the LORD to bring them home from their spiritual exile. These are the prayers we offer for all the people of God.¹⁸²

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
First Kings 8:22-30 and Second Chronicles 6:12-21

Solomon’s prayer of dedication DIG: Which of God’s purposes had Solomon seen fulfilled already? What promises does he hope to see fulfilled in the future? Why does Solomon pray as he does in First Kings 8:27-30? Why is that so crucial? What false impression might some get about the Temple? About God’s locale? Why then would people pray toward the Temple?

REFLECT: On a scale of one (Yeshua is my buddy) to ten (Ha’Shem is so holy I could never approach Him), how would you rate your reverence toward ADONAI? What would be your rule of thumb for rating yourself? In which direction do you want to grow – more casual or more formal? Why? More spontaneous or more planned out? Does posture matter in prayer?

Every request that Solomon prayed for is answered in Yeshua Messiah.

Solomon’s prayer is critical for understanding First and Second Kings, in terms of both theology and literary structure. The prayer stands as the climax of Solomon’s grand ambition to build a house for God. It identifies the central practical and theological question raised by that building project: Will the God of heaven really dwell with His people on earth? The prayer anticipates many important events that happen later in the Bible. The situations Solomon describes in his prayers for the future forgiveness are situations that Isra’el will actually face later on in her history: military defeat, famine, and exile (to see link click Bn – Solomon’s Prayer of Intercession). Thus, this prayer serves as a preview of coming events.

This prayer is also important for a more practical reason, however: it helps us understand the prayers that Yeshua has made for us and that we are called to offer for the Church. As we listen to Solomon pray, we should remember that we too have a King who prays for us. Messiah is the greater Solomon who makes royal intercession for our salvation. Then Yeshua calls us to pray – not for any man-made Temple, but for the Church He calls a holy temple being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God (Eph 2:21-22).

The king at prayer: King Solomon’s Temple was built to be a house of prayer, so it was only appropriate for it to be dedicated with such. The prayer he offered was one of the longest and most important prayers in the whole Bible. With typical wisdom, Solomon gives us a good biblical model of prayer – not just when we are dedicating a place of worship, but anytime we go to ADONAI in prayer. The dedication ceremony began with the king blessing both the people and their God (see Bl – Solomon’s Blessing). This was followed by public prayer, “Then Solomon got down on his knees on a platform that he had made for this special occasion in the middle of the courtyard before the bronze altar of ADONAI, and in the presence of the whole community of Isra’el he spread out his hands toward heaven (First Kings 8:22; Second Chronicles 6:12-13).¹⁶⁶

Who God is: And said, “ADONAI, God of Isra’el, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below.” Solomon is genuinely moved on this occasion. It was a day of fulfilled desires and prayers, a day in which YHVH had graciously revealed Himself in His Sh’khinah glory, a day of bright hope for Isra’el and the house of David in their covenantal relationship with YHVH. When Solomon praised the greatness and uniqueness of the LORD, it was with a full and overflowing heart. What particularly moved Solomon on this occasion was the faithfulness of ADONAI in carrying out His promise.¹⁶⁷ You keep covenant with Your servants and show them grace, provided they live in Your presence with all their heart. You have kept Your promise to Your servant David, my father; You spoke with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand; establishing a royal dynasty that endures through Yeshua Messiah to this day (First Kings 8:23-24; Second Chron 6:14-15). God is not just talk. He not only says things, He also does things, and when He does those things, He does what He said He was going to do. The one true God is totally loyal, absolutely trustworthy, and incomparably faithful.

Solomon’s praise would also be our praise, because Isra’el’s experience is our experience. God is still the LORD of heaven and earth – the Ruler of all that is. Nevertheless, He is also our God – the one that Yeshua called My Father and your Father, My God and your God (John 20:17). Through faith in Yeshua Messiah, we have a personal relationship with the God of the universe. He is our God and we are His people.¹⁶⁸

What God will do: Praise to the LORD as the one and only faithful God is the context for everything we ask in prayer. We start by acknowledging God for who He is. Then we ask God to do what He has said He was going to do, knowing that He is the Promise Keeper. Now therefore, ADONAI, God of Isra’el, keep what You promised to Your servant David, my father, when You said: “You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra’el, if only Your children are careful about what they do, so that they live by My Torah, just as You have lived in My Presence.” Now therefore, ADONAI, God of Isra’el, please let Your word, which You spoke to Your servant David, my father, be confirmed (First Kings 8:25-26; Second Chronicles 6:16-17).

People sometimes think of prayer as a way of asking God for things they want. Certainly it is appropriate to tell the LORD what we need. But prayer is also a way of asking God for the things that God wants, and the way we know what He wants is by believing His promises, as Solomon did. When the king prayed for the throne of Isra’el, he was not pursuing his own ambitions, but standing on the promises of God. YHVH had vowed that one day David would have a son to sit on his royal throne, on the condition of continued obedience. Now King Solomon was praying that God would honor that vow. As the royal son of David, he was counting on God to keep His promise. Looking to the future, he asked God to confirm His word by securing his throne. Ultimately, Solomon’s prayers for the house of David were answered in the Person and work of Yeshua Messiah, who is David’s royal descendant and the King of the kingdom of God.

If we can trust God to keep the big promises of the coming Kingdom, then surely we can trust Him to keep all the smaller promises He has made to us in Messiah, and then pray on that basis. Yet sometimes this is precisely the difficulty: although we believe that God’s Kingdom will come, we have trouble believing that He will help us resolve the $500 dispute with the insurance company, or give us the grace to deal with the irritating person we have to work with every day. Instead, what we ought to do is take a firm stand on the promises of God. He has promised to forgive our sins, provide for our basic needs, and give us something useful to do in the world. So, we should pray for wisdom, to be filled with the Spirit, and put us in the right place to use our gifts for His glory. When we pray this way, He will surely answer, for we are asking God to do the very things He has promised to do.¹⁶⁹

The big question: Right in the middle of his prayer, Solomon asked a profound theological question. After praising God and praying for Him to keep His promises, Solomon posed the most important question he could ask about the Temple he had just completed for ADONAI. Will the God of heaven really live with His people on earth (First Kings 8:27; Second Chronicles 6:18b)? After all, what would the Temple be without its God? We sometimes ask the same question about our own personal ministry: Is God really with us or not? Is He involved in what we are doing, or are we operating on our own? Sooner or later, everyone asks the same question at the personal level, especially in times of crisis: Are You really there, Lord, and are You really here, in my situation, or not?¹⁷⁰

As far as the Temple was concerned, the king knew he couldn’t put God in a box, even a box as big and beautiful as the Temple. The whole idea was absurd. Why, Solomon said: heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain You; so how much less this house I have built? After raising the big question of God’s presence on earth, he proceeded to offer a prayer inviting the presence of the very God that he knew he could not contain. Even so, ADONAI my God, pay attention to Your servant’s (Solomon’s) prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that Your servant is praying before You today, that Your eyes will be open toward this house night and day – toward the place where You said You would put Your name – to listen to the prayer Your servant will pray toward this place. The basic principle is that now when the Jews pray, they will be praying towards the Temple no matter where they happen to be in the world. Yes, listen to the pleas of Your servant, and also those of Your people Isra’el when they pray toward this place. Hear from where You live in heaven; and when You hear, forgive (First Kings 8:28-30: Second Chronicles 6:18b-21).

This is the very thing that God desires to do. He loves to listen to His children pray, and for the sake of His Name, He loves to answer our prayers. He is not blind and deaf, like the other gods to whom people pray. This is one of the reasons He is so incomparable; He is a looking and listening God, a God who sees and hears. Yes, the LORD is transcendent, the high ruler of heaven, but He is also near us and He hears us when we pray. Heaven is My throne, ADONAI says: and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for Me, and what is the place of My rest? . . . But this is the One to whom I will look; he who is humble and contrite in spirit (Isaiah 66:1-2).¹⁷¹

God’s answer in Messiah: Every request that Solomon prayed for is answered in Yeshua Messiah. He is the ultimate answer to Solomon’s question: Will the God of heaven really live with His people on earth? Yes, Yeshua is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God the Son became flesh in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He came as a man to live among our fallen race, to die for our sins on the cross, and then to rise again so that we could live with Him forever. Yes, in Messiah, God has really lived with us on earth.

Yeshua is also the ultimate fulfillment of Solomon’s example. Just as King Solomon prayed for His people, so King Yeshua prays for us as our eternal intercessor (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). In the days of Solomon, the LORD put His Name on His Temple. Today He puts His Name on us as the living temple of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Ephesians 2:21-22). As the people of God, we bear the Name of Messiah in the world. So Yeshua prays for us, making royal intercession, asking that God the Father would turn His heart toward us, opening His eyes and ears to the needs of the Church.

These are prayers that God loves to answer. His eyes are always open to our needs. His ears are always open to our cries. Call to Me, He says, and I will answer you (Jeremiah 33:3; also see Psalm 91:15 and Jeremiah 29:12). This is true for the people of God as individual believers. God knows our situation exactly; He is always watching to see what happens to His children. He is also listening to hear our prayers, night and day. He hears the requests we make from our beds, when we have quiet time to think, and easily get overwhelmed by the troubles of this life. He hears the prayers we make throughout the day, in the push and pull of daily life. Night and day, God always hears us when we pray.¹⁷²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for listening to the prayers of Your children.  But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). You are sovereign and over the whole world – yet You are such a wonderful Heavenly Father to listen to the prayers of each of Your children. Though You live outside of time, still it is so amazing that You really care for each of Your children, listen to their prayers and then act on what they ask for, when it is according to Your will! Now this is the confidence we have before Him – that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have the requests we have asked from Him (First John 5:14-15).

I desire to glorify Your name in my life. May You guide each detail of my life and give me wisdom on how to handle everything that comes my way, so that I may bring You honor and glory. Please go ahead of me, guiding what I say, what I do and think so that I may abundantly bless You. You know my needs. Please give me what I need and I will offer a sacrifice of praise to You for being such a wonderful, faithful and loving father! It is a joy to trust You for my needs and to always have the joy of your continually walking alongside me. For God Himself has said: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5c.) Praise You always! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Solomon’s Blessing
First Kings 8:12-21 and Second Chronicles 6:1-11

Solomon’s blessing DIG: Where was the ”thick darkness” that ADONAI would dwell in? In what ways had God blessed Solomon? In what ways was Ha’Shem being faithful to the promises of His covenant with David? How did Yeshua explain to people that He was the Temple?

REFLECT: How is the word “blessing” over-used today? How are other expressions over-used by believers in your circle of friends? What does it mean for us to bless God? How can we do that? Is it even possible? Do you take Messiah’s blessings for granted? How so? How not?

Solomon rejoiced over what ADONAI enabled him to do;
For us to bless God, then, is to thank Him for all His blessings to us.

How quickly a good biblical word or a true theological phrase can become a cliché for believers. Take the phrase “born again,” for example. These words express the deep gospel truth Yeshua explained to Nicodemus, that unless we are born from above by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, we cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 1:3-5). Since this is true, then a “born-again believer” is the only kind there is. Yet the phrase has become a cliché. In America it often refers to someone who has made a decision for Messiah by going forward at an evangelistic crusade, whether or not the person is committed to a life of Messiah-centered discipleship. Good words seem to have lost their full meaning.

There are many other expressions like this, including some that come straight from the Bible. Believers talk about “sharing the Good News,” or getting “washed in the blood of Yeshua,” or being “filled with the Spirit,” or becoming “brothers and sisters in Messiah.” The language of these phrases is biblical and their theology is profound. Yet, sometimes the phrases themselves are tossed around too casually. The same is true of the word “blessing” in its many popular forms: “God bless you!” “That was such a blessing!” “Count your blessings!” Believers say they are blessed with this and blessed with that. Sometimes they even say that they are “blessed to be a blessing!”¹⁶³

King Solomon was wise not to make this mistake when he dedicated his famous Temple in Jerusalem. YHVH had blessed Solomon about as much as any man in history. When that great king numbered his blessings, he could count fabulous riches, a world-class intellect, the promise of everlasting fame . . . and that was just the beginning. Solomon also had the blessing of doing something important with his life by building a holy dwelling place for the living God. Solomon was well aware that everything he owned and did was the gift from God, from whom all blessings flow. So, he dedicated God’s Temple with words of blessing.

Remember the context. After seven years of costly labor, Solomon had finished the Temple – a magnificent building of white stone decorated inside with glittering gold (see a video of Solomon’s Temple click here). But the question still remained: Would God indeed dwell with His people? Would His Sh’khinah glory come down so His people could meet with Him for prayer and sacrifice.

The king recognized the Sh’khinah glory as the very Presence of ADONAI, and when it filled the Temple, it confirmed that God would indeed bless the house that Solomon built in His name. Therefore, in response, Solomon said: ADONAI said He would live in thick darkness, which was a valid description of the Most Holy Place because it had no windows or menorahs. The Sh’khinah glory provided the light necessary on Yom Kippur, the one time a year that the high priest would enter in. But I have built you a magnificent house, a place where you can live forever (First Kings 8:12-13; Second Chronicles 6:1-2).

Solomon’s heart was very full that day. All his hopes had been realized. God had descended to dwell in the house that Solomon had built. Now, for the rest of his speech the king wanted to thank God for what He had done, so he pronounced the double blessing. Presumably the king raised his hands in the air, which was an ancient and almost universal gesture of blessing. Then the king turned around and blessed the whole community of Isra’el. Then the whole community of Isra’el stood as the king directed His blessing to God Himself, saying: Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra’el (First Kings 8:14; Second Chronicles 6:3-4a). When YHVH blesses us, He bestows some gracious gift on us, whether physical or spiritual. But what does it mean for us to bless God? We are not able to give Him anything He doesn’t already possess for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36). The only thing we can really offer to God is our worship and praise. For us to bless God, then, is to thank Him for all His blessings to us.¹⁶⁴

Dear Heavenly Father, What a joy and pleasure it is to worship You! There is nothing more uplifting than to meditate on Your greatness and offer praise back to You! When life throws us a hard time, when we are misunderstood and not able to change the situation – then the best response is to praise You. David praised You in many of his Psalms, even when he was in very hard, lonely and painful situations. In Psalm 63, David fled to the wilderness to escape being killed by King Saul. He had to flee away from family, friends and even from faithful Samuel (First Samuel 19-21). Who gathered around him? Anyone who was in distress, anyone in debt, and anyone embittered rallied around him, and he became their leader. There were about 400 men with him (First Samuel 22:2).

Thank you, Father, that when I am away from everyone who cares about me and surrounded by the ungrateful, Your steadfast love is still with me! What a wonderful example that David clung tight to Your steadfast love even when away from family, friends and faithful Samuel. David’s heart cry to you was not for the “good life”; rather he thirsted for relationship with You as number one priority. O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land, where there is no water (Psalms 63:1). David had his focus right when he said: since Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You (Psalms 63:3). Praising God was what David ran to when in trouble. He did not go complaining, though he for sure asked for Your mercy and help. Please help us to do as David did and run to You in praise when problems come.

Praise enabled David to focus his attention away from his hard and painful situation and be satisfied as he looked up and saw God’s steadfast love! I will praise you as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods (Psalms 63:4-5a). David made praise a part of his daily waking experience by setting his mind before he slept on God’s wondrous acts and steadfast love. As David slept, his mind played back the greatness of God. He was renewed and refreshed. And so my mouth praises You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You through the night watches (Psalms 63:5b-6). Please help me when trials come, to be like David and to renew my mind which will refresh and transform me (Romans 12:2). I love You always! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The king’s blessing focused on God’s faithfulness, specifically to the Davidic Covenant: The God of Isra’el spoke to my father David with His mouth and fulfilled His promise with His hand. Just as God had chosen a people for Himself (Isra’el) and a place for them to worship (Jerusalem), He also chose a king to rule over them (David). He said: Since the day I brought My people Isra’el out of Egypt, I chose no city from any of the tribes of Isra’el in which to build a house, so that My name might be there, nor did I choose anyone to be the leader of my people Isra’el. But now I have chosen Tziyon so that my name can be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Isra’el (1 Kgs 8:15-16; 2 Chron 6:4b-6). As YHVH said through the psalmist: I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn David as My servant (Psalm 89:3, 132:11-12).

Here is how Solomon recounted the history of that promise. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of ADONAI the God of Isra’el. In other words, it was totally David’s idea, but God did sanction it. But ADONAI said to David my father, “Although it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, and you did well that it was in your heart, nevertheless you will not build the house. Rather, you will father a son, and it will be he who will build the house for my name” (First Kings 8:17-19; Second Chronicles 6:7-9). Solomon recognized that now the promise had come true. By the grace of God, working through the dramatic events described in First and Second Kings, Solomon had ascended to David’s throne. Then the new king built a Temple, which was also by His grace, as described in First Kings 5 to 7. The promises God made to David were coming true, as they always do, because God is the Promise Keeper.

And the evidence was: Now ADONAI has fulfilled this spoken word of His; for I have succeeded my father and sit on the throne of Isra’el, as ADONAI promised; and I have built the house for the name of ADONAI, the God of Isra’el. And there I have made a place for the ark containing the covenant of ADONAI, which he made with our ancestors when He brought them out of the land of Egypt (First Kings 8:20-21; Second Chronicles 6:10-11). All that God had told David, had been fulfilled at that time.

For us these promises take on an added dimension in Yeshua Messiah. ADONAI is still building His Temple today – a spiritual Temple that is dedicated to YHVH by the ministry of Yeshua Messiah as Solomon’s greater Son. This, too, is a sign of the faithfulness of the LORD, as He builds His people into a spiritual house for the praise of His Name. That’s what a Temple is supposed to be: a place that God inhabits.

Solomon could only hope that ADONAI would dwell in His Temple forever, but in Messiah that hope has become a reality. Yeshua told people: Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19). When Messiah said that, He was speaking about the Temple of His body (John 2:21). What He said was really a prophecy, because three days after His body was killed on the cross, Yeshua came back to everlasting life. Then His apostles remembered what He said about tearing down and raising up the Temple and they recognized that it referred to the crucifixion and resurrection. Believing in the crucified and risen Messiah, they received the blessing of eternal life.

Yeshua is the King. Yeshua is the Temple. Yeshua is the One who gives us all the blessings of our faithful heavenly Father. This is not something to pass off as a mere cliché, but a truth to celebrate. With a heart full of praise, the apostle Paul said: Blessed be ADONAI, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). Yes, every blessing of God belongs to us through faith in Messiah. Yeshua blesses us with full forgiveness for all our sins, with the righteousness we need to stand before YHVH, with the privileged status of becoming sons and daughters of the Most High God with the faithful promise of His provision for all of our needs, with the living presence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, with the total guarantee of eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer), and with a million other blessings that are His to give.

When we receive these blessings, we should say what Solomon said: Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra’el (First Kings 8:14), and also what Paul said: Blessed be ADONAI, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). It is good to say: “God bless you!” as long as we really mean it and are not merely throwing around a religious cliché. But is also good for us to change the order of the words, to turn our blessing in God’s direction, and to say: Bless You, God, for all the blessings that You have given to us.”¹⁶⁵

Solomon’s Prayer
First Kings 8:12-66 and Second Chronicles 6:1 to 7:10

Now that ADONAI had taken up residence in His house (to see link click Bj – The Ark Brought to the Temple), Solomon responds in praise and prayer. His words fall into three categories: (1) Solomon’s Blessing (see Bl); Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication (see Bm) and Solomon’s Intercession (see Bn). The theme of the Temple as a house of thanksgiving and intercession clearly occupies a central place. These verses form a vital link between Chronicles two major words from ADONAI. Its foundation is God’s covenant promise to build a house for David (First Chronicles 17:10-14), and its development occurs in God’s promise about the Temple (Second Chronicles 7:12-22). It therefore shows how prayer plays a key role in the unfolding of God’s will for us.¹⁶¹

The theme of Solomon’s prayer is that as God has seen fit to honor His word up to that time, He will continue to do so, first of all in continuing the line of David, and second, in accepting the prayers of His people and in granting forgiveness. These prayers are seen as being directed to God through the Temple. Solomon prays, in effect, that Ha’Shem will always recognize the Temple as the way for humanity to approach a holy God.

At the conclusion of Solomon’s prayer, when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of ADONAI filled the house (Second Chronicles 7:-13). This response on God’s part was an awe-inspiring and unmistakable confirmation of YHVH’s commitment to the Temple as His residence among His people. When Solomon had finished his prayer of dedication, he rejoiced together with all Isra’el as they celebrated Sukkot. It was in itself a grand occasion for rejoicing and for a grand spirit of community among all Israelites. The dedication of the Temple made the occasion all the more joyful and memorable, and the time of celebration was suitably extended. When the people left, they went home rejoicing and fully satisfied in their realization that God’s blessing was on the king and on the nation as a whole.¹⁶²

The Ark Brought to the Temple
First Kings 8:1-11 and Second Chronicles 5:2-14

The ark brought to the Temple DIG: From where did Solomon remove the ark? What was the purpose of Solomon’s sacrifices? Why was the ark placed in the Most Holy Place? Why is the length of the poles noted? Why mention the tablets? Why does it appear as the Sh’khinah glory?

REFLECT: What’s the most exciting worship service you have ever experienced? How did it affect you? What in your life makes you feel close to God? Are you close now? If not, what changes do you need to make? When and where do you feel spiritually “at home?”

The Temple without the ark was like a body without a soul.

Without question, it was the most extraordinary worship service Isra’el had ever witnessed, and perhaps more awesome than any worship service has ever been offered to the living God on earth. Try to imagine the scene. For an entire week the whole nation of Isra’el had gathered around the Temple of ADONAI. As the celebration came to its climax, King Solomon appeared, and with him the leaders of Isra’el. As the people watched, myriads of priests came streaming out of the Temple. These men had dedicated themselves for the service of YHVH by washing in the great Bronze Sea that stood near the Holy Place by wearing white linen. Singers in the Levitical choir with their various instruments stood outside the Temple with their harps and lyres and cymbals, not to mention one-hundred-and-twenty trumpets. It was the orchestra of the living God.

On cue, all these musicians burst into praise. With one voice they offered a melody of thanksgiving to the LORD. Their musical text was a famous refrain from King David, “His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136). As the people worshiped, the Sh’khinah glory came down to fill Solomon’s Temple. Wow. It was the visible manifestation of the living God. With the addition of the ark of the Covenant, the Temple would become what Solomon had built it to become; not just a beautiful building, but the center of His people’s worship, the earthly dwelling place for the true and living God.¹⁵⁵

The ark was brought in: To bring the ark into the Temple, Solomon first had to go get it from the tent that David had pitched for it at the base of Mount Moriah (Second Samuel 6:17). Now it was time to bring the ark all the way up the mountain. The divine homecoming demanded the presence of everyone in Isra’el starting with the king himself. Then Solomon assembled all the leaders of Isra’el, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra’el, to King Solomon in Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon. 

The divine homecoming demanded the presence of everyone in Isra’el starting with the king himself. All the men of Isra’el assembled before King Solomon at the festival in the month of Ethanium (today known as the month of Tishrei), the seventh month. The timing of the festival seems to be significant. Solomon finished building the Temple in the eighth month (First Kings 6:38). The ark was brought up in the seventh month, which presumably means that the Temple was dedicated eleven months after it was finished, which would give enough time for the priests to make all the necessary preparations. During the seventh month, all of Isra’el would be celebrating the festival of Sukkot. It was then that Moses renewed the covenant with the second generation of freed Israelites. He also commanded them to read the Torah at that observance every seven years (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ft – The Reading of Deuteronomy). Solomon’s choice of the Sukkot for the dedication, then, was strategic in that it was a traditional time of national gathering, a reminder of Isra’el’s conquest of Canaan, and a time of religious renewal.¹⁵⁶

The priests and Levites took the ark of ADONAI and brought it up from the tent of meeting along with all the holy utensils, in keeping with the Torah (see the commentary on Numbers, to see link click At – Duties of the Three Divisions). The God who deserves everyone’s praise also demands every sacrifice. We see this in the countless offerings people made as the ark ascended the Temple Mount. King Solomon and the whole community of Isra’el assembled in his presence and were with him in front of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen in numbers beyond counting or recording (First Kings 8:1-5; Second Chronicles 5:2-6).

Appropriately enough, the ark of the Covenant was put in the Most Holy Place in the Temple. The priests brought the ark for the covenant of ADONAI in to its place inside the Sanctuary to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. This sacred place was made in the shape of a perfect cube covered with pure gold. It was the throne room of YHVH – an earthly copy of the place where God rules in heaven (Hebrews 9:24). To be more specific, the ark of the Covenant was the place where ADONAI sits enthroned above the cherubim (First Chronicles 13:6; Psalm 80:1). Cherubim are holy angels who are constantly worshiping and serving Ha’Shem. The cherubim spread out their wings over the place for the ark, covering the ark and its poles from above.¹⁵⁷ This emphatic comment probably is intended to clear up the possible misconceptions that Aaron’s staff (Numbers 17:10) and a jar of manna (Exodus 16:33) were there as well. Those items were placed alongside the ark but never in it, but by Solomon’s time they were no longer available for placement in the Most Holy Place.¹⁵⁸

The poles, placed horizontally between the giant cherubim on either side of the ark, were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. The priests who served in the Temple never saw the ark, but they could see the poles that were used to carry it, and thus they knew that the ark was still in its rightful place. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moshe put there at Horeb, when ADONAI made the covenant with the people of Isra’el at the time of their leaving the land of Egypt (First Kings 8:6-9; Second Chronicles 5:7-10).

Whenever we come into the presence of YHVH for worship, we should honor Him for His holiness. We should set Him apart as the one and only God. We should recognize His supremely perfect being. We should bow before Him as the holy, holy, holy, God. If we understand that God is everywhere and that Yeshua is with us wherever we go, then everything in life will be bathed with a sense of divine holiness. The same God who is adored by angels and dwells in awesome majesty is also living in us by the Ruach making our hearts a sacred space. Therefore, anywhere a believer stands is holy ground – even in places of darkness and sin. We carry God’s glory with us wherever we go. Furthermore, every conversation we have is a holy opportunity that the Spirit can use to help us bear witness to the Gospel of the crucified and risen Messiah.¹⁵⁹

The glory came down: This brings us to the most dramatic moment in the story of Solomon and the ark of the Covenant, the moment when God descended in unapproachable glory. The whole worship service had been spectacular. When the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the cohanim who were present had consecrated themselves; they didn’t keep to their divisions; also the Levites who were the singers, all of them – Asaf, Heman, Y’dutun and their sons and relatives – dressed in fine linen, with cymbals, lutes and lyres, stood on the east side of the altar; and with them 120 priests sounding trumpets), then, when the trumpeters and singers were playing in harmony, to be heard praising and thanking ADONAI, and they lifted their voices together with the trumpets, cymbals and other musical instruments to praise ADONAI. But shortly after the priests carried the ark into the Temple, they came running back out because the house of ADONAI was filled with the Sh’khinah glory; and as a result, the priests could not stand up to perform their service, for the Sh’khinah glory filled the Temple (First Kings 8:10-11; Second Chronicles 5:11-14). So, just as ADONAI authenticated the Tabernacle (see the commentary on Exodus Hh – The Glory of the LORD Filled the Tabernacle), God now authenticated the Temple in the same way.

For all its magnificence, the Temple, with all its golden splendor, was made infinitely more magnificent with the Presence of the Sh’khinah glory. Here is how the Puritan Matthew Henry described what Solomon’s Temple would be without God, “The Temple, though richly beautiful, yet while it was without the ark was like a body without a soul, or a candlestick without a candle, or a house without an inhabitant. All the cost and pains to build the splendid structure would be lost if God did not accept them; and, unless He desires to own it as the place where He will dwell, it is, after all, but a ruinous heap.”

We could say the same thing about the Church of Yeshua Messiah, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers (Ephesians 2:14). We are nothing without our God. This is true of buildings where we worship. Is anything more tragic than to see a magnificent house of worship where YHVH is no longer worshiped, where the Gospel is no longer preached, and where the Spirit of God is no longer present? The same principle holds true for the ministries of the Church. Unless the Lord is with us, none of our work that we do – none of the teaching and preaching, none of the caring and sharing, none of the mercy or missionary evangelism – will make any difference for the Kingdom of God. What would a prayer meeting be without the Presence of God to guide people in their prayers? What would a children’s class be without the help of the Ruach in teaching and applying the Scriptures? What would mercy ministry be without the living Presence of Messiah in feeding the hungry or visiting the prisoner?

But when ADONAI is in the house, His Word goes out with power and His Spirit changes people’s lives from the inside out. What a blessing it was for Isra’el to see the Sh’khinah glory filling the Temple of the LORD. It was a blessing for the king, because the Sh’khinah confirmed that God would indeed bless the house that Solomon built in His name. It was a blessing for the priests, too, because it showed them the glorious holiness of the One they were called to serve.

It is also a blessing for us, because we too are in the Presence of the God of Solomon. He has revealed Himself to us, especially in His Word, so that we can perceive His glory. But we will never be able to manage or control YHVH. We will never be able to keep Him in one place and say that we know everything there is to know about Him. There will always be glorious mysteries about the character of ADONAI that go beyond our finite comprehension. The more we get to know Him, the more awesome His glory will seem to us.¹⁶⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, How Holy and Wonderful You are! You are Awesome in so many ways. Your Holiness is like a beautiful frame of exquisite gold around the Awesome picture of all Your other fantastic characteristics! Your steadfast love is so great! For Your steadfast love is great to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalms 57:10). It is even more wonderful because You are holy which means your love is always a perfect love! Your grace and mercy are so undeserved and so wonderful, yet Your holiness deepens the beauty of Your mercy and grace. In perfect holiness You know all about each person, nothing is hidden from Your omniscience; yet You in holy righteousness give those who love You, Jesus’ righteousness so we may enter Your holy heaven and live there with You forever.  He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). I bow in humble worship and adoration of my Wonderful and Awesome Holy Heavenly Father! May my life be a pleasure to You as I love to follow You in all I say, do and think. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Materials and Labor for the Temple
First Kings 5:1-18 and
Second Chronicles 2:1-18

Materials and labor for the Temple DIG: Why did Solomon build the Temple? What kind of help did Solomon request from King Hiram of Tyre? Who became the chief craftsman for the Temple’s construction? How did Solomon procure the necessary labor to build the Temple? Do you think this was wise or fair? How does conscription differ from slavery?

REFLECT: What would you like to construct for ADONAI? How must you prepare for this endeavor? Whose assistance do you need to enlist? If you had unlimited resources, what would you like to build for the Lord this year? For yourself? Is it ever permissible to use people to accomplish worthwhile goals as Solomon did? Has that ever happened to you?

What am I doing for the glory of God?

On the seventh day of the seventh month in the seventh year of the new millennium (July 7, 2007), officials in Lisbon, Portugal, announced the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” More than one hundred million voters selected these man-made structures to replace the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The winners included the Taj Mahal, the Roman Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, Petra, Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza, and Christ Redeemer, the statue that towers over Rio de Janeiro.

However, the contest was not without controversy. The Great Pyramids at Giza were among the original nominees, but the Egyptian officials were understandably offended that they were up for a vote at all. In the end, everyone agreed that the Great Pyramids should be honored separately as the only original Wonder still standing. Many other famous monuments failed to make the top seven, but some people still think that Stonehenge, or the Hagia Sophia, or the Statue of Liberty deserve a higher ranking.

All of these famous structures show what human beings can do. Each one stands out as an enduring tribute to human creativity and ingenuity. Yet, as famous as these monuments are, none of them is the most important building ever made. That honor belongs to a building that was not as big as the Colosseum, as high in the mountains as Machu Picchu, or visible from outer space like the Great Wall of China. It belongs instead to the only building in the world that the living God came down to use for His personal dwelling place: the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The Temple was the major public construction project of Solomon’s reign, one of the great accomplishments that secured his lasting fame. Here, we learn how Solomon prepared to build the Temple, and more importantly, why he decided to build it.

Practical details about the materials and labor for an ancient building project may not seem very interesting to some Bible readers. Yet we believe the words of the apostle Paul, who said that whatever was written in former day was written for our instruction (Romans 15:4). Therefore, like everything else in Scripture, the construction of Solomon’s Temple is for our edification. When we study this passage carefully, we can connect the construction of Solomon’s Temple to the building project that God is doing in us today by the saving work of Yeshua Messiah and the sanctifying work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.¹¹²

Solomon’s alliance with Hiram: When Hiram, king of Tyre, heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his official envoys to Solomon to honor the coronation of the new king. That was standard protocol for diplomatic relations. When a new leader comes to power, the other world leaders send formal greetings to renew the friendly relationship between the two countries. But in addition, Hiram had always been on friendly terms with David (First Kings 5:1; Second Samuel 5:11). Both Solomon and Hiram were young, aggressive, and wished to make their countries wealthy without military conquest. Both expanded their capitals and both built central worship shrines. This was a healthy alliance since Tyre controlled the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean Sea, and with David’s defeat of the Philistines, this removed the main competition for Tyre. David, then Solomon, controlled the three major trade routes as well as a number of minor ones. Together, Isra’el and Tyre formed a near monopoly since Isra’el controlled the land routes and Tyre controlled the sea routes. Thus began a very profitable alliance between the two men.¹¹³

Solomon sent back this message to the king of Tyre, “You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a Temple for the Name of ADONAI his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet” (First Kings 5:2-3; Second Chronicles 2:3). Even though David had fought his many battles in the Name of the LORD, he was still a man of war, not a man of peace. Thus, it was not suitable for him to build God’s holy Temple.

This helps to put some of our own disappointments into perspective. We all have things that we hope to accomplish in this lifetime. Some of our dreams have not yet become realities, and sometimes we doubt they ever will. Where our ambitions coincide with the will of God, we should continue to pursue them. But sometimes God says “no” to us as he said “no” to David – even for things that are good in themselves and that we want to do for his glory. When this happens, we should follow David’s example by accepting God’s “no” for an answer. We should also take a long-term view of the Kingdom and help other people do the work that God has called them to do, even if it happens to be the work that we were hoping to do. David is a good example, because when he recognized what God was calling Solomon to do, he gave him His royal blessing: Now, my son, may ADONAI be with you and give you success as you build the house of ADONAI your God (First Chronicles 22:11a).¹¹⁴

But now ADONAI my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a Temple for the Name of ADONAI my God as He told my father David, “Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the Temple for my Name.” This, of course, was based on God’s Covenant with David. And to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Isra’el (First Kings 5:4-5; Second Chronicles 2:1 and 4-6).

Notice Solomon’s motivation. He didn’t build the Temple for political reasons, hoping to unify the twelve tribes of his kingdom. He didn’t build it for financial reasons, thinking that the project of that magnitude would strengthen Isra’el’s economy. He didn’t build it for personal reasons, desiring to build something that people would remember, bringing glory to his own name. No. Solomon built the Temple for the best of all reasons: he did it for the Name of ADONAI, his God.

What is the desire of your heart? What is the motivation for the decisions you make about what to do with your time and your money, your body and your soul, your present is not your future? The apostle Paul said: Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God (First Corinthians 10:31). This becomes the spiritual test for everything in life. Am I doing what I am doing for the glory of God?¹¹⁵

Then Solomon made a specific request: So, give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. Send me cedar logs as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in (First Kings 5:6a). Send me also cedar, cypress and sandalwood logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 100,000 bushels of ground wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 100,000 gallons of wine and 100,000 gallons of olive oil (2 Chronicles 2:3 and 8-10). Isra’el’s king was proposing a cooperative venture based on a balance of trade. Skilled craftsmen from the kingdom of Tyre would provide some of their world-famous lumber, and in return, Solomon would pay fair wages.

My men (Hebrew: mas, meaning temporary laborers) will work with yours for three months, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians, Phoenicians, named after their principle city Sidon (First Kings 5:6b). Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided (2 Chron 2:7). When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased over Solomon’s friendship, the compliment paid to his countrymen, and the prospect of a new source of revenue. He said: Praise be to the Lord today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation (1 Kings 5:7).

The king of Tyre readily agreed to those terms, saying: I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. But Hiram proposed two adjustments to Solomon’s proposal. The first adjustment: the men of Isra’el and Tyre would not work together. Tyre would bring the logs to the Israeli port, then Isra’el would take over from there. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. The second adjustment was that Hiram wanted food for the royal household instead of wages for the workers. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household.” Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king. And Hiram added: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself (First Kings 5:8-9; Second Chronicles 2:11-12).

So King Hiram did as Solomon requested, saying: I am sending you Hiram-Abi (the Abi suffix meaning master), my master craftsman, whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen (see similar comments in the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ew – The Appointment of Bezalel and Ohaliab). He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father (Second Chronicles 2:13-14). In return, King Hiram requested: Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa, modern Jaffa, was the port of Jerusalem until superseded by Tel-Aviv. You can then take them up to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 2:15-16).

In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted, and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors (about 3,600 tons) of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths (about 120,000 gallons) of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year (First Kings 5:10-11; Second Chronicles 2:10). The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty (First Kings 5:10-12; 2 Chronicles 2:10). This became a very profitable relationship for both men.

Solomon’s forced labor: King Solomon temporarily conscripted thirty thousand foreign laborers. He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. The king also conscripted 153,600 Israelites from the census his father David had taken. He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working. At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of high-grade stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the Temple. The craftsmen of Solomon, Huram, and workers from Byblos cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the Temple. The men of Gebal were from a Phoenician city not far from the coast, about twenty miles north of Beirut. They must have been famous stonecutters. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor (First Kings 5:13-18: 2 Chronicles 2:2 and 17-18).

The true Temple: As Philip Ryken relates in his commentary on First Kings, Solomon helps us see how to glorify God. But he also does something more important than simply to set a good example: he points us to Yeshua Messiah as the greater Solomon of the Kingdom of God. Every time we think about Solomon and the greatness of his kingdom, we should remember what Yeshua said, namely, that He is greater than Solomon (Luke 11:31).

One of the ways to see the superior greatness of Yeshua Messiah here is to consider what He said about the Temple of God. Yeshua always loved to go to the Temple – not the one Solomon built, but the Second Temple, commonly known as Herod’s Temple, which was built after Isra’el’s exile in Babylon (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). Yeshua went there as a young boy and called it: My Father’s house (Luke 4:49). He often visited the Temple when He went up to Jerusalem, right up until the last week of His earthly life, when He was teaching daily in the Temple (Luke 19:47).

“The Temple,” is an appropriate word to use for the physical body of Yeshua Messiah. A Temple is a dwelling place for YHVH; it is a place where God lives. Thus, Solomon often referred to his Temple as the house of God. But since Messiah is God incarnate – since He is not merely human, but also divine – His physical body is a Temple. The body of Messiah is the true Temple, since it is the dwelling place of God. Paul tells us that in Messiah all the fullness of the Godhead lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).

Then Yeshua took the Temple of His physical body and offered it as a sacrifice for our sin, giving Himself up for our salvation. And He did this for the best of reasons. He did it to honor the Name of ADONAI. In doing His Kingdom work, He was motivated by His Father’s glory. So as He prepared to offer His body for crucifixion, He said to the Father: Look! I have come to do Your will (Hebrews 10:7), which is another way of saying: I am doing this in the Name of ADONAI. Yeshua used the Temple of His body for the glory of God. In the supremely selfless sacrifice of His death on the cross, He glorified God by saving His people.¹¹⁶

The wonder of the world: Again, Ryken’s comments are helpful. Now God is busy working on a new construction project. It is another temple, constructed with even more surprising building material. This temple is not physical, but spiritual, because now the dwelling place of ADONAI is the Church, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers (Ephesians 2:14) – not just a physical building, but as a living community. Consequently, the B’rit Chadashah often uses temple language to describe the church of Yeshua Messiah. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: we are the temple of the living God (Second Corinthians 6:16).

Surely this is the least likely material that anyone has ever used for a major construction project. What could be more difficult to work with than people in the Church? We are not beautiful like cedar, but ugly in our sin. We are not solid like stone, but weak and unstable. Nevertheless, ADONAI is using us to build a holy temple – a spiritual house in which He lives by His Ruach. You are God’s temple, the Scripture says of the Church, God’s Spirit lives in you (First Corinthians 3:16). This is true of us individually: as believers in Messiah we are indwelt by the Spirit, and thus we are holy to the Lord (First Corinthians 6:19-20). It is also true of us corporately: the Church of Yeshua Messiah is the temple of the living God.

Truly, the church of Yeshua Messiah is the wonder of the world, the most extraordinary edifice that anyone has ever constructed. The stones in this massive building come from all over the world as people from all the nations come to worship Messiah. We are living stones – not stone-cold like ordinary construction materials, but alive with the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (First Peter 2:5). Furthermore, despite the weakness of its materials, this new and living temple is built to last. It is constructed on the precious cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16; First Peter 2:6), Yeshua Messiah, who is the solid foundation of the Church (First Corinthians 3:11). The Bible says that in Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21-22 NIV). As living stones, we are the construction materials that God is using to build His spiritual temple.

Knowing what kind of temple God is building puts our own ministry into perspective. It gives us an important question to ask about any service we offer the Lord, or any ministry we consider as a church: Will this help to build up the spiritual temple that is the people of God, and by doing so, to bring honor to the name of the Lord? When we can answer “yes,” we are ready to make wise decisions about the way we live and what we are prepared to do with our future.¹¹⁷

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You never grow old. Your wisdom is as fresh today as it was the day You created the world. Sometimes days seem long but the truth is our lives are short and will be over in a blink. It is so important that we have lived our lives for You. Eternity’s joy is based on how I love You now. The Great Wall of China has had to be rebuilt because it was crumbling, but You, God, are always great, strong, and eternal! When all the armies of the world come against You, there will be no battle at all, for you will easily destroy them by the sword of Your mouth. From His mouth comes a sharp sword – so that with it He may strike down the nations (Rev 19:15).

You not only are physically stronger than anyone, Your wisdom far surpasses any person or any computer. What a joy to listen and follow You for Your love and wisdom are totally trustworthy! As I commit my life to You and trust in Your love and wisdom, I can rest in knowing that You are in total control. Trust in ADONAI and do good. Dwell in the land, feed on faithfulness. Delight yourself in ADONAI, and He will give you the requests of your heart (Psalms 37:3-4). We do delight in you! We praise You. You are Holy, Almighty, All-Powerful, All Wise, Forgiving Savior and Loving Father! What a pleasure to meditate on Your many wonderful characteristics. You are Fantastically Wonderful! Praise and love You always! In holy Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Historical Details Related to
First Kings 5:1 to 9:9

Virtually all of the historical details noted in First Kings Chapters 3 and 4 apply here also; but in addition, the reader will observe the importance of Tyre in these accounts. Chapter 5 says that Hiram king of Tyre had enjoyed good relations with David and thus sent envoys to Solomon, obviously hoping to continue the alliance (First Kings 5:1). Solomon sent back a reply that stated his plans to build a Temple for ADONAI, and asked for cedar, some laborers, and suggested payment for those favors (First Kings 5:3-6). Who was Hiram, and why should he help Solomon?

Hiram ruled Tyre, the capital of Phoenicia, for over thirty years, from David’s old age until he and Solomon were veteran kings.¹¹⁰ Tyre had a mainland base but also occupied an offshore island, which kept it invulnerable to siege warfare up to the time of Alexander the Great in 332 BC (see the commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Eq – The Timeline for Tyre). From its Mediterranean port, Tyre was able to establish an impressive shipping fleet. Isra’el had aided Tyre’s sailing efforts by defeating the Philistines, the other regional power traditionally involved in sea trade. Therefore, an Isra’el-Tyre alliance was a natural, mutually beneficial result of Isra’el’s newly won prominence. Together, the two countries could create a monopoly by exploiting Isra’el’s control of the land and Tyre’s expertise in shipping.

Besides those natural common interests, Solomon and Hiram were both aggressive young kings. Both used the historical situation to their advantage. They both expanded their capitals and built central worship centers. Both desired to make their nation wealthy without military conquest, and both suffered when Egypt reasserted its power late in their reigns.

One other historical fact deserves mention. Isra’el’s Temple was similar to what many other nations were attempting before and during this time period. As already stated, Hiram himself built worship centers. He set up a golden pillar in the sanctuary of Ba’al Shamen, and built new temples to Melqart and Astarte. Sumeria, Assyria, Babylon, and the Canaanites also constructed temples. So this was common practice during that historical period.

Besides attesting to the accuracy of the biblical accounts, this observation reminds us of the literary nature of First and Second Kings. Isra’el is not portrayed as doing odd, astounding things. Rather, their activities, which appear like those of other nations, are significant because of how they displayed (or fail to display) Isra’el’s faith in ADONAI. They also reflect God acting in history through a chosen people. Therefore, the uniqueness of the events lies in the inherent meaning that emerges from a people responding faithfully to the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who alone deserves worship.¹¹¹

Solomon’s Temple
First Kings 5:1 to 7:51 and
Second Chronicles 2:1-18

Surely, I will not enter the house where I live or get into my bed, I will not allow myself to sleep or even close my eyes, until I find a place for ADONAI, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob (Psalm 132:3-5). So wrote King David, for it was his passionate desire to build a Temple for the glory of the LORD. Just one thing have I asked of ADONAI; only this will I seek: to live in the house of ADONAI all the days of my life, to see the beauty of ADONAI and visit in His Temple (Psalm 27:4). God knew David’s heart, but He made it clear that He had other plans for His beloved servant (Second Samuel 7). David was so busy fighting wars and expanding and defending the borders of the kingdom of Isra’el that he didn’t have time to supervise such a complex and demanding undertaking. Solomon, the man of peace, was God’s choice to build the Temple, and his father prepared him for the task (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Fd – David Provided Resources for Building the Temple), and encouraged him to do so (see the Life of David Fc – David’s Charge to Solomon Regarding the Temple).

Since the days of Moshe, the people of Isra’el had brought their sacrifices and offerings to the Tabernacle, but now they were no longer pilgrim people, but a nation settled in their own land. The Tabernacle was a fragile, portable building for use in the wilderness. But the time had come for Isra’el to build a Temple to their great God. The nations around them had temples dedicated to their false gods, so it was only right that the people of Isra’el dedicate a magnificent Temple to honor the true and living God. In the second month (our April/May) of the year 966 BC, the fourth year of his reign, Solomon began the work, and these chapters record the several stages of that project (to see a video of Solomon’s Temple click here). ¹⁰⁹

Practical Applications from
First Kings 3:1 to 4:34

Solomon’s promise from ADONAI illustrates how important each individual’s relationship is to God. Certainly, the TaNaKh teaches that YHVH has made covenants with Isra’el in which Gentiles may participate when they make the Jewish Messiah Lord of their lives (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el). But it specifically teaches that the LORD also desires communion with individuals. Those who seek God’s presence and help can indeed receive the wisdom they need to do God’s will and serve God’s people.

The fact that several promises are fulfilled in First Kings 3:1 to 4:34 demonstrates the importance of hope in human life. Abraham, Moshe, and David could die in peace because they trusted in the hope of God’s promises (see the commentary on Hebrews Cl – The Hall of Faith). They learned to live as if promise and possession were the same. Solomon, on the other hand, enjoyed daily hope as he lived out the wisdom ADONAI gave him. He could also know that God’s ongoing blessings would benefit his kingdom. Likewise, Scripture offers past, present, and future promises to believers that fit their individual circumstances.

Obviously, leadership is a major issue in the former prophets. The beginning of Solomon’s career (see Bk – Solomon’s Prayer) stands as a basically positive model for leaders who desire to honor God as their source of their ability to lead and who want to help others through their gift of leadership. Prayer and worship appear here as essential components of political, economic, and administrative ability, not as barriers to success in these areas. Still, the Bible’s previous warnings about leadership’s potential excesses warn against thinking that prayer is some magic charm that wards off rebellious or sinful behavior. Faithfulness and righteousness alone please YHVH, and only He decides whether these traits will necessarily bring material wealth or personal recognition.¹⁰⁸

Solomon’s Wisdom
First Kings 4: 29-34

Solomon’s wisdom DIG: What were Solomon’s areas of expertise? How do you suppose he came by his special wisdom? How many ways does the biblical author describe wisdom?

REFLECT: What is wisdom? How is it different from intelligence? How can we gain wisdom? In what areas would you like more wisdom? Is it available today? How can you get it?

For ADONAI gives wisdom, from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

As Philip Ryken relates in his commentary on First Kings, Solomon’s wide and peaceful kingdom, with its bountiful table, helps us to see the Kingdom of God (to see link click Au – Solomon’s Kingdom). But the best of any kingdom is the king himself – not just his wealth and power, or the peace and prosperity he brings, but his own royal person. Therefore, First Kings 4 ends by reminding us of Solomon’s outstanding characteristic, the one supreme and God-given gift that distinguished him from all the other kings in the world. ADONIA had invited Solomon to ask for anything he pleased. What pleased Solomon to ask for was something that pleased God to give: the gift of wisdom (see As – Solomon’s Wish). The king had demonstrated that gift in the famous incident regarding the two prostitutes and the two babies (see At – A Wise Ruling). At the end of First Kings 4 the author celebrates the wisdom of his king by using the vocabulary for wisdom in almost every verse.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you, for Your wisdom knows no boundaries! You know the future before it happens – Amazing! You know every detail of our lives! No one can pull something over on You because You understand all details of our lives and the depths of our hearts – Wow! How incredible that Your infinite wisdom is wrapped up in Your fantastic love! You are always seeking ways to guide us to Your great love! It is such a comfort to know that You never give any rule or command that could hurt us, rather they are more like lifeboats in the ocean of sin and ignorance. Your wisdom gives us life! Others who follow their own ways may look like they have it all. But when I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling in my eyes – until I entered the Sanctuary of God, and perceived their end. Surely You put them in slippery places. You hurled them down to destruction. How suddenly they became a ruin – (Psalms 73:16-119a). Wisdom is joy in following You and pleasure that lasts for eternity.

The only way to have eternal wisdom is to have an intimate daily walk with You as the Lord of our lives. Your wisdom is always perfect, always pure, always exactly what is the best! Thank You that as we follow You, we will always be walking in the best path. You do allow trials in our lives. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). As we conquer trials and temptations in your strength with a heart of love to please You, the trials bring blessings by giving us opportunities for eternal rewards (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). We love you and delight in following Your wisdom in all we do, say and think. Please bless us with Your wisdom in how to live our lives in ways that best glorify You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Bible declares this wisdom in many ways. It begins by simply asserting that God gave Solomon wisdom. Then Solomon’s wisdom is demonstrated by means of an analogy from nature: God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore (First Kings 4:29). The king’s wisdom was not infinite, of course, because only God is infinitely wise, by Solomon was wise beyond anything that any human being could measure. His wisdom was like the sand on the seashore. This analogy reminds us why the king asked for wisdom in the first place; the people he had to govern were too numerous to count (First Kings 3:8). Yet ADONAI gave Solomon wisdom sufficient for his calling – wisdom like the sand on the seashore.

Next, Solomon’s wisdom is demonstrated by comparison with other wise men: Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East (Arabs, Chaldeans and Babylonians, famed for their wisdom, astrological and scientific learning), and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite – wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations (4:30-31). Most of these men are long forgotten, but they were nearly as famous in their day as famous poets or songwriters are today. Ethan and Herman, for example, were poets; they wrote Psalms 88 and 89. Yet by comparison, Solomon was wiser than them all. His world-famous wisdom was superior to all the intellectual giants of Egypt, Persia, and Babylon – the great centers of learning in the ancient world.

Solomon’s wisdom was also demonstrated by the things he wrote and spoke. The Bible tells us that he spoke three thousand proverbs (some are included in the book of Proverbs but most of them are lost) and his songs numbered a thousand and five (4:32). Many of these wise sayings and lyrical ballads are preserved in the Scriptures. We find the king’s praise songs in Psalms 72 and 127. We read his love songs in the Song of Songs (Song of Songs 1:1). We learn his proverbs for daily life from the book of Proverbs, most of which were written by the king himself (Proverbs 1:1). As a result, Solomon’s literary output is impressive both in quantity and quality.

The breadth of the king’s knowledge was equally impressive. Not only was he skilled in the literary arts, but he also had a scientist’s love for the natural world. As Solomon wrote his songs and proverbs he spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish (4:33). Solomon’s knowledge was encyclopedic. He knew everything from the tallest tree in the forest (the cedar of Lebanon) to the smallest plant growing on the garden wall (the hyssop). The king had a love for botany and biology; he knew both the plants and animals of his native Isra’el. In the words of one commentator, his interests included what was in the barn and what was in the lake, what graced the skies and what slithered across the kitchen floor.¹⁰⁵

With a curiosity as wide as the universe, Solomon was interested in everything God made. Not surprisingly, his writings are filled with many analogies based upon careful observation of the created world. When he was not making comparisons with eagles in the sky or poisonous snakes (Proverbs 23:5 and 32), the king was inviting his readers to go to the ant (Proverbs 6:6) or listen to the voice of the cooing doves (Song of Songs 2:12). Solomon was the renaissance man of the ancient world – a naturalist as well as a songwriter, a philosopher as well as a king.

If we are wise, we will follow Solomon’s example by finding delight in the world that ADONAI has made and learning everything it has to teach us. Gaze at the high constellation in the evening sky. Watch the osprey dive in the mountain lake to claim its prey. Smell the flower that blooms along the path in summertime. Notice the trail of ants crawling from the picnic to the anthill. Do not miss the marvels all around us – the things God has made, which the Ruach Ha’Kodesh can use to teach us how to live.

Since ADONAI has left the fingerprints of His wisdom everywhere, since there is no place where God does not furnish us with raw materials for godly thinking, believers should be seized with a lively curiosity to ponder His works, both the majestic and the mundane. The task of wisdom is to joyfully describe and investigate all God’s many works. We may not have Solomon’s insight, but we can gratefully examine the same data.¹⁰⁶

The king’s wisdom is further demonstrated by the people who came to him for counsel: From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom (4:34). We can see a famous example of Solomon’s international renown when the queen of Sheva came to visit him (see Bu – Solomon and the Queen of Sheba). But apparently that sort of thing happened all the time. People came to visit him from all over the world. Solomon virtually became an international tourist attraction. By any measure – whether by comparison, by reputation, or simply by the plain assertion of the biblical text – he was the wisest man in the world.

But he was not as wise as King Yeshua. Solomon’s kingdom was always pointing us to the greater Kingdom of Messiah. He sits as a more bountiful table, at which He gives His own body and blood as life for His people (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kj – Breaking the Middle Matzah). He rules a wider Kingdom, spanning the globe. He also governs with superior wisdom, for He is greater than Solomon in every way (Luke 11:31).

The B’rit Chadashah celebrates the wisdom of Yeshua Messiah in the same ways that First Kings shows us the wisdom of Solomon. At times our Savior’s superior wisdom is simply stated, such as when the apostle Paul stated that Yeshua has become for us our wisdom (First Corinthians 1:30). On other occasions, His wisdom is demonstrated by way of analogy. So, the Bible says, for example, that in Messiah are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). If Solomon’s wisdom was like the sand on the seashore, then the wisdom of Yeshua is like sand that has been turned miraculously into diamonds.

We also see the supreme wisdom of Yeshua Messiah in all the wise things that He said. Like Solomon, Yeshua often used memorable metaphors drawn from the created world. He talked about farmers sowing their seed (see The Life of Christ Et – The Parable of the Soils), and the wind blowing wherever it pleases (see The Life of Christ Bv – Jesus Teaches Nicodemus), and when He did, He said many wise things about knowing ADONAI that will never be forgotten. The royal wisdom of Messiah Yeshua is shown further by comparison. His wisdom is so superior, the Scriptures say, that even His apparent foolishness turns out to be wiser than the so-called “wisdom” of men (see the commentary on First Corinthians An – The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom). What some people think is only foolishness – namely, the cross where Yeshua died – actually turns out to be God’s wise plan for salvation.

Now people from all nations are seeking the wisdom of Yeshua. It is happening this very day, as people all over the world worship God in the royal name of Messiah the King. I pray this is happening in your life as well, that you are trusting in Yeshua, who is the best and wisest of all kings. Feast on His grace. Serve His wide Kingdom by using your spiritual gift(s). Trust His wisdom, believing that He knows what is best. Rest in His peace as you wait for His Kingdom to come. He is the Prince of Peace (see the commentary on Isaiah Ck – He Will Be Called the Prince of Peace) and His peaceable Kingdom is not a dream, but a reality.

If you believe, you will see.¹⁰⁷