With the Temple and palace completed and inaugurated, Solomon’s reign has reached its zenith. I welcome everyone to 1st Kings Chapter 9, a chapter that shows that God does not abandon the people He uses for His glory. He visits again, reaffirms again, and exhorts again. Solomon had everything: wisdom, wealth, and worship… yet God gently reminded him that enjoying grace flows into obedience. Blessings must not breed complacency. When we prosper, we must not forget the Provider. When we build great things for God, we must ensure that God still builds within us.
Join me to review…
THE SECOND APPEARANCE
1Kgs. 9:1-2 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he wanted to do, that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
After the Shekinah glory of God had filled the Temple at the dedication, God appeared to Solomon once again. This was nearly 24 years after he ascended the throne. At Solomon’s first encounter with God in Gibeon, he was a young king with a humble and teachable heart. When God gave him a blank cheque to request whatever he wanted, he asked for wisdom to govern well. And that pleased God so much that He granted him wisdom beyond measure, and also bestowed him with riches and honour as added benefits.
Now, decades later, God appeared again to remind Solomon of the conditions that sustained the blessings under the covenant of the Law. Notice the following…
1. The Divine Confirmation: (vs. 1-3)
“I have heard thy prayer…”
God’s second appearance to Solomon was a confirmation that God responded to his genuine supplication and worship. As we read in yesterday’s reading, Solomon had repeatedly asked God to hear in heaven… and here was God giving him a clear affirmation that He had indeed heard.
God gave His word: “My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.” The permanence of His Name in the Temple points to His abiding presence among His people. It was God’s mighty presence that sanctified the Temple, not the magnificent pillars. A building can only become holy when the Holy God dwells there.
2. The Divine Condition: (vs. 4-7)
“If you walk before Me…”
God’s covenant with Solomon was conditional. It depended on obedience and devotion. God reminded him of David’s integrity of heart and uprightness. As we all know, David was not perfect (1Kgs. 15:5, 2Sam. 24:10), but his integrity was shown in his loyalty to God. He wasn’t found flirting with idols or idolatrous practices (Psa. 18:20-24)
3. The Devastating Consequence: (vs. 8–9)
“Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss…”
God made it clear that if Solomon or his sons turned to other gods, then Israel would face destruction and derision. Israel would become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. The Living Bible paraphrased it this way: “Israel will become a joke to the nations and an example and proverb of sudden disaster.” It would be so bad that others would see them and hiss. This warning was played out at different times…
- i. The Fall of Israel in 722 B.C. – Northern Israel was conquered by Assyria, and the Israelites were exiled
- ii. The Fall of Judah in 586 B.C. – Southern Israel was destroyed by Babylon, and the Temple was burned.
- iii. Scattering of the Jews in Diaspora – Throughout history, Jews faced exile, persecution, and ridicule.
When believers lose their focus on the God who blessed them, material blessings can become burdens. When we misuse our great gifts, they can turn into our great griefs.
Moving on…
THE SERIOUS APPETITIONS
1Kgs. 9:14 Then Hiram sent the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold.
Again, let’s remember God’s clear commands to every king of Israel. According to Deut. 17:16-17,
- a king of Israel must not multiply horses
- a king of Israel must not multiply wives for himself
- a king of Israel must not greatly multiply silver and gold for himself
In 1Kgs. 4:26, we read how Solomon multiplied horses unto himself. In fact, he later imported horses from Egypt (1Kgs. 10:28). He also violated the second command by marrying many foreign women (1Kgs. 11:1-3). And in today’s chapter, he clearly violated the third command. His alliance with King Hiram of Tyre led to compromise. Hiram was Solomon’s long-time ally and trade partner. Their collaboration was both political and economic. In this chapter, Hiram sent Solomon 120 talents of gold, which is worth $476 million in today’s valuation.
The word appetition means strong desire or craving. Although it is not necessarily evil in itself, it is dangerous when not governed by discipline. Solomon’s appetition was not in alignment with the wisdom God gave him. He hungered for wealth and more wealth. Yet, the more he gained, the less dependent he became on God. What we crave most often controls us.
As believers in the New Covenant, although we are not bound by the Law, we are called to the same principle of contentment and godliness. The Apostle Paul warned: “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare… for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1Tim. 6:9-10). Wealth itself is not sin, but corrupt wealth can birth sins. God expects us to possess wealth with gratitude, not to crave wealth with greed. Let us therefore guard our appetitions, for the heart that beats for gold will hardly beat for God.
God bless you for reading this review.
Thank you for sharing your reflections too.
See you next time, beloveds.
Happy New Week!
Grace to you, Church!
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