May 18, 2023 Bible Study — Solomon Accumulated Wealth And Horses, Contrary To The Command Which God Gave Concerning Israel’s Kings

Today, I am reading and commenting on  2 Chronicles 1-4.

As part of consolidating his hold on the throne, King Solomon called all of Israel to a worship assembly at Gibeon, where the tent of the tabernacle and its altar still resided.  David had not  gone there to worship at least since the plague which followed his ill-advised census.  The writer tells us that while at Gibeon Solomon asked God for the wisdom and knowledge that he would need to lead the God’s people.  The writer also tells us that God granted Solomon his request, and said that He would give him wealth and honor.  However, the writer follows this up by telling us that King Solomon acquired many horses and chariots, and much wealth.  Further, we are told that Solomon imported horses from Egypt.  All of this is contrary to what God had explicitly told the Israelites through Moses about how their kings should behave.  Now, it seems to me that the writer told us about the horses and wealth which King Solomon accumulated in order to show us how God had fulfilled His promise to Solomon to give him great wealth since he had only asked for wisdom and knowledge.  And as we read a little further we see that initially, Solomon used that wealth to bring honor and glory to God by building a magnificent temple for Him.  However, once he completed that temple, rather than using the wisdom and knowledge which God gave him to find other ways to use his wealth to serve God, Solomon used that wealth to please himself.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.