1 Kings 10
By Pastor David Groendyk
What words could you use to describe the state of Israel and King Solomon in this chapter? Breathtaking, unforgettable, grandiose, extravagant, just to name a few. Several of the themes we’ve been exploring in this first part of 1 Kings occur in today’s chapter again—foreign rulers coming to admire God’s blessings, prosperity beyond measure for God’s chosen king, and the height of all wisdom on full display—but it’s as if everything is amplified by a thousand times. This is really the great crescendo and climax of Solomon’s life and achievements, and it is a pinnacle in the history of Israel so far. On the one hand, it is a culmination of all of God’s promises thus far which also gives us a foretaste of the riches of heaven itself. What an awesome and truly breathtaking display! On the other hand, as we started to see in the previous chapter, all of this wealth and exaltation comes with a warning. In the words of Jesus, those to whom much has been given, of them much will be required (Luke 12:48). The Lord blesses Solomon greatly, but, sadly, Solomon does not end up reciprocating. To the extent that God has blessed Solomon, Solomon ought to respond with praise and devotion to God, yet he will go on to do the exact opposite and turn away from the Lord.
It is providential that this text falls on Thanksgiving Day. Surely we can all recognize how immensely God has blessed each one of us. He has forgiven all of our sins in Jesus Christ, healed our diseases and sicknesses time and again, renewed our youth like the eagle’s, satisfied us with good, rescued us from dark pits, and dealt with us far more kindly than we deserve (see Psalm 103). Praise the Lord! What a good God we serve! While we may marvel at the gold and spices that Solomon had and wish for even just a sliver of his wealth, Jesus makes it clear that we have something even greater than Solomon, namely, Jesus! Whatever Solomon has is not the pinnacle or goal of Christianity. Jesus references Solomon and the Queen of Sheba in Matthew 12:42, stating that his own spiritual riches and wisdom far surpass that of Solomon’s. Moreover, if even a foreigner like the Queen of Sheba who was an outsider and idol-worshiper could bless God on account of these lesser riches, how much more should we as church-goers and New-Testament-readers respond to the riches of Jesus Christ with total worship and devotion to God! Regardless of what day it is today, it is good and right to spend time responding to God’s benevolent gifts by enjoying them, thus recognizing that our God truly is good, and by giving thanks to him, thus making sure we don’t idolize the gifts. May God fill your heart with both gratitude and joy today on account of the work of the Savior, and may we in turn give back to God everything that we have!