II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. I.
In
the close of the foregoing book we read how God magnified Solomon and
Israel
obeyed him; God and Israel
concurred to honour him. Now here we have an
account, I. How he honoured God by sacrifice (ver. 1-6) and by prayer, ver.
7-12. II. How he honoured
Israel
by increasing their strength, wealth, and trade, ver. 13-17.
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God's
Goodness to Solomon.
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B.
C. 1015.
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1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened
in his kingdom, and the LORD
his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. 2 Then
Solomon spake unto all
Israel
, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds,
and to the judges, and to every governor in all
Israel
, the chief of the fathers. 3 So
Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was
at
Gibeon
; for there was the tabernacle of the
congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD
had made in the wilderness. 4 But the ark of God had David brought
up from Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it:
for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Moreover the
brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put
before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the
congregation sought unto it. 6 And Solomon went up thither to the
brasen altar before the LORD,
which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand
burnt offerings upon it. 7 In that night did God appear unto
Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. 8 And
Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and
hast made me to reign in his stead. 9 Now, O LORD
God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made
me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this
people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not
asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet
hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that
thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12
Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches,
and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been
before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
Here is, I. Solomon's great prosperity, v. 1. Though he had a contested
title, yet, God being with him, he was strengthened in his kingdom; his
heart and hands were strengthened, and his interest in the people. God's
presence will be our strength.
II. His great piety and devotion. His father was a prophet, a psalmist, and
kept mostly to the ark; but Solomon, having read much in his Bible concerning
the tabernacle which Moses built and the altars there, paid more respect to
them than, it should seem, David had done. Both did well, and let neither be
censured. If the zeal of one be carried out most to one instance of religion,
and of another to some other instance, let them not judge nor despise each
other.
1. All his great men must thus far be good men that they must join with him in
worshipping God. He spoke to the captains and judges, the governors and chief
of the fathers, to go with him to Gibeon, v. 2, 3. Authority and
interest are well bestowed on those that will thus use them for the glory of
God, and the promoting of religion. It is our duty to engage all with whom we
have influence in the solemnities of religion, and it is very desirable to
have many join with us in those solemnities--the more the better; it is the
more like heaven. Solomon began his reign with this public pious visit to
God's altar, and it was a very good omen. Magistrates are then likely to do
well for themselves and their people when they thus take God along with them
at their setting out.
2. He offered abundance of sacrifices to God there (v. 6): 1000 burnt-offerings,
and perhaps a greater number of peace-offerings, on which he and his company feasted
before the Lord. Where God sows plentifully he expects to reap
accordingly. His father David had left him flocks and herds in abundance (1
Chron. xxvii. 29, 31), and thus he gave God his dues out of them. The ark was
at Jerusalem (v. 4), but the altar was at Gibeon (v. 5), and
thither he brought his sacrifices; for it is the altar that sanctifieth
every gift.
3. He prayed a good prayer to God: this, with the answer to it, we had before,
1 Kings iii. 5, &c. (1.) God bade him ask what he would; not only that he
might put him in the right way of obtaining the favours that were intended him
(Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full), but that he
might try him, how he stood affected, and might discover what was in his
heart. Men's characters appear in their choices and desires. What wouldst thou
have? tries a man as much as, What wouldst thou do? Thus God
tried whether Solomon was one of the children of this world, that say, Who
will show us any good, or of the children of light, that say, Lord,
lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. As we choose we shall have,
and that is likely to be our portion to which we give the preference, whether
the wealth and pleasure of this world or spiritual riches or delights. (2.)
Like a genuine son of David, he chose spiritual blessings rather than
temporal. His petition here is, Give me wisdom and knowledge. He owns
those to be desirable gifts, and God to be the giver of them, Prov. ii. 6. God
gave the faculty of understanding, and to him we must apply for the furniture
of it. Two things are here pleaded which we had not in Kings:-- [1.] Thou
hast made me reign in my father's stead, v. 8. "Lord, thou
hast put me into this place, and therefore I can in faith ask of thee grace to
enable me to do the duty of it." What service we have reason to believe
God calls us to we have reason to hope he will qualify us for. But that is not
all. "Lord, thou hast put me into this place in the stead of David, the
great and good man that filled it up so well; therefore give me wisdom, that
Israel may not suffer damage by the change. Must I reign in my father's stead?
Lord, give me my father's spirit." Note, The eminency of those that went
before us, and the obligation that lies upon us to keep up and carry on the
good work they were engaged in, should provoke us to a gracious emulation, and
quicken our prayers to God for wisdom and grace, that we may do the work of
God in our day as faithfully and well as they did in theirs. [2.] Let thy
promise to David my father be established, v. 9. He means the
promise of concerning his successor. "In performance of that promise, Lord,
give me wisdom." We do not find that wisdom was any of the things
promised, but it was necessary in order to the accomplishment of what was
promised, 2 Sam. vii. 13-15. The promise was, He shall build a house for my
name, I will establish his throne, he shall be my son, and my mercy
shall not depart from him. "Now, Lord, unless thou give me wisdom,
thy house will not be built, nor my throne established; I shall behave in a
manner unbecoming my relation to thee as a Father, shall forfeit thy mercy,
and fool it away; therefore, Lord, give me wisdom." Note, First,
God's promises are our best pleas in prayer. Remember thy word unto thy
servant. Secondly, Children may take the comfort of the promises of that
covenant which their parents, in their baptism, laid claim to, and took hold
of, for them. Thirdly, The best way to obtain the benefit of the
promises and privileges of the covenant is to be earnest in prayer with God
for wisdom and grace to do the duties of it.
4. He received a gracious answer to this prayer, v. 11, 12. (1.) God
gave him the wisdom that he asked for because he asked for it. Wisdom is a
gift that God gives as freely and liberally as any gift to those that value
it, and wrestle for it; and will resolve to make use of it; and he upbraids
not the poor petitioners with their folly, James i. 5. God's grace shall never
be wanting to those who sincerely desire to know and do their duty. (2.) God
gave him the wealth and honour which he did not ask for because he asked not
for them. Those that pursue present things most earnestly are most likely to
miss of them; while those that refer themselves to the providence of God, if
they have not the most of those things, have the most comfort in them. Those
that make this world their end come short of the other and are disappointed in
this too; but those that make the other world their end shall not only obtain
that, and full satisfaction in it, but shall enjoy as much as is convenient of
this world in their way.
13 Then Solomon came from his journey to
the high place that was at
Gibeon
to
Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the
congregation, and reigned over Israel. 14 And Solomon gathered chariots
and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve
thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at
Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver and
gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees
made he as the sycamore trees that are in the vale for abundance.
16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received
the linen yarn at a price. 17 And they fetched up, and brought
forth out of
Egypt
a chariot for six hundred shekels of
silver, and a horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses
for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.
Here is, 1. Solomon's entrance upon the government (v. 13): He came from
before the tabernacle, and reigned over Israel. He would not do any acts of government till he had done his acts of
devotion, would not take honour to himself till he had given honour to
God--first the tabernacle, and then the throne. But, when he had obtained
wisdom from God, he did not bury his talent, but as he received the gift
ministered the same, did not give up himself to ease and pleasure, but minded
business: he reigned over Israel. 2. The magnificence of his court (v.
14): He gathered chariots and horsemen. Shall we praise him for this?
We praise him not; for the king was forbidden to multiply horses, Deut. xvii.
16. I do not remember that ever we find his good father in a chariot or on
horseback; a mule was the highest he mounted. We should endeavour to excel
those that went before us in goodness rather than in grandeur. 3. The wealth
and trade of his kingdom. He made silver and gold very cheap and common, v.
15. The increase of gold lowers the value of it; but the increase of grace
advances its price; the more men have of that the more they value it. How
much better therefore is it to get wisdom than gold! He opened also
a trade with Egypt, whence he imported horses and linen-yarn, which he
exported again to the kings of Syria, with great advantage no doubt, v.
16, 17. This we had before, 1 Kings x. 28, 29. It is the wisdom of princes to
promote industry and encourage trade in their dominions. Perhaps Solomon took
the hint of setting up the linen-manufacture, bringing linen-yarn out of
Egypt, working it into cloth, and then sending that to other nations, from
what his mother taught when she specified this as one of the characteristics
of the virtuous woman, She maketh fine linen, and selleth it, and
delivereth girdles of it to the merchant, Prov. xxxi. 24. In all
labour there is profit.
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