II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. VIII.
In
this chapter we are told, I. What cities Solomon built, ver. 1-6. II. What
workmen Solomon employed, ver. 7-10. III. What care he took about a proper
settlement for his wife, ver. 11. IV. What a good method he put the
temple-service into, ver. 12-16. V. What trading he had with foreign
countries, ver. 17, 18.
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Solomon's
Buildings.
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B.
C. 992.
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1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty
years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD,
and his own house, 2 That the cities which Huram had restored to
Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of
Israel
to dwell there. 3 And Solomon went to
Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it. 4 And he built Tadmor in the
wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath. 5 Also
he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with
walls, gates, and bars; 6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that
Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and
all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout
all the land of his dominion. 7 As for all the people that
were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel, 8 But
of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of
Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.
9 But of the children of
Israel
did Solomon make no servants for his work; but
they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his
chariots and horsemen. 10 And these were the chief of king
Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the
people. 11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the
city of
David
unto the house that he had built for her: for
he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto
the ark of the LORD
hath come.
This we had 1 Kings ix. 10-24, and therefore shall only observe here,
I. Though Solomon was a man of great learning and knowledge, yet he spent his
days, not in contemplation, but in action, not in his study, but in his
country, in building cities and fortifying them, in a time of peace preparing
for a time of war, which is as much a man's business as it is in summer to
provide food for winter.
II. As he was a man of business himself, and did not consult his own ease, so
he employed a great many hands, kept abundance of people to work. It is the
interest of a state by all means possible to promote and encourage industry,
and to keep its subjects from idleness. A great many strangers there were in
Israel, many that remained of the Canaanites; and they were welcome to live
there, but not to live and do nothing. The men of Laish, who had no business,
were an easy prey to the invaders, Judg. xviii. 7.
III. When Solomon had begun with building the house of God, and made good work
and quick work of that, he prospered in all his undertakings, so that he
built all that he desired to build, v. 6. Those who have a genius
for building find that one project draws on another, and the latter must amend
and improve the former. Now observe, 1. How the divine providence gratified
even Solomon's humour, and gave him success, not only in all that he needed to
build and that it was for his advantage to build, but in all that he had a
mind to build. So indulgent a Father God is sometimes to the innocent desires
of his children that serve him. Thus he pleased Jacob with that promise, Joseph
shall put his hand on thy eyes. 2. Solomon knew how to set bounds to his
desires. He was not one of those that enlarge them endlessly, and can never be
satisfied, but knew when to draw in; for he finished all he desired, and then
he desired no more. He did not sit down and fret that he had not more cities
to build, as Alexander did that he had not more worlds to conquer, Hab. ii. 5.
IV. That one reason why Solomon built a palace on purpose for the queen, and
removed her and her court to it, was because he thought it by no means proper
that she should dwell in the house of David (v. 11), considering
that that had been a place of great piety, and perhaps her house was a place
of great vanity. She was proselyted, it is likely, to the Jewish religion; but
it is a question whether all her servants were. Perhaps they had among them
the idols of Egypt, and a great deal of profaneness and debauchery. Now,
though Solomon had not zeal and courage enough to suppress and punish what was
amiss there, yet he so far consulted the honour of his father's memory that he
would not suffer that place to be thus profaned where the ark of God had been
and where holy David had prayed many a good prayer and sung many a sweet
psalm. Not that all the places where the ark had been were so holy as never to
be put to a common use; for then the houses of Abinadab and Obed-edom must
have been so. But the place where it had been so long, and had been so
publicly attended on, was so venerable that it was not fit to be the place of
so much gaiety, not to say iniquity, as was to be found, I fear, in the court
that Pharaoh's daughter kept. Note, Between things sacred and things common
the ancient landmarks ought to be kept up. It was an outer-court of the temple
that was the court of the women.
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Solomon's
Devotion.
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B.
C. 992.
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12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto
the LORD
on the altar of the LORD,
which he had built before the porch, 13 Even after a certain rate every
day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on
the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even
in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast
of tabernacles. 14 And he appointed, according to the order of David
his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to
their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every
day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had
David the man of God commanded. 15 And they departed not from the
commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or
concerning the treasures. 16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared
unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD,
and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD
was perfected. 17 Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at
the sea side in the land of Edom. 18 And Huram sent him by the hands of
his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went
with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty
talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Here is, I. Solomon's devotion. The building of the temple was in order to the
service of the temple. Whatever cost he was at in rearing the structure, if he
had neglected the worship that was to be performed there, it would all have
been to no purpose. Assisting the devotion of others will not atone for our
own neglects. When Solomon had built the temple, 1. He kept up the holy
sacrifices there, according to the law of Moses, v. 12, 13. In vain had
the altar been built, and in vain had fire come down from heaven, if
sacrifices had not been constantly brought as the food of the altar and the
fuel of that fire. There were daily sacrifices, a certain rate every day,
as duly as the day came, weekly sacrifices on the sabbath, double to what was
offered on other days, monthly sacrifices on the new moons, and yearly
sacrifices at the three solemn feasts. Those are spiritual sacrifices that are
now required of us, which we are to bring daily and weekly; and it is good to
be in a settled method of devotion. 2. He kept up the holy songs there,
according to the law of David, who is here called the man of God,
as Moses was, because he was both instructed and authorised of God to make
these establishments; and Solomon took care to see them observed as the
duty of every day required, v. 14. Solomon, though a wise and great
man and the builder of the temple, did not attempt to amend, alter, or add to
what the man of God had, in God's name, commanded, but closely adhered to
that, and used his authority to have that duly observed; and then none
departed from the commandment of the king concerning any matter, v.
15. He observed God's laws, and then all obeyed his orders. When the service
of the temple was put into this good order, then it is said, The house of
the Lord was perfected, v. 16. The work was the main matter, not
the place; the temple was unfinished till all this was done.
II. Solomon's merchandise. He did himself in person visit the sea-port towns
of Eloth and Ezion-geber; for those that deal much in the world will find it
their interest, as far as they can, to inspect their affairs themselves and to
see with their own eyes, v. 17. Canaan was a rich country, and yet must
send to Ophir for gold; the Israelites were a wise and understanding people,
and yet must be beholden to the king of Tyre for men that had knowledge of
the seas, v. 18. Yet Canaan was God's peculiar land, and Israel
God's peculiar people. This teaches us that grace, and not gold, is the best
riches, and acquaintance with God and his law, not with arts and sciences, the
best knowledge.
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