II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. IX.
Solomon here
continues to appear great both at home and abroad. We had this account of his
grandeur, 1 Kings x. Nothing is here added; but his defection towards his
latter end, which we have there (ch. xi.), is here omitted, and the
close of this chapter brings him to the grave with an unstained reputation.
Perhaps none of the chapters in the Chronicles agree so much with a chapter in
the Kings as this does with 1 Kings x. verse for verse, only that the first
two verses there are put into one here, and verse 25 here is taken from 1
Kings iv. 26, and the last three verses here from 1 Kings xi. 41-43. Here is,
I. The honour which the queen of
Sheba
did to Solomon, in the visit she made him to hear his wisdom, ver. 1-12. II.
Many instances given of the riches and splendour of Solomon's court, ver.
13-28. III. The conclusion of his reign, ver. 29-31.
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The
Queen of Sheba Visit Solomon.
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B.
C. 992.
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1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame
of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a
very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and
precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of
all that was in her heart. 2 And Solomon told her all her
questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house
that he had built, 4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of
his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his
cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into
the house of the LORD;
there was no more spirit in her. 5 And she said to the king, It
was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy
wisdom: 6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and
mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of
thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I
heard. 7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy
servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
8 Blessed be the LORD
thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king
for the LORD
thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore
made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice. 9 And she
gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great
abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen
of Sheba gave king Solomon. 10 And the servants also of Huram, and
the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees
and precious stones. 11 And the king made of the algum
trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace,
and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in
the land of Judah. 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba
all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought
unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her
servants.
This passage of story had been largely considered in the Kings; yet, because
our Saviour has proposed it as an example to us in our enquiries after him
(Matt. xii. 42), we must not pass it over without observing briefly, 1. Those
who honour God he will honour, 1 Sam. ii. 30. Solomon had greatly honoured
God, in building, beautifying, and dedicating the temple; all his wisdom and
all his wealth were employed for the making of that a consummate piece: and
now God made his wisdom and wealth to redound greatly to his reputation. The
way to have both the credit and comfort of all our endowments and all our
enjoyments is to consecrate them to God and use them for him. 2. Those who
know the worth of true wisdom will grudge no pains nor cost to obtain it. The
queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and expense to hear the
wisdom of Solomon; and yet, learning from him to serve God and do her duty,
she thought herself well paid for her pains. Heavenly wisdom is that pearl
of great price which is a good bargain to purchase by parting with all
that we have. 3. As every man has received the gift so he ought to minister
the same for the edification of others, as he has opportunity. Solomon was
communicative of his wisdom and willing to teach others what he knew himself.
Being taught of God, freely he had received, and freely he gave. Let those
that are rich in wisdom, as well as wealth, learn to do good and be
ready to distribute. Give to every one that asketh. 4. Good order in a
family, a great family, especially in the things of God, and a regular
discharge of the duties of religious worship, are highly expedient, and to be
much admired wherever found. The queen of Sheba was exceedingly affected to
see the propriety with which Solomon's servants attended him and with which
both he and they attended in the house of God. David's ascent to the house of
the Lord was also pleasant and interesting, Ps. xlii. 4. 5. Those are happy
who have the opportunity of a constant converse with such as are knowing,
wise, and good. The queen of Sheba thought Solomon's servants happy who
continually heard his wisdom; for, it seems, even to them he was
communicative. And it is observable that the posterity of those who had places
in his court were willing to have the names of their ancestors forgotten, and
thought themselves sufficiently distinguished and dignified when they were
called the children of Solomon's servants (Ezra ii. 55; Neh. vii. 57);
so eminent were they that it was honour enough to be named from them. 6. We
ought to rejoice and give God thanks for the gifts, graces, and usefulness, of
others. The queen of Sheba blessed God for the honour he put upon Solomon, and
the favour he did to Israel, in advancing him to the throne, v. 8. By
giving God the praise of the prosperity of others, we share in the comfort of
it; whereas, by envying the prosperity of others, we lose the comfort even of
our own. The happiness of both king and kingdom she traces up to the fountain
of all bliss, the divine favour: it was because thy God delighted in thee
and because he loved Israel. Those mercies are doubly sweet in which we
can taste the kindness and good will of God as our God. 7. It becomes those
that are wise and good to be generous according to their place and power. The
queen of Sheba was so to Solomon, Solomon was so to her, v. 9, 12. They
both knew how to value wisdom, and therefore were neither of them covetous of
their money, but cultivated the acquaintance and confirmed the friendship they
had contracted by mutual presents. Our Lord Jesus has promised to give us all
our desire: Ask, and it shall be given you. Let us study what we shall
render to him, and not think any thing too much to do, or suffer, or part
with, for him.
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The
Magnificence of Solomon; the Death of Solomon.
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B.
C. 975.
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13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon
in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
14 Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings
of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to
Solomon. 15 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of
beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one
target. 16 And three hundred shields made he of beaten
gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king
put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 17 Moreover the
king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which
were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place,
and two lions standing by the stays: 19 And twelve lions stood
there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the
like made in any kingdom. 20 And all the drinking vessels of king
Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of
Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not
any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king's
ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came
the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and
peacocks. 22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in
riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the
presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.
24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of
gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by
year. 25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot
cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 26 And he reigned over all
the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the
border of Egypt. 27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as
stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the
low plains in abundance. 28 And they brought unto Solomon horses
out of Egypt, and out of all lands. 29 Now the rest of the acts of
Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the
prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of
Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 And Solomon
reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon
slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and
Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
We have here Solomon in his throne, and Solomon in his grave; for the throne
would not secure him from the grave. Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat--Death
wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade.
I. Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power, in ease and fulness, such as,
for aught I know, could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever. In
cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that
of some of the great princes of the earth. But I may observe that the most
illustrious of them were famed for their wars, whereas Solomon reigned forty
years in profound peace. Some of those that might be thought to vie with
Solomon affected retirement, kept people in awe by keeping them at a great
distance; nobody must see them, or come near him, upon pain of death: but
Solomon went much abroad, and appeared in public business. So that, all things
considered, the promise was fulfilled, that God would give him riches, and
wealth, and honour, such as no kings have had, or shall have, ch.
i. 12. 1. Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than
Solomon did, which to those that judge by the sight of the eye, as most people
do, would very much recommend him. He had 200 targets and 300 shields, all of
beaten gold, carried before him (v. 15, 16), and sat upon a most
stately throne, v. 17-19. There was not the like in any kingdom.
The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the
kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne, which is
above every throne. Solomon's pomp was all artificial; and therefore our
Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before
it. Matt. vi. 29, Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of
these. 2. Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver, though
there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom. Either he made himself
master of the mines in other countries, and, having a populous country, sent
hands to dig out those rich metals, or, having a fruitful country, he exported
the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here
spoken of, v. 13, 14-21. 3. Never any prince had such presents brought
him by all his neighbours as Solomon had: All the kings of Arabia, and
governors of the country, brought him gold and silver (v. 14), not
as tribute which he extorted from them, but as freewill offerings to procure
his favour, or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his
husbandry, corn or cattle. All the kings of the earth brought him presents,
that is, all in those parts of the world (v. 24, 28), because they
coveted his acquaintance and friendship. Herein he was a type of Christ, to
whom, as soon as he was born, the wise men of the east brought presents, gold,
frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. ii. 11), and to whom all that are about him
must bring presents, Ps. lxxvi. 11; Rom. xii. 1. 4. Never any prince was so
renowned for wisdom, so courted, so consulted, so admired (v. 23): The
kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to
pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom--his natural philosophy, or his
skill in physic, or his state policy, or his rules of prudence for the conduct
of human life, or perhaps the principles of his religion, and the reasons of
it. The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will
aggravate, shame, and condemn, men's general contempt of Christ and his
gospel. Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge, yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them, for
they are foolishness to them, 1 Cor. ii. 8, 14.
II. Here is Solomon dying, stripped of his pomp, and leaving all his wealth
and power, not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a
wise man or a fool (Eccles. ii. 19), but who he knew would be a fool. This
was not only vanity but vexation of spirit, v. 29-31. It is very
observable that no mention is here made of Solomon's departure from God in his
latter days, not the least hint given of it, 1. Because the Holy Ghost would
teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others. If
those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave, though it
may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and
others, yet we must not be forward to mention it, once the speaking of it is
enough; why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon? Why can we not
do as the sacred historian here does, speak largely of that in others which is
praise-worthy, without saying any thing of their blemishes, yea, though they
have been gross and obvious? This is but doing as we would be done by. 2.
Because, though he fell, yet he was not utterly cast down. His sin is not
again recorded, because it was repented of, and pardoned, and became as if it
had never been. Scripture-silence sometimes speaks. I am willing to believe
that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none
of the sins he committed were mentioned against him, Ezek. xxxiii. 16. When
God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more.
Contents
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