Surpassing Wisdom and Wealth

2 Chronicles 9:13-31

    13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders 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 large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. 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 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

    20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

    22 So King Solomon surpassed 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, which God had put in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.  25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

    26 So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28 And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from 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, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

Solomon had a life given by God of surpassing wisdom and wealth; he had asked the LORD for wisdom to rule his heart that he might rule God’s people well, and God piled on material wealth as well to show the nations that He gives all a man possesses (1 Kings 3:9, 11-13).  Solomon received the great knowledge with its application in wisdom in his heart and mind, along with riches and honor to magnify the name of the LORD.  Notice that Solomon neither asked for nor pursued nor begged God for wealth and prosperity; he asked to wisely discern to judge and lead his fellow people in the LORD.  We must beware of those teaching us to pursue or expect great blessings of wealth, seeking instead to serve and lead faithfully with whatever He chooses to bestow upon us.  The greatest wealth of the kingdom of God is in living for the gospel of Jesus the Christ and His kingdom with a heart completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9, Romans 2:29, Matthew 6:33).  Solomon had been given such riches and wisdom that all flocked to hear him; we have far greater wisdom from God Himself and riches of grace upon grace in His greatest gift of infinite value, not ever tarnished by rust and rot.  May our works be so recorded in our books for the final reading to please our Lord in the final judgment (Jeremiah 17:10, Revelation 20:12).  We have been given everything or life and godliness as 2 Peter 1:3 assures us, and we are to use that wisdom and spiritual wealth for His kingdom among the sheep of His pasture as wise servants, not burying the treasure, but sharing it freely as we have been freely given it all.  May these things be recorded in our books of life.