1 Kings 4:20 – 34 “The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing. And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, (30 cors is approximately 187 bushels or 6,600 liters (probably about 5.5 tons or 5 metric tons of flour). sixty cors of meal, 60 cors is approximately 375 bushels or 13,200 liters (probably about 11 tons or 10 metric tons of meal). ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry. For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates —over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides. Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses.
And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.
Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
So, men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.”
Now we know just why Solomon had to have all that administrative staff. The challenges of providing logistics for this kingdom are staggering. Obviously, Solomon has a huge number of people living at the palace, as well as maintaining the army and all those horses and chariots. Some sources believe that Solomon may have controlled at least 60,000 square miles of territory. Part of that land might have included nations who were semi – autonomous but who still paid tribute to Solomon, leaving 34,000 square miles directly under Solomon’s control. At any rate, administering such a kingdom called for a great deal of organization.
One of the most comforting phrases in the Bible is the description of Israel in the days of Solomon. “Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.” Recently, we celebrated the anniversary of the landings on Normandy Beach known as D Day. If you are familiar with the music of that era, you realize that the situation described by this verse was the dream of most of those fighting on both sides. All that most people want is to have peace and to dwell securely in their own homes, enjoying the fruits of their labors. The mention of vines and fig trees would imply that the Israelites were enjoying small gardens with grapes and figs, not to mention other fruits as well. Today Israel produces wonderful fruit of all kinds.
One worrisome thing is the large number of horses and chariots Solomon possessed. Later on, we learn that Solomon was also sending to Egypt for horses and trading in horses throughout the Middle East. In light of the instructions to the kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 17, was this expansion of the cavalry something God approved of or merely something that Solomon did on his own? Who knows? At any rate, Solomon became extremely rich.
God also kept his promise to Solomon concerning wisdom. In an era in which wise men were prized, Solomon stood out above all the rest. “He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.” Although none of these men’s names mean anything to us today, they were famous at that time for their sagacity, and Solomon exceeded them all.
APPLICATION: God has always kept his promises, including his promises to Solomon. But should we be asking for the same things that Solomon did? Proverbs 29:7 – 9 says, “Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.”
Very few of us can actually handle wealth in a holy fashion. The temptation to indulge ourselves is too great for most of us. As we will learn later, Solomon was not immune to these temptations either.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to appreciate the blessings You have already given us and to trust You for Your provision for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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