“Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.”
~ 2 Chronicles 1:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you hope to be really famous, a really powerful leader and really rich when you have become as old as your dad is now? How would you like to have so much gold and silver that the gold and silver that you have is like picking up stones off the street? How would you like to have 12,000 horses and 1,400 chariots? Do you hope to be able to do whatever you want to do when you have become as old as your dad is now? Do you hope to be really smart and wise when you have become as old as your dad is now? How would you like to be a ruler – like a king, over so many guys, gals and kids that all the guys, gals and kids that you are the ruler over cannot be counted? Solomon lived 2950 years ago. Solomon was probably the most famous guy alive at the time when he was living on planet Earth. Solomon quite possibly became one of the richest guys – if not the richest guy, who has ever lived on planet Earth. Solomon made gold and silver so common in the city of Jerusalem – the city where Solomon ruled as a king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids, that gold and silver where like rocks that guys, gals and kids could pick up anyplace off the street. Solomon bought horses and chariots from Egypt. Solomon exported horses and chariots to the Hittites and Arameans. Solomon’s dad was David. When David died, David had his kid in place to be the next ruler – as the next king, over God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids – the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. Because Solomon’s dad had put God before almost everything that he did, Solomon also wanted to put God before everything that he did just as his dad had done. Solomon began his forty year reign as the king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids by taking an assembly of army commanders, judges, Israelite people group leaders and family heads to the high place in Gibeon – which is where the Tent of Meeting and the bronze alter were being kept, to offer burnt offerings to God on the bronze altar. Solomon would offer a thousand burnt offering sacrifices to God on the bronze alter at this time.
The chronicler in 2 Chronicles 1 wrote about Solomon’s Gibeon visit. The Kings Books historian wrote about Solomon’s visit to Gibeon, too. The chronicler and the Kings Books historian wrote about the same things; they just wrote about these things differently. The chronicler just wrote about Solomon having seen to the constructing of a beautiful temple in Jerusalem for God’s presence to reside while the Kings Books historian gave a real life account of how Solomon used the gift of wisdom that God gave to him and how Solomon saw to having a royal palace built for himself in Jerusalem. The chronicler reports in verse 1, “Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.” Would you like to have lived 2950 years ago and have been Solomon? Your grandpaa thinks that Solomon had it made. Your grandpaa though would not have wanted to be Solomon. Your grandmaa and grandpaa know that being the assigned leaders for a field missionary team has not made things easier for your grandmaa and grandpaa. Sometimes when a guy, gal or kid is asked to be a leader, that guy, gal or kid will begin to think that he or she can do anything that he or she wants to do. If you had the chance – like Solomon had, to do anything that you would like to do, what would you do? If you could do whatever it is that you would like to do, would you do what God would want you to do? What do you think that God is expecting from you the most? God is expecting you to be obedient to Him by living a life that is holy and acceptable in His sight. God is expecting you to trust in Him. When God gave Solomon the opportunity to ask for whatever he wanted from Him, Solomon asked God for knowledge and wisdom. Because God was pleased that Solomon had asked Him for knowledge and wisdom, God gave Solomon knowledge and wisdom. God would also give Solomon wealth, riches and honor like no king had ever had before and like no king would ever have after Solomon was king. Do you think that Solomon died a happy dude?
Do you think that having everything that you would ever want to have would make you happy? Do you think that having all the money that you would ever want to have would make you happy? Do you think that being a powerful, famous leader would make you happy? Before your grandmaa and grandpaa were called by God to be missionaries, your grandmaa and grandpaa were doing okay. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were buying a house in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Your grandmaa did not have to work. Every single month – for twenty-three straight months, your grandpaa saw an increase in the total number of loans and in the total dollar amount of outstanding money that was due in the Beneficial Finance office that your grandpaa was the manager of in Aberdeen. The Beneficial Finance office that your grandpaa was the manager of in Aberdeen also had a very low delinquency rate during this same time. Having each month an increase in the total number of loans, in outstanding money due and a low delinquency rate each month were all good things. Beneficial Finance gave your grandpaa awards for having such a good loan office. Your grandpaa could have let being the manager of a loan office that was doing well give him self-worth but instead, God led your grandmaa and grandpaa to be baptized by immersion after becoming members of the Aberdeen Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Your grandmaa and grandpaa really enjoyed going to and being proactively involved in the Aberdeen Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Your grandpaa found out that being with guys, gals and kids in a Christ-follower fellowship blessed him more than anything else.
2 Chronicles 1 (317)