1 Kings 10:14-15 The Number 666

 “The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.” I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold: This was a vast amount of gold, which came to Solomon yearly. One commentator estimated the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281,318,400. According to the value of gold in 2015, it would be just under $1 billion dollars. This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon, but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666.

i. The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 13:18). In fact, the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man, and the man may be Solomon.

ii. This isn’t to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some strange reincarnation of Solomon. But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning. Instead, he may be like Solomon – a good man corrupted. (Guzik)

The Number 666

“Solomon received yearly six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold. Perhaps this suggests that the Antichrist, like Solomon, is a good man who becomes corrupted.” (Guzik)

“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

e. His number is 666: Christians need not fear the number 666 in a superstitious way; but it is interesting to see the way the world has an attachment to this number - even with things like “666” brand cough syrup.

5. The two beasts are Satanic imitations. We are presented with a false “Christ” and a false “John the Baptist” who promote the false god. Satan can’t create, but he can effectively deceive with imitation.

a. “Imitations have ever formed the gravest perils in the history of the Church and the world, and the devil’s final attempt to gain the government of the race will thus be an appalling attempt to imitate.” (Morgan)

b. Imitations work precisely because they are similar; if they were so obviously different, it would be easy to tell the difference. We should be aware of the imitation and familiar with the genuine.

c. Instead of obsessing with fear and interest about the imitation - the Antichrist - how much more appropriate is it for Christians to be interested in the genuine: Jesus Christ. (Guzik)

I’m interested in the genuine Jesus, are you?

Blessings 

professor-scholar-and-author-paul-l-maier-dies-at-94

1 Kings 10:10-13 God’s Generosity Towards Us!

 “Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Also, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. And the king made steps of the almug wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day. Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. There never again came such abundance of spices as the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon: She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of spices.

b. Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity: To give according to the royal generosity means to give a lot. This description of Solomon’s measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure of God’s generosity towards us.

i. According to tradition – fanciful stories, perhaps – the Queen of Sheba wanted a son by Solomon, and he obliged her. Her child was named Menilek, and he became the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs. (Guzik)

God’s Generosity Towards Us!

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The gift of Jesus Christ! “If the Father already gave His ultimate gift, how can we think that He won’t give us the smaller gifts?” (Guzik)

Blessings 

1 Kings 10:6-9 Seek Jesus!

 “Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”” I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Indeed the half was not told me: The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom, but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard.

b. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants: It is a joyful thing to serve a great, wise, and rich king. If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon, it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus.

c. Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you: This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant. God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant, He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord God of Israel.

i. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth… Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. (Deuteronomy 28:1, 10)

ii. God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel. If Israel did not obey, then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel.

d. Blessed be the LORD your God: It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith, expressing allegiance to the God of Israel. Taken in their context, these may not be more than the queen’s response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomon’s Jerusalem.

i. “Her statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in verse 9 were no more than a polite reference to Solomon’s God… There is no record that she accepted Solomon’s God, who was so majestically edified by the temple.” (Dilday)

ii. “Praise to the LORD implies recognition of Israel’s national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faith.” (Wiseman)

iii. If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker, we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor, and also impressed her personally. But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel. This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isn’t enough.

iv. Regardless of the result of her search, we can admire her seeking.

· She came from a great distance.

· She came with gifts to offer.

· She came to question and to learn.

· She came and saw the riches of the king.

· She came for an extended period.

· She came telling all that was on her heart.

v. Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker: The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 12:42). If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently, how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom. The Queen of Sheba will certainly also rise up in judgment against this generation.

e. Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king: This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David. There were several sons of David born before Solomon. (Guzik)

i. “It was God’s special act to make him king rather than his elder brother.” (Poole)

Seek Jesus!

We can make a Bible study out of “seek Jesus”. You will find it was used by those seeking a free meal, by those wanting to be healed, by those seeking to kill him, by those wishing to test him and by those when they found an empty tomb. As believers we should seek daily fellowship with him because without it we would slowly fall into our old self before we found Christ.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Did you put on the whole armor of God today by seeking Jesus this morning?

Blessings 

1 Kings 10:2-5 Overwhelmed!

 “She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue: This queen traveled in the manner of queens, with a large royal procession, heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade.

b. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart: Solomon’s kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity, but also for his great wisdom. The Queen of Sheba had great - and seemingly difficult - questions, and Solomon answered all her questions.

i. “The hard questions were not just riddles, but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions… The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving help.” (Wiseman)

c. When the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table… there was no more spirit in her: This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury. Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom.

i. “What happened to the Queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of art.” (Clarke)

(Guzik)

Overwhelmed!

Like the Queen of Sheba, there comes a day that we have to make a decision about Jesus Christ. It may come in a moment of brokenness, or at a pastors preaching, or a reading of the Bible, or from a persons prodding, but whatever form it comes in only you can decide from the evidence, is Jesus your Savior?

I remember that day that I answered the alter call and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. And even though I don’t remember the exact date of my new birth it was forever recorded in the Lambs Book of Life.

Did Jesus overwhelm your soul with His love, for you to accept His free gift of salvation?

Blessings 

1 Kings 10:1 Concerning the Name of the Lord!

 “Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The Queen of Sheba: Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern-day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia). We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold, spices, and precious woods. History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings.

i. This was a long trip – up to about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers). She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 10:2-5), but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom.

b. When the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him: She came to Solomon and Israel at their material zenith. The great prosperity, splendor, and wisdom of Solomon’s kingdom were internationally famous. (Guzik)

Concerning the Name of the Lord!

“The queen had heard the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, by which seems to be meant his reputation of being gifted with deep knowledge of the divine character as revealed to him. The questions which occupy earnest souls in all lands and ages were stirring in the heart of this woman-chief. The only way, in these old days, to learn the wisdom of the wise, was to go to them. So the streets of Jerusalem saw the strange sight of the long train which had come toiling up from Arabia, laden with its characteristic produce, gold and spices and precious stones, in the enumeration of which is reflected the wonder of the beholders at the unaccustomed procession. But better than all her wealth was the eager woman’s thirst for truth. Surely it is a very unworthy and unlikely explanation of her ‘hard questions’ and purpose to suppose that she came only for a duel of wit,-to pose Solomon with half-playful riddles. The journey was too toilsome, the gifts too large, the accent of conviction in her subsequent words too grave, for that. She was a seeker after truth, and probably after God, and had known the torture of the eternal questions which rise in the mind, and, once having risen, leave no rest till they are answered.” (MacLaren’s Expositions)

If only our souls were as earnest, a seeker after truth concerning the name of Jesus Christ! Blessings 

1 Kings 9:25-28 Gold of Ophir

 “Now three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for the Lord, and he burned incense with them on the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the temple. King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. Then Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, seamen who knew the sea, to work with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir, and acquired four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭9‬:‭25‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for the LORD, and he burned incense: It is possible that this was another transgression by Solomon. It may be that he took upon himself the exclusive duties of a priest, offering burnt offerings and incense. However, as is the case in some other passages, this may refer to Solomon initiating such sacrifice and ceremony properly through a priest.

b. They went to Ophir, and acquired four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there: It is hard to say with certainty where the land of Ophir was. Some suggest it was in southern Arabia or the eastern coast of Africa. This shows the great enterprise and industriousness of Solomon’s administration.

(Guzik)

i. “No man knows certainly, to this day, where this Ophir was situated. There were two places of this name; one somewhere in India, beyond the Ganges, and another in Arabia, near the country of the Sabaeans, mentioned by Job 22:24.” (Clarke)

Gold of Ophir

“Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.” Job‬ ‭22‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Panning for gold in the brooks, but what is gold compared to God?

“Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭22‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Is your delight in God more precious than gold and silver?

Blessings

 

1 Kings 9:15-24 Compromise!

 “And this is the reason for the labor force which King Solomon raised: to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer and burned it with fire, had killed the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.) And Solomon built Gezer, Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, all the storage cities that Solomon had, cities for his chariots and cities for his cavalry, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. All the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel— that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel had not been able to destroy completely—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day. But of the children of Israel Solomon made no forced laborers, because they were men of war and his servants: his officers, his captains, commanders of his chariots, and his cavalry. Others were chiefs of the officials who were over Solomon’s work: five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people who did the work. But Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built the Millo.” I Kings‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. This is the reason for the labor force which King Solomon raised: Solomon raised this massive labor force to complete massive building projects. Archaeology is a witness to the ambitious and successful building projects of Solomon.

b. He built the Millo: The Hebrew term millois probably a name for a prominent fortress near the temple and the palace. However, it is possible that it describes architectural terracing and buttressing along the northeastern slope of the east hill of Jerusalem, the city of David.

c. Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer: These were three prominently fortified cities in the days of Solomon. “Recent work has demonstrated that these three cities had certain characteristics in common with regard particularly to their fortifications attributable to the Solomonic era… Most distinctive are the gate complexes, which are identical in plan and virtually of the same dimensions in all three cities.” (Patterson and Austel)

i. “Hazor was strategically placed in the north (c. three miles north of the Sea of Galilee), being situated at the juncture of the two major highways approaching from the north. It became Israel’s chief bulwark against northern invaders until it was destroyed in the eighth century by Tiglath-pileser III.” (Patterson and Austel)

ii. “Megiddo was the great fortress that controlled on the major passes from the Plain of Sharon on the coast into the Valley of Jezreel through the Carmel range. It figures in prophecy as the staging area for the last great battle (Armageddon) in which Christ will defeat the forces of the Antichrist.” (Patterson and Austel)

iii. “Gezer, on the road from Joppa to Jerusalem, had been a powerful Canaanite city. Though it was included in the tribal territory of Ephraim, it was not occupied by the Israelites until the time of Solomon. Then it was given to Solomon as a wedding gift by Pharaoh to his daughter.” (Patterson and Austel)

d. All the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites… from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day: This was another apparent compromise by Solomon. God strictly commanded that the remnants of these tribes be driven out of the land, not used as slave laborers in Israel. Solomon didn’t make Israelites forced laborers, but used them to oversee the remnants of the Canaanite tribes. (Guzik)

Compromise!

It’s interesting that Solomon used the Canaanite tribes as forced labor considering God forbid it and the Israelites past as forced laborers for the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Compromise is a slippery slope. A little compromising sin opens the door to bigger sin!

“Be ye warned, then, against falling into the meanness of compromise, for compromise is nothing better than varnished rebellion against God, a mockery of his claims, and an insult to his judgment.” (Spurgeon)

“As is usual with people on an incline, some who got on “the down grade” went further than they intended, showing that it is easier to get on than to get off, and that where there is no brake it is very difficult to stop.” (Spurgeon)

From Spurgeon’s quotes, I believe if we compromise in our faith of Jesus Christ we will sooner or later find out that we have no brakes!

Blessings