It is said of Solomon that he was worth around 3.3 Trillion dollars in today’s modern currency. What more could you ever do with that kind of wealth? Silver was so common it was treated as nothing. The temple was lined pretty much top to bottom with gold. The shields in the temple were hammered gold. Lion statues stood by the throne and on each of the steps leading up to it. And there was more.
Wealth abounded and so did wisdom (which is good because oftentimes those two don’t go together). When the Queen of Sheba of Ethiopia heard the reports of Solomon’s wisdom, she didn’t believe it so she went to see for herself. She was stunned.
“The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. But I didn’t believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard” (2 Chr 9:6).
But what was the point of God’s blessing? So that when the people of the earth saw God’s hand on his life and the life of Israel, they would have a response like the Queen of Sheba’s:
“May the LORD your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on His throne as king for the LORD your God. Because Your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness” (2 Chr 9:8).
God wants our lives to shine so that others will honor God. We see this in other places as well.
“…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
It wasn’t just about Solomon’s wealth. It was about his wisdom. Look at the Queen of Sheba’s statement. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! It was about Solomon’s wisdom and his ruling in “justice and righteousness.” And because of that there was great blessing.
Some would like to take this as proof that God’s people need to be rich and wealthy and make a lot of money. This is not the point of this at all. In fact, the Scripture warns that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10). Jesus also made it clear not to store up treasures on this earth but treasures in heaven (Mt 6:19-21). This text in no way is for one to assume wealth.
It is a text about God’s blessing, Solomon’s wisdom, and good leadership that carries out justice and righteousness for the people. God was blessing Solomon and the peoples of the earth because they followed the Lord. David was a man after God’s own heart and now Solomon was following the Lord as well.
Because of it great blessing ensued. Sometimes that looks like wealth (Solomon) and sometimes it doesn’t (Jesus). But either way, the blessing by God’s hand brought honor and praise and glory to Him. And that was the point of it all. A life lived in such a way that Yahweh was honored among the nations.
