Compare Solomon's wealth in 2 Chronicles 9:10 with God's blessings in Deuteronomy 28. Setting the Scene • 2 Chronicles 9:10: “Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.” • Deuteronomy 28:1–13 (selected) sets out the promised blessings for obedience: – v1-2 “The LORD your God will set you high above all the nations… all these blessings will come upon you…” – v3 “Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.” – v4-5 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your ground… your kneading bowl.” – v8 “The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in everything you put your hand to.” – v11 “The LORD will make you abound in prosperity…” – v12 “The LORD will open the heavens… to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but borrow from none.” – v13 “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail…” How Solomon’s Wealth Mirrors Deuteronomy 28 • International honor (v1-3, v13) – Solomon’s reputation drew Hiram’s fleet and the Queen of Sheba (2 Chronicles 9:1). • Material overflow (v4-5, v8, v11-12) – Gold from Ophir, precious stones, algum wood for temple and palace (2 Chronicles 9:10-11). – Annual revenue of 666 talents of gold (2 Chronicles 9:13). – Silver considered “nothing” in Solomon’s day (2 Chronicles 9:20). • Lending, never borrowing (v12) – Solomon exported chariots and horses to surrounding nations (2 Chronicles 1:16-17); Scripture records no loans taken. • Head, not tail (v13) – “King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom” (2 Chronicles 9:22). Linking Cause and Effect • Deuteronomy 28 repeatedly ties blessing to obedience. • Solomon began his reign asking for wisdom to rule God’s people (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). The Lord added “riches, wealth, and honor” exactly as He had promised Israel centuries earlier. • The prosperity was therefore not luck or politics; it was covenant faithfulness at work—God keeping His word literally. The Covenant Thread 1. Promise: Deuteronomy 28 outlines blessings for obedience. 2. Fulfillment: Solomon’s early life exhibits those blessings in concrete detail. 3. Warning: Later disobedience brought the very curses listed in Deuteronomy 28:15 ff. (cf. 1 Kings 11). The same covenant is consistently reliable—positively and negatively. Take-Home Reflections • God’s promises are precise; He delivered exactly what He said. • Obedient devotion invites tangible blessing—spiritual first, material as He wills (Proverbs 3:9-10; Matthew 6:33). • Prosperity must remain a means to honor the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:11-18); when the gift replaces the Giver, blessing erodes. |
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