What is the meaning of 1 Kings 4:22? Solomon’s provisions 1 Kings 4:22 opens: “Solomon’s provisions…”. The Spirit wants us to see the size of God’s blessing on a king who had asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:12-13). Judah and Israel were already “eating and drinking and rejoicing” (1 Kings 4:20), and the royal menu mirrors that national prosperity. The scene recalls God’s promise to Abraham to bless the nations through his line (Genesis 12:2-3) and Joseph’s earlier storehouses that kept Egypt alive (Genesis 41:56-57). For a single day All this food disappeared daily. • Sheer scale: governors had to supply the palace “month by month” (1 Kings 4:27). • Dependence: like manna gathered “day by day” (Exodus 16:4), palace life still relied on God, who “opens His hand and satisfies” (Psalm 145:16). • Everyday joy: abundance wasn’t saved just for feasts—people “ate and drank and rejoiced” (1 Kings 4:20), anticipating the prayer, “Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). Were thirty cors of fine flour Thirty cors—about 180 bushels—of the best sifted flour, the same grade used in grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1). • Quality: the king’s bread echoed sanctuary excellence. • Representation: Solomon, head of a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6), models worship through daily provision. • Prophetic picture: Psalm 72:16 promises grain “on the tops of the mountains”; Solomon’s table previews that, and points to the greater Son of David who multiplies loaves (John 6:11). Sixty cors of meal Another 360 bushels of coarser grain. • Inclusion: food for nobles, servants, and foreign guests (1 Kings 10:24), reflecting the impartial God (Acts 10:34). • Security: while the palace ate well, “every man lived in safety under his own vine and fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25). • Stewardship: abundance can tempt a drifting heart (1 Kings 11:1-4); Proverbs 30:8-9 warns that plenty should lead to praise, not pride. Summary 1 Kings 4:22 is a literal snapshot of God-given prosperity under a wise king: top-quality flour and mountains of meal consumed every day, provided by the Lord, enjoyed by the people, and foreshadowing the eternal King whose bread never runs out. |
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