What is the meaning of 1 Kings 5:11? Year after year “and year after year…” (1 Kings 5:11) • The phrase highlights ongoing faithfulness, not a one-time gesture. As with God’s daily manna (Exodus 16:35) and the steady lamp oil in the tabernacle (Leviticus 24:2-4), regular provision mirrors God’s own steady care. • Solomon’s consistency fulfilled the covenant of wisdom and peace granted in 1 Kings 3:12-13 and anticipated the stability promised to Israel in Deuteronomy 28:11-12. Solomon would provide • Solomon personally directed the shipments, showing a king who keeps his word (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5; Proverbs 20:7). • Generosity flowed from his God-given abundance (1 Kings 4:20-25). Psalm 112:5 praises the man who “conducts his affairs with justice,” exactly what Solomon models in commercial diplomacy. Hiram • Hiram of Tyre was a long-standing ally of David (2 Samuel 5:11) and now Solomon (1 Kings 5:1). Their partnership fulfilled the promise in Genesis 12:3 that nations would be blessed through God’s people. • Hiram’s cedar and craftsmen (1 Kings 5:8-10) enabled temple construction, echoing 2 Chronicles 2:3-10 where the same quantities are repeated, confirming historic accuracy. 20,000 cors of wheat • A cor is a large measure; twenty thousand cors equal an immense harvest, underscoring Israel’s agricultural blessing (Deuteronomy 8:7-10). • Joseph’s storehouses in famine (Genesis 41:47-49) and Elisha’s multiplication of grain (2 Kings 4:42-44) show how God often uses grain to sustain both Israel and surrounding peoples. Food for his household • The wheat specifically fed Hiram’s royal court. Meeting a household’s needs first (1 Timothy 5:8) aligns with God’s order for stewardship. • By nourishing Tyre’s palace, Solomon promoted peace (Romans 12:18) and ensured a cooperative neighbor, fulfilling Proverbs 3:27: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due.” 20,000 baths of pure olive oil • Olive oil symbolized richness and joy (Psalm 104:14-15) and supplied light, medicine, and anointing. • The magnitude recalls Moses’ promise that Israel would enjoy “olive oil from the rocky crags” (Deuteronomy 32:13) and would export produce to the nations (Deuteronomy 7:13). • Pure oil points to quality, paralleling Solomon’s later use of the finest materials for the temple (1 Kings 6:20-22). summary 1 Kings 5:11 records a literal, annual supply agreement in which Solomon sent vast quantities of wheat and olive oil to Hiram. The verse showcases Solomon’s covenant-keeping, God-given abundance, and the blessing that flows from Israel to the nations. It reminds believers that faithful generosity, grounded in God’s provision, builds peace and advances God’s greater purposes. |
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