Year 4, Day 351: 1 Kings 10

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Appetite, Approval

• Approval: We all need to feel as though we are accepted.  When we seek the approval of God, our Up is in the right place.  But when we seek the approval of other people besides God, we open the door to pursuing false gods and risk putting someone or something other than God in our Up position.
• Appetite: We all have needs that need to be filled.  When we allow ourselves to be filled with the people and things that God brings into our life, we will be satisfied because our In will be in proper focus.  But when we try to fill ourselves with our own desires we end up frustrated by an insatiable hunger.

I remember really studying the account of Solomon three years ago and being surprised by what I found.  You see, growing up I had been taught again and again that Solomon was a great man.  He was wise.  He was rich.  He was a great example.  It would be good for me to be like Him.  Then I read commentary after commentary about Solomon.  I read how God blessed Solomon unlike any other king and Solomon ultimately turned away from the Lord.  I remember being in shock as I looked upon scripture in a new way with respect to Solomon.

As I revisit these passages three years later, I can’t believe I ever saw them as I did when I was younger.  When the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon all we hear is how impressed she is with Solomon’s wisdom, his splendor, his ability to have grand sacrifices, the amount of people who come to seek his counsel etc.  The Queen of Sheba isn’t impressed with Solomon’s faith or his walk with God.  She’s impressed with the external signs of prosperity.  She impressed with his reputation, his stuff, and his magnificence.

Then we hear about Solomon’s trading partners.  We hear about how Solomon increases his own wealth.  We hear about how Solomon trades with Egypt – something forbidden by God in Deuteronomy 17:16-20.  We hear how Solomon obtains so much gold through his own efforts that silver is like nothing in his kingdom.  We hear how Solomon increases his own wealth rather than learning to rely and depend upon God.

Solomon seems to be bitten by the appetite bug as well as the approval bug.  He is growing his own wealth rather than being content in the Lord – a definite sign of an appetite out of control.  He is also seeking the approval of people like the Queen of Sheba.  He is seeking approval of the surrounding nations through the means of trade and treaties.  He is wandering away from God.  We’ll see the end result tomorrow of what happens to Solomon when his appetite and his desire for approval get the better of him.

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