Year 6, Day 309: 2 Chronicles 9

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Appetite

• 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.

The Queen of Sheba comes to visit Solomon.  She sees all of the splendor.  She visits all of the grandeur.  She is impressed by his wisdom.  She gives him gifts and Solomon gives her what she asks.  In other words, it sounds like a trade agreement is established.  Solomon gets several tons of gold.  His wealth increases.  His wealth increases so much that silver is thought of as nothing in Jerusalem.

But here’s the problem.  Look what Solomon does with his wealth.  He beats the gold into useless decorations for his own houses.  Anyone who has even used gold knows that it isn’t suitable for weapons if your enemy has bronze or even iron.  Solomon makes an incredible throne for himself to sit upon.  Solomon makes drinking vessels and other implements so that when he eats the kings portion he can eat in all kind of style.  He imported horses from Egypt – once more, the key phrase that shows that Solomon is relying upon himself and straying from relying upon God.

You see, I believe that this chapter is more about Solomon’s appetite than God’s provision.  This chapter is about the amassing of wealth under Solomon’s reign.  But here’s the problem.  Do you know what we fail to hear?  We do not hear about the care of orphans and widows.  We don’t care about the generosity into the people.  We don’t hear about the care of the poor.  We don’t hear about making God’s name great.  What we hear about is Solomon’s appetite for wealth.

This appetite is the small footstool upon which the rebellion of the kings to follow is built.

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