Solomon started his reign over Israel, following in the footsteps of his father David. His heart was pure and humble. The LORD richly blessed him with wisdom, favor and incredible wealth. The LORD was pleased with Solomon as he completed both the Royal Palace and the Temple of the LORD. The Palace was half the size of a football field and the building materials were the finest.
SOLOMON BUILDS A PALACE
1 Kings 7:1-2 Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction. (2) One of Solomon’s buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.[a] There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars.
When it came time to dedicate the temple, it was a national celebration of music, praise and worship. The first celebration was the relocation of the Ark of the Covenant from the sacred tent to the Holy Temple. It was brought forth with all of Israel rejoicing and sacrificing lambs. So many lambs were sacrificed that no one could count the number.
1 Kings 8:5 There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!
SOLOMON PRAYS A PROPHECY OVER ISRAEL
Solomon offered a prayer to the LORD that would ultimately be proven to be prophetic. He warns Israel of the curse of captivity for disobedience and prayed that the LORD will be merciful if Israel would sin against the LOPRD.
1 Kings 8: 46-51“If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. (47) But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ (48) If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—(49) then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. (50) Forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against you. Make their captors merciful to them, (51) for they are your people—your special possession—whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.
SOLOMON’S OFFERING OF 22,000 CATTLE; 120,000 SHEEP AND GOATS TO DEDICATE THE TEMPLE
At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon sacrificed a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. The work of this celebration with burnt offerings is beyond our comprehension. There was never anything like it before or after. All of Israel sacrificed offerings in dedication of the Temple.
1 Kings 8:62-63 NLT Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. (63) Solomon offered to the Lord a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord.
THE LORD APPEARS AGAIN TO SOLOMON
The LORD was very pleased with Solomon and He appeared again to him reaffirming all of the promises that He made in Gibeon. The LORD also restated the curses that would come for disobedience.
1 Kings 9:1-9 NLT So Solomon finished building the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do. (2) Then the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had done before at Gibeon. (3) The Lord said to him,
“I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
(4) “As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, (5) then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
(6) “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, (7) then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. (8) And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads in amazement. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’
(9) “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.’”
Solomon’s Enormous Wealth
20 YEARS IN BUILDING THE TEMPLE & PALACE
1 Kings 9:10 It took Solomon twenty years to build the Lord’s Temple and his own royal palace.
25 TONS OF GOLD RECEIVED EACH YEAR
1 Kings 10:14 NLT Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. 15 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.
PURE GOLD VESSELS FOR THE KING
1 Kings 10:21 ESV All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.
SILVER AS COMMON AS STONE
1 Kings 10:27 ESV And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.
Prayer: Almighty God our LORD, we know that you reward those who love you. Help us to make you number one in our lives. Lead us to what you are blessing, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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