1 Kings 10 (Part 2) Bible Study (Solomon's Great Wealth) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

First Kings 10 verse 14. Father, with great gratitude in our hearts, we are thankful that we can be reunited reunited around your word, and we pray that at this time, you would assist us as you have been assisting us in song and attentiveness, Lord. Empower us now as we engage with the word of God. We pray that the spirit of wisdom and revelation would be our guide. We pray, Lord, that our hearts would thirst for the scriptures, that we would not find ourselves indifferent or self sufficient or self reliant.

Lord, we lean into you with expectation believing that even in this portrait of the word of God, we will have fresh eyes and receive fresh insight for our hearts and for our worship's sake. We look to you again trusting in your provision for our manna. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. It is no surprise to any serious student of the word of God that the scriptures is a comprehensive and intricate text.

And by virtue of its depth, one of the features of the detailed portions of the word of God is that there is an absolute record of numbers. Numbers. I'm talking about actual numbers. And when we read these numbers, majority of them just deal with, the numbering of people, tribes, nations, maybe some items here and there. And most of that testifies to the historicity of the scriptures.

There are eyewitness accounts of these biblical events. Apart from that, you might find the value of numbers in predictive prophecy where God, in desiring to showcase his foreknowledge, will tell of an event that is yet to come to pass and will even, at times, give the number of years or days that this thing will occur. And in other cases, when we look at numbers in the bible, the Holy Spirit in his perfect authorship grants us patterns throughout the scriptures with certain numbers in order to communicate certain spiritual truths. And there are many examples of this, that we see and that we might be familiar with. The number that comes to mind is the number 40, a very prominent and, obvious number from cover to cover.

We think about the forty years that the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness. We think in the New Testament of the forty days that Jesus spent in his own wilderness. I think of Goliath who spent forty days taunting the nation of Israel, and the list goes on and on and on of how there is this consistent association with the number 40 and the idea of testing or time of trial. The Bible makes that clear. It's obvious to us because the Bible makes it obvious to us.

Now, unfortunately, there are some who have taken the numbers in the scriptures to another extreme where they feel as though every number has symbolic value, every number has significance. And so they spend their efforts and their energy trying to decode some secret meaning by using some numerical value system or these elaborate, equations that really end up leading us into strange conclusions. That is a dangerous way of handling the word of God. And the reason I'm saying all this at the outset of our bible study tonight is because we're gonna read a few verses. And the first verse that we're going to encounter contains a number, a number that we are familiar with that should stop us in our tracks.

And so let's read these verses. We're not gonna read the entirety of the rest of this chapter, but just the first few, and then we will take our time to dissect what the Holy Spirit has to say. Verse 14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold. Besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants and from all the kings of the West and from the governors of the land, king Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold.

600 shekels of gold went into each shield. And he made 300 shields of beaten gold. Three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold.

The throne had six steps and the throne had a round top. And on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrest, while 12 lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. 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. And so again, we read of these vast numbers and the one that should stand out to us is what we find here in verse 14. We read of his yearly salary, and the number is 666, talents of gold. Some estimate the value of that to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This man's wealth was unprecedented.

Israel's prosperity was unlike at any time in its history. And as we look here, we might think to ourselves, is this strange coincidence? Is there anything worth meditating on here? Some would say, let's just move on. This is simple coincidence.

Let's not make too much of this. And others would say, hold on. Maybe there is something deeper here because this is such a rare number in the bible. So the number six six six is found how many times in the scriptures if you include this text? Are you sure?

Look at everybody attentive for bible study. We are going to deal with those two, and there is another one. There is a total of three. Let me give you a couple seconds to think where you might find it. If you do know where it is, well, in the bible study here and just rejoice because it's a very obscure passage.

The only other place number 666 is found is in the book of Ezra. In Ezra chapter two verse 13, where we read a list there of the returning exiles, and this number makes up of the sons of Adonai come, 666. So we have 666 here with Solomon, 666 in terms of the return exile. And where is the last number of 666 found? In the book of Revelation chapter 13 when the Holy Spirit deals with the beast or the antichrist.

What do we make of this? What do we do with this? Is John, by the spirit, referring to one of these two Old Testament passages to provide greater insight into what may seem like a cryptic message concerning the antichrist? Well, let's think about it for a moment here. If we look at this number again, you mentioned earlier that there was two times that it is referred.

And I think that number two is important because Ezra doesn't have the same overlapping themes as Solomon's context and Revelation's context. In other words, the number 666 is linked to two individuals in all of the Bible. In all of the scriptures and all of the god breathed records, this number is linked to only two distinct people. And I think there's something there for us to consider. If we think here about Solomon and we link it with Revelation 13, again, there might be, not including Ezra's reference, some kind of connection, some kind of parallel.

And these are just suggestions. These are not dogmatic, but something worth chewing on and maybe exploring further concerning the artistry and the mind of God. Look at Revelation thirteen eighteen with me as we look at where this other reference of six six six is mentioned. In Revelation thirteen eighteen, the Holy Spirit says, this calls for wisdom. Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a man, and his number is six six six.

The first thing that I wanna bring to your attention is that both individuals and this number are tied to the theme of wisdom the theme of wisdom. In Solomon's case, we know that he was a ruler who wielded supernatural wisdom. In the case in the context of the beast, we are called to exercise wisdom and understanding his nature, his character, his identity. There's a second thing. There's a second perhaps pattern that's worth considering.

Both individuals in the number 666 are contextually associated with the practice of business and trade and commerce and both exercising unusual economic authority and power. So keep your finger there in Revelation 13 and go to sixteen seventeen and notice what's mentioned with the beast. We're told here concerning the beast and his image, also it causes all both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave to be marked on the right hand or the forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark that is the name of the beast or the number of its name. So here we're told of this mark, we're told of this beast, and we're told that this beast, this political figure will be able to cause people to feel trapped, that they won't be able to do simple transactions or simple business apart from pledging their allegiance to him. And, again, that number is linked to that context and that experience and that reality.

And we come back to our text of our study. And what do we read in first Kings 10? Well, let's read again verse 14 to verse 16. Now the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants and from all the kings of the West and from the governors of the land. Again, just consider the themes here.

You have this number that's linked to this economic realm, both here with Solomon and the beast who share this number. There's a final thing, and I think it is the most significant thing. It is the placement of this number six six six in Solomon's story and what it is preparing us for. So we look at these verses and we read a few of them, and we might get the impression that this is some irrelevant, meaningless summary of Solomon's wealth, and that would be wrong. That would be wrong because there is, of course, practical insight, but this is setting the stage for a very important chapter in Israel's history.

And that's first Kings 11 where Solomon will commit apostasy. And so we read of the talents of gold here that he was able to acquire, and more than that, we read of his accumulation of more wealth and what he does with it are serious flags concerning his faith. This is not just a catalog of what he owns. This is indicators and reminders of the compromising flaws that he tolerated. The issues concerning his character.

And so we look at this man and and might think, yes. It's speaking highly of him, but it's really not. This man is about to depart from his allegiance to the Lord and will worship false gods. And what about the beast? What about Revelation 13?

Again, what do we just cover? Well, we glaze on the fact that there is this kind of, connection with the call to wisdom. Solomon had the wisdom. We are called to have wisdom. We see this practice of the business trade and commerce and merchants and selling and buying, both associated with this number in terms of its placement.

And lastly, we see the theme of apostasy. This is going to be a setup for us to see the decline of Solomon. And what do we read of the beast? We read of him calling for people to make a complete departure from the true God and his gospel. And not just that, but to worship something else.

And that's found in Revelation 14. You know, yet people ask, is the vaccine the mark of the beast? Have you been asked that? I got some emails. Is the COVID nineteen maybe we have to take that thing out, so the mention of that just in case of censorship.

Is the thing is it the mark? Because, look, we can't go into our favorite restaurants, and we can't travel, and we can't do this. No. It's not the mark. For one main reason, the mark will be a pledge of worship to a man to a man.

And here's what we're told in Revelation 14 verse nine. And another angel, a third, followed them saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand. Then he goes on to explain in verse 10 that the wrath of God is reserved for such a person. So, again, both contexts containing the number six six six are closely connected to idolatry. And if these points are persuasive to you, let me warn you that in no way am I suggesting that the Antichrist is gonna be some kind of reincarnated Solomon.

But perhaps the thematic overlaps provide us this ominous understanding. This layer to many other layers in understanding the beast in Revelation. An insight that may suggest how like Solomon, there is a future leader who is to come, and initially he will present himself as unbelievably wise, incredibly powerful, one who will shape culture and bring nations to their knees, and yet, eventually, will lead the masses into false worship. And this is what we see here with this number. And so this is verse 14, but we read on and we read of verse 16.

King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold. 600 shekels of gold went into each shield, and he made 300 shields of beaten gold. Three minas of gold went into each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. We've dealt with the house of the forest of Lebanon in a past bible study. We use this as a reference to confirm that it was most likely utilized as an armory for the nation of Israel, but there is another meaning here.

There's something else for us to be able to apply to our lives. Because in just a few chapters, we're gonna see reference to not just this place, but to these shields that were used in this armory for a decorative purpose. You're not gonna use golden shields to go to war. But, again, this man had such overwhelming income of gold. It's as though they just wanted to do so much with it and things that didn't even seem to make sense like golden cups as we read.

But there's a spiritual principle with this, and it's only when you come to first Kings 14 where you read of Solomon's son Rehoboam that you learn why this is an important thing to grasp. Rehoboam will also fall into idolatry. Worse, he will commit more grievous rebellion against God than his fathers. And after a few short years, the Lord's patience wears out and he exercises divine chastisement toward Rehoboam. And the way that he does it is that he allows the king of Egypt to be unleashed and to ransack Jerusalem.

And here's what we read in verse 25 of first Kings 14. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, and king Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard who kept the door of the king's house.

So Solomon during his reign was able to create these beautified shields to decorate this glorious house known as the house of the forest of Lebanon. And just in a matter of five years, five years into the reign of his son, son, those shields are removed and they are replaced with something inferior. These shields of brass. And again, you look at that and you see that as an unfortunate transition. Right?

No. There is a spiritual lesson there because, again, the reason for these shields being removed was the consequence of sin. Here's the lesson if you just look at these verses and you connect them. This is why let me remind you, read your Bible a verse a day ain't gonna cut it if you want revelation. Finish the book that you started.

So I read here in chapter 10 that there's this elaborate shields being placed into this house, and then in few chapters, they realize that a king removes them from Egypt. He takes them, and this is a result of divine discipline. Sin will always impoverish you. Sin will always lessen the quality of life that god has in mind for us. Sin steals from you.

Sin will diminish and take from you, not the physical, but the spiritual treasures that the lord longs to adorn you with. Sin robs. Sin takes. Saying, brother, why is this important? For many reasons.

Because oftentimes, when we're tempted to sin, we think we're gaining something. We think we're adding something. We're adding a thrill. We're adding purpose. We're adding safety.

We're adding peace. We're adding happiness. No. No. No.

Be reminded even in this illustration, sin will always grab and oftentimes take more than you anticipated because there are some smart sinners out there who know that there is always a price to any decision, but in their foolishness they would think, well, no. In sin though I'm making some kind of a investment, I'm getting more in return. No. You're always gonna lose. And here's poor Rehoboam thinking to himself that although the consequence of sin cost him something and made his reality a little bit more empty than it was before, he thought that he can replace the blessing of god with cheap substitutes.

They took the gold, let me replace it with brass. And what are sinners doing now as they depart and turn their back on the true and living god? They try to fill that empty void with other things. The thing that only God can fill and complete, they try to do themselves. Instead of seeing what sin is doing to their soul, eroding their soul, decaying their hearts, Instead of repenting, they try to patch it up with their own ideas and schemes and even some with more sin.

Here's what the prophet Jeremiah spoke to his generation concerning sin. Jeremiah five twenty five, if we can put it up, this is one of my favorite verses in confronting sin. Confronting sin in my life, confronting sin in the lives of those that I love. Jeremiah the prophet told this to his people of his time, and it's insightful concerning what we read with this idea in mind. Well, if it's not there, you can turn there.

And in Jeremiah five twenty five, we read, your iniquities have turned these away. Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you. Highlight it, underscore it, and if you feel it necessary, put it somewhere above your door before you leave your house. Your sins have kept good from you. That's one of the tragedies of sin, unrepented iniquity and transgression.

It takes. It keeps from you that which god longs to lavish you with. And this is the case with Solomon in his time. Yes. He's going to lose out in his own day, but we see Rehoboam who unfortunately follows in his steps and is robbed of blessing in in his own day.

That's what we learn about these shields. Isn't that amazing? Who knew that golden shields could teach us about sin? Let's come back to our main text, shall we? Verse 18.

The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top. And on each side of the seat were armrests and two lines standing beside the armrest, while the 12 lines stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps, the like of which it was never made in any kingdom. You're supposed to be amazed by this. You're supposed to be in awe of this.

You're supposed to visualize this. Here is this glorious throne and these engraved decorative emblems around this throne, and it speaks of the splendor of this man. The majesty, the magnificence, the brilliance of his rule, of his reign, of his authority. Clearly, it was designed for those who at this time would step into that scene to be overwhelmed with a sense of, again, the things that I mentioned, but including the sense of justice. And yet as we look at this, we learned of it of another bible study that it would be temporal.

It's a temporal glory. It is glorious. It is majestic, but the grandeur of it becomes nothing in a short amount of time. And so it really is like a firework. The peak of Solomon's success and even the beauty demonstrated with examples like this is like a flash in the sky.

It moves you for a moment, but it ends up turning into smoke and ash and disappears in the wind never to be seen again. But look at this verse again. Look at this image with a wider scope of scripture in view. The scripture speaks of many thrones. The scripture speak speaks of thrones that have been raised, thrones that have been brought low, but there is only one throne as you know that will be eternal.

And its glory will never fade. It will never be challenged. It will never be overthrown. It will remain stable, and we will forever marvel at it. Not because of what that throne will be made of, but the one who occupies the throne.

The wisdom of that king, the love of that king, the power of that king. We will never lose our sense of awe as we look upon him who sits on that throne and will sit on it forever and ever. And the Bible gives us glimpses. I was I step step back this afternoon and I thought to myself about the throne of Jesus Christ and the variety of its characteristics that should cause my heart to worship. What are we to anticipate when we see him receiving his rightful due?

And this is one verse that came to mind among many verses. Right? The verse of him who, yes, will be a king and a priest on the throne, the extent of the authority of that throne, those who will bring their gifts and submit to the lordship of that. Yes. All of that is wonderful.

But may I present to you an aspect of the throne of Jesus Christ that should cause your knees to be weak and to bow before it now. Revelation three twenty one. Here is the Lord Jesus himself speaking to one of the most spiritually deprived churches out of the seven in the book of Revelation. This is this is in reference to this is in the context of the lukewarm church. Some interpret the seven churches as a prophetic timetable of the condition of the church until the return of Christ.

I don't necessarily see it that way, but this is speaking about the lukewarm church. The church that felt as though they were self sufficient. This the church that felt as though they had need of nothing. This church that prospered in every way you can imagine except for their spirit. The lord has a word for them, a word of rebuke, a scathing word, blistering.

And he gives this church a church that he says, if you don't repent, I'm gonna vomit you out of my mouth. I mean, this is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking here that seems so hopeless, that seemed to be so despised, and yet is promised one of the greatest rewards, an unthinkable, inconceivable reward for those who seem to be so far from the standard of holiness that Christ longs from those that he has purchased. Here's his word to them in verse 21. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. Do you see that?

He's telling a bunch of lukewarm Christians, if you conquer conquer what? Conquer lukewarmness. Conquer indifference. Conquer self reliance. If you're able to live in victory over that, do you think many people suffer with lukewarmness?

Yes. And here's the promise to the Lord, if you are able to walk in victory over that, if you are willing to remain in fellowship with me, if you are willing to consistently allow your heart to place me as your supreme desire and your supreme source of all that you need, I will give you this reward. I will allow you to sit with me on my throne. Now think about that. That moves me.

It might move you into confusion because you just heard me say that this eternal throne, this throne that will never lose its glistening glory, The one the thing that makes it so glorious is the one who sits upon it. Now you're telling me that we're gonna sit on it with him? It's less glorious now. No. It's more glorious because you and I sitting on his throne is not so much us sharing in his, identity or sharing in his exaltation as him being virtue God and king.

We sitting on his throne, more than anything else, are demonstrations and displays of his glory and grace. We are trophies of his mercy. This is what the lord is communicating. We are trophies of his compassion. And so, again, when we think about the throne of Christ in this light, the glory of it exceeds Solomon's for many reasons.

And and here's one of the reasons, when we'll see it, we will see grace. We're not just gonna see justice. We're not just gonna see power and authority. We're gonna see grace. Because look at those whom he is willing to sit with them.

Those who are once lukewarm, those who who once found satisfaction in other things, content and worldliness, but repented, those whom he has purchased by faith and was able to empower unto holiness, this is the grace of this king, and that will move us to worship as we stand before it. And so whatever you see with Solomon's throne, it pales in comparison. It is eclipsed by the absolute depth of the majesty and the magnificence of the one who occupies this throne, the son of David who will rule forever and ever. And we read on verse 21. 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. Can you imagine that? Let's add this verse connected to this. Look at verse 27.

In verse 27, we read, and the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of Shefilah. Think about this. You have silver now that has been reduced to the value of rocks. The thing that was prominent, the things that was so available was gold, and there was so much of it that silver was an afterthought. That's not the case today.

And there are very few I can't think of any time in history where where this is the case. Silver was as though it was like stone, and there's a lot of stone in Israel. And, again, we look at this and we get a snapshot of the glory of this man's reign surely, but, again, there is a timeless principle that's not difficult to perceive. The this characteristic of Solomon's reign reminds us that the value of materialism is not permanent. It's not permanent.

Its vacillating potential is true of this life, and the change of its worth is certain in the life to come. That's an important word for many of us, many of us who chase after these things. I I like to jokingly refer to the streets of gold in Jerusalem, the thing that people die, cheat, lie, and betray over will become pavement in heaven. Here we see silver becomes as nothing as nothing in the days of Solomon. And it's so sad to see the investments that Solomon makes here.

You you might be impressed, I might be impressed, but it's actually a sad sight. And the reason why it is a sad sight is because Solomon was to be preoccupied with something else, and there seems to be no indication that he was preoccupied by what I'm about to show you. Because in this catalog, you see one achievement after the next. You see the wealth coming in, and you see how he applies the wealth. Extravagance, luxury, things that we wouldn't never do with what he had.

I never thought to myself, you know, I think one day I I want my covers to be filled with cups of gold. Where have you gone in your success for you to think this way? And, again, this takes time, effort, thought, strategy. And as I peeled back from these verses, I thought, but wasn't he supposed to be busy with something else? Yes.

We see here the faithfulness of God to an extent where he promised Solomon, you ask for wisdom, and I'm gonna honor you not just with wisdom, I'm gonna give you riches and honor. We see a fulfillment of God's faithfulness here, but there is something even further back that was supposed to be characterizing every king, not just this king. That we don't get the impression with all the things that we read here that Solomon was at that place. Here is the law of God concerning the future kings of Israel. And before we even turn there, maybe as you're turning there in Deuteronomy 17 verse 18, do you remember what the king was to do after not doing certain things?

He was not to acquire many wives. He was not to acquire many horses. He was not to acquire too much wealth. Right? But there was something he was to do.

There was something he must do. Do you remember what it was? He was to take a copy of the law and write a personal copy for himself. You want a exciting assignment in your life if you have the time? I challenge you to do that.

Take the book of Deuteronomy and write it word for word in a journal. That's what every king had to do. A king, yes, but a scribe in some sense as well. It was to be approved by the Levites. But every king, for many reasons, was to have a personal copy of the law in their hands and not just to write it once.

Though that would cause them to be very familiar with the passages and the context, it was also to be something that they were to make personal. It was a way of saying, make this personal in your life and absorb it and read it and digest it every single day. So let me read these verses to you. We read in Deuteronomy seventeen eighteen, and when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law approved by the Levitical priest, and it shall be with him. And he shall read it all the days of his life, then he may learn to fear the lord his god by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes and doing them.

Why don't we complete it in verse 20? What do we read there? That his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment either to the right hand or to the left so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children and Israel. I love how there is a promise concerning relating to the word of God and humility. You read this word every day with humility, with hunger, with transparency and eagerness.

One of the rewards of that is that it will humble you and it will keep you humble. You're not reading the Bible right if you're proud by reading it. You're not reading the Bible right if you're puffed up after you've studied it. It's supposed to humble you, which tells me that in great part, when I read the Bible, I'm supposed to see God. I'm supposed to see the Lord and how transcendent he is and how real he is and how he is able to intervene both for good and injustice.

And it's supposed to cause me to feel small and to keep me dependent. And the power of this word is not just to do that for those who feel small in other aspects of life, but even for kings, even for rulers, even for leaders of nations. And so his heart would not be lifted up. And not only that, there is a connection between knowing people people ask, should I read my bible every day? Here's a wonderful proof text.

Here's a wonderful proof text. Let me ask you this question. Do you want longevity in your faith, in your character? Because that's what's promised to the kings, that he may continue long in his kingdom. I can tell you the reason one of the reasons why people don't go long in their faith, in their consistency and consecration.

At some point, they abandoned the word of God. At some point, they abandoned it. You're saying, well, no. I know preachers who did this or do that. Yeah.

But did they read it, and did it cause them to be humble? Or were they just looking for another sermon because they wanted a paycheck? Big difference. That he may continue long in his kingdom. I want to know success for the long run.

Well, then you're gonna have to know the word of God. And listen. Having a bible on your nightstand is not enough. Visiting it from time to time is not enough. Remember again the great investment that a king was to make with the word of God.

Write it. Write a copy of it. What does that entail? That entails dedication. That entails discipline.

That entails commitment. Get to the word of God. Get familiar with the word of God. Every time I read of Apollos, I like to go into the King James version just for that part because I like how the King James words, his commitment, and his relationship with the word of God. We're told there that he was mighty in the scriptures.

I like that. I wanna be mighty in the scriptures. I'm not too concerned being mighty on the bench press or mighty on social media. If I wanna be mighty in anything, it's in the Bible. It's in the word of God.

Mighty in the scriptures. Okay. I'm getting I'm losing track here. We have to go back to original thought. Look at verse eighteen one more time.

We're told again, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law approved by the Levitic priest. So, again, we here see that the king of Israel was to labor. He was to labor over the word of God. That includes making a personal copy of it, and that includes him reading it. And instead, we read of these other achievements that that are nice.

They're not necessarily evil in itself, though there are concerning achievements at the end of this chapter. And Solomon reaches a height in his success where he makes silver to be as valuable as stone, and all the while his heart is becoming stone. So he is moving these people to know great success in their own right, and yet at the same time, there's something shriveling in his own heart. Who cares what you achieve if you forfeit your walk with God? And that's what we see here.

Evidently, as we're about to find out in the next chapter, Solomon would not know true longevity, successful longevity, finishing well. And could it be because he did not honor the prescription that would promise such an end? And instead, we see a very busy man, a very ambitious man making silver be a stone while his heart was becoming stone. It's a sad sight indeed. And this is where we see the biggest cracks in the foundation of his faith.

Let's read verse 26 to verse 29. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as a sycamore of the Shephala. And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Q, and the king's traders received from Q at a price.

A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for a 150. And so through the king's traders, they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. Okay. We've visited this verse before in anticipation of Solomon's fall, but it's even deeper than what we might be might be familiar with. Did you notice something in the last part there?

So he is receiving horses, and he's exporting horses. And who is he exporting some of these horses to? The Hittites. Good guys or bad guys? Are they even supposed to be in the land of Canaan?

No. So here's a people that are to be removed from the land, and instead, Solomon's doing business with them. And remember, there's no chapter break going to chapter 11. We read of this man multiplying his wealth. We read of this man multiplying what?

Horses, and then we're about to find out that he's gonna multiply his wives. But here's how I want us to end this because we will visit this in the next chapter. Go back with me again to verse twenty three and twenty four. Thus king Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom, and the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. I find it scary how this is one of many examples again, how one can be used by God and still not be right with God.

One can exercise a gift from God and not be walking in righteousness, and many people are content with that. Many people are content to be in the realm of spiritual service and not be connected to the savior intimately, privately. But that's not the main point. The point that I wanna drive into our hearts is how Jesus refers to Solomon's glamour and splendor and provides a practical truth for his children, for those who would follow him, for those who would face the reality of anxiety and fear for tomorrow. Out of all the studies of Solomon, we have yet to touch on this reference, so I was excited to finally pull out Matthew chapter six verse 28 to 31 that has brought comfort to millions over the ages.

And here's where we end our bible study tonight. When we read this, read it for yourself. And when why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

That's incredible. Just look at a bed of lilies. Look at a field of flowers. And I want you to understand that the complexity and the natural decor of those plants outshine the splendor of even Solomon. Put one of those things under a microscope and you'll know exactly what Jesus means here.

That which grows by God's providence and his authorship, that which needs no assistance from man is far greater than the fabrics that are created by man. Look at these lilies. Look at these flowers. Look at the colors. Look at the hues.

Look at look at it. I I had a I had a chance to look at it. Maybe not with plants, but on birds, and I just was in amazement. I was like, the Lord painted these feathers. But I am to look at these things and consider something, not just how nature exceeds the authorship of God exceeds whatever Solomon was able to generate.

No. No. No. No. Here's the point.

If the Lord himself is willing to give such attention and investment to something as short lived, to something as perishable as a flower? How much more attention and investment is he willing to give to those that he has created in his image? How much more is he willing to invest to those who belong to him? And so you wanna know how you can marry the old and the new. I read this, and I and I see how king Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth.

And Jesus says, you got glory? Yeah. I beautify these flowers more than that. Well, Lord, you're powerful. You're amazing.

Your mind is unlike any other. No. No. No. You don't understand.

I'm not trying to just make a point that I'm better. I'm trying to make the point that if I'm willing to beautify these lilies and they perish like that, how much more am I willing to take care of you from head to toe? Don't worry. And again, you heard me say this earlier, as much as this is an indication of the dive into darkness that Solomon is about to make, at the same time, it is still a declaration of the faithfulness of God. Remember, God told Solomon, you asked for the right thing, and I'm gonna give you more than what you asked.

Here's riches. Here's honor. Is he not enjoying what God said he would have? Is God not faithful to his word? Absolutely.

And if God was faithful to Solomon with these subjective and personalized promises, here is Matthew telling us, God is faithful. He will be faithful to you. He will take care of you. What he has said, he will honor. He will guide you.

He will lead you. He will clothe you. He will feed you. He will. He will.

He takes care of the flowers. They're there one day, and the next day, they're losing life, and they're ready to be plucked out of the ground. And here you are, worrying if tomorrow we'll be able to provide. And I love how the how the Lord even mentions about our clothing, saying how relevant is that. I'll tell you how relevant it is.

What happens to you when a wedding comes up? Ladies, Fill in the blank. Practical, real life concerns and worries. The little things. Here's the Lord saying, the little things.

I'm willing to manage your life in more ways than you can imagine. Here's the requirement from you, though. Seek my kingdom first. You seek my kingdom first. So the way to deal with anxiety is more than just rehearsing the promises of God.

Those promises are conditional. First, establish within your heart. Is my heart convinced that I will seek his kingdom first? No matter what, his purpose, his message, his mission is my mandate, is the banner of my life. If you can say that, then you and I should never feel a drop of anxiety because he promises, if that is your course of life, then watch me take care of you every step along the way.

Along the way. I can testify that he does. He does. And I have so many testimonies, which I will not keep you with, about how he can take care of everything from a house, a roof over your head, to the shoes on your feet when they are ready to be replaced. He knows how to take care of his own.

Well, that's a hopeful thought to end on in a very dark chapter and one that's allowing us to enter into a very dark tunnel for the rest of our study in first Kings. So let's just meditate on those truths that we might have been very familiar with, but sometimes we need to be reminded with. Shall we posture our hearts and adoration toward this king? It is with great delight to be in your presence, oh lord. Our hearts are enlarged in love for you.

Thank you for the mastery of the Bible. Thank you that week after week, and for many of us day by day, you remind us that this book, you show us, you prove that this book is authored by you. We are amazed by you. Thank you that even in a text of a list of numbers and historical details, we see your character. We see your face.

We see your love. We see the foreshadowings of a greater king. We see principles and truths that are tucked behind symbols and tucked behind examples, good examples, terrible examples. Oh, lord. Thank you that you are ruling and reigning now, and thank you that though you have given us salvation and that is enough, you go above and beyond and wanna reward us for faithfulness that you empower us to achieve.

And so, Lord, for us tonight who might feel lukewarm and more than just being aware of it, our content in it, oh, Lord, may the words to the Laodicean church be for us tonight that you invite us to sit with you on your throne if we conquer if we conquer this, if we finish well, if we finish with our eyes on you and our hearts soft and our hands empty, not clinging to anything else except the plow that you called us to push forward. Lord, you are worthy. What an amazing god you are. What a throne you sit on. A throne that you are willing to have sinners who have been forgiven to sit.

What a throne that is. Greater than that of ivory covered with gold. Greater than that who occupies it with a mine unlike any other. Lord, your mind exceeds that of Solomon's, and your heart does as well. We bless your name.

Oh, we're moved by your greatness. Lord Jesus, help us see see you who for who you are, and, Lord, help us finish well. You've brought us into 2024. Thank you for the souls who are here week after week. Thank you for the people that watch week after week.

Oh, we pray that you would bring us through another year filled with testimonies and greater treasures that we will discover in this book. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Yes. Praise team, you can come. Had a chance on the Sunday morning, the last Sunday morning of our trip to meet somebody who watches us every single week from Australia. She drove two hours to come to the meeting as she waited in line to meet us, And I was just overcome. It's like, there are people who are connected to the NBC family who are 9,000 plus miles away.

And so it's so encouraging, to see you here primarily, but to know that what's happening here is going across the world. Glory be to God. And so we wanna rejoice in the Lord that what we are experiencing here every Friday, your eagerness making this bible study possible. Because I love bible study, but if nobody else is interested, I'm having bible study by myself. To record myself having Bible study.

But because you're here, this is able to happen, and it's able to go into the internet streams and platforms, and people are being blessed. We serve a mighty king. So let's stand and worship him as we conclude this meeting.