2 Chronicles 8-9

What’s Happening?

Through Solomon's wise rule, God begins fulfilling the promise he made to Abraham. All the way back in the book of Genesis God promised Abraham that his family would become a nation that would bless the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Now Solomon wisely rules over a nation of Abraham’s descendants, called Israel. And he has just prayed that God’s temple would be a place where all nations can come, ask God to meet their needs, and answer their prayers (2 Chronicles 6:32-33). Finally, God’s promise to Abraham is coming true through the wise rule of Solomon. 

After building the temple and his own palace, Solomon begins to build and bless the world around him. The king of Tyre gifts several cities to Israel, and one by one Solomon fortifies these once-foreign lands (2 Chronicles 8:1-3). Solomon never goes to war. Instead he expands his borders through a conquest of wisdom by listening to God. He spearheads international building projects and builds a fleet of ships to extend Israel’s influence farther and farther across the world (2 Chronicles 8:5-10, 16-18). Climactically, we learn that Solomon’s wife is Egyptian and she is brought up to live in Solomon’s palace, right next to God’s temple, proving once again that Solomon’s wise rule blesses not just Israel but the whole world (2 Chronicles 8:11). 

Solomon’s encounter with the queen from the far-off nation of Sheba proves the same point. She experiences Solomon’s wealth and wisdom firsthand and is overwhelmed (2 Chronicles 9:1-4). She concludes only Israel’s God could have done all that she’s seen. In submission to the kingdom God is building she pays tribute to Solomon (2 Chronicles 9:5-9). But Solomon sends this foreign queen home with more treasure and gifts than when she arrived (2 Chronicles 9:12).

Solomon’s kingdom continues to grow through wisdom and not war. Kings from all over the world seek Solomon’s wisdom and offer tribute in response (2 Chronicles 9:13, 20-24). The peace Solomon has secured is so thorough and his wealth is so massive that he builds both his throne and even his shields out of gold (2 Chronicles 9:15-19). Gold is both too precious and weak of a metal to take to war. They symbolize that Solomon conquers not through military campaigns but wisdom and wealth. Even though Solomon has thousands of horses and chariots, they all rest in storage unused until the day he dies (2 Chronicles 9:25-31).

Where is the Gospel?

David’s son Solomon blessed the world and fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham, not through war but through wisdom. Solomon reveals to us the ideal way in which God intends to bring his eternal and international Kingdom of peace to the earth—namely, through a son of David who rules with wisdom not war. That son of David is Jesus (Matthew 3:2). 

Jesus was a peaceful King greater than Solomon. Like Solomon, Jesus' life was marked by wisdom, generosity, and obedience to God’s laws. During his time on earth the nations of the world flocked to hear his teaching and see his wisdom for themselves. Jesus even says he is  greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42).

But sadly, God's own people—descendants of Abraham and Solomon—rejected and plotted to kill Solomon’s greatest son, Jesus (Acts 2:22-23). They declared war against him. They cunningly leveraged the powers of government and mass hysteria to condemn Jesus to death. But like Solomon, Jesus did not pick up any weapons. He didn’t even ask God to deploy heaven’s spiritual armies to rescue him (Matthew 26:53). Instead of using weapons of war to free himself, Jesus, in what seemed like foolishness, chose to die. But the foolishness of God is wiser than all the shrewdness of men (1 Corinthians 1:25). Jesus conquered not through force but by listening to his Father’s wisdom—and God raised him from the dead (Acts 2:23-24). 

Jesus now reigns forever as the true King of all the Earth. Like Solomon’s Egyptian bride, Jesus now invites us into God’s presence. Like the queen of Sheba we should come to him to experience his wisdom and generosity for ourselves. And when we do we will discover whatever we give to him will be given back with more added to it (Matthew 16:25-27). Jesus is a generous King. And if he has already given his life for you, there is no limit to the generosity he will give those who love him (Romans 8:32).

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who blesses the world. And may you see Jesus as the one who is greater than Solomon.