Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Chronicles 1:13–17, “Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel. And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.”
Even though Solomon started with a strong desire to honour the Lord and asked for wisdom, it seems as though he didn’t make the effort to inform himself about how to obey the Lord. The Lord established specific conditions for a king in Israel. His first task, under priestly supervision, was to make his own copy of the book of the Law, in his own hand. Had Solomon done that, he would have discovered that a king was not meant to multiply horses to himself. (Deut 17: 14-20) In spite of this fact, Solomon began to trade horses and chariots with Egypt. This meant that Solomon was also looking to Egypt even though he was specifically told not to return to Egypt. Of course trading with Egypt was not the same as going back to Egypt but it was very much like holding onto a glass of alcohol without drinking it. Solomon was rich and powerful but he began to rely on his own strength.
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