What would I do if I was made king over a nation? Would I amass as much wealth as I could? Would I proclaim holidays in my honor? Would I leverage my position of power to fulfill my selfish desires while hurting my enemies?
I don’t imagine I would do any of these things, but the temptation would surely be there.
That would have especially been the case for a king in the time of the Old Testament. Being king meant unfathomable wealth and power; a nation hanging on your every whim and word. The situation was ripe for abuse, should the wrong self-serving leader ascend to the throne.
With that in mind, let’s look at the first days of the reign of King Solomon, which we find in the opening verses of 2 Chronicles.
Verse 1 stands out as a summary statement for the entire passage: “Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.”
God elevated Solomon as king, made His presence known to him, and blessed him greatly.
In return, what did Solomon do as he assumed the throne? Did he make it about himself, or rest in the riches of royalty? No! He led the entire nation of Israel in worshiping the Lord. And he did it on a large scale.
Solomon oversaw 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord. In doing so, Solomon showed us that God demands worship not just from leaders (kings, pastors, deacons) but from the people, as well. No one is exempt from worshipping God.
After Solomon humbled himself and worshipped God, a truly remarkable thing happened, which we read in verse 7: “That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to give you.’”
Can you imagine? The God of the universe welcomed Solomon into His holy presence and offered to fulfill any request Solomon made.
In response, Solomon asked God for wisdom and knowledge—not for the purpose of selfish gain, but in order to govern God’s people fairly. Solomon realized his own inability, and—conversely—God’s ability to equip him.
The text (vv. 11-12) tells us that God was so moved that He told Solomon that He would also grant him wealth, honor and fame, in addition to wisdom, since Solomon did not ask for anything for himself.
And in verses 14 and 15, we see how God delivered His promise to Solomon. The king accumulated over 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen (which, in terms of an army, would be the equivalent of battle tanks today). 2 Chronicles also says that “gold and silver [became] as common in Jerusalem as stones” (v. 15).
Truly, Solomon was blessed with power and riches beyond one’s wildest dreams.
As for us, let’s take a lesson from Solomon. You may be the boss, or you may be an entry-level worker. You may be the mayor, or you may sweep the streets. Regardless, humble yourself before the Lord and worship Him, above and before everything else. Seek His wisdom and guidance.
As you draw near and exalt Him alone, He will bless you with His presence in your life.
