CHAPTER 1

(1015 B.C.)

SOLOMON ESTABLISHED AS KING

¹And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly (for a time, Solomon, as well, would magnify the Lord, and then would close his life by magnifying himself).

²Then Solomon spoke unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers (rightly so; Solomon wanted the leaders of Israel to know and realize that their prosperity was based solely on the Blood of the Lamb, symbolized by the Sacrifices).

³So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the Tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness (the Tabernacle was a type of the wilderness struggle; even though the wilderness struggle was long and hard, still, the Tabernacle remained; likewise, the Lord Jesus, of Which the Tabernacle is a Type, will never leave us nor forsake us).

⁴But the Ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. (The Ark was a type of the land possessed; it represents the Throne of God and victory in the inheritance. The Temple represents the glorious Kingdom Age to come; therefore, both mentioned in Chpts. 1-2 portray the Christian life.)

⁵Moreover the Brasen Altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the Tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it (there all of the great Sacrifices were offered).

⁶And Solomon went up thither to the Brasen Altar before the LORD, which was at the Tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand Burnt Offerings upon it (the first instance of the Whole Burnt Offering is Gen. 8:20; of the five Levitical Offerings, it was the chief, and was usually preceded by a Sin Offering [Ex. 29:36-38; Lev. 8:14]; how long it took to offer up a thousand Burnt Offerings, we arent told!).

SOLOMON PRAYS FOR WISDOM

⁷In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give you (this is the night which followed the days of Sacrifices).

⁸And Solomon said unto God, You have showed great mercy unto David my father, and have made me to reign in his stead.

⁹Now, O LORD God, let Your promise unto David my father be established: for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the Earth in multitude.

¹⁰Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this Your people, that is so great? (Many criticize Solomon for making such a request, claiming that he should have asked for other things.)

¹¹And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of your enemies (to destroy enemies), neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people, over whom I have made you king:

¹²Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto you; and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like. (Concerning this request, I Ki. 3:10 proclaims the Holy Spirit saying, And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. If the Holy Spirit said that God was pleased with it, and He did, surely it should be good enough for us.)

SOLOMONS WEALTH AND MIGHT

¹³Then 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.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And 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 (this is a type of the coming Kingdom Age, when prosperity will rule the Earth, completely ridding the world of all hunger and want, because our Lord will be reigning supreme from Jerusalem).

¹⁶And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the kings merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

¹⁷And 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 (the Holy Spirit doesnt comment on these things, but merely mentions them).