As I was reading this chapter Solomon’s wealth, one might even call it opulence, struck me. The Queen of Sheba was impressed with his wisdom, the lavishness of his palace, and presentation of his food that won her over (3-4). It struck me that there was minimal mention of the temple. For all the beauty of the temple it was Solomon’s lifestyle that grabbed her.
I wondered about the lavish displays and the amount of gold pouring in. I wondered if the people lived in poverty or if he cared for them. Power and fame and money have a corruption influence on most humans and his story in Kings suggested that he did in fact succumb to these temptations.
As I was noodling on all this and continuing my read I came to verses 30&31: Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father…
It hit me, he rested with his ancestors. We all face death… the wealthy, the poor, the wise and foolish. Yes, we all face death and in death our wealth & wisdom count for nothing. Only faithfulness to the Lord matters.
We can’t buy our way into eternity. We can’t argue or talk our way into eternity. The only entrance door to eternity is faith in Jesus. And Jesus requires that we surrender all to Him. So we may be wealthy, but how does He want us to use our wealth? We may be wise, but how does he want us to use our wisdom? These are the kinds of thoughts that should drive us. How can we best serve the Lord who loves us…
And that is a thought worth chewing on today…
Lord, I am Yours, bought with the price of Jesus’ sacrifice. How might I best serve You today, and all of my todays? I pray in His name. Amen.
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