HOW RICH WAS KING SOLOMON? (1)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) Exactly how rich was King Solomon? How much gold did he possess? Did God make him wealthy, or did he inherit it from his father David, or did he have to earn it all himself? What are the four things that made him the richest king IN THE WORLD during his lifetime? How much gold, silver, and other valuable goods did he receive as GIFTS each year?
b) Many people are aware that God gave Solomon, the son of King David, wisdom. However, God gave him far MORE than an understanding heart with which to judge the children of Israel. He also blessed him by making him rich!
c) Shortly after Solomon became king God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him ANYTHING (1Kings 3:5). He requested "an understanding heart" (verse 9) so that he could fulfill his responsibilities as king over all of Israel. God's response to his selfless request was amazing and unique.
i) 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again. 13 I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king. (1Kings 3:10-13)
d) God not only promised to make David's son the wisest man EVER but also to make him RICH.
1. What four things made him RICH?
a) There are four primary ways King Solomon, in a fairly short period of time, became the wealthiest king alive. He was made rich through commerce and trading, gifts he received, tribute money paid to him and heavy taxation.
The End ...
0. Introductiona) Exactly how rich was King Solomon? How much gold did he possess? Did God make him wealthy, or did he inherit it from his father David, or did he have to earn it all himself? What are the four things that made him the richest king IN THE WORLD during his lifetime? How much gold, silver, and other valuable goods did he receive as GIFTS each year?
b) Many people are aware that God gave Solomon, the son of King David, wisdom. However, God gave him far MORE than an understanding heart with which to judge the children of Israel. He also blessed him by making him rich!
c) Shortly after Solomon became king God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him ANYTHING (1Kings 3:5). He requested "an understanding heart" (verse 9) so that he could fulfill his responsibilities as king over all of Israel. God's response to his selfless request was amazing and unique.
i) 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again. 13 I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king. (1Kings 3:10-13)
d) God not only promised to make David's son the wisest man EVER but also to make him RICH.
1. What four things made him RICH?
a) There are four primary ways King Solomon, in a fairly short period of time, became the wealthiest king alive. He was made rich through commerce and trading, gifts he received, tribute money paid to him and heavy taxation.
@1. Commerce and Trading
i) "King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber . . . Then Hiram (King of Tyre) sent his servants with the fleet, seamen who knew the sea, to work with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir, and acquired FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY TALENTS OF GOLD from there . . ." (1Kings 9:26-28)
a) Solomon's partnership with Hiram also brought him, every three years, things like ivory, monkeys, apes, etc. (1Kings 10:22-23). The Jewish historian Josephus also wrote about his trading for gold and silver.
i) " . . . for the King had many ships which lay upon the sea of Tarsus, these he commanded to carry out all sorts of merchandise unto the remotest nations, by the sale of which silver and gold were brought to the king, and a great quantity of ivory, and Ethiopians, and apes; and they finished their voyage, going and returning, in three years' time" (Antiquities (History) of the Jews, Book 8, Chapter 7)
@2. Gifts
a) The Queen of Sheba came special to Jerusalem to hear Solomon's wisdom. She was so impressed that she gave him camels, jewels, a large quantity of gold and other gifts.
i) 9 She (Queen of Sheba) presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons (other translations say 'one hundred and twenty talents') of gold . . . (2Chronicles 9:1, 9)
b) The Bible says that everyone who came to inquire of the king's wisdom brought him a gift - either animals, spices, precious metals and so on (1Kings 10:25).
c) Josephus also wrote about how rich Solomon was through the gold and other goods he received.
i) "Now the weight of gold that was brought him was six hundred and sixty-six talents, not including in that sum what was brought by the merchants, nor what the toparchs and kings of Arabia gave him in presents."
ii) "Accordingly there went a great fame all around the neighboring countries, which proclaimed the virtue and wisdom of Solomon, insomuch that all the kings everywhere were desirous to see him, as not giving credit to what was reported, on account of its being almost incredible. They also demonstrated the regard they had for him by the presents they made him; for they sent him VESSELS OF GOLD, and silver, and purple garments, and many sorts of spices, and horses, and chariots, and as many mules for his carriages as they could find proper to please the king's eyes, by their strength and beauty." (Antiquities (History) of the Jews, Book 8, Chapter 7)
@3. Tribute Money
a) Tribute is money or goods paid by kingdoms or countries in acknowledgment of another country’s superiority.
i) "They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. . . ." (1Kings 4:24)
@4. Heavy Taxation
a) Rehoboam, after he assumed the throne of his father, travelled to the city of Shechem where many of the northern-most tribes of Israel gathered to make him king. The people told the king, in no uncertain terms, what his father required of them.
i) 'Your father Solomon treated us harshly and placed heavy burdens (he taxed them heavily) on us. ' (1Kings 12:4)
i) "King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber . . . Then Hiram (King of Tyre) sent his servants with the fleet, seamen who knew the sea, to work with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir, and acquired FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY TALENTS OF GOLD from there . . ." (1Kings 9:26-28)
a) Solomon's partnership with Hiram also brought him, every three years, things like ivory, monkeys, apes, etc. (1Kings 10:22-23). The Jewish historian Josephus also wrote about his trading for gold and silver.
i) " . . . for the King had many ships which lay upon the sea of Tarsus, these he commanded to carry out all sorts of merchandise unto the remotest nations, by the sale of which silver and gold were brought to the king, and a great quantity of ivory, and Ethiopians, and apes; and they finished their voyage, going and returning, in three years' time" (Antiquities (History) of the Jews, Book 8, Chapter 7)
@2. Gifts
a) The Queen of Sheba came special to Jerusalem to hear Solomon's wisdom. She was so impressed that she gave him camels, jewels, a large quantity of gold and other gifts.
i) 9 She (Queen of Sheba) presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons (other translations say 'one hundred and twenty talents') of gold . . . (2Chronicles 9:1, 9)
b) The Bible says that everyone who came to inquire of the king's wisdom brought him a gift - either animals, spices, precious metals and so on (1Kings 10:25).
c) Josephus also wrote about how rich Solomon was through the gold and other goods he received.
i) "Now the weight of gold that was brought him was six hundred and sixty-six talents, not including in that sum what was brought by the merchants, nor what the toparchs and kings of Arabia gave him in presents."
ii) "Accordingly there went a great fame all around the neighboring countries, which proclaimed the virtue and wisdom of Solomon, insomuch that all the kings everywhere were desirous to see him, as not giving credit to what was reported, on account of its being almost incredible. They also demonstrated the regard they had for him by the presents they made him; for they sent him VESSELS OF GOLD, and silver, and purple garments, and many sorts of spices, and horses, and chariots, and as many mules for his carriages as they could find proper to please the king's eyes, by their strength and beauty." (Antiquities (History) of the Jews, Book 8, Chapter 7)
@3. Tribute Money
a) Tribute is money or goods paid by kingdoms or countries in acknowledgment of another country’s superiority.
i) "They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. . . ." (1Kings 4:24)
@4. Heavy Taxation
a) Rehoboam, after he assumed the throne of his father, travelled to the city of Shechem where many of the northern-most tribes of Israel gathered to make him king. The people told the king, in no uncertain terms, what his father required of them.
i) 'Your father Solomon treated us harshly and placed heavy burdens (he taxed them heavily) on us. ' (1Kings 12:4)
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