“King Shlomo conscripted 30,000 men from all Israel for forced labor. He sent them to the L’vanon in monthly relays of 10,000; they would stay a month in the L’vanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.”-1 Kings 5:27
In verse 27, we’re told that Solomon sent 30,000 men from Israel to Lebanon to assist in cutting and transporting the cedar trees.
Apparently, they were to put to work in shifts of 10,000 men, one month at a time.
Now, I gotta question for you.
Don’t you find this troubling?
Think about what’s really happening here, homies.
Solomon is starting to behave like a heathen, uncircumcised gentile king.
Just like all the horses he was piling up…
He’s now forcing his own people to work against their will.
This isn’t how a Godly Shepherd should treat his flock.
Solomon was acting like a tyrant.
Reminds me of some egotistic congregation leaders I’ve rubbed shoulders with in the past.
Solomon’s behavior shouldn’t surprise us, by the way.
Check out these verses from 1st Samuel and note the parts I’ve highlighted.
“Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, ‘This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys, he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’”-1 Samuel 8:10 – 18
Well, there you have it, homies.
The Prophet Samuel warned Israel that this is EXACTLY what a king would do to them.
It’s all right there in 1st Samuel 8.
Samuel’s warning was coming true through Solomon’s behavior…literally word for word!
There’s an interesting takeaway coming to me today.
First of all, I find it interesting that even though both King David and Solomon started with the best of intentions…
They still ended up falling off the rails in terms of obeying God’s Torah.
This perfectly mirrors my faith walk with God.
And I think many other believers as well.
We all begin with the best of intentions.
But without consistent exposure to God’s Word…
Slowly but surely, the insidious nature of sin takes over.
And we find ourselves doing the very things we hate…as the Apostle Paul lamented.
I think this phenomenon is also evidence that the Torah is indeed God’s Word.
The fact that it is so hard to obey is evidence that our fleshly desires are at war against God’s Will.
The Scriptures are like a flashlight or a magnifying glass that exposes where we fall short.
Not just in terms of our behavior.
But in terms of our inner thoughts and mental state as well.
We’re gonna see the same tendency in most of the kings whose lives we’ll be examining moving forward.
Things will start off on an optimistic note.
But over time, the cracks and leaks of sinful human nature will begin to emerge.
I’ll leave it at that for today.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“All Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work.”
-2 Timothy 3:16
“We know that the law is spiritual;
but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do I do not do,
but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good.”
-Romans 7:14-16
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