May 5 Daily Devotional

1 Kings 9–11

When Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, the Lord appeared unto him the second time, and said, “I have heard thy prayer …I have hallowed this house; if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked … then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David … But if ye shall at all turn away from following me … then will I cut off Israel out of the land … and this house … will be cast out of my sight … every one that passeth by it shall be astonished … and shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?” and they shall answer, “Because they forsook the Lord their God.”

And the queen of Sheba, when she heard of the fame of Solomon, came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with very much gold and precious stones. And when she had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house he had built, she said, “I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it, and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are the men … which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom.” And the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon great treasures of gold and very many precious stones. Solomon also gave her rich presents.

Solomon’s great palace, where he lived and ruled, stood on the southern slope of mount Moriah. Its pillars of cedar were very many, so that they stood like a forest; it was called “the house of the forest of Lebanon.” From this house a wide stairway led up to the temple. And the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. There were six steps to the throne, and there were stays on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays. And twelve lions stood on the one side and on the other side of the steps. All vessels of king Solomon were of gold, for silver was nothing accounted for. He had a navy at sea which brought him gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

The latter and last days of Solomon were not his best days. In the beginning of his reign he followed closely the example of his father who loved and feared God, but as he grew older he married daughters of kings from other countries. These were idol worshippers and brought their heathen gods to Jerusalem and worshipped them there. Solomon loved these women, and when he became old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon and said, “Forasmuch as thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes … I will surely rend the kingdom from thee.” Solomon reigned forty years, as David had reigned before him.