Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 197
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| 4:22–5:5
SAMUEL–KINGS
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peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to
serve him throughout his lifetime.
The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of
choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; also 10 oxen from the fattening pens,
20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer,
and choice poultry.
Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace
and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each
family had its own home and garden.
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000
horses.
The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and
his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned
to him. They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal
horses in the stables.
God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. In fact, his wisdom exceeded that
of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. He was wiser
than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—
Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding
nations. He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He
could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar
of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could
also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. And kings from
every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When H
iram
learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.
Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:
“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple
to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars
waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until
the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. But now the Lord
my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and
all is well. So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of
the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For
the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will
build the Temple to honor my name.’