1 Kings 4:1

THE ALLEGED GLORY OF SOLOMON'S KINGDOM

This chapter is touted by admirers of Solomon as a summary of the magnificence and glory of the kingdom of Solomon, but this writer's opinion of that kingdom holds it in a somewhat different light - the light shed on it by the Prince of Peace who declared of himself that, "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42)! The full implication of Jesus' words in that passage clearly mean that Solomon's kingdom suggests that of the Messiah only in their dramatic contrasts.

The materialistic trappings of the Solomonic kingdom exhibited all of the extravagant abuses of excessively big government, outrageous, and oppressive taxation, great battalions of forced labor, and a bloated military establishment, to say nothing of his enormous multiplication of personal wealth and his sensual indulgence of his lust in cohabiting with a thousand pagan women. Some very great scholars, seemingly out of their right mind, have the audacity to make that reprobate kingdom of Solomon actually, "a type of the Messianic Kingdom." As Matthew Henry stated it: "Never, in the days of Solomon's father, nor in the days of any of his successors, was the kingdom of Israel ever so glorious a type of the kingdom of the Messiah as it was in the reign of Solomon."[1]

The great error in all such false notions is founded in the widespread ignorance of the fact that "The True Israel of God" in the Old Testament was never THE SINFUL KINGDOM, but THE RIGHTEOUS REMNANT. The Kingdom of Solomon was the scandalous disgrace of forty generations, and Israel never recovered from it!

For these reasons, this writer will not make elaborate comments on many phases of this tragic reign.

SOME OF SOLOMON'S PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATORS

"And king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha, the scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the. host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, and the king's friend; and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abdo was over the men subject to taskwork."

It is at once evident that Solomon's principal officers included important men from the days of David (Benaiah and Adohiram) as well as certain kinsmen. Scholars disagree on whether Nathan here is the prophet or David's son A surprise is the mention of Abiathar, indicating that Solomon had either forgiven and elevated him, or that another of the same name is meant. The usual explanation of critics is that the name's appearance here is "an error," but no critic tells us who that other priest actually was!

Keil identified this list as coming from the "middle portion,"[2] but Barlow identified it as coming from the latter part of Solomon's reign.[3] Two designations here are of special interest; and in both of them, it is clear that euphemisms are involved. Ahishar over the household was in charge of Solomon's harem; and Adoniram over the men subject to taskwork was in charge of the great gangs of forced labor. The Hebrew here leaves no doubt that "forced labor is meant."[4] These are threatening and ominous words, a sinister note indeed. "One of the great weaknesses of Solomon's administration was his insistence upon wringing the last possible amount of money and other help from his subjects. This policy brought about the division of his kingdom following his death, and Adoniram (Adoram) would play a most unhappy role on that occasion (1 Kings 12:18)."[5] Keil also agreed that the Adoniram here is the same as the Adoram of the days of David (2 Samuel 20:24).[6]