When you are young, you tend to look ahead. Your life stretches out ahead of you, and you can have all kinds of dreams and ambitions. “When I grow up, I want to be a...” And that continues through your teenage years for a while. For most of us, there comes an age when you start to look back instead. Back at a golden age, a golden age that is no more. It could be a golden era in your past. The dream job that you once had but no longer do. The dream house you lived in but then you had to move. The dream family that you no longer have. The health and fitness that you once enjoyed before it all just began to deteriorate. And so you look back. It could be the golden era in society. Look back to the days in your childhood when it snowed every year on Christmas Day and hasn’t done since you turned 18. When the high streets across Britain were full of colourful and varied shops. When you knew the names of everybody on your street. When you could go out and leave your door unlocked without any fear of reprisals. The good old days. Very easy, as you get older, to look back, to be wistful, and to reminisce.
The book of one and two Kings covers the story of about 400 years of Israel’s history, starting in about 970 BC, which is the beginning of the reign of King Solomon, and ending about 570 BC, roughly 15 years into their exile in Babylon. It’s a long period, but obviously — this is obvious, right? This is how books work, telling the story of something that took place. The final book of Kings was written and put together after the events it describes. So this book was written for them, living in Babylon, living in exile, as they looked back and tried to make sense of their own history.
And this chapter — we’ve just had half of it read. And if you glance down, you can see why we didn’t ask someone to read the other half. This chapter would have been a really emotional read for these first people. They would be saying, “I can’t believe we had it this good, and I can’t believe we managed to lose the lot.” Now, the rest of Kings will answer the really obvious question, where did things go wrong? But for today, we’re just going to inhabit their shoes. We’re going to relive that mixture of misty-eyed reminiscence and deep grief at what they’ve lost.
Flaws Appear
Now, mostly this chapter is all about the golden age of Israel’s history. But there is another side to this chapter we just have to note quickly before we move past it. It’s another side that leaves you longing for something even better than what is described here.
Solomon is a complex character. People tie themselves up in knots trying to work out in which chapters he is a good king and in which chapters he is a bad king. And the answer is in almost all the chapters he’s a glorious mixture. And that’s part of the enigma. The focus here is on Solomon’s glory. What a great king. But the chinks appear. You have to start to see the seeds of the mistakes he made that will be the unravelling in the later chapters. So just so we don’t lose the thread of the story for later weeks, I’m going to ask us to notice four seeds of the problems occurring.
Force Labour
Number one, forced labour. Verses 1 to 6 describe Solomon’s cabinet reshuffle. But did you notice that at the end of the list someone is in charge of forced labour? What is that about? Just imagine we have a general election here in three years’ time. Whichever government is appointed, there’s a new Secretary of State and a new department on Whitehall. We’ve created the Department for Conscription and Forced Labour, and one MP is given the job of being Secretary of State for Forced Labour. Now, at that point, the nation would be a little anxious. It’s a warning sign. And by the way, Adoniram, who is the Secretary of State for Forced Labour, plays a key role in chapter 12, when the wheels really do come off. You’re going to have to read that on your own, I’m afraid, because our sermon series runs up to chapter 11.
Bible’s a big book.
Taxation
Number two, taxation. Verses 7 to 19. Solomon is Mr Mobilisation. Solomon concocts a 12-month rota to feed the royal household. And by the way, in the part of the chapter that we did have read, you’ll notice the whole nation was well-fed too. This wasn’t the king at the expense of the people. But this chapter just glosses over the question of how that would be paid for. That will come back to bite Solomon later as well.
Wrong Regions with Wrong Leadership
Number three, the wrong regions with the wrong leadership. So to do his rota, he divides the country into 12 districts. But if you look at them, they are not the same as the 12 tribal portions that Israel has operated under ever since they entered their land. Indeed, he names many of the regions not after the tribe that lived there, but after a single city. It’s like he’s rewriting the ethnic groups of Israel and obliterating ancient tribal boundaries. And some of you know and understand the wars that happen in the present day when that gets done. What’s worse, when you look at the regions that are here, the tribe of Judah is missing. And many of the governors are connected to Solomon in some way, either an official from David’s reign or someone connected in marriage. So what you have is the 11 tribes will feed the king of Judah, organised not by the local ethnic leadership but by Solomon’s mates parachuted in to do the job. What could possibly go wrong?
Horses
And then number four, horses. Verse 26: Solomon had 4,000 stalls for chariot horses and 12,000 horses. If you read Deuteronomy chapter 17, you’ll discover lots of horses is a bad thing for a king. But again, it’s just noted here in passing. Chapter 10 will go through that in greater depth. Let’s not steal my own thunder.
But overall, the thrust here is not on the problems. The thrust is: under King Solomon, things were really good. Solomon was just glorious. So let’s see the glory of King Solomon. We’re not going to work through the passage in sections. We’re going to dot about. I’ve got a number of headings for you.
More Glorious Than Adam
Heading number one: Solomon was more glorious than Adam.
Verse 29: God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke 3,000 proverbs — and I love this next bit — his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles, and fish. From all nations, people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world who had heard of his wisdom.
Adam saw a fruit that was desirable for gaining wisdom and he ate it. What Adam stole, God gave Solomon. Finally, the leader of the human race has wisdom. What did he do with that wisdom? Well, he ruled with it. Verse 21: Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms. Verse 24: he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates. That second word in verse 24 for “rule” is a much less common word, more often translated “have dominion.” We’ll come back to that.
And as he ruled, verse 33: he knew his plants. He spoke about plant life from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the walls. From large to tiny plants, Solomon knew about them all. Who else do we know who managed a garden? Just by the way, four rivers flowed out of the Garden of Eden in Genesis. One of them was the river Euphrates.
Not only plants, he had his zoology as well. Second half of verse 33: he also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles, and fish — four categories for the animal kingdom. Who else do you know who understood and named the animals? Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over — have dominion over — the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’”
And so it is that Solomon’s glory shone. From all nations, people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world who had heard of his wisdom. More glorious than Adam.
More Glorious than Abraham
Heading number two: more glorious than Abraham.
God did not bless Solomon out of the blue. Here’s verse 20: the people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Heard that phrase before somewhere? Here’s Genesis chapter 22, verse 17: “I will surely bless you,” God says to Abraham, “and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” Now, we’ve had that phrase a few times in the Bible since Abraham, but always to speak of God’s enemies. For example, Gideon looked out and saw that the camels of the Midianite army were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. But now, at last, it’s true of God’s people. God’s people cannot be counted.
How can Solomon rule a people that are so big they cannot be counted? We have growth problems in this church. As pastors, we’re thinking, “We’ve got 500 people we’re in contact with — how do we look after that number of people?” Well, try looking after the grains of sand on the seashore. How do you do it? Well, verse 29: God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore — to rule a people that cannot be counted, God gives Solomon wisdom and understanding that cannot be counted.
God promised Abraham that his descendants would have a very particular parcel of land. Genesis chapter 15, verse 18: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” And then here comes Solomon. Verse 21: Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt.
God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him. Verse 34: from all nations, people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. What God is doing through Solomon is exactly what God promised Abraham that he would do through him. Solomon is more glorious than Adam. Solomon is more glorious than Abraham.
More Glorious than Joseph
Heading number three: Solomon is more glorious than Joseph.
If you remember the story of Joseph — we preached on it a couple of years ago, or maybe you’ve watched Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical — all the nations flocked to Joseph to be fed. Well, all the nations flocked to Solomon not to be fed, actually, but to hear his wisdom. But then, added bonus, they did get fed. Here’s verse 22 — I don’t know if you noticed this as Caroline was reading. Solomon’s daily provisions were 30 cors of the finest flour, 60 cors of meal, 10 head of stall-fed cattle, 20 of pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl.
To quote the Very Hungry Caterpillar: on Sunday he ate a green leaf, and he felt much better.
Just to be clear, that is five tons of wheat, ten tons of barley, 30 cattle, 100 flocks, and other more luxurious animals as well. Now, this was not all for Solomon — he would have been enormous. Neither was it just for Solomon and his family. No. Verse 27: the district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. This was an exercise in national hospitality. It’s hard to know exactly who these people were — we’re not told — but various people have analysed the amounts of food here and patterns of social life in the area at this time. And the estimates for the number of people range between 12 and 35,000 people a day who were fed from Solomon’s table.
More glorious than Joseph.
More Glorious than Joshua
Heading number four: more glorious than Joshua.
Joshua was the one who took over the leadership after Moses handed it over, before they entered the Promised Land. And after Joshua has taken the reins, here are the words that God says to him. Joshua 1:7: “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you.” Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
King David was the second king of Israel. He handed over to King Solomon, and he did so with these words — we heard them a couple of weeks ago in chapter 2: “Be strong and act like a man. Observe what the Lord your God requires. Walk in obedience to him and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations as written in the law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.” Familiar?
Joshua divided the land up into parcels west of the river Jordan. Solomon divided the land up into parcels west of the river Euphrates. In fact, there’s a good reason why those 12 blocks of land aren’t the same as the ancient tribal divisions — they needed a bigger boat. They’ve grown. The old tribal boundaries would only have divided up part of what they had. Israel at this point has more land than they’ve ever had before, and more than they ever will again.
And at the end of the book of Joshua, Joshua says to the people: “Not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled. Not one has failed.” And yet when Solomon comes, God fulfils them again, even more, on a bigger stage, on a bigger canvas. More glorious than Joshua.
More Glorious than Solomon
And the last one: more glorious than Solomon.
No, I haven’t lost the plot, but I’m going to need to explain how Solomon can be more glorious than Solomon.
The summary comes in verse 20: the people of Israel and Judah were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate, they drank, and they were happy. Those three verbs — ate, drank, were happy — are usually connected with the temple in the Old Testament. For example, here is Deuteronomy 12, verse 7: “There, in the place that God chooses to put his name” — which becomes the temple — “there in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your family shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you’ve put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.”
Solomon was known for two things: his wisdom and his temple. He hasn’t even built the temple yet. Well, he kind of has, because the whole land becomes a place to eat and drink and be happy. Solomon has managed to make the whole land of Israel into a forecourt of the temple, a place to come and eat and drink and be happy in the presence of God. Solomon has outdone even himself.
Jesus, more Glorious than Solomon
So go back to those people in Babylon. We had it so good. God was so faithful. Everything he promised has come true under Solomon. But we lost the lot.
Now, how does this make us feel here — Trinity Church, February 2026? How does this make us feel?
To get to that, there is one more person that Solomon reminds us of, and that is the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus is more glorious than Adam. He has perfect dominion over the kingdoms of the world. The natural world is under his control. He sustains all things with his powerful word. And one day Jesus will release creation from its bondage to decay and turn it — paradoxically — into both a beautiful garden and a splendid city.
Jesus is more glorious than Abraham. We’re told that the people of Jesus Christ are a multitude that no one can count. And one day that will be literally true. Nations will stream to the Lord Jesus so that all nations on earth will be blessed through him.
Jesus is more glorious than Joseph. The crowds flocked to Jesus to hear his wisdom. And yet they got fed too — 5,000 Jews on one occasion, 4,000 Gentiles on the other occasion — and they were fed a huge quantity of bread and fish, more than they could eat. But ultimately, of course, Jesus feeds us himself: “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” And by Jesus’s kindness, as he says to a woman who is in desperate need from Syrian Phoenicia, we Gentiles can eat the crumbs that drop from his table. The king’s table feeds the world.
Jesus is more glorious than Joshua. Indeed, his name is the Greek translation of the word Joshua. But Jesus is not just ruling over land west of the Jordan. He’s not just ruling over land west of the Euphrates. No — he says the meek will inherit the earth. All of it. All authority in heaven and on earth is given to him. All nations are called to be his disciples.
And Jesus is more glorious than Solomon. He’s wiser than Solomon. He tells us that his resurrected body is the new temple, where we can go and meet with God. And one day Jesus will return and bring in a state across the globe of peace, security, and prosperity such that wherever you live, you can eat, drink, and be happy in the presence of God for all eternity.
How do we Feel?
So how does this make us feel? Well, I’ve got two things to say to you. Number one: don’t look back in pain. Number two: do look forward with hope.
Here’s the context. There is a day in the calendar — in God’s calendar — when Jesus Christ will return to this earth. We don’t know when it is. Jesus didn’t know when it is. But the date is set. On that date, none of us deserves anything good from God, because we’ve thrown all of his goodness back in his face. But Jesus died and rose again so that his people can experience God’s kindness on that day rather than his anger and his judgement. So the day when Jesus returns will be a day of great division. For those who have known the Lord Jesus in this life, that will be the beginning of the best chapter of their lives — life with him. But those who have not known Jesus will miss out.
So, as I say, two things.
Don’t Look Back in Pain
Number one: don’t look back in pain. Just go back to Babylon in your mind’s eye. They had everything and they blew it and they lost the lot. That grief is nothing compared to how it will feel when Jesus returns. Imagine it. There you are. You can see just over there the unspoiled life that Jesus has brought. How gutted will you feel to be spending all eternity saying, “I had all of that offered to me and I didn’t take it”? The grief in Babylon, in exile, will be tiny compared to that day. So don’t miss out. Don’t be those who on that day in eternity look back in pain. Come to Jesus.
Look Forwards with Hope
But then the other side of the coin: look forwards with hope. This is for those of us who do know the Lord Jesus. Look forwards with hope. Don’t look back to your childhood. Don’t look back to your days as a student. Don’t look back to your dream job. Don’t look back to the days before you grew sick and couldn’t do half the things you used to enjoy. Look forwards — forwards to the great and glorious day when all of God’s promises will be fulfilled. When the second Adam, the better Abraham, the ultimate Joseph, the new Joshua, the fulfilment of Solomon, has come.
The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate, they drank, and they were happy.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.