Re:Verse passage – 2 Chronicles 9:13-31 (day seven)
“The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. ” Vs 27
Solomon became the richest king in all of the land and likely one of the richest in the world at the time. If David put Israel on the map militaristically, then Solomon solidified it as a power financially. Israel reached the peak of its power within three generations of kings. What went wrong? How did things get so bad so fast? The writer of Ecclesiastes (presumed to be Solomon) gives us a glimpse of this in 2:9-11,
“Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem […] behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.”
Solomon at the end of his life looked back at what could have been. He realized that wealth was not what made Israel great. Women and power could not bring him happiness. All was vanity. The only thing that holds worth is God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.”
