What can we ascertain from these passages?
1) Hiram supplied gold and timber to Solomon for the building of the temple. In return, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities. Hiram wasn't pleased with the cities; however, the relationship continued. Hiram called the cities Cabul, or "fettered", showing he is the junior partner in this partnership. He continues to supplies goods to Israel, but this is not an equal partnership and Hiram's resentment is noted.
2) Solomon used forced labor to build the temple and his kingdom. These peoples were not Israelites, but Canaanites. These were what was left of the people that were destroyed during the capture of the promised land. The writer also links these people will Solomon's Egyptian wife.
3) Solomon's Egyptian wife is sent to her own home and spends her time there. She is not to live in the city of David, probably because of her paganism.
4) Solomon continues to make offerings to the Lord according to the law.
5) It took twenty years to build the temple and all of Solomon's other building projects.
Solomon is living two lives - his life of dedication to the Lord and his life as a king. He is beginning to be seen as someone who does not always deal fairly with people. These two lives could be combined by simply seeking the wisdom of the Lord, but Solomon seems to follow the Lord in the temple and his own wisdom in his other decisions. We often live double lives - our church life and our secular life. It's not the right life. WWJD, what would Jesus do?, was a popular saying when I was in high school. I think of it to this day. It reminds me that in ALL my actions I should think of how Jesus would act or respond and do likewise. I'm not always successful. Sometimes I let my sin nature take over and do what I want to do. There are always consequences. The more I experience the consequences of my own way, the more I seek to follow God's way. I think that's what our christian walk is all about - figuring out how to trust God in everything. Being content to follow His way and turn away from our own. It's a day to day, sometimes minute by minute, choice. As we continue to read Solomon's story, we will find that not everyone is successful in this walk. Solomon's tale is a cautionary tale, one of which we should all be mindful.
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