Slices
Prepare
What do you picture when you hear a society is flourishing? Is it possible for every sector in society to be flourishing at the same time? How might we work towards a ‘flourishing’ in our own land?
Bible passage
Solomon’s daily provisions
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.
22 Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of the finest flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig-tree.
26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.
27 The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
Solomon’s wisdom
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite – wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 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. 34 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.
Explore
The notes in the ‘Explore’ sections of this series in 1 Kings are written as the diary of a fictional courtier in King Solomon’s court (but look carefully at the Bible passages to check out his accounts!). As he observes, questions and comments on what he sees happening in Solomon’s life, he tries to discern God’s hand at work – and challenges us to do the same in our families, churches, communities and societies.
‘What a great time to be alive! Our nation is flourishing. Never before in our history have our borders extended so far, and our people been so settled – settled enough for every family to be able to invest in long-term agricultural projects, like vineyards and fig orchards, without the worry of war destroying everything.
‘It is also a great time for careers – there are openings in the civil service and provincial administration department, the cavalry need ostlers, grooms and charioteers, and the royal kitchens are employing chefs of all kinds to prepare the mountain of food needed daily to provide for all those being fed in the royal palace. Meanwhile, the king himself has taken on a multitude of scribes to record his numerous songs, proverbs and observations of the kingdom’s fauna and flora.
‘Although everything, and everyone, seems to be thriving everywhere you look at this time, I did have occasion to pause and reflect when I met Adoniram in court. Apparently, he is the minister for forced labour and slavery (1 Kings 4:6). I wonder what all that is about?’
Respond
Choose one brand that you buy regularly, and investigate how they treat their employees and the environment. How can your buying choices encourage universal flourishing?
Deeper Bible study
Lord, in the complexities of life, give me grace to see you and meet you today.
In this chapter we see the scope of the challenge before Solomon. No wonder he was in need of wisdom! In the list of names covered in verses 1–19 we find secretaries and civil servants of all types of departments. This is a massive governmental machine that is established to rule and manage the kingdom.
Among these (verses 7–19) are regional governors whose function is to collect taxes so the king has what is required. As Solomon flourishes, so the kingdom flourishes too. This growth of the kingdom in population and land is again seen as fulfilment of prophecy:1 so all is well.
Israel and Solomon now control the politics of the area and with that comes great wealth (vs 22–26), which in Deuteronomic terms is seen as a sign of divine blessing on Solomon, a reward for his asking for wisdom. There is a good lesson here for us in the modern political sphere. Wise governance of the land leads to peace and prosperity for all, so perhaps this gives fuel to our prayers for wisdom for those who lead and govern us.
The writer is making a key point – along with his poetry and proverbs and his knowledge of botany and horticulture, God has given Solomon wisdom to match the expanse of his kingdom. For us, then, who are frequently called to tasks for which we may feel unqualified and inadequate, we take encouragement that God equips those he calls and supplies them with what is needful for the task. We pray that, with Solomon, God’s blessing on our ministries may be for the benefit and flourishing of those we serve.
Why not write to your local MP or elected official assuring them of your prayers today?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 17,18; Psalms 52–54
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for the Rooted retreat day coming up in a school in Warrington where we will be working with students exploring themes such as resilience, anxiety, friendships and how they come hand in hand with faith. Pray too for the launch of new Rooted retreats in other parts of the country.
