FROM FULFILLED LIFE TO A RESTFUL EXIT
Thursday, 18th August 2016
2 Chronicles 9:13-31 (NKJV)
13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.
19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
26 So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
28 And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. …
Our passage today reveals that King Solomon lived a fulfilled life and finally died. His reign was characterised by great riches, wisdom, power and splendours in Israel for forty years before he rested with his fathers. Evidently, this passage reminds us that you and I must leave this world someday, irrespective of our possessions, positions, pains, or pleasure on earth. In view of the inevitability of death, we ought to make the best use of our time in life, to do the will and work of God, to make memorable achievements, and then wait for a rewarding rest at last.
Apparently, no one can do all these without divine wisdom, for even Solomon first asked for wisdom from God before he achieved his goals. Solomon made mistakes as do the rest of us, particularly in his latter days, and we must learn from him the need to finish strong. It is not enough to start well. We must rely heavily on God’s wisdom and the guidance of His Spirit in us, to finish strong.
Prayer: Now, pray for forgiveness of your sins and ask God for wisdom to live in obedience to Him, to the end of your life.