14 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,
15 not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.
16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.
19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them.
20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.
21 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days.
22 The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.
24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.
28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price.
29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

Reflection

More Reliable than Wealth (10:14–23)
Solomon’s wealth is a lesson on how Christians should regard earthly success. Solomon’s reign is described as the undisputed pinnacle of the Jewish kingdom: God’s magnificent temple was built, Solomon’s wisdom has made Israel famous, and the kingdom lived and traded in luxury. But for all this, when one reads the proverbs Solomon wrote, one finds verses such as “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf” (Prov. 11:28), or “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth” (Prov. 10:22). This shows an understanding that God is the source of material blessings and we must rely on Him rather than our earthly successes.

- How do you respond to the abundance or the lack of material wealth? What might trusting God more than wealth look like in either case?

Stewarding Good Fruit (10:24–29)
Scripture is always clear that Solomon’s wisdom is not the result of his own efforts; it is a gift that “God had put into his mind” (v. 24). And as a result of God’s gift to him, Solomon’s fame spreads to the whole earth and his wealth also grows. But in how Solomon now chooses to use his wealth, we begin to see a dark future foreshadowed: he purchases an extravagant number of horses and chariots from Egypt, something which God expressly forbids in His Law (Deut. 17:16). God has given each of us good gifts and when we use them, they bring good fruit which we can enjoy. But let us be careful to use both our gifts and their fruits in obedience to God.

- What fruit have God’s gifts to you produced? How are you using this fruit? 

A letter to God 

Dear Lord, thank you for providing abundantly in my life. Even in my successes, help me remember Your provision and care. Give me Your wisdom that I may use both Your gifts and the abundance they bring in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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