Solomon used slaves. Jesus uses servants

1 Kings 9:15-28 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 9:15-28.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 9:15-24 (NIV)
¹⁵  Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.
¹⁶  (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
¹⁷  And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon,
¹⁸  Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land,
¹⁹  as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses–whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.
²⁰  All the people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites),
²¹  that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites could not exterminate–these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day.
²²  But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers.
²³  They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon’s projects–550 officials supervising the men who did the work.
²⁴  After Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the supporting terraces.

On verses 15-24:  According to these verses, Solomon subjected people from other nations to slavery and forced them to build the temple, his palace, terraces, walls and cities.  We don’t have any record of how Solomon treated these slaves.  Still, to me there’s a great contrast between how Solomon built his kingdom and how Jesus builds His kingdom.  Solomon mainly used slaves outside his kingdom and forced them to do his bidding.  Jesus mainly uses servants who are already in his kingdom and who willingly, cheerfully give themselves to do Jesus’ will.

Though part of your destiny on earth is to serve in God’s kingdom, God won’t force you to serve Him while you live on this earth.  Rather, He waits for you to willingly offer yourself for His service.  That’s when you can really be used by God to make an impact for His glory.

1 Kings 9:25-28 (NIV)
²⁵  Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense before the LORD along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.
²⁶  King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.
²⁷  And Hiram sent his men–sailors who knew the sea–to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s men.
²⁸  They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

On verses 25-28:  One commendable thing about Solomon here is that he seems to have been consistent in giving his regular offerings to the Lord.  In so doing he “fulfilled the temple obligations” (v25).  It’s no coincidence that this was also the time in Solomon’s life when Solomon, relatively speaking, was at his best and most prosperous.  You are always at your best and most prosperous when you are not just spending on yourself, but being a consistent and generous giver in God’s kingdom.

Father, thank You that Your heart is not to used forced labor, but willing servants, to build Your kingdom.  So I willingly offer myself to You to be used for Your kingdom’s purposes.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!