This is one of the most interesting chapters in the bible !! Through out this chapter it seems like Solomon is basking in the glow of all the blessings that God promised and is using it all for good and being very generous. This all true ... however God saw this as Solomon showing off and disobeying His commands !
When the Queen of Sheba comes to visit Solomon she brings a huge amount of tribute. Her goal was to see and test the fame and wisdom that God had given to Solomon.She gave many tons of gold, rare spices and animals. In exchange Solomon had answered all her questions. Solomon had built up many cities and stocked many with thousands of horses, stables, and riders. He had given many gifts to the Queen and had hid nothing from her ! For this last one the kingdom will pay when her armies return and plunder Israel. In the book of Deut. God tells His people not to keep horses, stables or riders because these were implements of war. The Jews were to rely on God for their defense not on their own power.
The spiritual lessons here are many but we can see that although Solomon is glowing from all the blessings, God is now arranging for these wrongs to be corrected. The same goes for us today. Even though it may look like you are being blessed ... be careful ! Make sure to stay in prayer and try to look at things from God's perspective and not from yours. Also, even though God sees it differently, he does not stop the blessing quickly. Many people are deceived when they sin by thinking if they are not punished at that moment, that God must be O.K. with the sin you have just done. As Paul would later say in the New Testament, " God forbid !! "
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