1 Kings 10:11-22: a reflection

11The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug trees and precious stones. 12The king made of the almug trees pillars for the LORD’s house and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers; no such almug trees came or were seen to this day. 13King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants. 14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15in addition to that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country. 16King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler. 17He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was made in any kingdom. 21All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver, because it was considered of little value in the days of Solomon. 22For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

In describing the height of Solomon's glory, the account piles up detail after detail of immense wealth: gold in vast quantities, a throne of ivory overlaid with gold, drinking vessels all of gold, silver counted as nothing. Silver was not considered of any value in the days of Solomon, the account notes; there was so much gold that silver was reckoned worthless. It is a picture of wealth and splendor beyond measure, the summit of earthly glory. And yet we know, from the rest of Solomon's story, that all this splendor did not satisfy his heart or keep him faithful; his heart would turn away, and all this glory would not last. The greatest accumulation of wealth could not fill his heart or secure his soul. This shows that even the greatest accumulation of wealth cannot satisfy the heart or last. The greatest wealth cannot satisfy the heart. Even immense splendor does not fill the soul or endure. Accumulated riches are not the true and lasting good. The summit of earthly glory could not keep Solomon's heart.

Notice the sheer scale of Solomon's wealth, and its ultimate emptiness. The account heaps up the details: gold beyond counting, an ivory throne, vessels all of gold, silver reckoned as nothing because gold was so abundant. It is the very summit of earthly wealth and splendor, more than almost anyone has ever possessed. And yet all of it could not do what wealth promises. It could not finally satisfy Solomon's heart, which would go on searching, as his own later reflections show, and finding all such things empty. It could not keep him faithful to God; his heart would turn away to idols. And it could not last; the kingdom would be torn, the glory would fade. This is a sobering lesson about the accumulation of wealth. Even the greatest riches, the most immense splendor, cannot fill the human heart, which was made for God; cannot secure our souls; cannot last. To pile up wealth and splendor, however great, is not to find the true and lasting good, for these things cannot satisfy or endure. Our hearts are made for God, and only God can fill them; we do well not to look to wealth for the satisfaction and security it cannot give. The greatest wealth cannot satisfy the heart made for God. Piling up riches does not secure the soul or last. Do not look to wealth for what it cannot give. Only God can fill the heart that wealth leaves empty.

That is worth taking to heart, for even the greatest accumulation of wealth cannot satisfy the heart, secure the soul, or last, as Solomon's immense splendor could not keep his heart or endure. We can look to wealth and the accumulation of riches for satisfaction and security; but Solomon had wealth beyond measure, and it neither filled his heart, nor kept him faithful, nor lasted. Wealth cannot give what it promises. Do not look to the accumulation of wealth for the satisfaction and security it cannot give; look to God, who alone can fill the heart. Do not look to the accumulation of wealth for the satisfaction, security, and lasting good it cannot give, but to God, who alone can fill the heart, as the account of the height of Solomon's glory piles up detail after detail of immense wealth, gold beyond counting, an ivory throne overlaid with gold, vessels all of gold, silver counted as nothing, the very summit of earthly splendor, and yet all this, as the rest of Solomon's story shows, could not satisfy his heart or keep him faithful or last, for his heart would turn away and his glory would fade; for even the greatest riches and the most immense splendor cannot fill the human heart, which was made for God, cannot secure our souls, and cannot last, so that to pile up wealth and splendor however great is not to find the true and lasting good, since these things cannot satisfy or endure, and our hearts, made for God, can be filled only by God, so that we do well not to look to wealth for the satisfaction and security it cannot give but to God, who alone can fill the heart that wealth leaves empty.

Lord, in describing the height of Solomon's glory, the account piles up detail after detail of immense wealth: gold in vast quantities, a throne of ivory overlaid with gold, drinking vessels all of gold, silver counted as nothing. Silver was not considered of any value in the days of Solomon, the account notes; there was so much gold that silver was reckoned worthless. It is a picture of wealth and splendor beyond measure, the summit of earthly glory. And yet we know, from the rest of Solomon's story, that all this splendor did not satisfy his heart or keep him faithful; his heart would turn away, and all this glory would not last. The greatest accumulation of wealth could not fill his heart or secure his soul. Show me the sheer scale of Solomon's wealth, and its ultimate emptiness. It is the very summit of earthly wealth and splendor, more than almost anyone has ever possessed. And yet all of it could not do what wealth promises. It could not finally satisfy Solomon's heart, which would go on searching and finding all such things empty. It could not keep him faithful to you; his heart would turn away. And it could not last. This is a sobering lesson about the accumulation of wealth. Even the greatest riches cannot fill the human heart, which was made for you; cannot secure our souls; cannot last. My heart was made for you, and only you can fill it. Take that to my heart, for even the greatest wealth cannot satisfy the heart, secure the soul, or last. Keep me from looking to the accumulation of wealth for the satisfaction and security it cannot give; help me look to you, Lord, who alone can fill the heart that wealth leaves empty, not piling up riches as if they were the true and lasting good, but seeking my satisfaction in you.