Day 171: 2 Chronicles; enter Queen of Sheba.
The Jews were not an afterthought. God created the Jewish line to become a light for all the world to bring people closer to God. Yes, they mess up a lot. The Messiah (Jesus) will be coming through this line, and He is that Light.
King David plans this exorbitant Temple. He goes ALL out with imported wood, like cedar, hires stone cutters, and brings in precious metals. One source wrote that he purchased 4,000 TONS of gold, and 40,000 TONS of silver. In today’s prices (at least what I found on the internet) gold is selling for approximately $1,892/oz, and silver for $22.65/oz. There are 32,000 ounces in a ton. Do the math. In today’s prices he would have spent on gold, $242,176,000.00, and my calculator can’t do the math for the silver…
Well, it was Solomon (David’s son) who actually built the Temple, and its’ lavishness attracted kings and queens from all over; hence, the Queen of Sheba… A much different atmosphere than the tents they were used to worshipping under… Prior to Solomon building the Temple, he secures his armies and power bases.
But, when he was done building the Temple, like father, like son (with much disposable money) he has a dedication ceremony that lasts a couple of weeks. 2 Chronicles 7:5 says, 22,000 oxen, 120,000 sheep were slaughtered so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. WOW I can’t even picture that many animals, nor where they could even graze. When God blesses you with abundance, He blesses you with abundance! And, lots of people showed up for this dedication.
We have seen that He can take it away when those blessed, use it for no good, like offering it up to false gods, living immorally, etc. Maybe that’s what is happening to our world, right now. Pestilence, many multi millionaires and billionaires using it for power and greed, sex trafficking children and other humans, bringing down the country and the world, covering our faces so we walk around like zombies who no longer can smile at anyone passing by, keep your distance so we never can offer someone a hug they may need just to make it through the day.. even coins are disappearing and places no longer accepting cash. Well, the poor don’t have bank accounts or debit cards they can call on. Not good.
Instead we treat people like they are diseases to be avoided. Diversions so that you don’t see all the wrong many are doing. It’s all coming out now. Hollywood has been real quiet, lately. Well, Twitter seems to be active … Mel Gibson has tried to warn us about them.
Magazines have been taken out of public places, like waiting rooms, etc., and we just don’t get to read the tabloids, anymore, unless you order them. Look how many things are going to fall down. No money in movies, concerts, professional sports.
Many things are changing. Parents don’t even know if their kids are starting school in the fall.
This is really an awakening to change your ways to follow God again. If you look at the images on the dollar bill — the eye over the pyramid, and many other things, you will see that many of those symbols were taken from occult practices, Masons, and others who delved into mysticisms (documentaries have been made about this, so I’m not just making it up). Maybe that is why people think money is the root of all evil. It was almost like the first European settlers who came on the Mayflower had one idea of coming to a place to be able to practice their beliefs in God/Jesus, and it got tainted (or cursed) by the Masons and others who had an instrumental effect on designing our dollar bill. Roosevelt’s New Deal was more likely New World Order. I digress.
The Queen of Sheba came to see if she could make trades with King Solomon. After all, he had money and resources. She had quite a bit herself, and came with many gifts. Things like spices, and jewels, but all with a hidden agenda. She didn’t believe others about his wisdom and fame, and she had to see for herself. She asked him hard questions, and he gave her the answers. She saw his happiness with his abundance (even though she added to it, as well, because she brought spices he did not have). She saw first hand the blessings of the God who loved Israel. Solomon’s thrones were made of ivory, overlaid with gold, all the goblets and vessels were made from gold. When they traveled to lands, like Tarshish, they brought back apes, and peacocks. He had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots. I DO cringe at wondering how they got the ivory.
Solomon reigned for 40 years, and when he died, his son, Rehoboam took over. He was not so nice. He ask for council from the elders, and from the young men. He ignored the elders, and instead of making the ‘yokes’ lighter for the people, he said he would ‘chastise them with scorpions’. When Solomon dies, the northern tribes of Israel ask Rehoboam to ease up on the building projects because the money for all these things were coming from high taxes. He says no, and plans to up the ante. Hence, they separate from him, and he is left to just rule Judah.
2 Chronicles 10:19 states, “And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day”, meaning they refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.
Judah outlasts Israel by about 150 years, and then neither exist. The prophet, Jeremiah, witnesses the fall of Jerusalem, and he warned the Jews that they would fall into 70 years of captivity.
