Solomon accumulated…
1 Kings 10:26 (NIV)

There was an article I read last week during Wendy’s and my daily perusal of the news. A private firm in remote Swiss villiage is blasting out giant vaults inside of a mountain. For just over a half-million, individuals can secure one of the vaults that will be 100 meters below ground and protected at all times by ultra high-level security. The space will not only hold the valuables of the uber-rich, but will also act as a private place to hide and survive, if necessary. The company reports that people are already lining up and many have purchased 99-year leases.

The facility came to mind as I read today’s chapter, which chronicles the incredible wealth that King Solomon enjoyed during his reign. Solomon would certainly have been a potential customer for one of their underground vaults.

When I got to the first two words of verse 26, “Solomon accumulated,” I thought to myself, “That’s it. That’s the whole chapter in a nutshell.” Gold, gold, and more gold. Solomon’s annual accumulation of gold was about 25 metric tons of it. That’s 3.7 billion a year at today’s market value. And that’s just the gold. There was silver, cedar, ivory, spices, horses, and chariots. Solomon had it all in excess.

On the surface, today’s chapter reads like a fulfillment of the blessing God promised Solomon back in chapter 3 when he was beginning his reign:

“I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.”

And with the Queen of Sheba and Kings coming from around the world to consult with Solmon and trade with him, today’s chapter also reads like a fulfillment of God’s original promise to Abraham back in Genesis:

“…through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed…”

But there’s also an ominous tension under the surface of the text when you consider the instructions God gave through Moses for the nation’s future kings. Consider Deuteronomy 17:16:

“The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them…”

Today’s chapter says Solomon had “fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,” and guess what? “Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 17 also says the king “must not take many wives.”

Guess how tomorrow’s chapter begins?

“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women.”

The seeds of the fall of Solomon’s house are being planted. Cracks of foolishness are appearing in the foundation that’s holding all of Solomon’s accumulated wealth and riches.

The Queen of Sheba says, “In wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.” Everything exceeds expectations. That’s the surface story.

But underneath it, Solomon himself is beginning to exceed the boundaries God gave him. That’s the shadow story.

There’s a dangerous moment when God blesses. It’s the moment when receiving God’s gift becomes needing more of God’s gift.

Solomon asked for wisdom. God gave him wisdom and wealth. And initially the wealth is portrayed as blessing. There’s nothing inherently wicked about prosperity, craftsmanship, international commerce, magnificent architecture, diplomatic influence, or horses. The problem is much more subtle. “Enough” quietly disappears. Solomon’s accumulation begins violating the very Torah that was supposed to govern his kingship.

I find it fascinating that the Queen of Sheba can see God in Solomon’s blessings while Solomon himself is slowly being seduced by them. She looks at everything and says, essentially: “Your God must be amazing.” Solomon apparently begins looking at everything and thinking: “What else can I acquire?”

[cue: wave the red flag]

Sometimes the greatest threat to faith isn’t suffering, but success. Failure makes me ask God for help. Pain reminds me I’m mortal. Need keeps my hands open, and my heart dependent on God.

But success whispers that perhaps I deserve the blessing — that I somehow earned it. Wealth tells me I deserve a little more. Influence tells me the rules that constrain other people surely don’t apply to me.

Blessing can slowly become appetite. Appetite becomes entitlement. Entitlement becomes idolatry.

The chilling part of today’s chapter is that Solomon hasn’t fallen yet. Solomon is at the absolute pinnacle of his success. Everyone is applauding. The economy is booming, and foreign dignitaries are impressed. The palace is magnificent. The king is internationally famous, and God’s blessing appears to be everywhere.

But the cracks have already formed.

And in the quiet this morning, that leads to the spiritual question that Holy Spirit is whispering in my mind and heart: Can I recognize when God’s blessing has ceased to produce gratitude in me and has begun producing appetite — when “Thank you” transforms into “More.”

Because sometimes the most spiritually dangerous moment isn’t when everything is falling apart. It’s when everything is going spectacularly well.

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