10 head of stall-fed cattle, 20 of pasture-fed cattle,
100 sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl.
For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the river Euphrates,
from Tiptia and Gaza, and had peace on all sides.
During Solomon's lifetime, Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,
lived in safety, and everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for chariot horses and 12,000 horses.
The district governors each, in his months, supplied provisions for King Solomon,
and all who came to the king's table, they saw to it that nothing was lacking.
They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw
for the chariot horses and the other horses.
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight,
and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,
and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezraite,
wiser than Heman, Calgal, and Darda, the sons of Mahal.
And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his song numbered 1,005.
He spoke about plant life, from the cedars of Lebanon
to the hyssop that grows out of the walls.
He also spoke about animals and birds and reptiles and fish.
From all nations, people came to listen to Solomon's wisdom,
sent by all the kings of the world who had heard of his wisdom.
Well, before we start, what I'd like us to do, just by way of ease,
you can keep your finger or something.
Maybe you can use one of the little cards there
and slip it into 1 Kings 4,
and then turn all the way back to Genesis chapter 12.
Okay, so keep your finger there in 1 Kings 4,
and jump all the way back to Genesis chapter 12.
Well, let's pray.
Lord, for the food and drink that we have just shared with each other,
we say thank you.
And because you are a generous God,
we ask that you would continue to pour out your blessing upon us now.
Give to us generously your Holy Spirit.
Bring life to these words,
that it may cause us to lift our heads,
to look to Jesus,
to glory in our great and wonderful King.
Help us, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, we had been walking for a few hours,
and all of a sudden, the talking stopped.
We turned around to a forest,
a blaze of reds and oranges and yellow and golds
as the autumn leaves began to turn.
Below the forest was this deep blue lake,
and behind us up above were the towering snow-capped peaks
of the Andes Mountains.
The silence,
the silence,
the crisp,
the crisp, cool air.
That scene,
that beauty
remains etched
in my mind.
But we all knew that it was an escape from reality.
Only the week before,
we were working on the edge of a shanty town.
people scraping together in existence,
open sores,
plastic and tin shacks.
the poverty and the pollution was there to see.
But just for those few minutes,
as we gazed at the splendour,
we escaped the suffering and the brokenness.
We all long for those moments to last forever.
We long for a good and beautiful world
where there is no more suffering or hurts or pain.
Well, 1 Kings chapter 4
paints for us the world
that we all long for.
It's a picture we can easily miss.
We've got this great big long list of names
and we've got this strange supply of food
for catering purposes.
And we look at these lists
and we think,
no, I won't bother reading that.
And we jump ahead
looking for something more exciting.
But if you like,
stamped across 1 Kings chapter 4
is God's faithful promise
to establish a new and beautiful world.
If you want a summary for chapter 4,
it's God's faithful promise
to establish a beautiful new world.
And in chapter 4,
God paints for us a picture
of the world we all long for.
But before we go into the details of chapter 4,
we need to look back
at God's promise
in Genesis chapter 12.
First, God promises
the world we all long for.
The story of the Bible,
which I'm sure is familiar with us all,
begins with a beautiful world,
doesn't it?
The Garden of Eden.
Eden means paradise,
and it was paradise.
God's people,
Adam and Eve,
living under God's loving rule.
And there they were,
enjoying God's abundant provision
of all they could ever want or imagine,
safe and secure.
It's a place of harmony
and beauty.
But sadly and tragically,
God's people turned and rebelled against God.
The world and its people were cursed.
And instead of the harmony,
we get sin and suffering.
And in place of the beauty,
there's death and destruction.
Paradise was lost.
But into this chaos
and into this disorder,
God spoke his promise
to Abraham.
The promises that we read
in chapter 12,
verses 1 to 3.
God's promises to Abraham
were clear.
I want to point out
four promises that God makes.
Promise number 1,
in verse 1.
The Lord said to Abraham,
go from your country,
your people,
and your father's household
to the land I will show you,
and I will make you
into a great nation.
So promise number 1,
you are going to be
a great nation,
a people group.
Later, God would promise Abraham
that this nation
would be as numerous
as the grain of sands
on the beach.
And then promise number 2.
Look again at verse 1.
God had said,
go to the land
I will show you.
And verse 7,
the Lord appeared to Abraham
and said to your offspring,
I give this land.
So God promises the nation
that they would have a land,
a place in which to live.
So a nation,
a land,
promise number 3.
Let's pick that up again
in verse 2.
He says,
I will make you
into a great nation
and I will bless you
and I will make your name great
and you will be a blessing.
This promised nation
who live in their own land
would be blessed,
a land of peace
and prosperity,
everything they need
for life
and happiness.
So a nation,
a land,
a blessing.
And then promise number 4,
verse 3.
I will bless those
who bless you
and whoever curses you
I will curse
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed
through you.
this blessed people
would in turn
become a blessing
to all the other nations.
What does it remind you of?
Well, it sounds like
the Garden of Eden,
doesn't it?
A people
living in their own land,
enjoying God's blessing
and being a blessing.
And isn't that
what we all long for?
Where people are living
in joy
and happiness,
enjoying the beauty
and living under
God's loving rule.
Everything wonderfully good.
Into the chaos
and the disorder,
God speaks
an incredible promise.
Well, how would
all this happen?
How would
God's promise
become
a reality?
Well, second,
God's promise world
is unveiled
for us.
Just jump ahead
a couple of chapters
to Genesis chapter 17.
God speaks
to Abraham again.
But this time,
if we look carefully,
he adds
another promise.
So,
Genesis 17,
verse 5.
No longer
will you be called
Abram,
but your name
will be
Abraham,
for I have made you
a father
of many nations.
I will make you
very fruitful.
I will make
nations of you.
And here's
the other promise.
And kings
will come
from you.
God promises
that kings
would come
who would bring
rule
and who would bring
blessing
to the people.
It was through
the king
that the blessings
that God had promised
would become
a reality.
In particular,
a king would come
from the line
from the line of David.
A king whose kingdom
would last forever
and ever.
And we can read it here.
God had promised
David this.
I will raise up
your offspring
to succeed you,
your own flesh
and blood.
And I will establish
his kingdom
and your throne
will be established
forever.
So,
God is promising
that a king
would come
and it is
through this king
who would make
the blessings
become a reality.
Now,
let's jump
to 1 Kings
chapter 4
and we'll settle
there
in chapter 4.
because in 1 Kings
chapter 4
we see these promises
beginning to take shape
through God's king.
Look at chapter 4
verse 1.
So,
King Solomon ruled
over all Israel
and these were his
chief officials
and we read down
through those names
and we see
verse 3
there were secretaries
there were recorders
in verse 4
there's commander-in-chiefs
and priests
in verse 5
we've got governors
and advisors
and administrators
everything you need
to establish
order
and maintain
rule
in God's kingdom.
And then in verse 7
Solomon had 12
district governors
over all Israel
so
all of this
great big land
this nation
has been divided
into 12 areas
who supplied
provisions for the king
and the royal household.
Each one
so each division
had to provide
supplies
for one month
in the year.
So if they all
did their part
there would be food
for the 12 months
of the year.
And we get a big
long list
of all the people
who were involved.
But look at the supplies
look at all the food
that they supply.
Verse 22
Solomon's daily provisions
were 30 cores
that's 5 tons
of finest flour.
60 tons
or 60 cores
that's 10 tons
of meal.
10 head
of stall
fed cattle.
20 of pasture
fed cattle.
And 100
sheep
and goats
as well as
deer
and gazelles
and roebuck
and the
choicest
of fowls.
One would only hope
that he also got
part of his
five a day
with all that meat.
Someone worked out
that this was
enough food
to supply
5,000
kingdom officials.
This is not
just one month's
food.
This is not
a year's food.
This is
every single day.
It's enormous.
The provision
and the plenty.
There's no chaos
going on here.
There's no disorder
in the ranks.
Nobody going on
strike saying
I haven't got
enough.
Even the animals
are well fed.
Look at verse 26.
Solomon had
4,000
some say
40,000
stalls
for chariot
horses
and 12,000
horses.
Verse 28.
They also brought
to the proper
place their
quotas of barley
and straw
for the chariot
horses
and all the
other horses.
This is
in a
magnificent
kingdom.
A kingdom
so great
and wonderful
that it
was the
desire
and envy
of all
the other
nations.
Look back
at verse 21.
And Solomon
ruled over
all the
kingdoms
from the
river
Euphrates
so that's
right up
into the
north
to the
land of
the
Philistines
over on
the west
over by
the Mediterranean
and as far
as the border
of Egypt
right down
to the south.
These
countries
brought
tribute
and were
Solomon's
subjects
all his
life.
It's like
the author
is unveiling
to us
the splendour
of the
king's
rule
tempting
us
making us
envy
stand back
and be
amazed at
the glory
of this
kingdom.
Look at
how great
it is.
Look at
all the
people
who are
ruling
here.
Look at
all the
food
that's
being
supplied.
Wouldn't
you want
to live
in this
kingdom
too?
Now the
purpose of
this king
was to
bring blessing
to the
people just
as God
had promised.
And look
how wonderful
life is
under this
king.
Verse 20.
The people
of Judah
in Israel
were as
numerous as
the sand
on the
seashore.
Remember
that promise
that they
would be
a great
nation
just as
God had
promised?
And here
they are
as a
great
number.
Verse 20.
They ate,
they drank,
and they
were happy.
It's like
one continuous
party,
one glorious
day after
another.
Yes,
of course
there's work
to be done,
but everybody's
enjoying their
work.
It's a
place of
beauty and
wonder.
It's,
well,
it's just
like
paradise.
And not
only is
there a
joyful
people,
but they
are abundantly
secure.
Verse 24.
For the
king ruled
over all
the kingdoms
west of
the river
Euphrates,
from
Tipsha
to Gaza,
and had
peace on
all sides.
during
Solomon's
lifetime,
Judah
and Israel,
from Dan
in the
north to
Beersheba
in the
south,
lived in
safety.
No crime,
no violence,
no need
to lock
your car
at night.
Everyone
lived in
safety.
And there's
no homelessness
here.
Look at the
end of
verse 25.
everyone
under their
own vine
and under
their own
fig tree.
Everyone
with their
own plot
of land,
abundantly
rich and
fertile land,
supplying
everything that
they needed,
each one
living like
a prince
or a
princess.
It's like
paradise.
verse 27.
The district
governors,
each in his
month,
supplied
provisions
for King
Solomon.
And all
who came
to the
king's
table,
they saw
to it
that
nothing,
nothing
was lacking.
Nothing.
Everyone
from the
king down
enjoyed a
life of
wonderful
blessing.
It's like
Eden.
But I
guess that's
the point,
isn't it?
God had
promised to
create a
people who
would live
in their
own land
and enjoyed
the blessing
of God
living under
his amazing
rule.
And here
it is on
display,
unveiled
before our
eyes in
all its
beauty and
wonder.
Stand
back and
be amazed.
God's
faithful
promise
to establish
a beautiful
new
world.
third,
God
extends
his
promise
of a
new
world
to
all
nations.
God
has
unveiled
before us
what this
new
world
would be
like,
but this
new
world
is on
offer
for all
nations.
Look at
verse
29.
God
gave
Solomon
wisdom
and
very
great
insight
and a
breadth
of
understanding
as
measureless
as the
sand
on the
seashore.
It
wasn't
just a
great
kingdom
but a
great
king
who
ruled
over.
Solomon's
wisdom
was
greater
than the
wisdom
of all
the
people
of the
east
and
greater
than
all
the
wisdom
of
Egypt.
Solomon
was
like a
walking
encyclopedia.
David
Attenborough
and Albert
Einstein
and Stephen
Hawking
all rolled
into one.
Wouldn't
it be great
to have
somebody
around?
You
could
ask
him
anything.
What's
the weather
going to
be like?
What do
you think
is going
to happen?
Can you
tell us
what the
skies are
predicting?
And
what about
that gnat?
Why does
it sting
the way
it does?
Any
special
treatments
for it?
You
could ask
him
anything
and it
seemed
he knew
the answers
to it.
But
more than
that,
verse 32,
he spoke
3,000
proverbs
and his
song
numbered
1,005,
some of
which are
recorded for
us in
scripture
itself.
The book
of Proverbs
written by
Solomon,
most of
them anyway.
Song of
songs
written
by
Solomon.
God
gave
Solomon
such
wonderful
wisdom.
But
why?
Why does
Solomon
have such
vast
knowledge
and
understanding
so that
he could
be a
blessing?
Look at
verse 34.
From
all
nations,
people
came to
listen to
Solomon's
wisdom
sent by
all the
kings of
the world
who had
heard of
his
wisdom.
God
gave
Solomon
wisdom
so that
he could
rule
well to
bring
peace and
prosperity
to the
people.
And now
that same
blessing is
being extended
to the
nations.
Verse 34,
from all
the nations,
people came
to listen to
Solomon.
They've
heard about
this great
kingdom.
They've
heard about
this great
king.
They've
heard how
blessed
these people
are.
And they
want to
get in on
the blessings
too.
And they're
being sent
in their
droves from
all the
different
nations to
come and
see.
It was
always God's
plan.
God never
intended his
blessings to
be restricted
to just
one people,
the people
of Israel.
God longed
that his
blessings would
flow to
all nations
and all
people groups
and all
languages.
You see,
God's promise
of a new
world is
open to
all,
to all
who will
come to
his
king.
So God
promises the
world we
long for.
The
promised
world is
unveiled for
us.
This
promised
new world
is extended
to all
nations.
And then
force God's
people can
enjoy this
new world
through
Jesus.
You see,
1 Kings
chapter 4 is
like an
unveiling,
isn't it?
It's like the
curtains are
being pulled
back and
we're given
a picture,
we're given
a glimpse
of the world
that we all
long for.
But as we
gaze in
wonder,
before our
very eyes,
the colours
on the
picture begin
to run.
And what
was bright
and beautiful
has become
distorted
and darkened.
It's
subtle,
but the
signs of
failure
are already
written
into chapter
4.
Look at the
chief officials
in verse 2.
Look at all
the people
that Solomon
has put
together
to bring
about this
glorious
kingdom.
He's got
secretaries.
He's got
commanders
in chief.
He's even
got the
priests
in place.
But who's
missing?
Who's
missing?
There's no
prophet.
Where
is God's
prophet?
The one
who spoke
God's
word,
reminding
the people
of all
God's
promises
and how
they should
live and
receive the
promise.
It's
through the
prophets that
the promises
seem to
keep on
track.
Reminding
people and
showing people.
We saw
that right at
the very
beginning.
David was
already old
and he had
forgotten what
he was meant
to do.
And Nathan
the prophet
springs into
action and
brings God's
word and
rescues the
situation.
salvation.
It seems
Solomon has
forgotten God's
prophet.
God's word
doesn't seem to
be high
priority.
And instead
of a prophet,
look at the
end of verse
six.
We have
Adoniram,
son of
Abda.
What did
he do?
In charge
of...
Sorry, is
that meant to
be in
there?
Forced
labour?
That doesn't
sound like
loving rule
to me.
You can be
sure that
those people
under forced
labour were
not a joyful
people.
No peace
and prosperity
for them.
This
beautiful
world
pictured
before us
is beginning
to crack.
And then
in verse
26,
we're told
that Solomon
had 4,000
stalls for
chariote
horses and
12,000
horses.
It sounds
very grand,
doesn't it?
Well, why
don't you just
take a look
back to
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
io.
Deuteronomy
16.
So here's
God's word
saying to
the people,
look, when
you have a
king, this is
what the king
must be like.
Deuteronomy
17 verse 16 the king moreover must not acquire what great numbers of horses for himself
or make the people return to egypt to get more of them solomon no no no horses solomon
well why wouldn't he have horses well more than likely because it was a way of building a vast
and great army and your dependence was on the army and not on god himself but here in one kings chapter
four has solomon forgotten his word all because he didn't have the prophet in place
the beautiful world pictured before us in one kings chapter four is tragically being torn apart
it's it's beginning to crack the colors are running and it's distorted and darkened
like a contagious disease it begins to spread and by the time we reach the end of kings
well this model kingdom before us now is broken and destroyed god's people are not in their own land
they're in exile they're not enjoying blessing they're in slavery all over again
you see the world when it's left in our hands is always doomed to fail left to ourselves
we can't create god's new world our sinful hearts are a constant reminder that we are a failed people
we do not obey god's word as we should we trundle through life parking it to one side
we do not deserve god's new world
and yet and yet amazingly god in his grace has made it possible for us
to enjoy his new world let me show you how we can enjoy and be part of all that god had promised
go to galatians in the new testament galatians
galatians chapter 3
and verse 14
galatians 3 verse 14
just one verse
see what it says god redeemed us in order that the blessing given to abraham
might come to the gentiles through christ jesus
so that by faith we might receive the promise of the spirit
so let me just show you three things that guarantee our place in god's new world right from this verse
first
the faithful promise
you see the only way we can ever enjoy god's new world to come
is because god is faithful to his promise
god is faithful to his promise
despite centuries and generations of failure
since solomon and before solomon
god still keeps his promise
and despite our ongoing failure
the promise still stands
look at verse 14
he redeemed us in order that the blessings
things given to abraham might come to the gentiles
to people like us
this promised blessing
of a people living under god's loving rule
and enjoying his favor
forever and ever
that promise
extends to us
and is still alive
because god is faithful
to you and to me
that's why we can be guaranteed of our place
in the new world
but second
faith in christ
because this promise still stands
and the way to receive that promise
to experience and to know it for ourselves
is by faith
so look at verse 14 again
he redeemed us in order that the blessing
given to abraham
might come to the gentiles
that's people like us
through christ jesus
or as he's been saying all the way through chapter 3
through faith
you see christ came
to take our failure
and the suffering
and the suffering that we deserve
he took the curse upon himself
so that we might receive
the blessings of the promise
the promises that god has made
are now ours
through our faith in christ jesus
the promise of forgiveness
of adoption into his family
to be loved and cared for now
and for all eternity
and when christ returns
we will receive the fullness
of the promise
life forever
in the new creation
god's beautiful new world
our place is guaranteed
because god is faithful
and because of faith
in what christ
has done
and achieved
for us
but here's the third reason
filled with the spirit
look at the end of verse 14
so the blessings
so the blessings might come
to people like us
through christ jesus
so that by faith
we might receive
the promise
of the spirit
to guarantee
our place
in god's new world
god has given to us
his holy spirit
the spirit is like god's
seal of blessing upon us
a mark upon us
to say
you are mine
and you belong to me
and where i am
you will be
we are never ever
going to be separated
and god gives
to his people
fills us with his holy spirit
to assure us
and to keep us
until
we are part of god's
glorious
new world
god is faithful
and god has come
to us
in christ
and god has
filled us
with his holy spirit
so that we can
look forward
and be assured
that what god
promised
is ours
today
and will be
ours in all
its fullness
when christ
returns
one kings
chapter 4
is like an
unveiling
the curtain
being pulled
back
to just give us
a glimpse
of what is to
come
and through
christ
it is what
we are guaranteed
forever
and forever
let's just
stop and pray
as we reflect
you