1 Kings 4:20-28 also records Solomon’s wealth.
The Lord God enabled Solomon to be extremely wealthy and prosperous. Horses and chariots were a measure of extravagance in those days. Solomon had many of both (14). He also made silver, cedar, and gold common (15). Thus his wealth flowed to the people of Israel through commerce.
Before this shower of wealth and status were all the battles won by his father. God, through David, who was after the Lord’s heart, enabled Solomon to have peace. This in turn provided a stable, growing economy. All this was arranged by the Lord God, as he had promised David.
What did Solomon and Israel do with the environment provided and arranged by the Lord? They did not do what the Lord wanted. They did not advance and share the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord with the nations. Instead of helping outward the rusted and corroded inward.
I am not envious of Solomon and his wealth. The Chronicler(s) does not mention Solomon’s eventual path into selfish, sinful endeavors that are common among the wealthy. That is recorded elsewhere.
Finally, after seeking self-centered pleasures and sin, in his later life, in the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote, “Meaningless, meaningless, utterly meaningless.” Solomon was not happy in his wealth and sin (Eccl. 2:1, 6:2, 12:1)
