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Strategy, Wealth, and a Carefully Told Story: 2 Chronicles 8
By 2 Chronicles 8, Solomon has a successful construction company and can build whatever he wants. So, in 2 Chronicles 8:1-6, he rebuilds entire cities, including those he gave to King Hiram in return for the cedar and gold he needed to build the Temple.
Why would he rebuild cities he gave to Hiram? Well, back in 1 Kings 9, Hiram visited the cities and was not impressed. At some point, he gave them back to Solomon who obviously decided they were worth restoring and repopulating.
The Chronicler makes it clear Solomon is expanding some valuable territory by specifically mentioning Hamath and Tadmor, which place Israel in control of the major trade routes with Mesopotamia. He also highlights Upper and Lower Beth Horon which are important to the protection of Jerusalem, because they are twelve miles northwest of the capital on a ridge strategically guarding the approach to the city.
Solomon makes it a priority to encourage trade and discourage foreign invasions. He has store cities and fortified cities all for keeping military horses and guarding Israel’s wealth from other nations.
He uses forced labor to build the Temple, his palace, the terraces, wall, and six cities. These people are pulled from the Canaanites who were left in the land including the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
But in 2 Chronicles 8:7-10 the Chronicler makes sure to note the forced labor did not include any Israelites. The only Israelites employed by the government are military men or officials who oversee the forced labor.
The Pharaoh’s Daughter
From 1 Kings 3, we know Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter early in his reign, before the Temple and Palace complex were built. By 1 Kings 9, Solomon has built Pharaoh’s daughter her own palace, which you can see in our show notes was most likely a large space attached to his palace. In 2 Chronicles 8:11, Solomon brings his bride home.
This marriage serves as a political alliance between Israel and Egypt. We have journeyed with Moses through four seasons of the Bible Book Club, and by now it’s clear this is an unwise move from a famously wise king. But Egypt is powerful and her father threw in the entire city of Gezer as a dowry to sweeten the deal.
Gezer is a strategically located city where Pharaoh captured and killed all the Canaanite residents. In other words, the city is vacant and available to inhabit.
Faithful…for Now
The Chronicler adds a detail you can’t find in Kings, the rationale for why Solomon built Pharaoh’s daughter her own special palace. He implies David’s Palace is forever holy ground, sanctified and pure, because the Ark was housed there in a tent before the Temple was built.
Foreigners were considered ritually impure. Therefore, Solomon’s Egyptian Queen was not allowed on the holy ground of the Palace Solomon acquired from his father David.
Solomon was rightfully concerned about protecting ritual purity by barring his foreign wife from the holy ground. However, there is more to this story the Chronicler leaves out because it would paint Solomon in a bad light.
Solomon’s passion for building and women eventually collide and take an idolatrous turn. He throws purity out the window and builds temples to the gods of all his foreign wives.
But in 2 Chronicles 8:12-16 the Chronicler verifies Solomon is faithful to all the commands for ritual sacrifice as outlined by Moses in Numbers 28 and all the instructions his father, David, laid out for the duties of the priests and Levites.
The Curious Queen of Sheba: 2 Chronicles 9
Solomon puts his wisdom to good use making Israel prosperous and powerful. He develops a solid political partnership with Hiram, King of Tyre, in 2 Chronicles 8:17-18 and aggressively expands his holdings with lots of building. He also meticulously maintains religious order and increases revenue streams through world trade.
Basically, Solomon did what every king should do. He just did it better. So much better, in fact, that word got out.
Israel was meant to be a light to the nations pointing the world to God. Solomon’s success achieved this goal. Nations began to wonder who this man was that God was bestowing so much wisdom and wealth on. Kings became envious and one queen became so curious she decided to find out for herself what was going on in 2 Chronicles 9:1.
The Queen of Sheba is most likely from the ancient kingdom of Saba in Southern Arabia. This region was known for its trade networks dealing in gold, precious stones, and spices, especially costly frankincense and myrrh.
Wisdom Worth Sharing
The Queen traveled an estimated 1,500 miles just to meet Solomon. Camels can only travel about twenty miles a day, so the journey would have taken her over two months.
And this was not a journey for the faint of heart. It was rough and dangerous, especially because of what she packed…loads of gold! This would have made her caravan a tempting target for anyone seeking treasure.
The fact that she made such a costly, risky, arduous journey is testament to her curiosity. She had questions, and she was willing to risk her life for answers.
What was her motivation? At this point, all we know is that she had “heard of Solomon’s fame.” What did she hear about Solomon that she wanted so badly? Was it his wisdom, wealth, or his God?
It brings up an interesting question for us. As Christians, what do we have that makes people curious enough to ask questions when they hear about it?
On this journey through the Bible, we are gaining wisdom. Do they see our growing wisdom? Is it visible to others? Are we sharing our wisdom?
What if everyone reading this invited someone else to join them? To stop and discuss the points together. We could have millions of people growing in wisdom!
Reflection Point
Whatever Queen Sheba’s motivation, she is admirable. It says she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. She did not sit on her curiosity and become distracted by her own wealth and access to entertainment.
Instead, she wrestled with her questions until they drove her to take action. She had to work hard to get answers, even risk her life, but she was not going to let fear, cost, inconvenience, or discomfort get in the way of her pursuit of knowledge.
What if we, as a Bible Book Club, had the same drive as the Queen of Sheba?
Maybe we do. The Bible isn’t an easy book to walk through. Especially the parts we’ve already journeyed through like Leviticus, laden with rituals, or Chronicles, loaded with genealogies.
We could easily let entertainment or the pursuit of wealth distract us, but instead we’re choosing to dive deeper for answers. We’re using our time to seek wisdom, to pursue God and His truth, just like the Queen of Sheba did.
Think of the journey we’re making together and the wisdom we’re gaining. We may not be risking our lives, but it still takes a driving curiosity and a real sacrifice of time to do what we’re doing. And it’s worth it!
Bible Bender Moment
Despite the Queen’s great wealth and knowledge, 2 Chronicles 9:2-4 says she is overwhelmed by Solomon’s kingdom. Translations of the phrase “she was overwhelmed” vary. In the King James Version it says “there was no more spirit in her.” In the New American Version it’s translated “it took her breath away.”
Poole and Gill’s Bible commentaries described the Queen’s reaction like this: there was no more spirit in the queen. She was quite astonished. Like one in an ecstasy, she had no power for a time to speak, what she saw and heard so affected her.
The wealthy Queen of Sheba was in such awe it took her breath away. In the Bible Book Club, we often feel that way when we discover what we call a Bible Bender. This is an aha moment when a hidden truth or concept suddenly comes together in our mind.
It feels like God is letting us in on a secret. Everything freezes and we feel a connection to God.
With every revelation, every Bible Bender, our faith grows, because we know only God could have written this story. It’s a story beginning with the perfection we lost in Eden through thousands of years of human rebellion and divine rescue, and ending with restoration and an eternity of peace and perfection in His presence.
The Queen Saw What They Forgot
The Queen of Sheba had a revelation of her own, and she responds in 2 Chronicles 9:5-8 praising the Lord as the God who, in His love for Israel, made Solomon king. Then she says something only a leader would notice: How happy your people must be.
Why should they be happy? Because of the goodness of God.
God has been good to them just as He promised in His covenant. Even an outsider, a foreigner, could see what the Israelites would later fail to see for themselves. That it was God who had redeemed them and provided for them.
God chose them. They chose other gods. And the blessing was removed. The Chronicler wants the returning exiles to know that while they have been allowed to come back to the Promised Land they must also return to their God who promised it.
She Sought Wisdom and Found God
The enormous amount of gold the Queen of Sheba gave Solomon in 2 Chronicles 9:9-12 was the same amount Hiram, the King of Tyre, had loaned Solomon. Her generous tribute was a testament to what she thought of Solomon, his wisdom, his God, and the kingdom he ruled.
The Queen of Sheba had heard the good news and was willing to pursue it at great cost. When she sought wisdom, she found truth that blessed her and gave her an opportunity to believe. She was so moved she praised the Lord.
Isn’t that what God had planned all along? For the nations to hear and be blessed? That’s the promise He made in Genesis 12:2-3 and again in Isaiah 42:6.
The Queen of Sheba wanted answers to her questions so she sought them and her eyes were opened. The answers to all our questions are right here in this book, the Bible. You have sought them by joining us here, and it is our hope what you learn will encourage your faith too.
Solomon’s Golden Age
By 2 Chronicles 9:13-16 Solomon is up to 25 tons of gold annually plus revenue from trade, taxes, and tolls. He probably ran out of space to store his gold, and it was lovely to look at, so why hide it?
Instead, he decorates the Palace compound with gold. The 200 large shields called targets are body length like an oblong shield covered in gold.
The 300 small shields are smaller and round, but they are not for war. They are decorative, hanging in the palace and likely worn when the king processes in public or for grand marches and ceremonies.
The king sits on gold, drinks out of gold, and uses only gold in his house. In 2 Chronicles 9:17-21, the author describes his throne as being like no other before it in any other kingdom.
It is made entirely of gold with a pack of twelve lions lining the six steps up to the throne, likely representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Its height means even if the king is sitting he will be above anyone standing before him.
Solomon Reaches Influencer Status
By 2 Chronicles 9:22-28 the word is out about King Solomon and his relationship with the Lord. He is greater in riches and wisdom than all other kings and the whole world seeks an audience with him.
The news of his wealth brings influential kings and queens to his door. We know the Queen of Sheba praised God for Solomon’s success. Did he influence her faith? What about the kings who visited? Were they so influenced they took news of the Lord home with them and it influenced their communities?
Solomon is using his influencer status for good to glorify God, for a time anyway. But he will eventually stray and stop using his influence as God intended.
This seems to be a particular pitfall or temptation of influencers. Too much fame and fortune leads to self-gratification. Too much of self leaves very little room for the Lord.
And when Solomon fails to value the Lord, he breaks the covenant. Our Chronicler will skip that story, of course, but God makes sure it is documented, and we discuss it in Season 11, Episode 8 of Bible Book Club.
Searching for Hope in the Ashes of the Golden Age
In 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, Solomon’s death marks the end of Israel’s golden age and the beginning of a very different story. The united kingdom David established and Solomon perfected will not survive the transition to the next generation.
Solomon’s son does not have Solomon’s wisdom. What began as a single nation blessed by God will divide into competing kingdoms. The northern tribes will break away to form Israel, while the southern kingdom of Judah will continue the Davidic line.
For the Chronicler, this division represents far more than a political fall. It’s the beginning of a theological crisis.
How can the people who experienced God’s tangible presence in Solomon’s Temple allow their kingdom to split? How can the recipients of God’s blessing lose sight of what truly matters?
The remaining chapters of 2 Chronicles wrestle with these questions as they trace Judah’s kings through cycles of faithfulness and idolatry, reform and rebellion, all while the northern kingdom drifts further from God until it disappears completely.
Yet, even in documenting this decline, the Chronicler maintains hope. Within the stories of Judah’s good and bad kings, he embeds testimonials to God’s unchanging faithfulness. He shares moments when righteous leaders bring revival, Temple worship is restored, and the people remember their true identity as God’s covenant community.
The golden age of David and Solomon may have ended, but God’s promises endure, waiting for hearts that will once again seek Him.
🎧 Ready to dive deeper? Listen to episodes of the Bible Book Club Podcast here.
Themes of this podcast:
God’s blessing was meant to shine beyond Israel’s borders. Solomon’s wealth, wisdom, and worldwide fame were not just for Israel’s benefit. They were a beacon to the nations. The Queen of Sheba’s journey and praise reveal how God’s goodness can stir spiritual curiosity far beyond Israel. This theme connects back to God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 to bless all nations through His chosen people.
Wisdom is worth the pursuit, but it must be shared. Both Solomon and the Queen of Sheba model a hunger for wisdom, but it’s the Queen’s willingness to pursue, question, and praise that challenges us most. Her journey is a picture of what it looks like to seek truth with courage and intentionality. Her story also raises the question, are we living in a way that makes others curious enough to ask about our source of wisdom?
Faithfulness leads to influence, but without obedience, even gold grows cold. Solomon’s golden age was unmatched with fortresses, cities, palaces, and riches beyond measure. But in the end his heart turned, and so did the nation. The Chronicler is careful to highlight Solomon’s faithfulness while subtly pointing to the cracks in the foundation. The message is clear, no amount of strategy, success, or wealth can sustain a kingdom or a life without continued obedience to God.
Show Notes:
