#555 Vanity and Slavery

At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them.

3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath. 5 He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 7 All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8 from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed—these Solomon drafted as forced labor, and so they are to this day. 9 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen. 10 And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord that he had built before the vestibule, 13 as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.14 According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded. 15 And they did not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries.

16 Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from[a] the day the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there 450 talents[b] of gold and brought it to King Solomon. 2 Chronicles 8

What can we say if we just pass through here, not knowing the law of kings? Let's look at it again to illuminate the significance of what is being said here. 

you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by[c] the Levitical priests.19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. Deuteronomy 17: 15-20

In opposition to the law of kings and the Psalmist words in Ps. 20:7, Solomon does seem to separate himself more here from the words and wisdom of God, trusting more in his own wisdom as some trust in chariots and horses. He is also willing to justify forced labor, not indentured servitude, and within the context of this passage, it is most probable to amass, greed. This is even in the history of my own country as well, and it still goes on both condoned by government and in ways not. To have more, avoiding cost to self, reducing one's own effort or inconvenience, we call someone else less. In the earlier portion of U.S. history, the African and Asian populations were treated as less than made in the image of God. The Blacks and Indians were called savages, even animals were treated with more respect. Today, we call the children of inconvenience, less than human, fetus, using words like viability, they have become the real human rights issue, but lost amongst a sea of identity politics, choosing one group to have more priority or right over another. Words like "equality" are used but with no integrity. He goes back the way of Egypt though, for horses and also for turning the horses and slave labor into more silver and gold. What is human life after all compared to metal? He also marries a wife from Egypt and this passage gives more light on the matter than in Kings. He builds her a house of her own, and not just as a tribute to her, but it appears that this is the beginning of how we find him towards his end, unequally yoked. It is the first part or hint of his acquiring many wives, and the temptation to be turned away. He does not deem her fit to be in his father's house where the ark has been, yet he has prophetically prayed for the "foreigner who does not belong to Your people," those that hear of His great name and mighty hand. This appears to be a poor union, a marital divide on the thing that matters most, God, and Solomon has again resorted to his own wisdom and desire in the matter. I thought perhaps she may have been a proselyte in earlier books, but given this passage and the comparison to the law of kings, it seems to be an outline of his folly. The end does not justify the means, especially when it demeans another or the truth. His marriages probably helped him politically, the chariots and horses looked virile and also helped him as an arms dealer. He acquired more wealth with these things, but the support and amassing of stuff also carried a large bill of maintenance. Slavery is the cheapest labor available, so Solomon is always one move ahead and further slipping into vanity. It is a time of peace, but one day there will be a war, and the people will have to face the chariots you sold your neighbors. This is Solomon, a study in dualism, keeping separate, his God, his marriages, his politics and humanity. 

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24