With a Subtitle: Give something to God that you think you need. Make your faith in God an active part of your day.
A brief Excerpt: Solomon’s wealth is compared to modern figures to highlight its magnitude. The author contrasts the desire for wealth with faith, encouraging readers to give something valuable to God.
Scripture
Our verse for today comes from 1 Kings 10:14-15, “The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.”
Background
Six hundred and sixty-six. The book of Revelation has some ominous things to say about that number. In the context of today’s verse, I’m not sure if the number is so significant, except to give us an idea of just how rich Solomon was getting every year. In today’s market, with the current price of gold at $1,192.00 per ounce, Solomon’s minimum yearly income would be a staggering $953,600,000. And that is without including what he would receive from the merchants, traders, kings, and governors in tolls and tariffs. It also doesn’t count the endless array of precious stones and metals, fine linens, and rare possessions that he gathered. The highest paid athlete today might make $100 million for the few years of his prime. The lottery sometimes gives away over $100 million at one time. These amounts are so large and foreign to us that we can’t grasp their value or their impact. But Solomon reigned as king for forty years, collecting well over $1 billion every year. For forty years. Someone would need to hand you $30 every second of every day for an entire year for you to collect $953 million. It’s inconceivable. And it makes me think of why wanting to win the lottery or dreaming of getting rich quick is so opposed to God’s ways.
Application
Ultimately, the desire to be wealthy goes back to my being able to control my circumstances. It feeds my need to feel secure, to not have to worry how I would pay for the house and feed my family if I lost my job. It covers up my fear. For I would dare say that all of us would be scared if we went from where we are to having nothing. No income, not a single dime. And we don’t like that feeling. But the income and the stuff does not calm the fear, it only masks it. It does not magnify your faith, it numbs it. Faith is what we need. I think I have it sometimes, but then I hold on to some gold instead. If I trust God with something, I should give it to Him. That is the work of faith. That is the faith that works.
Charge
As we seek Him today, try to give something to God that you think you need. Make your faith in God a real, active part of your day. See how it feels to not be in control of something.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
Distributed by – BCWorldview.org