1 Kings 10:14

Scripture tells us of the amazing wealth of Solomon's kingdom only because it is a symbol of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the millennium. Every year 666 talents of gold came to him — that is 87,245 pounds! (v.14). And that figure leaves out the gold brought in by traveling merchants and traders. It also leaves out what the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country sent in (v.15).

Here unbelievers shake their heads. For them everything man says seems believable, and everything God says is nothing but lies... In one year Solomon received 666 talents of gold; the queen of Sheba had given him 120 talents, and the king of Tyre had paid the same. Is there anything unbelievable in this, compared with what the kingdoms of the world take in today? Need we remind ourselves that under this reign all the kings of the earth paid tribute to him?

Verses 14 through 22 describe the riches and the splendor of the kingdom. Gold is the emblem of divine righteousness. It stands out everywhere under Solomon's reign, from the temple to the throne. The throne was amazing: no kingdom had ever made anything like it. It was the throne of righteousness and of power, and it carried the emblems of both.

SIX. Incompleteness, imperfection — one short of the perfect number seven. Solomon had six steps up to his great throne, 1 Kings 10:19. But it was not high enough to save him from idolatry. He received 666 talents of gold in a year, 1 Kings 10:14. Yet he had to confess that it was all empty, a chasing after the wind... The number of the imperial beast will be 666, Rev. 13:18, imperfect in every way.

His ivory throne had six steps. He imported 666 talents of gold in a single year. Each of his 200 shields took 600 shekels of gold. And a chariot came up out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver (1 Kings 10:14, 16, 19, 29). Six is the number of man, and it speaks of incompleteness and imperfection. The superman of the last days, who will win the admiration of the world, has 666 for the number of his name (Rev. 13:18).

God had given great riches and honour to Solomon, who had asked only for wisdom. But the law told the king to study it (Deut. 17:19-20), and that study should have stopped him from gathering riches the way he did. These chapters teach us that he did exactly what the law forbade. He multiplied silver and gold, he multiplied his wives, and he brought in a great number of horses from Egypt.

We may remember that his father David also gathered great stores of gold and other precious things. Yes, but he did it for the house of God — the house he himself was not allowed to build... David multiplied wealth for the service of God, though he would never see it spent. Solomon used it, and then multiplied much more for himself.

"Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the LORD?'" (Prov. 30:7-9). As we follow the history of his reign, we find the love of riches growing on Solomon. God was too kind to His weak servant, and it cost him his soul.