1 Kings 4:5

All Israel was gathered under his sceptre (v. 1), forming one peaceful unity. That had been unknown during his father's reign. The seven years at Hebron, the rebellion of Absalom, that of Sheba the son of Bichri, and that of Adonijah prove it. Now everything is in order and worthy of this glorious reign, but we find only eleven princes (vv. 2-6). The number twelve stands for perfect order in government on earth. That order had not yet come. It would not come until One greater than Solomon came.

The princes and the twelve officers are listed first. Their names fit in perfectly with the character of the kingdom, foreshadowing the coming and better kingdom of our Lord. We give the names of the princes with their meaning. Azariah, "Jehovah is help"; ... Zabud, "Gift bestowed"...

In the New Testament we have something similar in the terms "elders" or "overseers," which both refer to the same persons (compare Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Peter 5:1-2). In the days of the apostles, they or their representatives officially appointed such men in different assemblies... In our days there is no longer any official appointment of elders. But the tasks overseers were expected to perform are still to be done for the spiritual well-being of the saints. So the words of Paul to the elders of Ephesus have not lost their force: "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

In all the necessary conflict for the Lord and His truth, and in all the necessary work among the people of God, what the Lord is looking for is intimate communion with His own. Are we those "intimate counsellors" who know and value communion with Him?... In the case of Solomon, we read that Zabud was "the king's friend." Again we have the idea of intimacy. Abraham is called "the friend of God" (James 2:23; compare Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7). God could have fellowship with Abraham, telling him His plans concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses was another man to whom God spoke "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11). "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel" (Psalm 103:7).

In John 15 the Lord calls His disciples His friends. He shows them the two leading principles of this relationship. The first is obedience: "You are My friends if you do what I command you" (verse 14). The second is communion: "I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" (verse 15).

It is good to see the priest mentioned first, then the scribes and the recorder before the officers of the army. The two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, are named again (v. 4). This shows that the relationship of the kingdom to the Lord was paramount... Though mentioned last, the labour force is very necessary in its place. It does not have the prominent place that priesthood does. But we should be content to labour for the Lord without undue attention directed toward ourselves. The Lord will reward all labour for Himself in a coming day.