mh_parser/vol_split/14 - 2Chronicles/Chapter 8.xml

<div2 id="iiCh.ix" n="ix" next="iiCh.x" prev="iiCh.viii" progress="81.10%" title="Chapter VIII">
<h2 id="iiCh.ix-p0.1">S E C O N D   C H R O N I C L E
S</h2>
<h3 id="iiCh.ix-p0.2">CHAP. VIII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="iiCh.ix-p1">In this chapter we are told, I. What cities
Solomon built, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.1-2Chr.8.6" parsed="|2Chr|8|1|8|6" passage="2Ch 8:1-6">ver. 1-6</scripRef>.
II. What workmen Solomon employed, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.7-2Chr.8.10" parsed="|2Chr|8|7|8|10" passage="2Ch 8:7-10">ver. 7-10</scripRef>. III. What care he took about a
proper settlement for his wife, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.11" parsed="|2Chr|8|11|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:11">ver.
11</scripRef>. IV. What a good method he put the temple-service
into, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.12-2Chr.8.16" parsed="|2Chr|8|12|8|16" passage="2Ch 8:12-16">ver. 12-16</scripRef>. V.
What trading he had with foreign countries, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.17-2Chr.8.18" parsed="|2Chr|8|17|8|18" passage="2Ch 8:17,18">ver. 17, 18</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="iiCh.ix-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8" parsed="|2Chr|8|0|0|0" passage="2Ch 8" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="iiCh.ix-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.1-2Chr.8.11" parsed="|2Chr|8|1|8|11" passage="2Ch 8:1-11" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:2Chr.8.1-2Chr.8.11">
<h4 id="iiCh.ix-p1.8">Solomon's Buildings. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p1.9">b. c.</span> 992.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iiCh.ix-p2">1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty
years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p2.1">Lord</span>, and his own house,   2 That the
cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and
caused the children of Israel to dwell there.   3 And Solomon
went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.   4 And he
built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he
built in Hamath.   5 Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and
Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
  6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had,
and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all
that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and
throughout all the land of his dominion.   7 <i>As for</i> all
the people <i>that were</i> left of the Hittites, and the Amorites,
and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which
<i>were</i> not of Israel,   8 <i>But</i> of their children,
who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel
consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.
  9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants
for his work; but they <i>were</i> men of war, and chief of his
captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.   10 And
these <i>were</i> the chief of king Solomon's officers, <i>even</i>
two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.   11
And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of
David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My
wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because
<i>the places are</i> holy, whereunto the ark of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p2.2">Lord</span> hath come.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p3">This we had <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.9.10-1Kgs.9.24" parsed="|1Kgs|9|10|9|24" passage="1Ki 9:10-24">1 Kings ix. 10-24</scripRef>, and therefore shall
only observe here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p4">I. Though Solomon was a man of great
learning and knowledge, yet he spent his days, not in
contemplation, but in action, not in his study, but in his country,
in building cities and fortifying them, in a time of peace
preparing for a time of war, which is as much a man's business as
it is in summer to provide food for winter.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p5">II. As he was a man of business himself,
and did not consult his own ease, so he employed a great many
hands, kept abundance of people to work. It is the interest of a
state by all means possible to promote and encourage industry, and
to keep its subjects from idleness. A great many strangers there
were in Israel, many that remained of the Canaanites; and they were
welcome to live there, but not to live and do nothing. The men of
Laish, who had no business, were an easy prey to the invaders,
<scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Judg.18.7" parsed="|Judg|18|7|0|0" passage="Jdg 18:7">Judg. xviii. 7</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p6">III. When Solomon had begun with building
the house of God, and made good work and quick work of that, he
prospered in all his undertakings, so that <i>he built all that he
desired to build,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.6" parsed="|2Chr|8|6|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:6"><i>v.</i>
6</scripRef>. Those who have a genius for building find that one
project draws on another, and the latter must amend and improve the
former. Now observe, 1. How the divine providence gratified even
Solomon's humour, and gave him success, not only in all that he
needed to build and that it was for his advantage to build, but in
all that he had a mind to build. So indulgent a Father God is
sometimes to the innocent desires of his children that serve him.
Thus he pleased Jacob with that promise, <i>Joseph shall put his
hand on thy eyes.</i> 2. Solomon knew how to set bounds to his
desires. He was not one of those that enlarge them endlessly, and
can never be satisfied, but knew when to draw in; for he finished
all he desired, and then he desired no more. He did not sit down
and fret that he had not more cities to build, as Alexander did
that he had not more worlds to conquer, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Hab.2.5" parsed="|Hab|2|5|0|0" passage="Hab 2:5">Hab. ii. 5</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p7">IV. That one reason why Solomon built a
palace on purpose for the queen, and removed her and her court to
it, was because he thought it by no means proper that she should
<i>dwell in the house of David</i> (<scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.11" parsed="|2Chr|8|11|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:11"><i>v.</i> 11</scripRef>), considering that that had been
a place of great piety, and perhaps her house was a place of great
vanity. She was proselyted, it is likely, to the Jewish religion;
but it is a question whether all her servants were. Perhaps they
had among them the idols of Egypt, and a great deal of profaneness
and debauchery. Now, though Solomon had not zeal and courage enough
to suppress and punish what was amiss there, yet he so far
consulted the honour of his father's memory that he would not
suffer that place to be thus profaned where the ark of God had been
and where holy David had prayed many a good prayer and sung many a
sweet psalm. Not that all the places where the ark had been were so
holy as never to be put to a common use; for then the houses of
Abinadab and Obed-edom must have been so. But the place where it
had been so long, and had been so publicly attended on, was so
venerable that it was not fit to be the place of so much gaiety,
not to say iniquity, as was to be found, I fear, in the court that
Pharaoh's daughter kept. Note, Between things sacred and things
common the ancient landmarks ought to be kept up. It was an
outer-court of the temple that was the <i>court of the
women.</i></p>
</div><scripCom id="iiCh.ix-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.12-2Chr.8.18" parsed="|2Chr|8|12|8|18" passage="2Ch 8:12-18" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:2Chr.8.12-2Chr.8.18">
<h4 id="iiCh.ix-p7.3">Solomon's Devotion. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p7.4">b. c.</span> 992.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iiCh.ix-p8">12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the
<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p8.1">Lord</span> on the altar of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p8.2">Lord</span>, which he had built before the porch,
  13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according
to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons,
and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, <i>even</i> in
the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in
the feast of tabernacles.   14 And he appointed, according to
the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their
service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister
before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters
also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of
God commanded.   15 And they departed not from the commandment
of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or
concerning the treasures.   16 Now all the work of Solomon was
prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p8.3">Lord</span>, and until it was finished. <i>So</i>
the house of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.ix-p8.4">Lord</span> was perfected.
  17 Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the
sea side in the land of Edom.   18 And Huram sent him by the
hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the
sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took
thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought
<i>them</i> to king Solomon.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p9">Here is, I. Solomon's devotion. The
building of the temple was in order to the service of the temple.
Whatever cost he was at in rearing the structure, if he had
neglected the worship that was to be performed there, it would all
have been to no purpose. Assisting the devotion of others will not
atone for our own neglects. When Solomon had built the temple, 1.
He kept up the holy sacrifices there, according to the law of
Moses, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.12-2Chr.8.13" parsed="|2Chr|8|12|8|13" passage="2Ch 8:12,13"><i>v.</i> 12, 13</scripRef>.
In vain had the altar been built, and in vain had fire come down
from heaven, if sacrifices had not been constantly brought as the
food of the altar and the fuel of that fire. There were daily
sacrifices, <i>a certain rate every day,</i> as duly as the day
came, weekly sacrifices on the sabbath, double to what was offered
on other days, monthly sacrifices <i>on the new moons,</i> and
yearly sacrifices at the three solemn feasts. Those are spiritual
sacrifices that are now required of us, which we are to bring daily
and weekly; and it is good to be in a settled method of devotion.
2. He kept up the holy songs there, according to the <i>law of
David,</i> who is here called the <i>man of God,</i> as Moses was,
because he was both instructed and authorised of God to make these
establishments; and Solomon took care to see them observed <i>as
the duty of every day required,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.14" parsed="|2Chr|8|14|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:14"><i>v.</i> 14</scripRef>. Solomon, though a wise and
great man and the builder of the temple, did not attempt to amend,
alter, or add to what the man of God had, in God's name, commanded,
but closely adhered to that, and used his authority to have that
duly observed; and then <i>none departed from the commandment of
the king concerning any matter,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p9.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.15" parsed="|2Chr|8|15|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:15"><i>v.</i> 15</scripRef>. He observed God's laws, and
then all obeyed his orders. When the service of the temple was put
into this good order, then it is said, <i>The house of the Lord was
perfected,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p9.4" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.16" parsed="|2Chr|8|16|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:16"><i>v.</i>
16</scripRef>. The work was the main matter, not the place; the
temple was unfinished till all this was done.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.ix-p10">II. Solomon's merchandise. He did himself
in person visit the sea-port towns of Eloth and Ezion-geber; for
those that deal much in the world will find it their interest, as
far as they can, to inspect their affairs themselves and to see
with their own eyes, <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.17" parsed="|2Chr|8|17|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:17"><i>v.</i>
17</scripRef>. Canaan was a rich country, and yet must send to
Ophir for gold; the Israelites were a wise and understanding
people, and yet must be beholden to the king of Tyre for <i>men
that had knowledge of the seas,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.ix-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.8.18" parsed="|2Chr|8|18|0|0" passage="2Ch 8:18"><i>v.</i> 18</scripRef>. Yet Canaan was God's peculiar
land, and Israel God's peculiar people. This teaches us that grace,
and not gold, is the best riches, and acquaintance with God and his
law, not with arts and sciences, the best knowledge.</p>
</div></div2>