Study Desk

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. His kingdom went as far as the border of Egypt. These countries sent gifts to Solomon, and they obeyed him all of his life.

This is the amount of food that Solomon needed each day for himself and for everyone who ate at his table: 150 bushels of fine flour, 300 bushels of flour, 10 cattle that were fed grain, 20 cattle that were raised in the fields, 100 sheep, wild animals such as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and game birds.

Solomon ruled over all the countries west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And Solomon had peace along all the borders of his kingdom.

Solomon had places to keep 4000 horses for his chariots and he had 12,000 horse soldiers.

By the end of his life, he had written 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs.

Hiram was the king of Tyre. He had always been David's friend. So when Hiram heard that Solomon had become the new king after David, he sent his servants to Solomon.

"You remember that my father, King David, had to fight many wars all around him. So he was never able to build a temple to honor the Lord his God. King David was waiting until the Lord allowed him to defeat all his enemies.

Solomon gave Hiram about 120,000 bushels of wheat and about 120,000 gallons of pure olive oil every year for his family.

Behind the Judgment Hall was a courtyard. The palace where Solomon lived was built around that courtyard and looked like the Judgment Hall. He also built the same kind of palace for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.

Huram's mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali. His dead father was from Tyre. Huram made things from bronze. He was a very skilled and experienced builder. So King Solomon asked him to come, and Huram accepted. King Solomon put him in charge of all the bronze work, and Huram did all the work he was given to do.

So King Solomon finished all the work he wanted to do for the Lord 's Temple. Then he took everything his father David had saved for this special purpose and put them in the Temple. He put the silver and gold in the special storage rooms in the Lord 's Temple.

The only things inside the Holy Box are the two tablets that Moses put there at Mt. Horeb. This is where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

"So the Lord has kept his promises. I am the king now in place of my father David. I rule the people of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple for the Lord , the God of Israel.

Then Solomon stood in front of whole assembly of Israel and faced the Lord 's altar. Solomon spread his hands and looked toward heaven

When Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord , he was on his knees in front of the Lord 's altar and his arms were raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he stood up.

"Praise the Lord ! He promised to give rest to his people, Israel. And he has given us rest! He used his servant Moses and made many good promises to the people of Israel. And he has kept every one of them!

I pray that the Lord our God will always remember this prayer and what I have asked. I pray that he will do these things for his servant, the king, and for his people, Israel. I pray that he will do this every day.

You people must be loyal and true to the Lord our God. You must always follow and obey all of his laws and commands. You must continue to obey in the future as you do now."

The next day Solomon told the people to go home. All the people thanked the king, said goodbye, and went home. They were happy because of all the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant and for his people Israel.

So Solomon finished building the Lord 's Temple and his own palace. Solomon built everything that he wanted to build.