I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Chronicles 8-10.

    David had risen to power and consolidated the unity of Israel by defending the trade routes. He conquered the surrounding nations which either supported banditry or failed to control it within their territories (I am doing a bit of reading between the lines here, but that is what it reads like to me). Solomon took this one step further and built a merchant empire by entering into trade himself (this is clearly spelled out here and in the 1 Kings description of Solomon’s reign). The account of the Queen of Sheba suggests that Solomon’s merchants credited his, and their, success to worshiping God. The Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem to find out if Solomon was as wise, wealthy, and powerful as rumor painted him. My pragmatic understanding of politics suggests to me that her visit was also intended to gain advantage. When her negotiations and questioning revealed that his wisdom and faith left him prepared to match all of her machinations, she entered into a mutually profitable agreement with him. The key here was that Solomon lived according to his reputation. When nonbelievers come to investigate us, we should live so that they will see that we live our lives according to what we claim to believe.

    When Rehoboam succeeded his father Solomon on the throne of Israel, the people of Israel demanded that he reduce their tax burden (I am oversimplifying into today’s terms). Rehoboam wisely chose to delay giving them an answer so that he could consult with his advisers. First he consulted with those who had been his father’s advisers (who were older men). They advised him to be conciliatory and yield to the people’s demands. There is a hint in their wording to suggest that they believed the people’s demands to be justified, but they also suggest that if Rehoboam yields to their demands now, he can make demands on them later. Rehoboam did not like their advice, so he turned to those he had grown up with. They told him to tell the people that he was boss and not only would he not reduce the demands his father had made of the people, he would increase those demands. When the people of Israel heard Rehoboam’s response, they rejected his rule. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal. When Rehoboam sent out his subordinate to enforce his rule on those who had rejected it the subordinate was killed. It was then that Rehoboam realized that his power to rule over the people of Israel came from the willingness of some portion of them to uphold his rule. Rehoboam failed because he did not listen to the advice of those with greater experience, who had explained why their course of action was the one to take. Rather he followed the advice of those who played to his ego.