2 Chronicles 8-10: Queen of Sheba

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Matthew 6:24 KJV

Solomon's wealth and visit with the Queen of Sheba is covered.

Introduction

Chapter 8-10 cover the wealth of Solomon's kingdom. To construct the Temple he must have had a tremendous amount of wealth. Solomon receives enormous amounts of wealth from kingdoms far and wide. The amounts of gold and silver he receives are detailed in these chapters. We also learn of the ornate nature of Solomon's throne, which was made of ivory and Gold. It even had were lions attached to the it, confirming the symbolism of lions to the tribe of Judah. All together, these chapters also give us a better look at who Solomon was. Much of the information covered here is also covered in 1 Kings 9 and 10.
Top

Solomon's Egyptian Wife

1 Kings introduces us to Solomon's Egyptian wife, but 2 Chronicles shows us that Solomon knew his wife was not acceptable in God's eyes. Solomon builds a home for his wife outside of the city because he says the city is holy thus it is unacceptable to have her there. Solomon treaded the line of being of the world (marrying women who served pagan gods) and keeping God's law. In the end Solomon falls to paganism. We all must make a choice; you can't serve two masters! (Matthew 6:24).
Top

Ophir's Gold

The amount of gold collected by Solomon's men differs in 2 Chronicles 8:18 than what is written 1 Kings 9:28. I discussed this "contradiction" in the post on 1 Kings 9. Likely it is a copyist error.
Top

Queen of Sheba

Also discussed in 1 Kings 9 and 10 is the visit Solomon receives from the queen of Sheba. The queen of Sheba visits to see if he really is as wise and rich as they say. When Solomon proves to be even wiser and more wealthy, the queen is shocked. She is impressed by the glory bestowed upon God by the Temple and those who work there as well as by Solomon's wisdom and riches. She gives money to Solomon, and he gives money to her—it appears they establish a system of trade between the two nations.

Interestingly, in Ethiopia, which was part of Sheba during Biblical times, many people believe Solomon and the queen conceived a child. Menelik I is said to be a descendant of Solomon and started the Solomonistic dynasty in Ethiopia. This is the root of the Rasta belief that Haile Selassie I was the Messiah.^[1] The Bible does not confirm a child between the pair. However, even if the two did conceive a child, Haile Selassie I was not the Messiah (I'll discuss this when I get around to talking about denominations). Despite the consequences of this belief, I do agree that it is possible for Solomon to have fathered a child with the queen of Sheba; I would not stake my life on the theory however. If it was important to God's plan for our salvation, He would have revealed such a thing.
Top

References

1. "The Zagwe and Solomonic dynasties". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited March 2017