(REFLECTIONS ON 1 Kings 10:14-29)

14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold…

Wait, 666? Isn’t that a number that we are familiar with? Isn’t that the number from Revelation 13:18 regarding the number of the beast? Is the Book of Revelation pulling the reader back to Solomon and his wisdom and wealth? What is the wisdom and wealth of 666 for Solomon? What is Revelation warning us of?

Solomon was known for his wisdom, the wisdom he received from the Lord, and as we see in 1 Kings 10 he was also known for his wealth. Wisdom and wealth is what the queen of Sheba heard about in her own land, and wisdom and wealth is what she saw when she came to Jerusalem.

However, through 1 Kings 10 we also see several warning signs that point to the fall of Solomon that will take place in the very next chapter.

First, we see that King Solomon made shields from the gold in his possession. Why make shields out of gold? Aren’t shields supposed to protect us during battle? So shouldn’t shields be made from material that is light, hard, and difficult to break? Gold would be too soft to stop weapons and too heavy to carry effectively.

We can see that the shields of gold weren’t made for battle, but to show his immense wealth, and as an act of pride showing that what should be used to protect, for him was used for decoration and display.

Next, King Solomon made a great ivory throne overlaid with the finest gold. King Solomon’s drinking vessels were also made of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.

All these things are a reflection of his immense wealth, but also a sign of budding pride and worldliness. Even silver, which has value, was so readily available in Jerusalem that it was not considered to have any value.

We even read that King Solomon,

“had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.”

1 Kings 10 is all about excess, not only in wisdom, but of wealth, and this wealth would represent for King Solomon his pride, materialism, and love of worldly things. Lastly, King Solomon “gathered together chariots and horsemen, and even imported horses from Egypt and Kue.

This should then also connect us back to Deuteronomy 17 when the Lord spoke of future kings of Israel,

16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

In Revelation 13:18 it is written,

“This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

The number of the beast, 666 represents materialism, economic control, idolatry of money, and the building of a worldly kingdom instead of humility towards the heavenly kingdom of God.

That the weight of King Solomon’s gold in one year was 666 talents of gold reminds us of his wisdom and wealth, which should have been for the glory of the Lord, but when turned around and used for the glory of the world, it becomes an overwhelming force and power of pride, excess, and over indulgence.

The wisdom and wealth of 666 reminds us that too much of a good thing, an excess of those things that are originally blessings from the Lord, in the hands of a material world and a materialistic person, will quickly turn from begin a blessing to a curse.

Let us not think that 666 is so far from us, because if we are not careful, perhaps we will find ourselves also pursuing the wisdom and wealth of 666.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 1 Kings 10