The king [Solomon] had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
When I was a kid I loved monkeys. They were my favorite animal. There was a TV show back then about a guy named BJ who had a pet chimp named Bear. The show was obviously called BJ and the Bear. I really wished I could be BJ and own a pet chimp. I would even name him Bear.
King Solomon didn’t just own one chimpanzee, he owned many apes. Today’s verse says that every three years he would get a new boatload of apes, or maybe they were monkeys. Monkeys are smaller than apes and have tails. True apes don’t have tails. Most likely King Solomon was importing different species of monkeys. There aren’t monkeys in Israel so they have to be brought on boats from other countries. These monkeys were a sign of great wealth. If you could afford to buy apes you must be very, very rich. Yesterday we said that Solomon bought lots, and lots of horses. Of course, horses were useful for fighting in battles. But monkeys don’t serve any real purpose other than to show that you can afford to buy an animal that no one else has.
King Solomon is the exact opposite of King Jesus.
King Solomon was very rich. King Jesus was very poor.
King Solomon made people come to him to see his great wealth. King Jesus left his great wealth in Heaven behind and came to us.
King Solomon was proud and wanted everyone to know how great he was with his zoo full of apes (and peacocks). King Jesus was humble and wanted everyone to know how great God is, who made the apes (and peacocks).
King Solomon hurt his people by charging them heavy taxes so he could buy monkeys (and peacocks). King Jesus went around doing good for people all for free.
King Solomon demanded that people give everything to him. King Jesus gives everything to us.
King Solomon surrounded himself with riches of gold and silver, with apes (and peacocks). King Jesus was born in a manger surrounded by wood and hay, sheep and cattle.
King Solomon would have his kingdom taken from his family because of his selfishness and pride. King Jesus came so that he could build his better kingdom of love here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
And one day Jesus will come again and create a kingdom here on Earth where everyone is equal. No rich and no poor. No pet monkeys or apes (or peacocks). Just a world where everyone can enjoy all of creation all of the time.
Questions: Would you rather live a life like King Solomon’s or King Jesus’? Why? What part of creation are you looking forward to enjoying when Jesus comes back again and builds his kingdom on Earth for us?
TLICfamily 