Solomon’s first act as king after establishing his kingdom is to call all Israel together and go to Gibeon where the tent of meeting is. There they offer a thousand burnt offerings to the LORD in worship. The first act of great kings in the bible is to call God’s people to worship.
At the end of first Chronicles, king David dies. Second Chronicles starts with Solomon his son. He is now king over all Israel.
1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. (2 Chr 1:1)
Solomon establishes himself in his kingdom. The text pays attention to the work Solomon has done is getting to his current position.
On the other hand, the LORD his God is with him. Solomon has faith in God and is counted as one of his people. Solomon established himself and the LORD made him exceedingly great.
Divine sovereignty and human agency working together.
It was common for people in the Old Testament to view power and material prosperity as signs of the LORD’s favour. If God is sovereign and in control of all things, Solomons rise to power is logically connected to what the LORD has done.
2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses.
3 And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there. 4 (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5 Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out. (2 Chr 1:1–5)
Solomon calls all the people together. This is an act of leadership. The act of a king. They seek out the high place at Gibeon where the tent of meeting was.
They go to the tent of meeting, the tabernacle.
Holbein, H., 1947; 2009. Holbein’s Bible Woodcuts, Sylvan Press; New York, NY.
6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. (2 Chr 1:6)
Solomon calls all Israel up to Gibeon, to the tent of meeting so they can offer burnt offerings to the LORD.
His first act as king, recorded in second Chronicles is to get his people to worship the LORD.
All the best kings in the history of Israel called their nation to worship. David danced before the LORD bringing the ark to Jerusalem. Solomon here offered a thousand sacrifices to the LORD. Josiah restored the passover.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Mt 6:9–13)
The first line is a call to worship the LORD. The first thing we pray to God our father is our wish that his name be hallowed. All the great leaders in the bible call God’s people to worship him.
