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Today's reading from 1st Kings 10–11 and 2nd Chronicles 9 displays Solomon’s blessing and highlights his downfall. God had given Solomon wisdom and riches unparalleled by anyone the world had ever seen. The queen of Sheba had heard of Solomon’s wealth and wisdom and came from far away (1,200–1,600 miles). She came with a doubtful spirit as is seen in 1st Kings 10:1,

“she came to test him with difficult questions”

But the evidence of God’s blessing on Solomon, seen in his wealth and the ordering of his kingdom, convinced her that God had surely blessed him, and blessed Israel through him. By the end she was giving God glory (1st Kings 10:9).

As I read her response to Solomon, it reminded me of the king of Tyre, Hiram, who had a very different response to his dealings with Solomon one chapter earlier (9:12),

"Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him."

That’s the way it is in life. Some will recognize the blessing God pours out and give Him the credit, no matter where the blessing lands. Others will see someone’s good fortune and begrudge them simply because it isn’t theirs.

Even the one being blessed can respond wrongly to the blessings of God. And that’s exactly what we see Solomon do in chapter 11, which brought about Ahijah’s pronouncement in verse 33,

“They have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.”

Solomon received everything from the Lord and then turned his back on Him to worship other gods.

Takeaway: How will we respond to the Lord’s blessing, on others and on ourselves? Will we recognize that He is the giver of every good gift and take the opportunity to praise Him as He reveals Himself to others and to us? Or will we complain and begrudge, because our focus is more on ourselves than on Him?