March 26

Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. — 1 Kgs 4:26 BSB

Solomon was incredibly wealthy. Everything in his kingdom was on a grand, magnificent scale, which made his reign impressive, but it also brought danger. It’s a sad thing when a society enjoys prosperity while character deteriorates. A poet once wrote:

“Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men decay.”

Solomon’s luxurious court, with its vast expenditures, led to heavy taxes, which eventually became burdensome and caused discontent. An old legend tells of a worm inside Solomon’s staff that secretly ate away at its strength.

The meaning is clear: within Solomon’s prosperity, there lurked an insidious evil that eventually led to the ruin of his character and the disruption of his kingdom.