15 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s temple, his own palace, the terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. 16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon, 18 Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land, 19 as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.
These were all important building projects, and equally important as the temple and palace (and longer lasting) were the “terraces,” to which I will devote all of our time tomorrow. All four cities mentioned in verse 15 were important as military strongholds. Hazor was a huge fortress between the Sea of Galilee and its little “parent” lake in the north, Lake Huleh. Megiddo (from which we get the term “Armageddon”) was the main defensive point crossing through northern Israel. It’s said to be the site of more battles than any other place on earth. Gezer was near the Philistine border of Judea and guarded the main road to Jerusalem from the southwest. (It was from this very time that the Gezer Calendar was carved, a schoolboy’s recitation of the months and what was planted or harvested in each. Perhaps it was dropped or left behind when Pharaoh attacked and captured the city).
During the period of the Judges, the Pharaoh Rameses II got the nickname “the builder” because of his huge public works. Solomon seems to have had the same passion. “Tadmor (perhaps Tamar) in the desert” seems to have been a fortress guarding the route down to the Gulf of Aqaba.
20 There were still people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites). 21 Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 23 They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon’s projects—550 officials supervising those who did the work. (NIV)
Solomon’s 550 foremen supervised a vast slave force. Slavery in Biblical times was different from slavery in America 150 years ago in almost all respects—the slaves had rights, could marry and have permanent families, were treated in a relatively humane way, and could even purchase or win their freedom—all respects, that is, except one. They were still slaves, and a slave has had his or her freedom taken away. Our author tells us that this work force of slaves was in place even in his day. It’s possible that Jeremiah the prophet served as author of Kings; if that is the case, then Solomon’s slaves remained so for five hundred years—far longer than the Israelites had been slaves, or had even lived, in Egypt (they were not enslaved until long after Joseph’s death; they might only have been made slaves shortly before the birth of Moses).
This passage doesn’t condemn slavery, but shows that Solomon’s slaves were not Israelites. He used conquered peoples in his workforce. Israelites could not be used as slaves, although they were sometimes conscripted for temporary work. Solomon had done this for the initial harvest of Lebanese cedar (1 Kings 5:13) but had permitted them to work in shifts (one month on / two months off). That force had been thirty thousand strong, but was disbanded after the initial work was complete.
Whatever work is required of us, from a boss, from an officer, or something we do as volunteers, we do it to the glory of God. His love rescued us from our sins, and our love for him compels us to do everything to his glory.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. His wife, Kathryn, attended Chapel from 1987-1990 while studying Secondary Education (Theater and Math) at UW-Madison. Kathryn’s father, John Meyer, was also the first man to serve as a Vicar at Chapel.
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