Olley
From the beginning, by placing the call of Abraham after Genesis 1–11, the Bible situates the life of God’s people in the midst of God’s purposes for the whole of creation, including all humanity. The call of Abraham culminates in a promise of blessing for “all the families of the earth.”9 The next mention of blessing to “all nations on earth through him” is immediately followed by “for I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”10 Blessing comes to the nations through the God-like lifestyle of his people. In contrast to the lifestyle of Babel/Babylon which is concerned for issues of security and self-protection (a “city” is walled), and of reputation and remembrance through a building (“a name”),11 Abraham is promised a name and God’s protection through a journey of trusting, risk-taking obedience.12
The rest of the Old Testament tells the story of God’s people in the midst of the “peoples” and “nations.” The narrative provides many examples of common occurrence: God’s people do not always experience blessing, nor do they always bring blessing to others! The Old Testament is nevertheless an account of God’s ongoing presence working out divine purposes for all the earth in and through imperfect people. The twofold combination of God’s presence and provision and his people’s lifestyle amongst the nations is explicit in the exhortation before entry into the land:
See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (Deut 4:5–8)
The Old Testament provides a rich resource that can be a mirror for exploring features of Christian life and witness today around the globe. For several centuries following Abraham, the people lived as a minority in the land of Canaan and then in Egypt, and even later with some measure of political autonomy there was continual influence from surrounding nations, not always benign. Importantly, the accounts of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah as we now have them are addressed initially to people in exile under the dominance of wealthy, powerful Babylon (1 and 2 Kings) or living in a province of the even greater Persian Empire (1 and 2 Chronicles).13 The final bringing together of what we now call the Old Testament was by people who lived under foreign rule, as were the early Christians who have given us the New Testament. Indeed, in contradistinction to much reading of the Bible in past centuries within “Christendom,” the whole Bible is best read as God’s word to a minority people living in the midst of larger communities and under pagan rule—the context of most Christians today.
First and Second Kings is that part of the Bible which most tells of situations familiar in the world today: a mixture of material prosperity, political maneuvering, dominant military powers, pragmatic national alliances and international trade, mixed religious affiliations with compromised worship, violent coup d’états, famine, wars, oppressive rule, children dying. With these topics often dominating news, Kings becomes a major resource to explore how to live as God’s people in the arena of everyday life, the place where God is present fulfilling his mission. Here we consider only two broad topics: a focus on lifestyle, not temple or wealth or political astuteness, and two instances of blessing to non-Israelites. These are aspects that are explicitly taken up in the New Testament.14
Putting the Temple and “Success” in their Place
The early readers were exiles in Babylon, surrounded by splendid palaces and impressive temples that would have made the Jerusalem royal buildings and temple seem insignificant even if they had not been recently demolished by the Babylonians! Present readers in Western countries might see some similarities in our own context: previously church buildings were the focal point of towns, their spires dominating the skyline, but now they are dwarfed by towers of financial institutions and alluring large shopping complexes. The ever-visible dominant symbols are those of the gods of the empire of commerce and pleasure. How are the people of God to live in this new context? An answer comes in the place of the temple and Solomon’s buildings in the narrative of Kings and the ways in which their importance is relativized. There are potent narrative illustrations of what happens when people seek to serve both God and the counterfeit gods of money, sex, and power, rather than following God’s ways wholeheartedly.15
Throughout the ancient Near East, kings as a priority built and funded temples for the nation’s or the capital’s god. David had thus been acting like any king of “the nations” in seeking to build an appropriately magnificent temple for the Lord in his capital Jerusalem. Surprisingly God seems to be unenthusiastic, being more interested in promising a “house” (dynasty) for David than in a “house” (temple) for himself. Nevertheless, he does tell David that his son will build a temple (2 Sam 7:1–16). With this background it may surprise readers that David’s final charge to Solomon says nothing about a temple, but rather enjoins, “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses.” The path that will “prosper”16 for David’s successors is to “walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul” (1 Kgs 2:3).
The first mention in Kings of a temple is in the introductory setting of the scene after Solomon is established as king. Again, contrary to what we may expect, even after the comment that “a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 3:1, 2), when God appears to Solomon there is silence concerning a temple. Rather the focus is “a wise and discerning heart to administer justice” (3:11–12). Immediately follows an account of justice being given in the case of two prostitutes and their children, and the concluding statement is that “all Israel . . . saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice” (3:16–28). Not until Hiram of Tyre sends envoys to Solomon does Solomon’s return message center on his intention to “build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God” (5:5). Obeying God and doing justice come first in the telling of the reign of Solomon.
A related motif in the opening chapters is “wisdom.” Solomon asked God for “a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between good and bad”17—God adds the word “wise” (3:9, 12). Previously, like a movement from the idealism and piety of a Sunday sermon to the Realpolitik of weekday life, David’s words to Solomon switched dramatically after the charge to obey God’s commands. He instructed Solomon to remove certain people who might be threats: “deal according to your wisdom . . . you are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do” (2:6, 9). Solomon ensured the death of these and more, removing “adversaries.” There is thus a certain irony in God’s subsequent words that Solomon had “not asked for the death of your enemies” (3:11), and that later Solomon links building the temple with his now having “no adversary” (5:4).18 The wisdom given by God for the administering of justice, discerning good and bad, stands over against Solomon’s pragmatic wisdom that removes opposition. Here is a stark example of the contrast James describes between wisdom that is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” and “the wisdom that comes from heaven” that is “first pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” It is “peacemakers who sow in peace (who) reap a harvest of righteousness” (Jas 3:13–18). It is as Solomon proposes equitable friendly arrangements with the Tyrian Hiram for the supply of timber for temple-building, that Hiram responds by praising God “for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation” (5:7).
The temple building and dedication is described in much detail, with four chapters (5–8) in the center of chapters 1–11. Its beauty is evident. God authenticates by the presence of “the glory of the Lord” as at the time of completion of the tabernacle (8:10–11; cf. Exod 40:34–45), and affirms by a
