Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 4
God’s future king, called the Messiah or Christ, will rule the whole world in perfect peace (Psalm 72:8-11; Isaiah 11:9-11; Zechariah 14:9). In the same way, Solomon’s rule went far beyond the usual borders of Israel.
The usual description of Israel’s land is ‘from Dan to Beersheba’. Dan is in the far north of Israel, and Beersheba is in the south. The two cities are about 160 miles (270 kilometres) apart. When Israel gained possession of its whole country, everywhere between these two cities belonged to Israel.
During Solomon’s rule, another description became necessary. Then, the border of Solomon’s land on the north-east was the great river called the Euphrates. On the south-west side, the border was with Egypt. ‘From Tiphsah (in the north) to Gaza (in the south)’ was a distance of 350 miles (600 kilometres). Solomon had political and military power over the countries in this large region. The result was that Israel itself had peace.
Israel’s people had a special way to describe that state of peace, too. Each man sat ‘under his own vine and fig tree’. The vine is the bush that produces the fruit called grapes - and from that fruit, people make wine. The fruit called the fig is sweet and beautiful; the tree that produces it gives good shade. On a hot day, a person can relax in its shade. So, this is a description of comfort and luxury. The country is peaceful, and all its citizens have their own place in it.
Next part: Solomon's military power (1 Kings 4:26-28)
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