2 Chronicles 2:17-18 (NIVUK)
17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.
Hmm, this is a tricky passage. It was suggested to me at the weekend that Solomon, unlike our government, gave jobs to the aliens amongst them. I think that is a generous reading – it seems to me that this is slavery and enforced work, rather than helping people provide for themselves and giving them dignity. Whilst enslaving subject people might have been a common practice at the time, now we would frown at this and hold a different view of God’s will. Underneath, the point being made is that God has given the Israelites the Promised Land completely, they are no longer subject to others – God is faithful and in the freedom business – but in a classic case of the bullied becoming the bully, it would appear that Israel has misused their freedom and power.
Father, help us to be honest in our reading of Scripture and of ourselves. Help us also to use our freedom to worship you and for the benefit of others, not for our own benefit at the expense of others.
Photo by Roselyn Tirado on Unsplash
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