The Kingdom That Builds: Solomon's Dominion Text: 2 Chronicles 8:1-6
Introduction: The Theonomic Task
We live in an age of evangelical retreat. The prevailing winds of our time blow from the direction of a pietistic Gnosticism, which tells us that the "spiritual" life is a matter for the heart and the four walls of a church building, while the world outside can go to the devil in a handbasket. This is a theology of surrender, a theology of embarrassment. It is embarrassed by the Old Testament, embarrassed by the law of God, and frankly, embarrassed by the prospect of victory. It wants a Christ who saves souls for heaven but has nothing to say about architecture, economics, or foreign policy.
But the Christ of the Scriptures is not so small. He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and He has given His people a task. That task, given to Adam in the garden, is the dominion mandate: to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, subduing it and ruling over it in righteousness. This was not a suggestion; it was the prime directive. And though Adam fumbled the task spectacularly, the task itself was never rescinded. It was reaffirmed to Noah, and it was ultimately taken up and accomplished perfectly by the last Adam, Jesus Christ. And now, in Him, we are called to this same work. We are called to build a civilization, a Christian civilization, to the glory of God.
This passage in 2 Chronicles gives us a snapshot of what that looks like. Solomon's reign, at its zenith, is a type, a foreshadowing, of the kingdom of Christ. It is a kingdom that builds. It is a kingdom that organizes. It is a kingdom that secures its borders and projects its strength. It is a kingdom that takes the raw material of the world and shapes it into something glorious and useful for the glory of God and the good of His people. Our text today is not some dusty record of ancient construction projects. It is a theological statement about the nature of a godly kingdom. It is a rebuke to all forms of defeatist Christianity and a summons to take up our own trowels and swords as we build the City of God.
The Text
Now it happened at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of Yahweh and his own house that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there.
Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and overpowered it. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars; and Baalath and all the storage cities which Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.
(2 Chronicles 8:1-6 LSB)
The Foundation of Building (v. 1-2)
We begin with the context and the commencement of this great work.
"Now it happened at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of Yahweh and his own house that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there." (2 Chronicles 8:1-2)
Notice the order of operations. Twenty years have passed. Seven of those years were for building the house of Yahweh, the Temple. Thirteen years were for building his own house, the royal palace. The worship of God comes first, and then the administration of the kingdom. This is the divine pattern. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these other things, like fortified cities and economic prosperity, will be added to us. A civilization that does not have true worship at its center is a house built on sand. It is a hollow shell, and it will not stand.
Solomon's first priority was the right worship of the one true God. Only after that foundation was laid did he turn his full attention to the broader project of civilization-building. Our modern political follies, even among conservatives, stem from a failure to grasp this. We want the fruit of Christendom, the stability, the liberty, the prosperity, without the root of Christ. We want Solomon's kingdom without Solomon's God. It cannot be done.
Then we see him building the cities that Huram, king of Tyre, had given him. This points to a covenantal friendship, an international relationship built on wisdom and mutual respect. This is not isolationism. A godly kingdom is not a hermit kingdom. It engages with the world, trades with the world, and influences the world, all from a position of strength and faithfulness. Solomon takes these cities, rebuilds them, and settles them with Israelites. This is the dominion mandate in action. It is taking territory and making it fruitful, orderly, and godly. It is extending the borders of the kingdom, not just for the sake of power, but for the sake of settlement, for the sake of building homes and communities under the blessing of God.
Dominion Projected (v. 3-4)
Next, we see that a building kingdom is also a kingdom that deals decisively with threats and secures its interests.
"Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and overpowered it. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath." (2 Chronicles 8:3-4)
This is not an act of bullying imperialism. Hamath-zobah was a strategic area on the northern frontier, a key trade route. Securing it was essential for the peace and prosperity of the kingdom. A godly ruler does not sit back passively and hope for the best. He is a shepherd to his people, and that means sometimes he must deal with wolves. Solomon "overpowered it." There is a time for peace, and there is a time for the projection of righteous force. A kingdom that cannot or will not defend itself is a kingdom that will not last long.
And what does he do after securing the territory? He builds. He builds Tadmor, later known as Palmyra, an oasis city in the wilderness. He builds storage cities. This is wise statecraft. He is not just conquering; he is cultivating. He is establishing infrastructure. He is creating centers for trade, for supply, for administration. He is turning a wild frontier into a productive part of the kingdom. This is what Christian civilization does. It takes the wilderness, whether a literal desert or a cultural wasteland, and builds something orderly, productive, and God-honoring in its place. The gospel does not just save souls; it creates cultures. It builds storage cities for the grain that comes from fruitful fields.
Fortification and Flourishing (v. 5-6)
The passage concludes with a summary of this glorious, kingdom-wide building program.
"He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars; and Baalath and all the storage cities which Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule." (2 Genesis 8:5-6)
Here we see the principle of godly defense. He builds fortified cities, complete with walls, gates, and bars. A sentimental pacifism has no place in a biblical worldview. God is a man of war. His people are to be wise as serpents. While our ultimate trust is in the Lord who watches over the city, this does not mean we neglect the means He has given us. Building walls is an act of responsible stewardship. It is an act of love for the people inside those walls. It establishes a clear boundary between the ordered life of the covenant community and the chaos outside.
We also see the instruments of this defense: cities for chariots and horsemen. This was the advanced military technology of the day. A godly kingdom is not a Luddite kingdom. It uses the best tools, the best strategies, the best technology available to secure peace and justice. To do otherwise is to be irresponsible.
Finally, look at the scope of it all. It was "all that Solomon desired to build." This was a man with a grand vision, a holy ambition. And his building program extended everywhere, from the capital in Jerusalem to the distant mountains of Lebanon, throughout "all the land under his rule." This is a picture of comprehensive dominion. The blessing of God, flowing from the Temple, extends to the furthest borders of the land. It touches everything: military, agriculture, commerce, and architecture. This is what a vibrant, confident, postmillennial faith looks like in practice. It is not content to huddle in a corner; it seeks to fill the whole land with the glory and righteousness of God. It desires to build, and build, and build, until every last corner of the kingdom reflects the wisdom, order, and goodness of the King.
Conclusion: The Greater Solomon is Here
Of course, we know how Solomon's story ends. For all his wisdom and all his glorious building, his heart was turned away by foreign wives and their foreign gods. He began to build high places for idols alongside his storage cities. The magnificent kingdom he built was torn in two after his death. Solomon, for all his glory, was a flawed type. He was a signpost pointing to the one who was to come.
Jesus Christ is the greater Solomon. He is the Prince of Peace, the wise King who is building a kingdom that will never be torn apart. And He is building it with us. The Great Commission is our mandate to build. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." This is a construction project. We are to build communities of faith, teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded. And that "everything" includes what He has to say about economics, about justice, about art, about building cities.
We are called to be a generation that builds. We are to build strong families. We are to build faithful churches. We are to build Christian schools and institutions. We are to build businesses that operate on biblical principles. We are to build a culture that honors Christ the King. Like Solomon, we must start with the worship of God. That is the foundation. But we cannot stop there. We must take the gospel out into the wilderness of our dying secular culture and build. We must fortify our communities with the walls of biblical truth. We must project the righteousness of God into every sphere of life.
The task is immense, but the King is with us. He has overpowered our great enemy at the cross. He has given us the tools, His Word and His Spirit. He has given us the blueprint. And He has promised that the gates of Hell will not prevail against this building project. Therefore, let us not be weary in well-doing. Let us pick up our tools and get to work. Let us build what our King desires to build, in our homes, in our churches, and in all the land under His rule.