Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
The fortifying of upper and lower Beth-horon with walls, gates and bars was one item in a vast program that also rebuilt Millo and the wall of Jerusalem, fortified Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer, built Tadmor in the wilderness, raised store cities and chariot cities and cities for horsemen, and erected other desired buildings in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout the whole dominion. The works sprang from the supposition that massive buildings give character to God's work. With that was joined ambition to excel all other nations in power and grandeur and thereby to gain greater political power. The enterprise was a patterning after the world and a competing with it. It became engrossment with vanity and outward display to glorify self, while perfection and beauty of character and obedience to every precept of Scripture were overlooked.
Luxury in that building led on to wanton extravagance and the squandering of vast riches. To sustain it a grievous tax was levied on the poor. Honor and integrity were sold, and rule hardened into despotism. Power and riches thus gained at the sacrifice of right principles prove a terrible curse. Real power lies not in numbers and wealth and displayed worldly prosperity, but in steadfast adherence to God's Word, for truth obeyed becomes the power of God unto salvation.
The fortifying of upper and lower Beth-horon with walls, gates and bars was one item in a vast program that also rebuilt Millo and the wall of Jerusalem, fortified Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer, built Tadmor in the wilderness, raised store cities and chariot cities and cities for horsemen, and erected other desired buildings in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout the whole dominion. The works sprang from the supposition that massive buildings give character to God's work. With that was joined ambition to excel all other nations in power and grandeur and thereby to gain greater political power. The enterprise was a patterning after the world and a competing with it. It became engrossment with vanity and outward display to glorify self, while perfection and beauty of character and obedience to every precept of Scripture were overlooked.
Luxury in that building led on to wanton extravagance and the squandering of vast riches. To sustain it a grievous tax was levied on the poor. Honor and integrity were sold, and rule hardened into despotism. Power and riches thus gained at the sacrifice of right principles prove a terrible curse. Real power lies not in numbers and wealth and displayed worldly prosperity, but in steadfast adherence to God's Word, for truth obeyed becomes the power of God unto salvation.