Solomon and the Yarn of Egypt

In our various studies about Solomon we have reported about his rebellion against God in accumulating horses, women, and gold. We have briefly touched on one other thing that Solomon accumulated and that was linen yarn. "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price." I Kings 10:28. Along with the horses and chariots from Egypt Solomon purchased linen.

God had told Israel specifically that they were not to go back to Egypt. He said: "But he (the king) shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way." Deuteronomy 17:16. The reason was that Egypt is symbolized in the Bible as a nation of people who do not recognize God. Exodus 5:2 Thus they are not willing to follow His ways and His commands. So for Israel to go back to Egypt to get anything from them would indicate that God was not able to provide for them and that their ways would be better for Israel that God’s ways. God had promised, and His promises are forever, that He would supply all of Israel’s needs. Israel, while dependent upon God would not need Egypt’s horses, their gold, their chariots, and not their linen yarn.

Yarn is what one makes garments of clothing out of. Garments are a symbol in the Bible of relationship to God and relationship of philosophy to God. For example, in Psalms 109:17-18 the wicked man is clothed in garments of cursing. Conversely God’s people are clothed in garments that reveal God’s qualities and His perfection. Ezekiel 16:10-14. So all through the Bible there is a constant discussion of clothing, or coverings, and what the clothing represents. So how a person is dressed is an important concept to the Bible.

Before we move on let us discuss the prototype of clothing story in the Garden of Eden – in the beginning. In Psalms 104:1-2 God is clothed with garments of light. His angels are clothed in shining garments, one could presume of light as well. Luke 24:4. In Patriarchs and Prophets Ellen White states that Adam and Eve were clothed in garments of light as well. "The sinless pair (Adam and Eve) wore not artificial garments; they were clothed in a covering of light and glory, such as the angels wear. So long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light continued to enshroud them." Patriarchs and Prophets 45. When Adam and Eve sinned against God they "knew that they were naked…" Genesis 3:7.They sensed that something had changed about them and they immediately focused on taking care of their own needs. They made garments out of fig leaves. Genesis 3:7. When out of obedience they lost their garments of light and could sense the cool of the atmosphere and the feeling of being separated from God, for sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 So to make up for this loss they did not seek out God for His help but devised a plan of their own and made their own clothing.

When God came seeking them that day Adam and Eve ran away from God, indicating again that a separation had occurred. After confronting them about their sins God offered them a solution to their problem. If they would choose to do He would make clothing for them and He would cover them with garments of His own making. Genesis 3:21 indicates that Adam and Eve accepted this gift from God. "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make oats of skins, and clothed them." Genesis 3:21 Thus we have the prototype of clothing, and garments that is held up all through Scripture. God will make clothing for us, He will cleanse us, He will remove the old clothing, and He will clothe us. All of this indicates a dependence upon and a relationship with God. See Zechariah 3:1-5 and Ezekiel 36 for further amplifications on this subject.

Conversely, any attempt to clothe oneself is a sign or symbol of independence from, or alienation from, God. So garments, or yarn from Israel would be good, garments, or materials from any other nation would indicate rebellion from God. Let us get two other examples of this. In Proverbs 7 we have a connecting link to Solomon since he wrote the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 7:6-23 tells the story of a foolish young man enticed by a strange woman to enter into an illicit sexual relationship. In the story we find that part of her enticement is that she has been involved in the sanctuary service, has paid her vows, and even her bed is like the very sanctuary of God. She says "I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen, of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon." Proverbs 7:16-17. She is using words and imagery that is applied to the sanctuary of God to communicate the idea that she is right with God while she is trying to seduce the young man into doing what is wrong with God. In the end this young man acquires the strange woman but gets a proverbial dart through his liver. Proverbs 7:23 So in this story the evil woman is using linen and coverings to communicate an evil intent. The Bible describes this as a she wolf in sheep’s clothing, Matthew 7:15 or a beast that looks like a lamb but speaks as a dragon. Revelation 13:11

Another story in the Bible about clothing is that of Achan. Achan was an Israelite who after crossing the Jordan River by faith was tempted to acquire gold and clothing from Jericho when God had specifically warned everyone not to take anything out of Jericho. Joshua 6:17-19. When Achan is found out that he had sinned against God, he states the following: "And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto Him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hit it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done; When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold they are hid in the earth in the midst of my ten, and the silver under it." Joshua 7:19-21. Notice that in the list of things that Achan had done, he lusted after a "goodly Babylonish garment". This concept is similar to that of Egyptian linen. To seek to acquire what God has told us not to acquire indicates a separation from God. In this case Achan dies for his desires. This is a warning to all that to acquire linen, or coverings apart from God, or anything that God has forbidden us to do, is dangerous business.

Two other stories before we seek to draw this study to a close. In II Kings 5 we have a story of a Syrian general by the name of Naaman. He has the disease of leprosy and through a number of unusual events he ends up coming to the Jewish prophet Elisha for healing. Naaman comes to the prophet hoping to be healed and if healed he even plans to pay for it with ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. When healed Elisha refuses to be paid for the gifts of healing are free through the mercies of God. Isaiah 55:1. After the healing is accomplished Elisha’s servant steals away to lie to Naaman and get some of the money and possessions. Gehazi, the servant, asks Naaman for some silver and some garments. Naaman gives Gehazi two talents of silver and two changes of garments. When Gehazi comes back and hides the goods, he returns to the side of Elisha and Elisha asks Gehazi where he has been. Gehazi lies to the prophet and tells him he has been nowhere. Elisha then states to Gehazi that Elisha had watched the whole interchange between Gehazi and Naaman. II Kings 5:25-27. Elisha confronts Gehazi and states since he wanted the things of Naaman so bad that he should have it all and Gehazi acquires that element from Syria that he did not anticipate and that was he received not only the silver and the raiment, but also the disease that Naaman had, he receive the leprosy of Naaman – or another way of saying this is that he received the garment of sin.

The final story is told in Luke 15:11-32. A young man feeling his energy decides to receive his inheritance from his father and goes to a far distant land to try his hand at making money. In the process of time and circumstances, he loses all of his money and sinks to the point that he ends up feeding pigs. When he is about ready to eat the pig’s food he comes to his senses and decides to go home and admit his failures to his father and to seek a place as a servant. When the father sees the son coming from a far distance the father prepares a special welcome. After listening to his son confess his foolishness and make the offer of no longer being the father’s son, the father offers the son an alternative avenue, a different way. The father offers to clothe the son with the best robe, to put the household ring on his son’s hand, and put on the shoes of ownership again. The son accepts this offer and is restored to his position as son through the grace of the father.

All of these stories tell us about how God sees clothing and covering. Solomon chose to receive the linen of Egypt. The clothing that he ended up weaving for himself was to depart from God and to practice all manner of heathen worship – thus signifying that the Egyptian thread led to Egyptian worship and an alienation from God. The bad news was that Solomon’s behaviors set in motion the division of the kingdom, and the loss of thousands of people’s lives. The good news was that Solomon, the prodigal son, repented and came back to God and accepted God’s gracious offer of forgiveness. Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to testify of his experience with the things of the world. Let us learn the lesson of Solomon and of Adam and Eve, and all of the other people in the Bible. Let us not go to Egypt to receive her linen, or her garments. Let us go to God and receive the clothing He has made for us.