LABOR AND MATERIAL. 1st Kings 5:1-18
Trade between tribes and nations has always been important to human society. It is how we obtain what we cannot produce or find ourselves. Depending on where we live, there may be an abundance of some things and a lack of others that are needed to make life better. When relations between countries are good, there is usually peaceful coexistence. However, when they break down, it often leads to war.
When David was the king of Israel, some leaders of other kingdoms were happy to interact with him, realizing that he had brought peace and stability to the region through the power of God. One who had done business with David when he built his own house was Hiram, king of Tyre. He had a friendly relationship with David. The words "a lover of David" would be in a political sense regarding their international relationships. David was not the one the Lord wanted to build the temple because he was a man of war, but he could prepare material to be available for Solomon because of his political friendship with Hiram.
As we age, we realize we are limited in what we can do. Still, we can prepare the way for those who will follow us by preparing them through teaching, dealing with matters we know should not be put off any longer, and using our influence to help them connect with those with whom we have had good fellowship. That way, a successor can be well-prepared and well-versed in the work he will do even before taking responsibility. The faith of the faithful isn't automatically transmitted to the son. There has to be personal dealings with God in those who believe in Him. True faith in God is personal in each person who comes to believe in Him.
In assemblies of Christians gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, some have natural talents and God-given spiritual gifts that differ from those of others. The combination of gifts and talents is what makes a company of God’s people effective in testimony, fellowship, service, and usefulness in the kingdom of God. An identifiable group of people that positively influences those around us is a social and spiritual group that is unified in structure and purpose.
Hiram provided David with materials and workmen when he built his house. He needed the agricultural produce Israel had, and Israel needed the wood, seafood, and products they didn’t have in Israel. Now, he does the same for Solomon when he builds the temple of the Lord. In Solomon's message to Hiram, he points out that David knew "the Lord his God" personally. Then he testified to Hiram that he, too, knew the Lord when he called Him "the Lord my God." Jehovah was personal to Solomon as well as David. The older man, Hiram, was pleased with Solomon and appreciated his wisdom. He even testified that "the Lord" was real. Whether he was real to Hiram personally is not mentioned. It was not then, nor is it now, for political reasons, uncommon for leaders of nations to acknowledge the religious traditions of other countries, including the deities they might have, to maintain peace and gain favor.
Cedar trees from Lebanon are still famous for their quality and the long-lasting wood products that are made from them. People use the cedars of Lebanon to illustrate things that are trustworthy, dignified, beautiful, and of long duration and value. The sea-going fame of those from Tyre was known all through the years of ancient history. The ships of Tyre traveled the Mediterranean Sea carrying freight and people for centuries.
Hiram had his people make rafts of the cedar trees and brought them to Joppa, from which Solomon's people would take them to Jerusalem. The cedar and "fir" (probably a kind of juniper) trees were brought to Israel, and 3600 tons of wheat and 120,000 gallons of olive oil were given to Hiram in payment. The treaty between Solomon and Hiram maintained peaceful relations between the countries over which they ruled.
Forced labor claimed a lot of the time of the Israeli men Solomon levied to work in Lebanon to gather material for the temple project. Ten thousand would go for a month, and then they would come home for two months. 30,000 men were involved in that part of the work. Seventy thousand men worked carrying materials, and 80,000 were stonecutters in the quarries. The number of people involved in the temple project would have been around 200,000. The practice of forced labor ultimately produced resentment, bringing about civil unrest and a divided kingdom after Solomon died. Solomon understood the need for families to have a man to provide for them at home, so he set up a rotating schedule to maintain family life.
Family life is meaningful no matter how busy we might be in our business. A successful businessman might be an unsuccessful father and husband if he doesn't provide more than money and provisions for his family. No matter how busy we might be, families need a father's leadership. We need to keep that in mind when we arrange our work schedules. Too long a time away from home can negatively impact children.
We will not become fully equipped in our parenting roles because just when we think we have learned, the child has moved on to a different phase of life. Our priorities are to (1) live before our children as Enoch, Eunice, and Lois lived before theirs. (2) lead our children like Abraham did [Gen.18:19]. (3) leave a legacy to our children: David (honor God), Moses (confidence in God), and Onesiphorus (serve God). Then (4) let them go. God does not hold us responsible for what our children might do in the future but for what we have taught them.
Every family needs clear-thinking, hardworking, straight-talking men who are thoughtful, loving, and willing to change when necessary. The God-designed structure of families holds civilization together. When these get blurred, the family gets thrown into confusion. The husband and father in a family are to provide masculine leadership, and he can do so because he is disciplined of character and trusted and faithful. A father needs strong determination to set a course of action for his family and is not easily deterred. He will need courage to stay at the task of leadership and not a quitter. A good husband and father are not afraid to show his feelings but always with dignity, integrity that can be counted on, and respectful courtesy. The head of a family needs to be honest to goodness. Men are discerning when they see ahead, decisive, and can make wise decisions. Strong-hearted, not touchy, men know where they are going and are confident enough in themselves and God to get there. They are not afraid to take the lead responsibly and stand tall and firm in their principles even when the going gets rough; they are not easily swayed. They need to be clear-thinking, plain-speaking, hardworking, straight-talking, tender, and thoughtful at the same time. They don’t need to ask permission to take charge because they know their God-given role in the family. The best gifts we can give our children are our presence, influence, and perhaps some good memories.
The high-grade stone cut from the hills and under the city can still be seen in Jerusalem today. The size of the stones would have made transporting them very difficult and required many people to move every one of them. A large project like building the temple would have required not only incredible amounts of material and manpower to get the material to the building site but also a tremendous labor force to construct the building. Skilled workers from Lebanon cut and hewed not only timber but also stones.
We are not involved in building a physical building when we are laborers in building the church. Still, many of the same principles apply as we bring material to the building site when we proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to observe "all things whatsoever I have commanded you." "Lively stones" are cut out of "the rock from which we have been hewn," and each is made to fit by the teaching, guidance, and help we are willing to give to see "the vast building rise."
They’re still there; these great stones were hewed out of solid rock by strong hands over 3000 years ago. Each one is laid in place in silence. The noise of the cutting was made just so before it was brought to the place where it was made to fit by the master Stonemason. In the predetermined place where each stone had been cut for the foundation, they made a perfect place to add stones to ones yet to come. The Master Designer gave each one his space and place in the great building. These old stones were of the highest quality, tested, and proven for strength and durability. From them, a beautiful temple would become the gathering center for God’s people. They were chosen by one who would know they would not weaken when pared down to size and made to fit with those on either side, above and below.
We are stones, too, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets – Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone. Their teaching from God is that we learn the need to obey God and practice what we know. The Lord worked on those who have gone before us for several years to make them what He intended, and now we learn from what they learned to say to us in ways we can understand.
The foundation stones were laid in the local gathering of Christians who meet as a local body of believers. They were the first to build in this place. Over a century has passed, and all of them are gone to be with the Lord. But what they taught still fills the space that would be vacant if we forgot or rejected what they taught us. There are things I’ve done that I know God called me to do. I, too, have felt the chisel and saw cutting me out from the connection of the world to be set apart for my Lord. Others now build on what we once started; “Lord, pierce their ear with Thy heavenly awl.”