This chapter describes further preparations for building the temple (the house of the Lord).
“King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country… they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders… did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.” (v13-18 abr)
Solomon makes a treaty with Hiram, King of Tyre (a neighboring nation) to acquire high-quality wood for the temple. He also supplied workers and wages for Hiram’s workers to cut and transport the wood. Solomon also had tradesmen cut stone for the temple’s foundation.
Though the phrase “forced labor” may initially sound harsh, keep in mind these workers were paid, and they worked in reasonable shifts allowing them to have time with their families. This was not slavery. The only thing really ‘forced’ was the workers’ roles, meaning they were told “You are now a [lumberjack / stonecutter / _________], and here is your work assignment.”
God still calls us in similar ways today – He has roles planned for each and every one of us in His kingdom, and He asks us to fulfill them. He is more gentle than Solomon because the calling God gives us suits the way He has created us. We can experience much joy and fulfillment when we embrace God’s plan and will for our lives. Of course there will still be struggles and hardships because we live in a cursed world, however, the overall experience of obeying God’s calling is well worth any obstacles along the way.
I encourage each of us to seek and embrace God’s calling in our lives. If we don’t know our calling, then seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit directly, or through a trusted person who knows you and knows the Lord. Just like the temple builders helped build God’s physical kingdom, fulfilling God’s calling in our lives also helps build God’s spiritual kingdom (though there may be physical components as well).
Father God, our Glorious and Most High King, we honor and adore You. Father You have graciously and wisely called us into Your service. We wish to honor You with our actions as well as with our words. Please show us Your will for our lives, and lead us down the paths You have placed before us. May we honor You with our hands and hearts, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training