In the days when King Solomon reigned over Israel, the kingdom was at peace, and the Lord had blessed the land with prosperity and wisdom. Solomon, the son of David, had been chosen by God to build a temple for the Lord, a dwelling place for His name, as his father David had desired but was not permitted to do. Now, Solomon set his heart to fulfill this sacred task, and the time had come to gather the materials and laborers needed for this monumental undertaking.
Solomon looked to the north, to the land of Tyre, where King Hiram ruled. Hiram had always been a friend to David, sending him cedar logs and skilled craftsmen to build his palace. Now, Solomon sent messengers to Hiram, bearing a message of goodwill and a request for assistance. The messengers traveled through the lush valleys and over the rugged hills, carrying Solomon’s words to the king of Tyre.
When they arrived, they stood before Hiram and delivered Solomon’s message: “You know that my father David could not build a temple for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars that surrounded him, until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is no adversary or disaster. So I intend to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David: ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will build the temple for my name.’”
The messengers continued, “Therefore, I ask that you command your servants to cut down cedars from Lebanon for me. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay you whatever wages you set for your servants. For you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Hiram listened carefully, his eyes reflecting the wisdom of a seasoned ruler. When the messengers finished, he smiled and said, “Praise be to the Lord today! He has given David a wise son to rule over this great people.” Hiram then sent word back to Solomon, agreeing to his request. “I have heard the message you sent me,” he wrote. “I will do all you desire in providing the cedar and juniper logs. My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them, and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household.”
Solomon was pleased with Hiram’s response and immediately began preparations. He conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men in total. He sent them in shifts of ten thousand a month to Lebanon, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. Solomon also had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the workers.
The sound of hammers and chisels echoed through the hills as the stonecutters quarried massive blocks of high-quality stone. The air was filled with the scent of freshly cut cedar as the logs were hauled down from the mountains of Lebanon. The Sidonian craftsmen, renowned for their skill, worked alongside the Israelites, shaping the wood and stone with precision and care. The laborers toiled tirelessly, their hands calloused and their brows glistening with sweat, but their hearts were filled with a sense of purpose, knowing they were part of a divine mission.
Solomon oversaw every detail, ensuring that the materials were of the finest quality. The cedar logs were smooth and fragrant, their rich grain a testament to the craftsmanship of the Sidonians. The stones, cut to perfection, were so precisely shaped that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard at the temple site during its construction. The silence was a sign of reverence, a reminder that this was no ordinary building but a holy place for the Lord.
As the work progressed, Solomon’s heart swelled with gratitude to God. He often stood on the site of the future temple, gazing at the growing structure, and prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to my father David, and now you have fulfilled it with your own hands. May this temple be a place where your name is honored forever.”
The people of Israel, too, marveled at the work being done. They saw the hand of God in the peace and prosperity of Solomon’s reign and in the unity of the nations as Hiram’s men worked alongside them. The temple was not just a building; it was a symbol of God’s presence among His people, a reminder of His faithfulness and love.
And so, the foundation of the temple was laid, and the work continued with great care and reverence. The cedars of Lebanon and the stones of the quarry were transformed into a structure that would stand as a testament to God’s glory for generations to come. In all of this, Solomon sought to honor the Lord, knowing that the temple was not for his own glory but for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, who had chosen to dwell among His people.
