Solomon has decided to take on a building project. He will build a Temple for The LORD. The building isn’t going to be overwhelmingly big, but it will be expensive and labor-intensive. Solomon can’t do this alone. He will need help.
"Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!" (1 Kings 5:6 NLT)
King Hiram responded positively and they began working together to bring all the timber necessary for the building project. In addition to all the wood, the temple would need lots of stone work as well. The rock would need to be extracted from the ground, shaped into foundation blocks, and put in place on the site.
So the LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace. Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work. (1 Kings 5:12-16 NLT)
Building projects are much easier when there are more workers. Larger amounts of work get done in shorter periods of time. This was a big project. Even will all the help and people working together in teams, The LORD’s Temple took seven years to build. Imagine how long it would have taken without all the help. Imagine how long if they did not work together as teams.
How about you? Have you ever tried to do something, only to decide that you needed help? Have you ever worked as a part of a team? Was it easier with help and with a team?
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