For most work, unless God provides the wisdom and skill to form plans, set up strategic partnerships and allocate tasks with proper supervision and human resources, it won’t get done. When God dwells in your work, you attract people to Him.
Solomon told Hiram king of Tyre that David was unable to build a house for God because of the wars. Since He had given rest without adversaries, Solomon planned to build one as the Lord spoke to David. He commanded Hiram to ask the Sidonians to cut cedars from Lebanon (1 Kings 5:1-6). Do work for God when He commands it.
Hiram rejoiced that the Lord gave David a wise son. He gave Solomon all the cedar and cypress timber he desired. Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household and 20 kors of beaten oil yearly. The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon (1 Kingss 5:7-12). Request wisdom from God in developing strategic partnerships that benefit both parties.
Solomon sent 30,000 forced laborers or 10,000 a month in relays to Lebanon. He had 70,000 transporters and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains, along with 3,300 chief deputies over the project. They cut costly stones to lay the foundation of the house. Builders from Solomon, Hiram and Gebalites cut them and prepared the timbers and stones to build the house (1 Kings 5:13-18). Allocate tasks, supervision and human resources for God’s work.
In Solomon’s fourth year or 480 years after Israel came out of Egypt, he started building the house of the Lord whose length was 60 cubits, width 20 cubits and height 30 cubits. He made a porch 20 cubits in length with depth of 10 cubits, windows with artistic frames, stories as side chambers and offsets in the walls to insert the beams. He built the house with stone prepared at the quarry and covered it with beams and planks of cedar (1 Kings 6:1-10). Form plans that bring beauty into God’s work.
God said if Solomon kept all His commandments, then He would carry out His word spoken to David. He would dwell among Israel and not forsake them (1 Kings 6:11-13). Obey God’s commands so He will dwell with you in His work.
Solomon built the walls on the inside with cedar boards and overlaid the floor with cypress boards. Cedar on the inside was carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers. He prepared an inner sanctuary overlaid with pure gold to place the ark of the covenant that was overlaid with cedar. Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. The altar by the inner sanctuary was overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:14-22). Give priority to your relationship with God in His work.
He made two olive wood cherubim overlaid with gold in the inner sanctuary with two wings each. He placed both in the inner house and the wings of the cherubim were spread out so they touched opposite walls (1 Kings 6:23-28). Seek God’s presence for His work in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
He carved the walls of the house with engravings of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. He overlaid the floor of the house with gold. He made two olive wood and two cypress doors carved with cherubim, palm trees and open flowers overlaid with gold evenly applied on the engraved work for the entrance of the inner sanctuary. He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams (1 Kings 6:29-36). Create artistic designs that attract people to God.
In the fourth year, the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. It took seven years to build every part of the house according to its plans (1 Kings 6:37-38). Exercise diligence and patience in doing God’s work His way.
To obey God’s commands so He will dwell with you in His work, use a chiastic structure beginning with the first paragraph: A, B, C, D, E, D’, C’, B’ A’. We group together the content in A & A’, B & B’, etc.:
1. Exercise diligence and patience in doing God’s work His way as He commands
2. Request wisdom from God in creating artistic designs and strategic partnerships that attract people to Him
3. Seek God’s presence in allocating tasks, supervision and human resources for His work
4. Form plans that bring beauty into His work as you give priority to your relationship with God
