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PREPARATIONS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: TUESDAY, 23RD MAY, 2023

TOPIC: PREPARATIONS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE

TEXT: 1 KINGS 5: 1-18

1. Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David.
2. Then Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:
3. You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the LORD put [his foes] under the soles of his feet.
4. But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; [there is] neither adversary nor evil occurrence.
5.  And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to my father David, saying, "Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name."
6.  Now therefore, command that they cut down cedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know [there is] none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians.
7.  So it was, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed [be] the LORD this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!
8.  Then Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I have considered [the message] which you sent me, [and] I will do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.
9.  My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon to the sea; I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you indicate to me, and will have them broken apart there; then you can take [them] away. And you shall fulfill my desire by giving food for my household.
10.  Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs [according to] all his desire.
11.  And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat [as] food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.
12.  So the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.
13.  Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men.
14.  And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon [and] two months at home; Adoniram [was] in charge of the labor force.
15.  Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried [stone] in the mountains,
16.  besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs of Solomon's deputies, who supervised the people who labored in the work.
17.  And the king commanded them to quarry large stones, costly stones, [and] hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the temple.
18.  So Solomon's builders, Hiram's builders, and the Gebalites quarried [them;] and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple.

MESSAGE: 
King David wanted to build a house for the Lord, but God told him that his son Solomon would do it. Note the kind of preparations Solomon made for the temple. He approached Hiram, King of Tyre, to supply timber/logs, using his men who were experts in the field. Solomon in turn, supplied food items to Hiram. These two kings kept the terms of this agreement resulting in a peaceful relationship. How do you handle agreements between you and others? Do you keep or break the terms?

Solomon raised enough foremen for supervision, carriers and stone cutters, who worked in shifts with Hiram's men (vs.13-14). Proper planning and expert hands were also used to produce quality work. This teaches us to plan our lives properly and to go for expertise above tribal and personal sentiments in choosing workers in the church and nation. It also teaches us to strive for mastery and excellence in all we do so as to be qualified for selection in future positions. If we fail to prepare adequately, then failure and poor quality services are inevitable. Our God deserves the best. Spiritually, we are God's temple (2 Cor. 6: 16). How much devotion and preparedness do we give to personal study and meditation on the Bible, Christian programmes, and fasting and prayers to build up our spiritual temple?

Prayer:
Father, grant me the grace to give proper preparation and expertise in anything I set my hands to do. In Jesus name. Amen.

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