To build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God

1 Kings 5:1-18

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.

When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”

So Hiram sent word to Solomon: “I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean 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.”

In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted, and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men. He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 

Friendship with the Phoenician kingdom of Tyre, to the north, is further cemented by a trade pact: Hiram will supply raw materials for the temple in return for foodstuffs.

Why?

Solomon follows the word of David to build a temple for the Name of the Lord.

God did not allow David to build a temple for the Lord, for David had shed the blood of men in the war, so asked Solomon to build the Temple for the Lord.

Solomon made trade-pact to get materials for the temple in exchange for foodstuffs.

Building the Temple for the Lord is good, but later Solomon built his temple and spent more material and labor which cause many Israelites to build his palace.

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所羅門向推羅購買木材：香柏樹，建造聖殿是神的應許，這是建殿的根據。用糧食換木料。持續7年，4百40萬公升麥子。大衛與希蘭王有好的外交關係，私交也好，正好彼此各取所需。這也是教會的精神。其實建殿材料神早在大衛時期已經預備。我們不用擔心，我們所需用的神早已預備。

以色列人做一個月，休兩個月，既照顧聖殿與經濟的需要。這也是所羅門很聰明的地方。雖然重要，家庭更重要。

15萬人鑿石料應該是外邦人，似乎沒有如以色列人那麼照顧了。如何在教會中做一個好的肢體。成為合一的教會。

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How?

Wisdom and health and wealth are the grace of the Lord. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.