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.
- 1 Kings 5:6
I have always been a firm believer that God chooses and uses people from a variety of backgrounds to accomplish His will. From Rahab, a harlot, to Pilate, a Roman governor, God has used people of varying beliefs and unbelief to work His sovereign plans.
When Solomon began building the Temple, he enlisted the help of King Hiram of the Sidonians, a people who made no bones about worshiping Baal among others in their polytheistic religion. This Phoenician religion often included temple prostitution and child sacrifice. And while there existed a friendship between Hiram and Solomon’s father, King David, there was never any suggestion, stated or implied, that the Sidonians considered the God of Israel to be among those they worshiped.
So why did Solomon enlist the help of a people who worshiped Canaanite gods; especially when Joshua had been given the command to slaughter these very people without mercy and to utterly destroy them? “So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.” - Joshua 10:40.
Using the Bible to discover the intent behind Solomon’s contract with King Hiram and the Sidonians, the only plausible reason was because as our title verse contends - there were none among the Hebrews who were as skilled at cutting wood as these people from the area known today as Lebanon. Solomon’s desire to build the most magnificent temple for the one true God required the use of those who were the very best artisans to do the job, regardless of either their beliefs or reputations. Solomon looked beyond the headlines of the day. He looked beyond the religious shortcoming of Hiram and his people. He looked at the big picture. “Then Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: ‘As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me.’” - 2 Chronicles 2:3. Solomon looked at the overall ability of King Hiram and his people. He looked at what they had done in their previous dealings with King David and the Israelites. Hiram and the Sidonians had proven themselves capable of fulfilling a contractual agreement. As a result of Solomon’s choices, the magnificent temple that rose was to become his crowning achievement.
Of Hiram, all we can say is that while the Bible does not imply he was a true believer, he did at least respect the God of Israel and there was never any recorded enmity between himself and King Solomon or the people of Israel. Hiram was a Phoenician and practiced the religion of the people he ruled. Solomon in his wisdom knew what Hiram represented but he also knew that their deal was for wood to be harvested and sent to Israel . . . period! Solomon wasn’t hiring a “Sunday school teacher.” Sometimes, when it comes to the people we have to work with, our choices are limited, especially when getting the job done is the priority.
Selecting the right person for “the job” may often include vetting many of dubious character, based not so much on their religious convictions, but more on their innate ability to accomplish and follow what God has declared right for the people of a nation. Solomon used a pagan to help build a temple to our most holy God.
On November 8th, 2016, I leave it to you to decide for yourself who the right person is for the job of leading our nation into the future; who the right person is to protect our nation; who the right person is to protect our religious convictions; who the right person is to protect our children’s lives; who the right person is to defend our God given liberties.
May the Holy Spirit Himself drive our understanding and our discernment on that momentous day for the future of our nation. God bless us all.
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