3 Lessons from the King of Israel
In 966/967 BC, the King of Israel (King Solomon) began building what can only be considered a masterpiece. A project some estimate to be upwards of $174 Billion. It was a magnificent temple for him and his people to worship.
Prior to the commencement of the project, he reached out to Hiram, King of Tyre (now Lebanon) to assist with the supply & cutting of timber.
He said he was willing to pay whatever Hiram charged for his work. Which he did. The temple was built in 7 years, and when you read the details of the work, you can only deduce that it was indeed a masterpiece.
I love learning from these historical events, as they teach timeless, valuable lessons. Even for businesses. There are a few things I learn from this story (which you can read in the book of 1 Kings 5 & 6).
- Solomon was cognizant of the task at hand, so he was determined to find the best talent for the job. As we know, in many things, you get what you pay for. If you’re looking to build something great, then find/hire great people to help you. King Solomon told Hiram "I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say."
- Solomon was self-aware. He says to Hiram: "...for you know there is none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians (people of Tyre)." King Solomon knew his people weren’t the best, so he sought the best, even if it meant going outside the tribe. His focus was on excellence. He identified his area of lack and then proceeded to find those with the required skills.
- Planning & Execution
One of the most incredible things about this project was the meticulous planning involved. Throughout the entire project, there was no noise at the site. A construction site with no noise? Amazing. It says "and the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built." 1 Kings 6:7. That’s incredible. There’s so much more to learn from this story, but these are some that stood out to me.
In all of this, I’m reminded of the wisdom of God. When we rely and trust in Him, we can only build incredible things.
