Daily Devotional for Friday, March 7

The Temple—Work Arrangements

“And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work,” 2 Chronicles 2:18.

God requires order in His work. He created the universe in perfect order. He requires order in His churches. In order for the work to prosper and succeed, there must be leaders and followers. Each one must do his part and work in harmony to accomplish the goal.

King Solomon had called for a census of the foreigners living in Israel. These were Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites who had not been driven out when the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land. Thirty thousand men were drafted to work with the Sidonians to log cedar and fir trees from Lebanon. Solomon sent eighty thousand men to the mountains to carve out the massive stones that formed the foundation and walls of the Temple. These men worked with the expert “stonesquarers” from Gebal, the Giblites, to pre-cut the stones prior to being brought to Mount Moriah for use in the foundation of the Temple (1 Kings 5:18). 

This incredible undertaking was accomplished without any of the heavy machinery men use today. Solomon appointed seventy thousand men to be bearers of burdens to carry the stones and timber up to Jerusalem. Together, these strong men laid the foundation stones that would support the weight of the ornamental, gold-covered building above.

            God had called Solomon to reign as king over Israel and had given him the knowledge and wisdom to build this magnificent house of worship where Jehovah could dwell with His people. As with any building project, whether it be great or small, God provided the laborers to accomplish His plan. 

REFLECTION

“And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods” (2 Chronicles 2:5).

Karen Meigs