The famed ancient cedars of Lebanon…

The Cedrus libani is species of tree currently listed as “vulnerable.” In its native lands of Lebanon and Syria it can only be found in small pockets of forest. It has been threatened by over-harvesting, wild fires and “human activity” (probably meaning – bombs falling from the sky). Reforestation efforts are ongoing.

The country of Lebanon features the tree on its flag and currency.

A full-grown tree measures 100-130ft tall. (That’s about half the height of the massive California Redwoods which measure around 365ft tall.) The cedar’s trunk circumference can measure up to 40ft. That’s a LOT of lumber.

The language in this chapter is reminiscent of when the LORD chose Bezalel and Oholiab to oversee the crafting and construction of the tabernacle of Moses. Bezalel was from the tribe of Judah, but Oholiab was from the tribe of Dan. And perhaps the Danites had a genetic knack for craftsmanship because Huram-abi who was sent from Tyre to help oversee the Temple project was part-Danite. King Hiram of Tyre points this out in his letter to Solomon:

“I am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented. His mother is from the tribe of Dan in Israel, and his father is from Tyre. He is skillful at making things from gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and he also works with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and fine linen. He is also an engraver and can follow any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and those appointed by my Lord David, your father.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

His skill-set sounds just like Bezalel and Oholiab…

“Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭31‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“He was assisted by Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman expert at engraving, designing, and embroidering with blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭38‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

SIDE NOTE

If you are skilled at making things — if it is easy for you…fabric arts, wood-working, jewelry-making, metal-craft… your skills are from GOD. He is the great Artist and Designer, after all. Never think that your gifts are second-class because they are not oratory or music. It saddens me that so many Christians think that the only 2 gifts that matter in the church are speaking and music. The LORD has given “diversities of gifts” (1 Cor. 12). Please use yours to the glory of God and the edification of the saints.

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King Hiram (or Huram as it is in Hebrew) was a Gentile and yet, he knows that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

“Then Huram said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has made the heavens and the earth, who has given to King David a wise son knowing discretion and understanding, who will build for Yahweh a house and a royal palace for himself.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭LEB‬‬

Hiram had no qualms acknowledging that Yahweh was not only the Maker of Heaven and Earth but also the Author of Life and Giver of Wisdom.

Now, think about world leaders today. How many of them would openly acknowledge such claims? That the God of Israel is the Creator… That He MADE the heavens and the earth. It didn’t get here on its own by evolution. That He is the Author of Life (implying that He is also the only One with the right to decide when that life should end.) Think about the ramifications.

Hiram was pretty special. He knew David. To what extent it’s not clear. I like to think that David let his light shine to the other kings around him. And Hiram took notice. For him to acknowledge Yahweh is a big deal. It seems like most nations in the ancient world believed that their god(s) had made the world and were the givers of life and wisdom. Somehow Hiram has come to the conclusion that of all the gods out there, Yahweh is the greatest and Most High.

And so he partners with Solomon to provide timber from Lebanon to be cut by his loggers and lashed into rafts at Tyre which were floated 90 miles down the Mediterranean coast to Joppa then hauled inland to Jerusalem.

It’s interesting that Joppa is the place where the Apostle Peter will have his famous vision of the sheet filled with non-kosher animals. And because of that vision, Peter will go to the home of the Roman soldier, Cornelius, and preach the Gospel and baptize the first Gentile convert.

This is admittedly an interpretive stretch on par with a circus contortionist… but…

In the Bible, wood typically represents humanity. The wood overlaid with gold (which represents divinity) is a picture of Christ, the God-man. So Joppa is the place where the special wood from this believing Gentile king was received. The timbers were drawn out of the water. It’s where these Gentile guys come from Cornelius to Peter. Then Peter goes to Caesarea (which is about 50 miles up the beach) to draw out of the baptismal waters the first Gentile converts.

I dunno. It just feels connect-y somehow.

Finally… there were 153,000 Gentiles living among Israel and Solomon conscripted all of them as laborers. He also conscripted some Israelites to the labor force:

“Then King Solomon conscripted a forced labor from all Israel, and the forced labor numbered thirty thousand men. He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand every month; the work groups were a month in Lebanon and two months at home; now Adoniram was over the forced labor.”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭LEB‬‬

I’m not sure if these guys were in trouble with the law and sentenced to community service hours or what. But it kinda feels like perhaps they were not the crème of society. And the Gentiles were outsiders. Strangers.

So we have a rag-tag bunch of non-elite Jews and outsider Gentile working side-by-side to build the Temple of the Lord.

Hmmm… sounds kinda like a prophetic picture of the Church, doesn’t it?

Isn’t God neat?