Scripture:
2 Chronicles 2:3-7 ESV
[3] And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. [4] Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. [5] The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. [6] But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? [7] So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
Observation:
One thing that is made very clear in scripture is that Solomon was the wisest man ever to live. He asked GOD for wisdom, and the LORD granted it. I’m sure that’s something we should be thinking about after reading this scripture. Because Solomon sent word to Hiram asking for help. He was about to build a house for the LORD, and he knew it would be impossible for him by himself. So he went to a family friend and asked him to not only send lumber and other building materials but skilled workers as well. Now, I want you to process that… the wisest man on the planet asked for help. You would think if he was that smart, he would have figured out how to do it by himself… I’m not saying that to poke holes in the fact that he was very wise. I’m saying that to bring to our attention how wise it is to say we need help. Solomon knew he could not do this task by himself. Not only was he not built for it, but the size of the project was too much for him alone. He needed people who knew what they were doing. People who are skilled in specific areas. Solomon had a vision of what the temple was to look like and the finances to make it happen. However, his body was used to The palace. As the king, he could not do the hard labor that would be required to build the temple. I want us to notice that Solomon was humble enough to realize that. He did not let pride get in the way of building the temple.
Application:
As you can tell, it’s been a little hard not to get into the application process of this SOAP. We are made for community. The church is made up of a body of believers, a group of people willing to help one another. However, if we do not ask for help, we can appear to have it all handled. When inside, we are falling apart. I love how GOD puts these precious little gyms in scripture… the wisest man in the world asked for help. Think about that… I love it. Sometimes, our pride can get in the way. I do this myself. I get into a spot where I know I need help, and I refuse to ask, then get all frustrated when things fall apart. I love the way the early church was set up. They knew how to love. No one lacked their daily needs. It was a community of people who worked together for the greater good. Loving their neighbors. We all need help… let’s go all the way back to the garden. GOD saw that Adam was alone, and he said it’s not good. I will make for him a helper. I’m putting this out there because it’s easy to let pride get in the way it’s easy to think I got this. I don’t need help. I can do this… I have done it before… we forget that it’s not good to do this alone. It’s not how we are built. Jesus Christ knew that and sent the disciples out 2×2 because where one is weak, the other is strong. We must learn how to ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Smart people do it. So we should, too.
Prayer:
Father, you never meant us to do this alone. You were never alone. You always had your son with you, and when you sent HIM for us, the Holy Spirit was still there with you until you received your son back and sent the Holy Spirit to us. Father, my prayer this morning is simple. You have placed people around us with whom you have given skills, too. Those are willing and able to help. Let us not be afraid to ask what the wisest man on the planet did, and he was able to accomplish the building of your temple because he was humble enough to see his need for help. Let us see that same need and remove the fear of… oh no, what are they going to think? Let us see how asking for help sets us free from the bondage of self-will run riot. We need you, and you built us to need others. Let us lean on others and their strengths and allow us to use our strengths to help them as well. This action will create a community of love called the church. It in Jesus’s holy name I pray amen.