I Kings 5:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.
If you are like me, perhaps you have dreamed about being the proverbial “renaissance man,” the person who can do it all. You can overhaul an engine. You can build a house. You can do French cooking. You can write a dissertation. You can do everything intellectual, culinary, physical, and social. You are the all-around perfect person. The problem is that such a person does not exist, though if there ever had been such a person, it would have been Solomon. Solomon was wise, rich, and a man of poetry and learning. Solomon had tried everything. Yet, you find that when you want to accomplish something bigger than yourself, you need more than you alone have.
That is exactly where Solomon was. Solomon had the desire to build God’s temple, the temple that his dad had wanted to build. We learn from Solomon that you will never be wise or skilled enough to be self-sufficient. This temple we call Solomon’s Temple involved a lot of people.
For instance, it was David’s vision. I Kings 5:1 says, “And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that he had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.” Hiram was a friend of David and he wanted to help Solomon, the son, build this temple. Solomon said to Hiram, “Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God.” He mentioned this because David was the one who had wanted to do it. David never lived to see the temple that he had envisioned, but it was his vision.
It was, of course, Solomon’s wisdom. Verse 4 says, “But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.” Nothing was occurring that threatened Solomon’s kingdom. That was largely because of Solomon’s wisdom to govern. Solomon continues, “And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father.” Solomon had the wisdom to get done what his father had desired to do.
In verse 6, Solomon, this wise and capable man, said to Hiram, “Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.” Solomon was saying, “There is no one here that can do what you can do. My servants will partner with your servants. We will engage in teamwork.”
You see, skilled people are skilled where they are skilled. Smart people are smart where they are smart. Sometimes we live with this illusion that if someone is really good in one area, he is good in every area. Indeed, a person may be good in a number of areas, but not every area.
This is particularly evident with those of us who speak publically. If someone is a good communicator or preacher, we think, “Man, he is a good preacher. He must know how to overhaul an engine.” I am using a silly example, but sometimes we think that way. You will never be so wise or skilled as to be totally self-sufficient.
Whatever it is that needs to be accomplished needs to be accomplished by using what you have, acknowledging what others have, and having the humility to work together to accomplish something bigger than self.