1 Kings 5:7-12 – Be godly influencers on the world

Solomon’s request to Hiram was met with great joy and goodwill. The latter’s immediate response was to give praise to God for Solomon. He acknowledged his wisdom and credited his ascension to the throne as the fulfillment of God’s will. We may not know if the friendship he had with David had resulted in him believing in Israel’s God. But we know that David had indeed left an impression in his life for him to bless the LORD so spontaneously.  

First Kings 5:8-12 record for us Hiram’s response to Solomon. After he had blessed the LORD, he wrote a letter to Solomon accepting his request for assistance. He even went a step further by detailing how he would have the cut cedar logs transported. He would gather the cut cedar logs, made them into rafts, and had them floated to the destination Solomon would specify. He even offered to dismantle the rafts at the port of call to make it easier for the servants of Solomon to carry them to where the temple would be built. Hiram here made two amendments to the terms he was given. Firstly, he would provide the logs, but his servants would not be working together with the Israelites. Secondly, he requested food for his royal household instead of giving wages to his men for he refused to take advantage of Solomon’s offer. The terms were set. So verse 11 detailed the amount of food Solomon would send to him year by year. Verse 12 then reiterate that Solomon’s wisdom was given to him by the LORD. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon as they sealed the covenant.

In these verses, we have a lesson on leaving a godly influence on others. Hiram’s action was a result of the impact David had made on him. So he initiated the goodwill toward Solomon on account of his friendship with David. His life must have been influenced by David quite a fair bit. In the same way, like David, we must live a life that will bear witness for God. We must conduct our lives in such a way that God will be praised by the people who associate with us. Undeniably, how we conduct our lives is important. We must seek to demonstrate godly character not to impress but to influence others. Bear in mind that what we are will speak louder than what we say. The best way to live a godly life is to live a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life. Today we are ambassadors of Christ in the world. And we must be His redemptive agents and godly witnesses to impact the world for Him.