Alliance with King Hiram
5 [a]Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had [b]always been a friend of David. 2 Then Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3 “You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor [c]misfortune. 5 Behold, I [d]intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ 6 Now therefore, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do [e]what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place where you [f]direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10 So [g]Hiram [h]gave Solomon [i]as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. 11 Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 [j]kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty [k]kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 12 The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He [l]promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.
This is yet another lesson in generosity, as Solomon could have taken several routes to get the wood for the temple. He could have invaded Lebanon and taken the lumber by force. Solomon could have even forced the Sidonians to do it for him after conquering them with his army.
He could have haggled with Hiram to get the lowest possible price. Not that bargaining is necessarily a bad thing, but it’s one thing to get a good deal, and it’s another to take advantage of someone and get a lower price than what they deserve for their work.
But Solomon remembered the blessings of God, and had the wisdom necessary to make the best decision. In the end, both Hiram and Solomon got what they wanted, and they had peaceful relations as a result.
We can sometimes strive for the best deal and burn bridges in the process. But as Solomon said elsewhere, a laborer is worth his wages, and we ought not to short someone on the value they bring in doing their job well. Whether that be a contractor, or one of our own team members (employees), share the blessings of God, and let Him take care of the you.