“Hiram, king of Tzor, sent his servants to Shlomo, because he had heard that they had anointed him king in his father’s place, and Hiram had always loved David.”-1 Kings 5:15
Solomon’s kingdom was now fully established.
Israel was in its strongest position, economically and politically, than it had ever been in history.
Finally, Solomon could turn his attention to the most important work of his reign.
He would now focus on building a house unto the name of Yehovah.
Verse 15 tells us that Hiram, King of Tzor, would play a key role in this monumental undertaking.
By the way, Tzor, Sidon, and Phoenicia are different names all referring to the same people group.
Scripture does that all the time, by the way.
The same nation will often go by several different names.
Also, note that we’re told Hiram loved David.
This ain’t referring to emotional or romantic love homies.
It’s referring to passionate political loyalty.
I’d say it’s similar to how Jonathan loved David.
Or similar to the passionate love I have for Israel and the Jewish people.
It ain’t based on eroticism, man.
It’s based on the fact that the God who saved my rear-end just so happens to be the God of Israel.
Therefore, a love and passion for His chosen people has naturally resulted.
When I visited Israel in 2013, my love for the Holy Land only deepened tenfold.
I believe it should be that way for all believers.
So anyway, as I was saying, Hiram had been politically loyal to David, and now he wanted to extend that loyalty to his son, Solomon.
Solomon, as a shrewd diplomat, was perfectly happy to accept this goodwill.
So Hiram sent his representatives to Solomon, and Solomon responded with a respectful letter, kindly requesting his assistance in building a temple.
Now there’s a huge takeaway here we’d be remiss to overlook.
Hiram was a gentile.
What this tells us is that the Gentile nations will play a willing and key role in the building of the Temple.
In fact, Gentiles have always played a significant role in Israel’s salvation history.
Consider that both Ruth the Moabite and Rahab the Canaanite were grafted into the Davidic messianic line of Israel.
Why is this important?
Because I think properly understanding and accepting this fact is the key to getting rid of the ugly anti-Semitism that has overtaken the world today.
Whether you’re a white supremacist, an extremist Arab muslim, or a left-leaning political liberal who chants “Free Palestine” on the streets of wherever you live…
I think deep down inside, your hatred of Israel stems from both a deep-seated inferiority complex and burning envy towards the Jewish people.
I believe this is the deep-seated root cause of anti-Semitism.
You fail to see how the Lord desires peace for all the world, with His People Israel central to His plans.
A lot of folks, because of their egos, have a problem with that notion.
“I don’t want Israel to be God’s chosen nation and the center of His plans.”
I want my nation, and my people, to be the chosen race, and the light of the world.”
Deep down inside, that’s how your anti-Semite feels.
They harbor the jealousy of Cain, who killed Abel because the Lord chose Abel’s offering over Cain’s.
That’s precisely why the anti-Semite hates Israel.
They have a gross misunderstanding of how God’s universe works.
They simply can’t accept the fact that the Creator of the universe has chosen Israel to be a holy nation unto Himself.
He has also made an eternal covenant with them that can NEVER be reversed.
Trying to reverse God’s covenant with Israel would be the equivalent of me trying to jump up to the moon and come back down to earth or something.
In other words, it is an impossibility on an infinite level.
It will never happen.
It just won’t.
This is something even the Christian church, which claims Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah, can’t seem to understand.
That’s why they came up with their ridiculous replacement theology that says the gentile church has replaced Israel.
No homies, it doesn’t work that way.
Look, here’s the best way to think about it.
Let’s say you’re living in a room containing only one light bulb socket in its ceiling.
So you buy a light bulb, which you properly insert into its socket.
As a result, it gives you light and brightens up your room.
This allows you to be productive and do a wide variety of activities that you could not do without that light.
You don’t hate or envy that light bulb because it has been chosen for its sole purpose of being a light in your room.
You’re not jealous of the light bulb because it can do something you’re not capable of doing.
And you won’t allow yourself to be filled with hate for that light bulb and destroy it.
You know if you do, you would be plunged into darkness and suffer considerably.
Well, it’s the same way with Israel, their land, and the world.
Israel is the light bulb.
Their land is the socket.
And the world is the room that needs to be lit up.
When Israel (the light bulb) is properly plugged into their God-given land (the socket), the whole world is lit up (the room)…
And peace and happiness result.
So I think that’s a healthy way to look at the situation.
When the Israeli lightbulb is properly plugged into its God-ordained socket…
It gives you light…
And that in turn allows you to become the best version of what God created you to be.
If that’s the case, why would you wanna destroy the very thing that enables you to maximize your God-given potential in this world?
Unfortunately, that is what the anti-Semites are doing.
They are trying to destroy the very nation that will plunge the whole world into darkness.
And we can’t allow that to happen.
There’s no way the Creator of the Universe is gonna allow it either.
If you’re a Christian, remember, the Jews gave you your “Jesus.”
So why don’t you think about it like that?
Instead of wallowing around in bitterness and hate all the time.
Ya feel me?
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“But if some of the branches
were broken off,
and you — a wild olive —
were grafted in among them
and have become equal sharers
in the rich root of the olive tree,
then don’t boast as if you were
better than the branches!
However, if you do boast,
remember that you are
not supporting the root,
the root is supporting you. ”
-Romans 11:17-18
“Also, the Tanakh,
foreseeing that God would
consider the Gentiles righteous when they
live by trusting and being faithful,
told the Good News to Avraham in
advance by saying,
‘In connection with you,
all the Goyim will be blessed.’”
-Galatians 3:8
“I saw no Temple in the city, for Adonai,
God of heaven’s armies, is its Temple,
as is the Lamb. 23
The city has no need for the
sun or the moon to shine on it,
because God’s Sh’khinah gives it light,
and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk by its light,
and the kings of the earth will
bring their splendor into it.
Its gates will never close,
they stay open all day
because night will not exist there,
and the honor and splendor
of the nations will be brought into it.”
-Revelation 21:22-26
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