The story Of Hiram

 

The Story of Hiram/Huram in the Bible .

Perhaps the best way to begin is first to get the understanding of ' what was' in the Bible so as to draw the lessons to 'what is' in the present society, specifically in the 'Christian' society . Let us consider this verse ;

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11 KJV

The apostle Paul here admonishes us to consider what happened to the Old Testament people; for whatever happened unto them has a probability of repeating in the present generation, thus we can concur with the Preacher ,that;

  "That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9 KJV

Hence sin is a progression of excesses, building upon the sinful principles. Thus by God's love , the sacred pages have been preserved for a warning unto us for whom the ends of the world is come. Therefore no excuse can be given for us being in darkness. Light has been shinning from the sacred pages ! The reason which can be given for us being in darkness is because we have not read ! And thus sin continues to pile upon the earth, ripening it for its destruction.

Background Information

Three people in the Bible were named Hiram, and two of them were associated with Tyre, the ancient Phoenician city-state on the Mediterranean coast. In some cases, Huram is a variant used for the name Hiram. Hiram in Hebrew and its variant Huram both mean “brother of the exalted.” or "my brother is exalted" 

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary defines the word Hiram as exaltation of life; a destroyer.

The first Hiram was the king of Tyre who reigned during the time of King David and his son King Solomon. The earliest mention of King Hiram in the Bible is after David conquered Jerusalem and established his capital there. Hiram sent timber, carpenters, and other skilled laborers for David to employ in the building of his palace: 

“And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. " (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 14:1 ) KJV . In the book of 2 Chronicles, he is called Huram (2 Chronicles 2:3).

During Hiram’s reign, Tyre grew into a dominant and thriving commercial center and the most important port city in the Mediterranean. Hiram engaged in extensive building projects and colonized several Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus and Sicily. He also pursued commercial maritime endeavors.

In the writings of the first-century historian Josephus, we learn that Hiram ruled in Tyre for 34 years and died at age 53. Throughout his lifetime, King Hiram remained David’s friend and ally. His long affection for David passed down to King Solomon, with whom he continued friendly relations: 

“And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David." 1 Kings 5:1 KJV

Josephus further states that the correspondence carried on between Solomon and Hiram in regard to the building of the Temple was preserved, not only in the records of the Jews, but also in the public records of Tyre. It is also related by Phoenician historians that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon in marriage.

When Solomon built the temple, Hiram sent timber, gold, and craftsmen to help with the construction and assemble the furnishings. In return, Solomon gave grain and oil to Hiram to supply his household. The two kings developed a commercial trading alliance. Solomon also gave Hiram twenty cities in the territory of Galilee, but, when King Hiram surveyed these cities, he was not pleased with them and called the area “the Land of Kabul,” which roughly translates into “the Good-for-nothing Land” (1 Kings 9:10–14; 26–28).

Another man named Hiram worked on Solomon’s temple as a metalsmith. He was from Tyre, as was his father, and his mother was a woman of the tribe of Naphtali (1 Kings 7:14), "a woman of the daughters of Dan" (2 Chronicles 2:14); 1 Kings 7:13; 2 Chronicles 2:13 

“And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.14He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work." 1Kings 7:13 - 14 KJV.

Hiram the metalsmith is referred to as Huram in 2 Chronicles 4:11 but called Huram-abi in 2 Chronicles 2:13. In 2 Chronicles 2:13 "Huram my father" should be Huram Abi, the word "Abi" (rendered here "my father") being regarded as a proper name, or it may perhaps be a title of distinction given to Huram, and equivalent to "master." ( 1 Kings 7:14 ; 2 Chronicles 4:16 .)

A third man mentioned in the Bible with the name Huram was a grandson of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:3–5). Scholars believe he may have been the same as Hupham, the Benjamite listed in Numbers 26:39.

The one considered in this article is ;

Huram - Abi (the second one mentioned above);

 Biography

Early life

In those days of Hiram the King of Tyre , there was a man in his court that took for his wife a widow from Israel , a woman born in Dan , but married into the neighboring tribe. Their son Huram was apparently named for the king.

Ellen White in her classical book, Prophets and Kings , pens down the following concerning Hiram;

  "When, at the foot of Sinai, Moses told the people of the divine command, “Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them,” the response of the Israelites was accompanied by the appropriate gifts. “They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing,” and brought offerings. Exodus 25:8; 35:21. For the building of the sanctuary, great and extensive preparations were necessary; a large amount of the most precious and costly material was required, but the Lord accepted only freewill offerings. “Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering,” was the command repeated by Moses to the congregation. Exodus 25:2. Devotion to God and a spirit of sacrifice were the first requisites in preparing a dwelling place for the Most High. PK 61.2

A similar call to self-sacrifice was made when David turned over to Solomon the responsibility of building the temple. Of the assembled multitude David asked, “Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?” 1 Chronicles 29:5. This call to consecration and willing service should ever have been kept in mind by those who had to do with the erection of the temple. PK 62.1

For the construction of the wilderness tabernacle, chosen men were endowed by God with special skill and wisdom. “Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel, ... of the tribe of Judah; and He hath filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.... And He hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, ... of the tribe of Dan. Them hath He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, ... and of the weaver, even of them that do any work.... Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wisehearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding.” Exodus 35:30-35; 36:1. Heavenly intelligences co-operated with the workmen whom God Himself had chosen. PK 62.2

The descendants of these workmen inherited to a large degree the talents conferred on their forefathers.'

In the three paragraphs above , we can deduce the following;

In the building of both the wilderness tabernacle and God's temple by Solomon, the offerings for the building of the two Temples were offered/to be offered freely. This the latter did not, though the people and the King had knowledge of it . Dear reader, How many times have you done the wrong thing though you know what the right thing is ? How often have you sinned in the sight of God even when you have known the right way ? (Exodus 20:1-17)

Devotion towards God implied that not only the offerings but also their skills were to be given willingly, unselfishly for the building . This is because they ( Bezaleel and Aholiab) had this skill given to them by God (James 1:17 ) and for the latter temple, the same skill they had had been inherited from their forefathers. Dear reader , Has your service towards God been motivated by a spirit of sacrifice because this is what God accepts ?(2 Cor 9:7) 

Because of their(the workmen of the wilderness Tabernacle) devotion towards God and spirit of sacrifice ; "Heavenly intelligences co-operated with the workmen whom God Himself had chosen."Dear reader, Has your working in the Lord's vineyard been in cooperation with Heavenly Intelligences or have you been working alone ? (Hebrews 1:14)

"For a time these men of Judah and Dan remained humble and unselfish; but gradually, almost imperceptibly, they lost their hold upon God and their desire to serve Him unselfishly. They asked higher wages for their services, because of their superior skill as workmen in the finer arts. In some instances their request was granted, but more often they found employment in the surrounding nations. In place of the noble spirit of self-sacrifice that had filled the hearts of their illustrious ancestors, they indulged a spirit of covetousness, of grasping for more and more. That their selfish desires might be gratified, they used their God-given skill in the service of heathen kings, and lent their talent to the perfecting of works which were a dishonor to their Maker. PK 62.3

It was among these men that Solomon looked for a master workman to superintend the construction of the temple on Mount Moriah. Minute specifications, in writing, regarding every portion of the sacred structure, had been entrusted to the king; and he could have looked to God in faith for consecrated helpers, to whom would have been granted special skill for doing with exactness the work required. But Solomon lost sight of this opportunity to exercise faith in God. He sent to the king of Tyre for a man, “cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men ... in Judah and in Jerusalem.” 2 Chronicles 2:7. PK 63.1

The Phoenician king responded by sending Huram, “the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre.” Verse 14. Huram was a descendant, on his mother’s side, of Aholiab, to whom, hundreds of years before, God had given special wisdom for the construction of the tabernacle. PK 63.2

Thus at the head of Solomon’s company of workmen there was placed a man whose efforts were not prompted by an unselfish desire to render service to God. He served the god of this world, mammon. The very fibers of his being were inwrought with the principles of selfishness. PK 63.3

Because of his unusual skill, Huram demanded large wages. Gradually the wrong principles that he cherished came to be accepted by his associates. As they labored with him day after day, they yielded to the inclination to compare his wages with their own, and they began to lose sight of the holy character of their work. The spirit of self-denial left them, and in its place came the spirit of covetousness. The result was a demand for higher wages, which was granted. PK 64.1

The baleful influences thus set in operation permeated all branches of the Lord’s service, and extended throughout the kingdom. The high wages demanded and received gave to many an opportunity to indulge in luxury and extravagance. The poor were oppressed by the rich; the spirit of self-sacrifice was well-nigh lost. In the far-reaching effects of these influences may be traced one of the principal causes of the terrible apostasy of him who once was numbered among the wisest of mortals. PK 64.2

The sharp contrast between the spirit and motives of the people building the wilderness tabernacle, and of those engaged in erecting Solomon’s temple, has a lesson of deep significance. The self-seeking that characterized the workers on the temple finds its counterpart today in the selfishness that rules in the world. The spirit of covetousness, of seeking for the highest position and the highest wage, is rife. The willing service and joyous self-denial of the tabernacle workers is seldom met with. But this is the only spirit that should actuate the followers of Jesus. Our divine Master has given an example of how His disciples are to work. To those whom He bade, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), He offered no stated sum as a reward for their services. They were to share with Him in self-denial and sacrifice. PK 64.3

Not for the wages we receive are we to labor. The motive that prompts us to work for God should have in it nothing akin to self-serving. Unselfish devotion and a spirit of sacrifice have always been and always will be the first requisite of acceptable service. Our Lord and Master designs that not one thread of selfishness shall be woven into His work. Into our efforts we are to bring the tact and skill, the exactitude and wisdom, that the God of perfection required of the builders of the earthly tabernacle; yet in all our labors we are to remember that the greatest talents or the most splendid services are acceptable only when self is laid upon the altar, a living, consuming sacrifice. PK 65.1"

The heinous sin of covetousness manifested in Hiram was also manifested in the life of Judas of whom we are acquainted with his story . For the love of the wages of unrighteousness he sold the Saviour !

"How tenderly the Saviour dealt with him who was to be His betrayer! In His teaching, Jesus dwelt upon principles of benevolence that struck at the very root of covetousness. He presented before Judas the heinous character of greed, and many a time the disciple realized that his character had been portrayed, and his sin pointed out; but he would not confess and forsake his unrighteousness. He was self-sufficient, and instead of resisting temptation, he continued to follow his fraudulent practices. Christ was before him, a living example of what he must become if he reaped the benefit of the divine mediation and ministry; but lesson after lesson fell unheeded on the ears of Judas." DA 295.1

Cure for covetousness

"Constant, self-denying benevolence is God’s remedy for the cankering sins of selfishness and covetousness. God has arranged systematic benevolence to sustain His cause and relieve the necessities of the suffering and needy. He has ordained that giving should become a habit, that it may counteract the dangerous and deceitful sin of covetousness. Continual giving starves covetousness to death. Systematic benevolence is designed in the order of God to tear away treasures from the covetous as fast as they are gained, and to consecrate them to the Lord, to whom they belong.... "AH 370.4

Are we still building upon the faith of our fathers or like the Israelites we ;

"And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Judges 2:10. Dear reader , Have you been a Hiram , exalting yourself in the work of God and thus destroying yourself ? If you have acted unwisely in the work of God, just before probation closes , God is calling you to repentance (Romans 2:4) and He is seeking you to take up His work in self sacrificing love and devotion. 

Knowing that it's Him who maketh thee both to will and to do of His good pleasure. For if the service we render towards God is not characterized by a spirit of self sacrifice, then that service is offered to the devil !

Let it Suffice thee , the evidence rolls heavily upon to study The Word inorder for us to know that which is " . . . holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."  

       REFERENCES.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/hiram/

https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/Huram-Abi

https://www.gotquestions.org/Huram-Hiram.html

Prepared by;

God's Minister ,

Bro. Zachary Nyakoe.

nyakoezachary3@gmail.com