Land of Cabul

Hiram, the king of Tyre, provided King Solomon with all the cedar and cypress logs, and gold, he desired for his construction projects. His servants cut the timber and then assembled the logs into rafts to transport down the Mediterranean Sea to Israel. His fleets brought goods like almug wood and precious stones from distant lands. In return, Solomon yearly provided Hiram with 100,000 bushels of wheat and 110,000 gallons of olive oil (5:8-11). After 20 years of this cooperative effort, Solomon gave Hiram twenty towns in Galilee.

Meditation
1 Kings 9:12-13--So Hiram went out from Tyre to look over the towns that Solomon had given him, but he was not pleased with them.  So he said, “What are these towns you’ve given me, my brother?” So he called them the Land of Cabul, as they are still called today. 
 
Cabul means “like nothing.” The Bible does not tell us Solomon’s thinking in giving Hiram 20 towns, but it records Hiram’s reaction—he considered the land worthless and was seemingly insulted by the gift. This short account reveals the first crack in Solomon’s character and is worth studying. 
            
As Solomon amassed great wealth, several things happened. To build his empire, he used forced labor, increasingly making him unpopular with the people (12:4). He violated God’s laws for kings passed through Moses by collecting vast amounts of horses and chariots, taking hundreds of foreign wives, and worshiping their idols. His actions led to God’s punishment and the kingdom dividing until all were eventually exiled. 
            
After 20 years of faithful service, Hiram deserved to be sumptuously rewarded. Yet, he was not treated like the Queen of Sheba, who left Solomon’s presence with all she desired. Solomon’s heart slowly hardened and grew bored as he fed his enormous appetite with possessions. Hiram’s reliable benefactor was no longer the same lavish friend. 

Lack of generosity is a symptom of greed. A bad gift may be a sign of a twisted heart. To give “like nothing” sends a revealing message. Do we hold with open hands what God gives us?  Or do we carefully clutch our holdings and pass off what we consider of questionable value to those we feel indebted toward?  Oswald Chambers taught in Not Knowing Where, “Watch your motive for giving presents; it is a good way of discerning what a mean sneak you are capable of being.  The giving of presents is one of the touchstones of character . . . Unless we give to God the things we get from Him, they will prove our perdition.”
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Praise God that He never tires of us.  He does not give shabby gifts. He blesses us in ways we do not always see because of His deep and abiding love. So the next time you select a gift, thank Him that you can give, and ensure that what you give reflects a pure heart devoted to what matters and not to “like nothing.” Something to think about . . . in reveration!
 
Inspiration
“God’s love for me is inexhaustible, and His love for me is the basis of my love for others.”—Oswald Chambers in Grow Up Into Him
 
©2023 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)