How does 1 Kings 5:11 demonstrate the importance of honoring agreements with others?

Setting the Scene

• Solomon has asked Hiram king of Tyre for cedar and cypress to build the temple (1 Kings 5:1–10).

• The two kings strike a clear agreement: Hiram will supply timber; Solomon will supply food.

• 1 Kings 5:11 records Solomon’s follow-through.

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The Verse Under the Microscope

“Solomon would provide Hiram year after year with twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household and twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil.” (1 Kings 5:11)

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Lessons on Honoring Agreements

• Faithful follow-through: “year after year” underscores consistency, not a one-time gesture.

• Tangible terms kept: Solomon gives exactly what was promised, showing integrity in details.

• Mutual blessing: by keeping his word, Solomon secures Hiram’s continued goodwill, advancing the temple project—God’s work prospers when human partners are trustworthy.

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Related Scriptures that Echo the Principle

• Numbers 30:2 — “When a man makes a vow to the LORD…he must not break his word.”

• Psalm 15:4 — The righteous man “keeps his oath even when it hurts.”

• Matthew 5:37 — “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’”

• James 5:12 — “So that you may not fall under judgment.”

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Practical Takeaways for Today

• View every promise—verbal, written, digital—as a sacred trust.

• Build reliability into routines (“year after year”) rather than relying on memory or mood.

• Honor agreements even when circumstances change; Psalm 15:4 calls this righteousness.

• Recognize that kept promises strengthen relationships and clear the way for God-honoring work, just as Solomon’s faithfulness kept temple construction on track.