1 Kings 5:14
And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.
Solomon raised a levy of thirty thousand men out of all Israel and sent them to Lebanon in courses of ten thousand a month, each man serving one month in Lebanon and two months at home, with Adoniram over the levy. The levy belonged to an exchange in which Hiram supplied cedar and fir as desired and Solomon supplied twenty thousand measures of wheat and twenty measures of pure oil year by year, made possible by the wisdom given to Solomon and by peace and a league between the two kings. It worked alongside seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains under three thousand three hundred chief officers ruling the workers, while great costly hewed stones were brought for the foundation and timber and stones were prepared to build the house.
The levy shows part of a large organized force building the temple in harmonious action under acknowledged heads and master workmen set over certain parts of the work. Although some leaders were not of Israel in nation or religion, all consented to obey them with no strikes, rebellion, or dissatisfaction, while God controlled circumstances so the work went on peacefully and harmoniously. When the parts were brought together they fitted with an exactness that came not by special miracle but by accurate, skilful labor from workmen who felt the greatness of the work and fashioned every stone to match the place it was to fit.
The same levy for labor in Lebanon under Adoniram is cruelty and exaction to support a luxurious court and extravagant display, because even enormous revenue could not meet lavish expenditures. The levy marks a change from an early reign as a conscientious, considerate, wise, merciful, compassionate, God-fearing guardian of the people into an oppressive, despotic tyrant, with pride, ambition, prodigality, and indulgence bearing fruit in heavy burdens laid on the people and tax after tax levied to supply means for the court. The oppression turned the people's former respect and admiration for the king into murmuring, complaint, disaffection, and abhorrence.
The united, obedient, and careful effort calls for the same effort now, with every man, woman, and child giving gifts and donations and taking greater interest in building a house for God than in building houses for themselves. That wholehearted giving and labor is for their own good and for the glory of God.