“So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.” (1 Kings 5:6)
There’s a beautiful State Park just 35 miles east of Nashville, Tennessee called “Cedars of Lebanon.” It has some wonderful trails throughout the area, including an easy two-mile walk of the “cedar” trees. When the early settlers came to the region in the 1800’s, they mistook the trees to be cedars and declared that they reminded them of the Biblical trees from 1 Kings. Years later someone realized they weren’t cedars at all, but actually junipers. It was an easy mistake to make, but when it was discovered, the local people decided to keep the name, for they liked the Biblical connections.
The story of the cedars of Lebanon from the Bible reminds us of a golden age when the leaders and people of Israel and Lebanon were at peace and prospered through the whole experience. King Solomon was well known for his wisdom throughout the region, but the Lebanese King Hiram was renowned for having a people who were timber merchants and skilled carpenters. They were chosen and honored to be the ones who supplied the timber for Solomon’s temple, which as well as being a center of faith, became a symbol of peace between the two nations.
Today, Israel and Lebanon are experiencing a fragile peace which is threatened by the bullying tactics and hostile actions of the Hezbollah terrorists. It’s my prayer that the United Nations establishes the peace between these two nations by ousting these cowards, whose evil intention is to destroy Israel, using the beautiful people of Lebanon as missile fodder and human shields.
We need to pray that the cedars of Lebanon, which are portrayed on the Lebanese national flag, are one day restored and that both the leaders and peoples of these nations rediscover that biblical relationship of peace and prosperity.
Prayer: Almighty God, have mercy upon the Lebanese and Israeli people. Evil men have destroyed their relationships over the years and have almost ruined the economy, well-being and prosperity of both nations. Cast out those who seek to do evil and cause them to stumble and fall. Restore the joy of peace and prosperity to both people. Let Your holy words of long ago become a prophecy fulfilled today. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart