1 Kings 9:12-13a
But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. "What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?" he asked.
My mom loves discounts and freebies. If she sees an added item to a shampoo for example, even if it’s not our favorite brand, or we still have a stock, worse, even if the giveaway is a just small canister which her pantry is already full of, she will still take that grab. Well at least supplies is her territory side. What we often frown about is when she finds a good buy for me and my sister - - clothes, shoes, or accessories especially. Since her idea of a good purchase is price and not style, her excitement is often buried off with this line: ‘Oh mom please, can you just give us the money next time?’ or ‘You could have bought an ice cream instead’. My dad would always join in the fun and mockery, and my mom just got used to us. I know you’d all say cruel. But for some reason, my mom’s not buying our message. Still, that doesn’t give us the right, right?
At the end of twenty years, Solomon thought of giving his partner-supplier -- Hiram, king of Tyre – twenty towns in Galilee. This man has provided him all the cedar and gold that he wanted for his building projects. I think this gesture is far and above their contract agreement of remuneration as evident in their peaceful relationship for two decades. But when Hiram saw the towns for himself, he was greatly displeased and in another account, it implied that he sent back this gift. Commentaries believed it was because Hiram was a seaport trade expert and the towns given him were inland, meaning, for farming benefits. Think of it as giving your mom a toolset instead of saucepans and spices. Hiram called the lands Cabul, or good-for-nothing, for it sure has no benefits for his country’s business. I think it’s no coincidence that it was also a king of Tyre that Ezekiel mentioned in his book as someone who grew proud because of his great wealth and skill. That chapter is the usual reference for Satan’s expulsion from heaven. Isn’t seeing yourself better and deserving more called ungratefulness? Now that’s a hair-raising thought.
Ungratefulness. In 2 Timothy 3:2, it is regarded as part of the godlessness in the last days along with the lovers of money, boastful, abusive, disobedient, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, many other brutal words. Scary is, the people mentioned will act religious. They speak the Word but doesn’t live by it. And the bible warns that these are dangerous people. Ungrateful = dangerous? When the lot God gives you now is to be single or to live in tight budget or to stay low-key, and you reject the idea because you felt you deserve better, then that makes you a dangerous person to be with? Why? Because you point people to your pride and not to Christ? Because you imply that God is unfair, and not good, and unworthy of praise? That may not be the intent of our minds, but it springs up from a heart that rebels against His rule, saying I have better ideas. Isn’t that playing God? So is that what I do to my mom? Isn’t my ungratefulness resulted to dishonoring her, mocking her, hurting her? Anything godly there?
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