All Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid until its completion. So the temple of the LORD was finished. – 2 Chronicles 8:16

Today's Scripture Reading (December 11, 2025): 2 Chronicles 8

Administrators are important. Somebody has to have the plan and understand what needs to be done and in what order. It is something I learned as a child at my grandparents' feet. My grandparents were home builders for a portion of their careers. It was an actual "Ma and Pop" operation. My grandmother was a great administrator. My grandfather was a strong, bear-like man and a very hard worker. And, at least from my memories as a kid, the combination was terrific. Grandpa did the heavy lifting with my grandmother's help, but Grandma understood the order and scheduled the outside contractors when needed. And together, they were able to keep to the schedule grandma had set.

I have a friend who was in a similar business for a while. Rather than building homes, they were flipping them. Often, that meant buying an older house that needed a little tender loving care and fixing it up so it could be resold, ideally at a healthy profit. At least from the outside, the problem with the business was administrative. The company was a partnership between friends, but neither partner seemed to have a clear plan for what needed to be done. As a result of this lack of an administrator, schedules were rarely met, and outside contractors had to be delayed and rescheduled. Frustrations boiled over because financial commitments couldn't be met, and profit margins narrowed as a result. It is all stuff that makes for an exciting home renovation show on television, but in real life, it produces a lot of stress that we just don't need.

The New International Version translates this passage, arguing that "All Solomon's work was carried out." The King James says, "Now all the work of Solomon was prepared." The intention of the verse seems to be that there was an order or design to the task of building the Temple. It was not just putting people to work. Someone had a design and knew exactly what needed to happen first, and what should be next on the schedule. It was the task of a good administrator.

So, this passage tells us that there was a good administrator at work in the Temple. Maybe that administrator was the King himself, but it was more likely one of the many Israelites on Solomon's capable staff. But someone good at administrative tasks was given the job. And as a direct result of that unknown person, the Temple of the Lord was finished. And worship could begin at the more permanent Temple in Jerusalem rather than at the seemingly temporary Tabernacle in Gibeon.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 127 & 128