Completed on Time

 When building the temple, Solomon had 150,000 workers being managed by 3,600

supervisors "to make the people work" (2 Ch 2:18 NASB). When doing hard labor workers

naturally have a desire for relief, pleasure, rest, or leisure. Solomon understood this and in order

to increase the productivity of his workers he had approximately one supervisor for every 42

workers. His tool to keep workers productive on the job was the whip (2 Chronicles 10:11).

This would ensure that tasks were completed in a timely fashion.

 The time pressures that come from deadlines set into contracts create the need to get things

done in a timely fashion. There are no Biblical references to contracts in construction that would

create this type time pressure. The only pressures originated from the desires of the owner. Most

large structures were constructed by kings who had the authority to force workers to work on a

specific schedule without the need for a contract. According to Jeremiah, houses were

sometimes built by hiring neighbors to do the work (Jeremiah 22:13). These agreements were

most likely based on verbal contracts without time restraints.

Completed within Budget

 Even though Solomon was extremely wealthy there is reason to believe he had concerns

about the budget. He wrote in Proverbs that the righteous save up for their children's children

(Proverbs 13:22), that wisdom is to be desired above riches (Proverbs 16:16), and that the first

part of a person's income is to be given to the Lord (Proverbs 3:9, 10). All of these principles

would indicate a practice of being wise with finances, as opposed to flagrantly spending. He

may not have spared any expense on the temple, but the other houses that he had built were not

quite as ornate and costly. The inside of Solomon's personal house could have been layered with

gold like the Temple or Donald Trump's house but he decided against it, indicating restraint in