A job well-done

I Kings 4:7 Solomon had twelve offers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household.  Each man had to make provision for one month in the year.

When I read this verse this morning, my first thought was, so they had a job.  What is the importance of that?  They are not different than the millions of people through the years who had had responsibilities.  Granted, it was a big job.  Solomon’s household was large and his need for provisions was huge (re: v.22-26).  For one day alone, his need was for 180 bushels of flour (that is over 5400 a month!), 360 bushels of meal, 10 oxen, 20 cows, 100 sheep, plus numerous other protein sources.  Not only people in the palace needed food.  Solomon also had 4000 stalls of horses and 12,000 soldiers to feed.  In other words, the job of those twelve men was an enormous one.  And they took their job seriously.  We know that because this chapter says they provided faithfully every month.  They let nothing be lacking (v.27).  They even brought barley and straw for the horses (v.28).  I think it is also worth noting that the job they did was commendable enough for their names to be recorded for history’s sake.  

 Ben-hur, Ben-deker, Ben-hesed, Be-abinadab, Baana, Ben-geber, Ahinadab, Ahimaaz, (another) Baana, Jeshoshaphat, Shemei, Geber.   

This list has been my reminder today that if I remain faithful to whatever job I have, even if it is a mundane, ordinary job, if I take my responsibilities seriously, that is a notable and honorable memory I will leave.  Just as those twelve men, my name will be on the list of faithful workers.