Reading: I Chronicles 27-29
Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for He hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He liked me to make me king over all Israel: And of all my sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) He hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And He said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build My house and My courts: for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father (I Chr. 28:4-6).
He (God) hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. Just as did the transition from II Samuel to I Kings, the juncture of I Chronicles and II Chronicles focuses on the last days of David and the ascension of Solomon to his father’s throne. David had numerous sons, and Solomon was much younger than many of his brothers. Even so, it was Solomon whom the Lord chose to continue the royal lineage of David. When David realized his health was failing, he publicly ‘passed the torch’ to Solomon in hopes of cementing the teenager’s position with the people of Israel and thus preventing a divisive and possibly bloody fight for succession with his older sons (I Kings 1:5).
Serving God and ruling over the people of Israel were not the only responsibilities that David passed on to his young son. Decades earlier, David had desired to build God’s Temple, but he had been redirected by God. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for My name; and he shall be My son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever (I Chr. 22:9-10). Now, David lay that charge at Solomon’s feet. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it (28:10).
The Lord had granted the honor of building the Temple to Solomon. David would have been well within his rights to have accepted the Lord’s decision and then put the Temple out of his head, awaiting the attention of the next generation. That, however, is not what David chose to do. Prayerfully, David had communed with the Holy Spirit and had committed to paper God’s detailed construction plans for the Temple, which he now delivered into Solomon’s safekeeping (28:11-19). Throughout his long reign David had also quietly collected and stockpiled many of the construction materials that would be needed for the Temple’s assembly. These he also turned over to his son with little fanfare (29:1-2).
Finally, David turned to his personal coffers, donating both silver and gold and challenging those who gathered around them to do likewise (29:3-5). To David, the construction of the Temple was not a matter of personal pride, honor, or glory, it was a simple matter of honoring and worshipping God. It didn’t matter to David WHO built the Temple; it only mattered FOR WHOM it was built.
He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all (John 3:30-31).
Thought for Today: We share in God’s victories not by contributing to them but by following Him as they are achieved.
Christ Revealed: Through the gold offered for the Temple by David from his personal wealth (I Chr. 29:3-5). Gold is the purest metal (Rev. 21:21) and represents the preciousness and great worth of Christ. He is pure (undefiled) (I John 3:3).
Word Studies: 27:2 course = division; 28:19 works = details; 29:1 tender = inexperienced; 29:3 proper good = personal treasure; 29:15 none abiding = soon gone; 29:19 palace = Temple.
Pray for Staff: Judy McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. Mark Walker (NC)Rep. Christopher Collins (NY),Sen. Mike Crapo (ID) • Country: Nepal (30,430,267) a mountain-ringed Himalayan state between Tibet and India • Major Languages: Nepali, Maithali • Limited Religious Freedom • 80.6% Hindu; 10.7% Buddhist; 4.2% Muslim; 3.6% Kirant; 0.9% Other (Mundhum, Christian, Jainism, Jewish, Sikh) • Prayer Suggestion: Intercede for others (Ex. 32:31-32).
Optional Reading: I Corinthians 7.