The account we have of David's exit, in the beginning of the first book of Kings, does not make his sun nearly so bright as that given in this and the following chapter, where we have his solemn farewell both to his son and his subjects, and must own that he finished well. In this chapter we have,
I. A general convention of the states summoned to meet, #1Ch 28:1.
II. A solemn declaration of the divine entail both of the crown and of the honour of building the temple upon Solomon, #1Ch 28:2-7.
III. An exhortation both to the people and to Solomon to make religion their business, #1Ch 28:8-10.
IV. The model and materials delivered to Solomon for the building of the temple, #1Ch 28:11-19.
V. Encouragement given him to undertake it and proceed in it, #1Ch 28:20-21. (MH)David, having convened the principal men of the nation, declared Solomon his successor, whom God had chosen both to be king, and to build the temple, #1Ch 28:1-7, and exhorted both them and him to serve the Lord, and build an house for him, #1Ch 28:8-10, then gave Solomon the pattern of it, and an account of the materials he had prepared for it, #1Ch 28:11-19, and encouraged him to go about the work with alacrity and intrepidity, #1Ch 28:20,21. (Gill)
Just notes passing through.
As we read about David's preparation for building the glorious temple and the vast amount of skill and wealth that went into it under Solomon, I find it sad that it was only used for maybe 30 years before the kingdom split. The same thing happened to Harod's temple. It was only used maybe 10 years before it was burned to the ground.
V. 1, his last act was to assemble all the people of any importance to himself.
V. 2, though old and feeble, he stood in the presence of those assembled, addressing them as brethren. David, though probably the most powerful ruler in the world at this time, humbled himself before his people, even calling them brethren:
Deuteronomy 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
Thus one of the qualifications of a ruler is to not see himself above those he has under his authority. He only has his authority because God gave it to him. He is no better than those under him. Authority means responsibility, and the more authority, the more responsibility. We see here that David handled the responsibility very well, including seeing that the people were well taken care of.
Vv. 2, 3, he tells them what had been the desire of his heart, to build an house for the ark of the covenant, but God would not permit his doing so. David was a man of war, and shed much blood, probably some needlessly. I have developed this thought many times in my notes elsewhere — that is, If God would not allow David to build the glorious temple that represented the kingdom of heaven on earth because of the blood he shed, how can we think that God will use the bloody sword to build His millennial kingdom?
3. thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood—The church or spiritual state of the world, of which the temple at Jerusalem was to be a type, would be presided over by One who was to be pre-eminently the Prince of Peace, and therefore would be represented not so fitly by David, whose mission had been a preparatory one of battle and conquest, as by his son, who should reign in unbroken peace. (JFB)
The Prince of Peace building God's kingdom with the sword of war!!! How ridiculous. His kingdom has been, is being and will be built by the Spirit of Peace, the spirit of God's grace.
Note also that even good things must be done in God's time.
V. 4, David realized that God was the one who exalted him to his place of authority, a lesson that Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way. (Daniel 4.)
Authority: Husbands, fathers, church leaders, civil leaders as well as all in authority even in the work place, need to understand that God is the one who exalted them. This realization should humble them, as it did David.
David also realized that the promise of an everlasting ruler was given to the tribe of Judah through him, rather than to a specific person.
Vv. 5, 6, of all of David's sons, and he had a lot of them, God chose Solomon to be the ruler. Elsewhere, the account of the choice of Solomon appears to make the choice David's. But here we see that the choice was God's, and David simply carried out what God had made clear when David established Solomon.
It is significant that he is the son of Bathsheba, showing that David's repentance was genuine, and God completely forgave him.
V. 7, if he be constant... Solomon's reign was conditional. His kingdom would have been established forever, if he had been consistent in obeying the God's commandments and judgments. As we know, Solomon started out excellent, but his weakness for women soon got him in a barrel of trouble. It cost his son a divided kingdom as well as many wars. However, the promise to David for his sin was that the sword would never depart from his house. Nevertheless, the Prince of Peace came through David's line.
V. 8, David, in front of all the important men he had assembled, charged Solomon to publically keep and seek the commandments. If Solomon would do right, the Lord would establish the good land for an inheritance for the children.
Note that David wanted his son to be held publically accountable to follow the Lord.
At one time, our "public" officials were held publically accountable to the word of God, but the enemy changed that accountability a little at a time.
Godly children should carry out the godly dreams of their parents, and parents should do all they can that the children do carry out those dreams.
A godly inheritance depends upon godly actions.
V. 9, perfect heart and a willing mind, because the Lord judges according to the thoughts and intents of the heart.
David warned his son, Solomon, that the Lord searches and understands the heart, including the imaginations of the thoughts:
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Thus, even in the Old Testament, God judged according to the imaginations of the heart. God knows and judges the hypocrites.
David uses some strong words of warning to his son: "If you will seek him, he will be found. If you forsake him, you will cast you off forever".
David well understood that the promise of the kingdom was not unconditional, and he did his best to warn Solomon of that fact. God's love is not unconditional
V. 10, David clearly tells his son that it is his God given duty to build the house, that God chose him to do it. Then he sais, be strong, and do it.
Parents must see that their children understand that they have the duty to serve the Lord.
Vv. 11ff., David gave Solomon the pattern for the Lord's house, as well as an abundance of building material, particularly gold, silver, brass and iron.
The pattern was not something David dreamed up, but it was given to him by the spirit, vv. 12, 19.
1. A model of the building, because it was to be such a building as neither he nor his architects ever saw. Moses had a pattern of the tabernacle shown him in the mount (#Heb 8:5), so had David of the temple, by the immediate hand of God upon him, #1Ch 28:19. It was given him in writing, probably by the ministry of an angel, or as clearly and exactly represented to his mind as if it had been in writing. But it is said (#1Ch 28:12), He had this pattern by the Spirit. The contrivance either of David's devotion or of Solomon's wisdom must not be trusted to in an affair of this nature. The temple must be a sacred thing and a type of Christ; there must be in it not only convenience and decency, but significancy: it was a kind of sacrament, and therefore it must not be left to man's art or invention to contrive it, but must be framed by divine institution. Christ the true temple, the church the gospel temple, and heaven the everlasting temple, are all framed according to the divine councils, and the plan laid in the divine wisdom, ordained before the world for God's glory and ours. This pattern David gave to Solomon, that he might know what to provide and might go by a certain rule. When Christ left with his disciples a charge to build his gospel church he gave them an exact model of it, ordering them to observe that, and that only, which he commanded. The particular models are here mentioned, of the porch, which was higher than the rest, like a steeple, —then the houses, both the holy place and the most holy, with the rooms adjoining, which were for treasuries, chambers, and parlours, —especially the place of the mercy-seat (#1Ch 28:11), —of the courts likewise, and the chambers about them, in which the dedicated things were laid up. Bishop Patrick supposes that, among other things, the tabernacle which Moses reared and all the utensils of it, which there was now no further occasion for, were laid up here, signifying that in the fulness of time all the Mosaic economy, all the rites and ceremonies of that dispensation, should be respectfully laid aside, and something better come in their room. He gave him a table of the courses of the priests, patterns of the vessels of service (#1Ch 28:13), and a pattern of the chariot of the cherubim, #1Ch 28:18. Besides the two cherubim over the mercy- seat, there were two much larger, whose wings reached from wall to wall (#1Ki 6:23, &c.), and of these David here gave Solomon the pattern, called a chariot; for the angels are the chariots of God, #Ps 68:17. (MH)
V. 15:
2. Materials for the most costly of the utensils of the temple. That they might not be made any less than the patterns, he weighed out the exact quantity for each vessel both of gold and silver, #1Ch 28:14. In the tabernacle there was but one golden candlestick; in the temple there were ten (#1Ki 7:49), besides silver ones, which, it is supposed, were hand-candlesticks, #1Ch 28:15. In the tabernacle there was but one table; but in the temple, besides that on which the show-bread was set, there were ten others for other uses (#2Ch 4:8), besides silver tables; for, this house being much larger than that, it would look bare if it had not furniture proportionable. The gold for the altar of incense is particularly said to be refined gold (#1Ch 28:18), purer than any of the rest; for that was typical of the intercession of Christ, than which nothing is more pure and perfect.
Not only did David leave meticulous instructions, he left the means by which those instructions could be carried out.
Those called by the Lord to a specific task will be equipped by the Lord for that task.
V. 20, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: ...
THE LORD'S WORK TAKES STRENGTH AND COURAGE, and lots of help.
The promise here is that the Lord would be with Solomon until thou hast finished all the work... This seems to me to be a strange statement, implying that after the house is done, Solomon will go his own way, and he did.
Teach our children not to give up.
David quoted scripture to encourage his son, Joshua 1:9.
The thing to do is keep working for God.
V. 21,
1 Chronicles 28:21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, [even they shall be with thee] for all the service of the house of God: and [there shall be] with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people [will be] wholly at thy commandment.
Here is a tremendous promise that God will raise up willing help for His work. The men of importance were willing and able to help Solomon build.
Those with gifts and abilities should be ready and willing to help in the work of the Lord.
Observe:
First, one of the major qualification of a ruler is that he not see himself above those under him. He must understand that the Lord placed him there, and gave him authority for the purpose of glorifying God, and helping others glorify good.
Second, the Prince of Peace builds His kingdom through His spirit of peace, not through war.
Third, those under authority must realize that God placed those in authority in that place of authority, but that does not mean they must be obeyed unconditionally. When those in authority depart from God's established laws, they depart from their legitimate authority.
Forth, no promise from God is unconditional. God must give the desire to meet the conditions He has established. Ephesians 2:8, 9. Solomon knew his kingdom was conditioned on walking in the ways of the Lord, yet he went his own way anyway.
Fifth, David publically charged his son to follow God, and follow God in a way obvious to all. He wanted Solomon publically accountable to do the right thing at all times.
Sixth, God knows the secrets of the heart. They cannot be hid, and He will judge according to the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Seventh, no one is in their place in time and space accidently. The God who has the very hairs of our head numbered, placed each of us in the time and place in history according to His sovereign good pleasure–I cannot say, "What doest thou?"
Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
I suppose this is one of the most precious passages of Scripture to me; I know that I am here at His good pleasure, and for His purpose. But not only me, but all people in every position of life.
Eighth, God promises to depart from those who depart form him. Man departs first.
Ninth, we should not only urge our children to serve the Lord, but we should make every preperation possible so that they can.
Sadly, I have seen far too many instances as Solomon. Solomon fulfilled his father's dream and spent his father's money doing so, but it was not Solomon's dream. The temple cost him very little in comparison to what his dad provided, leaving him with his vast sums of money to pursue his own lusts. When the dream was completed, Solomon did his own thing.
Tenth, God raised up great men to help in the dream. Oh that he would raise up such men today to build a great temple for the Lord, that temple being the Gospel Church.
Eleventh, the temple was to be a building such as no man had ever seen. As Moses had the tabernacle shown to him, so David had the temple shown to him.
Twelfth, though David was holy (wrote most of the Psalms), and Solomon was wise (wrote the Proverbs), the design of the building was not of their doings. Hence, no matter how holy and wise a man might be, he must have God's word to direct his building; it cannot be left to man's devices.
Thirteenth, every detail had to be explicitly followed in its construction, for it represented the glorious God and His kingdom on earth.
Fourteenth, as Solomon's temple replaced Moses tabernacle, so the temple of the Gospel Church replaced the Old Testament method of worship through the temple sacrifice.
Fifteenth, as David left a charge to his son, Solomon, to build the temple, so Christ left a charge to the disciples to build the new temple of God, the Gospel Church. Ephesians 2:21, &c.
Sixteenth, as Solomon's temple was greater and better than Moses' tabernacle, so is the new temple, the Gospel Church is greater and better than the old temple.
Seventeenth, both the tabernacle and the temple were of divine design, so is the new temple of God of divine design. Ephesians 2:21, &c.
Note, tenth, God raised up great men to help in the dream. Oh that he would raise up such men today to build a great temple for the Lord, that temple being the Gospel Church.
The Lord has laid a book about Second Marriages on Bettie's and my hearts. He has also laid on my heart about helping young people prepare for marriage.
NOW OUR PRAYER IS THAT HE WOULD RAISE UP PEOPLE TO HELP US FULFILL THESE THINGS HE HAS LAID UPON OUR HEARTS TO DO FOR HIS KINGDOM'S SAKE.