David s Plans for the Temple. 1 Chronicles 28:1-21

1 David s Plans for the Temple 1 Chronicles 28:1-21

2 David s Plans for the Temple Text: 1 Chronicles 28:1-21, 1. David assembled in Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, including the commanders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions that served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, the officials who were in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, the eunuchs, and the warriors, including the most skilled of them. 2. King David rose to his feet and said: Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I wanted to build a temple where the ark of the Lord s covenant could be placed as a footstool for our God. I have made the preparations for building it. 3. But God said to me, You must not build a temple to honor me, for you are a warrior and have spilled blood. 4. The Lord God of Israel chose me out of my father s entire family to become king over Israel and have a permanent dynasty. Indeed, he chose Judah as leader, and my father s family within Judah, and then he picked me out from among my father s sons and made me king over all Israel. 5. From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel. 6. He said to me, Solomon your son is the one who will build my temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to become my son and I will become his father. 7. I will establish his kingdom permanently, if he remains committed to obeying my commands and regulations, as you are doing this day. 8. So now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord s assembly, and in the hearing of our God, I say this: Carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you.

3 9. And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently. 10. Realize now that the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it! 11. David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the room for atonement. 12. He gave him the blueprints of all he envisioned for the courts of the Lord s temple, all the surrounding rooms, the storehouses of God s temple, and the storehouses for the holy items. 13. He gave him the regulations for the divisions of priests and Levites, for all the assigned responsibilities within the Lord s temple, and for all the items used in the service of the Lord s temple. 14. He gave him the prescribed weight for all the gold items to be used in various types of service in the Lord s temple, for all the silver items to be used in various types of service, 15. for the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, for the silver lampstands, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, according to the prescribed use of each lampstand, 16. for the gold used in the display tables, including the amount to be used in each table, for the silver to be used in the silver tables, 17. for the pure gold used for the meat forks, bowls, and jars, for the small gold bowls, including the weight for each bowl, for the small silver bowls, including the weight for each bowl, 18. and for the refined gold of the incense altar. He gave him the blueprint for the seat of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and provide shelter for the ark of the Lord s covenant. 19. David said, All of this I put in writing as the Lord directed me and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints.

4 20. David said to his son Solomon: Be strong and brave! Do it! Don t be afraid and don t panic! For the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the Lord s temple is finished. 21. Here are the divisions of the priests and Levites who will perform all the service of God s temple. All the willing and skilled men are ready to assist you in all the work and perform their service. The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions. (NET) Introduction: I. In 1 Chronicles 28-29 David assembled all Israel. First Chronicles 28:1-29:25 constitute a single literary unit with emphasis being placed on the temple, its services and personnel and upon Solomon who would build the temple. (See Hicks and The Pulpit Commentary.) A. First Chronicles 28-29 is an expansion of 1 Kings 2:1-12, When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, If your descendants watch their step and live faithfully in my presence with all their heart and being, then, he promised, you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. Do to him what you think is appropriate, but don t let him live long and die a peaceful death. Treat fairly the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, because they

5 helped me when I had to flee from your brother Absalom. Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised him by the Lord, I will not strike you down with the sword. But now don t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; make sure he has a bloody death. Then David passed away and was buried in the City of David. David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem thirty-three years. Solomon sat on his father David s throne, and his royal authority was firmly solidified. (NET) B. David, in the presence of Israel s elite civil and military personnel, assembled in Jerusalem, charged Solomon with the duty of building the temple and succeeding David as King. Commentary: 1. All the officials were commanded to give their full support and assistance to Solomon. a. 1 Chronicles 29:24, All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. (NET) 1 Chronicles 28:1, David assembled in Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, including the commanders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions that served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, the officials who were in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, the eunuchs, and the warriors, including the most skilled of them. (NET)

6 I. David summoned all the officials of Israel in the groups listed to assemble at Jerusalem. A. This was a holy convocation like that of which the Bible speaks when the ark of the covenant was moved to Jerusalem. (See Hicks.) 1. 1 Chronicles 13:5, So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. (NET) 2. 1 Chronicles 15:3, David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. (NET) B. This was an assembly of the Lord. (Hicks) 1. 1 Chronicles 29:20, David told the entire assembly: Praise the Lord your God! So the entire assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors; they bowed down and stretched out flat on the ground before the Lord and the king. (NET) 2. 1 Chronicles 29:1, 10, King David said to the entire assembly: My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is just an inexperienced young man, and the task is great, for this palace is not for man, but for the Lord God. David praised the Lord before the entire assembly: O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! (NET) 3. 2 Chronicles 1:3, Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God was located there, which Moses the Lord s servant had made in the wilderness. (NET)

7 C. The priests and Levites may not have been included at this point in this congregation. 1. 1 Chronicles 28:13, 21, He gave him the regulations for the divisions of priests and Levites, for all the assigned responsibilities within the Lord s temple, and for all the items used in the service of the Lord s temple. Here are the divisions of the priests and Levites who will perform all the service of God s temple. All the willing and skilled men are ready to assist you in all the work and perform their service. The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions. (NET) 1 Chronicles 28:2, 3, King David rose to his feet and said: Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I wanted to build a temple where the ark of the Lord s covenant could be placed as a footstool for our God. I have made the preparations for building it. But God said to me, You must not build a temple to honor me, for you are a warrior and have spilled blood. (NET) I. David addressed the assembly as his brothers, all God s children, and his people, relatives. A. I had it in my heart to build a house... for... God... B. David stood while he spoke although he was now old and chiefly confined to bed and infirm. 1. 1 Kings 1:47, The king s servants have even come to congratulate our master King David, saying, May your God make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you! Then the king leaned on the bed (NET)

8 2. David well knew the importance of this occasion and rose to speak to this august assembly B. God told David he could not built the temple because he was a warrior and had shed blood. 1. 2 Samuel 7:5, 13, Go, tell my servant David: This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. (NET) 2. David was forbidden to build the temple, but he continued to do all within his power to plan and make things ready for the building of the temple by his son, Solomon. 3. 1 Chronicles 22:8, But the Lord said to me: You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me, for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me. (NET) 4. 1 Kings 5:5, So I have decided to build a temple to honor the Lord my God, as the Lord instructed my father David, Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me. (NET) C. The temple is here said to be God s resting place and the ark is God s footstool. 1. Psalm 132:7, 8, Let us go to his dwelling place! Let us worship before his footstool! Ascend, O Lord, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! (NET)

9 2. The ark, as a symbol of the covenant between God and Israel, is the place where Israel enters the rest of God. (Hicks) 3. God s footstool may refer to the mercy seat, the top of the ark of the covenant. a. Psalm 132:8, 14, Ascend, O Lord, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! He said, This will be my resting place forever; I will live here, for I have chosen it. (NET) 1 Chronicles 28:4-7, The Lord God of Israel chose me out of my father s entire family to become king over Israel and have a permanent dynasty. Indeed, he chose Judah as leader, and my father s family within Judah, and then he picked me out from among my father s sons and made me king over all Israel. From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel. He said to me, Solomon your son is the one who will build my temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to become my son and I will become his father. I will establish his kingdom permanently, if he remains committed to obeying my commands and regulations, as you are doing this day. (NET) I. God chose David of the tribe of Judah to be king over Israel forever. 1. David was chosen to be king even though he was not from a prominent Israelite family, was not the firstborn in his family and was not even a member of the tribe descended from Israel s/jacob s firstborn son. 2. David s dynasty would have no end provided the rulers continued to walk faithfully in God s way.

10 a. The Human dynasty ended because they departed from God s will and way. b. David s spiritual dynasty as seen in Christ is eternal, will never end. 3. The Pulpit Commentary traces David s lineage as follows: 1. Tribe of Judah. a. Genesis 49:8, Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father s sons will bow down before you. (NET) b. 1 Chronicles 5:2, Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.) (NET) 2. The house of Jesse. 3. David. a. 1 Samuel 16:1, The Lord said to Samuel, How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go! I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons. (NET) a. 1 Samuel 16:13, So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah. (NET)

11 4. Solomon. a. 1 Chronicles 22:9, 10, Look, you will have a son, who will be a peaceful man. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. Indeed, Solomon will be his name; I will give Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He will build a temple to honor me; he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel. (NET) b. 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you. I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent. (NET) c. 2 Samuel 7:12-16, When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent. (NET)

12 II. Solomon, one of David s many sons, was selected by the Lord to succeed David as King over all Israel. A. 1 Kings 1:1-53, King David was very old; even when they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm. His servants advised him, A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, to take care of the king s needs and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you and keep our master, the king, warm. So they looked through all Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king s nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, was promoting himself, boasting, I will be king! He managed to acquire chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. (Now his father had never corrected him by saying, Why do you do such things? He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.) He collaborated with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported him. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David s elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah. Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king s sons, as well as all the men of Judah, the king s servants. But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, or his brother Solomon. Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon s mother, Has it been reported to you that Haggith s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David s back? Now let me give you some advice as to how you can save your life and your son Solomon s life. Visit King David and say to him, My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise your servant, Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne? So why has Adonijah become king?

13 While you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive and verify your report. So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before the king. The king said, What do you want? She replied to him, My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne. But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, my master the king, are not even aware of it! He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. Now, my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. If a decision is not made, when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be considered state criminals. Just then, while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. The king was told, Nathan the prophet is here. Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. Nathan said, My master, O king, did you announce, Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne? For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment they are having a feast in his presence, and they have declared, Long live King Adonijah! But he did not invite me your servant or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants who should succeed my master the king on his throne? King David responded, Summon Bathsheba! She came and stood before the king. The king swore an oath: As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me from every danger), I will keep today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: Surely Solomon your

14 son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne. Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor and said, May my master, King David, live forever! King David said, Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. They came before the king, and he told them, Take your master s servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, Long live King Solomon! Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah. Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded to the king: So be it! May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it! As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David! So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites went down, put Solomon on King David s mule, and led him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil from the tent and poured it on Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, Long live King Solomon! All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake. Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city? As he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, Come in, for an important man like you must be bringing good news. Jonathan replied to Adonijah: No! Our master King David has made Solomon king. The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king s mule. Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon. They went up from there

15 rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne. The king s servants have even come to congratulate our master King David, saying, May your God make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you! Then the king leaned on the bed and said this: The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it. All of Adonijah s guests panicked; they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. Solomon was told, Look, Adonijah fears you; see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, May King Solomon solemnly promise me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword. Solomon said, If he is a loyal subject, not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, he will die. King Solomon sent men to bring him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, Go home. (NET) B. 1 Chronicles 17:14, I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent. (NET) C. 1 Chronicles 28:5, 7, From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel. I will establish his kingdom permanently, if he remains committed to obeying my commands and regulations, as you are doing this day. (NET) D. The ultimate promised Great One was Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and it was he who was to build the church. (See Coffman.)

16 1. 2 Samuel 7:12, When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. (NET) III. Solomon would build the temple. A. The temple as a symbol of peace between God and Israel was to be built by a man of peace rather than a warrior. IV. Solomon s kingdom would be established forever if he unswervingly obeyed God s commands and laws. A. God s promises are often conditional. B. The Jewish political kingdom was not the promised and long anticipated kingdom of God. (See Coffman.) The promised and long anticipated kingdom of God is the church. 1. Amos 9:8, Look, the sovereign Lord is watching the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob, says the Lord. (NET) 2. Psalm 132:12, If your sons keep my covenant and the rules I teach them, their sons will also sit on your throne forever. (NET) 3. 1 Kings 3:14, If you follow my instructions by obeying my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, then I will grant you long life. (NET) 4. 1 Kings 8:61, May you demonstrate wholehearted devotion to the Lord our God by following his rules and obeying his commandments, as you are presently doing. (NET)

17 5. 1 Kings 9:4, You must serve me with integrity and sincerity, just as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations. (NET) 1 Chronicles 28:8, So now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord s assembly, and in the hearing of our God, I say this: Carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you. (NET) I. David charged all assembled to follow all God s commands, not some of God s commands, but all his commands! A. David spoke in the sight of all Israel, in the sight of the assembly of the Lord and in the hearing of our God. (See Hicks.) B. Deuteronomy 4:21, 26, But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you. I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will surely and swiftly be removed from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be annihilated. (NET) C. Deuteronomy 30:19, Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live! (NET) D. Leviticus 25:46, You may give them as inheritance to your children after you to possess as property. You may enslave them perpetually. However, as for your brothers the Israelites, no man may rule over his brother harshly. (NET)

18 E. Jeremiah 3:18, At that time the nation of Judah and the nation of Israel will be reunited. Together they will come back from a land in the north to the land that I gave to your ancestors as a permanent possession. (NET) II. Obedience of God s commands would lead to Israel s possessing the Promised Land forever. A. Continued possession of the promised land was contingent on Israel s faithful obedience of God s commands. III. David charged the people... A. in the sight of all Israel,... B. in the sight of the assembly at the Lord, and... C. in the hearing (audience) of our God. 1 Chronicles 28:9, 10, And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently. Realize now that the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it! (NET) I. David urged, charged Solomon in the presence of Israel to know, acknowledge the God of his fathers and to serve him with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind. A. Solomon was to watch (be careful) and seek (follow) the Lord. 1. 1 Chronicles 28:8, 9, So now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord s assembly, and in the hearing of our God, I say

19 this: Carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you. And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently. (NET) B. Solomon was to be fully aware that the Lord searches every heart and that God will be found by all who seek him. 1. Isaiah 55:6, Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; call to him while he is nearby! (NET) 2. 1 Chronicles 28:9, Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice. (NET) C. David gave (See Hicks.) five imperatives for his son Solomon; viz., 1. acknowledge 2. serve a. 2 Chronicles 15:2, He met Asa and told him, Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are loyal to him. If you seek him, he will respond to you, but if you reject him, he will reject you. (NET)

20 a. 2 Chronicles 6:38, When they return to you with all their heart and being in the land where they are held prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, (NET) 3. consider 4. be strong 5. do II. The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. A. 1 Chronicles 4:23, They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there and worked for the king. (NET) B. Genesis 6:5, But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. (NET) C. 1 Chronicles 29:18, O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, maintain the motives of your people and keep them devoted to you. (NET) D. Psalm 119:34, 73, Give me understanding so that I might observe your law, and keep it with all my heart. Your hands made me and formed me. Give me understanding so that I might learn your commands. (NET) III. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever, David told his son Solomon.

21 A. God desires a reciprocal relationship. (Hicks) 1. Psalm 119:2, 10, 176, How blessed are those who observe his rules, and seek him with all their heart, With all my heart I seek you. Do not allow me to stray from your commands! I have wandered off like a lost sheep. Come looking for your servant, for I do not forget your commands. (NET) 2. Psalm 119:27, 34, 73, 125, 130, 169, Help me to understand what your precepts mean! Then I can meditate on your marvelous teachings. Give me understanding so that I might observe your law, and keep it with all my heart. Your hands made me and formed me. Give me understanding so that I might learn your commands. I am your servant. Give me insight, so that I can understand your rules. Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained. Listen to my cry for help, O Lord! Give me insight by your word! (NET) B. God seeks those who seek him. (Hicks) 1. Acts 17:27, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. (NET) 2. Hebrews 11:6, Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (NET) 3. John 4:23, But a time is coming and now is here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit

22 and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. (NET) C. Acknowledge is not simple recognition; that is, recognizing the authority of, but involves intimacy, to know in a relational way. (Hicks) 1. Jeremiah 22:16, He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah. The Lord says, That is a good example of what it means to know me. (NET) 2. Hosea 6:6, For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. (NET) IV. David further told Solomon,... the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. A. The Temple was the house of the Lord, the house for the sanctuary. 1. Sanctuary is defined as a holy place, a place of refuge or protection. (See the Holt Intermediate Dictionary of American English.) 1 Chronicles 28:11-19, David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the room for atonement. He gave him the blueprints of all he envisioned for the courts of the Lord s temple, all the surrounding rooms, the storehouses of God s temple, and the storehouses for the holy items. He gave him the regulations for the divisions of priests and Levites, for all the assigned responsibilities within the Lord s temple, and for all the items used in the service of the Lord s temple. He gave him the prescribed weight for all the

23 gold items to be used in various types of service in the Lord s temple, for all the silver items to be used in various types of service, for the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, for the silver lampstands, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, according to the prescribed use of each lampstand, for the gold used in the display tables, including the amount to be used in each table, for the silver to be used in the silver tables, for the pure gold used for the meat forks, bowls, and jars, for the small gold bowls, including the weight for each bowl, for the small silver bowls, including the weight for each bowl, and for the refined gold of the incense altar. He gave him the blueprint for the seat of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and provide shelter for the ark of the Lord s covenant. David said, All of this I put in writing as the Lord directed me and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints. (NET) I. David gave Solomon the plans (ichnographs) for the temple and its appurtenances. A. In Hebrew, Hicks wrote, verses 11-19 constitute one sentence. B. David, in these verses, gave Solomon the plans for the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11-19) and then urged, exhorted him to complete the task of building the temple (1 Chronicles 28:20, 21). C. The temple was to be built according to the plan, pattern God gave David. 1. Exodus 25:9, 10, 17-22, 40, According to all that I am showing you the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings you must make it exactly so. They are to make an ark of acacia wood its length is to be three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches. You are to make an atonement lid of pure gold; its length is to be

24 three feet nine inches, and its width is to be two feet three inches. You are to make two cherubim of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. Make one cherub on one end and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. The cherubim are to be spreading their wings upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the atonement lid. You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites. Now be sure to make them according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain. (NET) 2. Exodus 31:7, the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the atonement lid that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent, (NET) 3. 1 Chronicles 28:11-12, 18-19, David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the room for atonement. He gave him the blueprints of all he envisioned for the courts of the Lord s temple, all the surrounding rooms, the storehouses of God s temple, and the storehouses for the holy items. and for the refined gold of the incense altar. He gave him the blueprint for the seat of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and provide shelter for the ark of the Lord s covenant. David said, All of this I put in writing as the Lord directed me and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints. (NET)

25 4. Exodus 40:20, He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark. (NET) 5. Nehemiah 9:30, You prolonged your kindness with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. (NET) 6. Zechariah 7:12, Indeed, they made their heart as hard as diamond, so that they could not obey the Torah and the other words the Lord who rules over all had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, the Lord who rules over all had poured out great wrath. (NET) 7. Hebrew 8:5, The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain. (NET) II. The plans included detailed instructions covering architecture, materials to be used, various utensils and personnel. (Hicks) A. David was a man who gave attention to details including the amount of gold and silver to be used in each temple article. B. There was one chandelier in the tabernacle and ten in the temple.

26 1. 1 Kings 7:49, the pure gold lampstands at the entrance to the inner sanctuary (five on the right and five on the left), the gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs, (NET) 2. 2 Chronicles 4:7, 8, He made ten gold lampstands according to specifications and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. He made ten tables and set them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. He also made one hundred gold bowls. (NET) C. Careful plans were made regarding the charioted; that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. D. The patterns included/covered the:... 1. porch. 2. houses thereof. 3. treasures thereof. 4. upper chambers 5. inner Parlors. 6. place of the mercy-seat. II. David also gave Solomon instructions for the courses, divisions of the priests and Levites and related matters. III. These plans and instructions pertaining to the temple and divine service had been given to David by the Lord.

27 A. Hicks wrote, Everything in the temple serves the purpose of atonement so that the holy God might dwell among his people in a holy place. B. All the temple instructions had been placed in David s mind by the Holy Spirit. IV. David understood these instructions and had committed them to writing. A. Also, the instructions David here delivered to Solomon were based on the written Law of Moses, the Pentateuch. 1. The temple corresponded to the tabernacle in numerous respects. 1 Chronicles 28:20, 21, David said to his son Solomon: Be strong and brave! Do it! Don t be afraid and don t panic! For the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the Lord s temple is finished.. Here are the divisions of the priests and Levites who will perform all the service of God s temple. All the willing and skilled men are ready to assist you in all the work and perform their service. The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions. (NET) I. David also said to Solomon his son,... A. Be strong and... B. courageous, and... C. do the work.

28 D. Do not be afraid or... E. discouraged (dismayed),... F. for the Word of the Lord God, my God, is with you (to be your assistant. 1. Genesis 21:22, At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, God is with you in all that you do. (NET) 2. Genesis 24:40, He answered, The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father s family. (NET) 3. Genesis 26:3, 24, Stay in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, and I will fulfill the solemn promise I made to your father Abraham. The Lord appeared to him that night and said, I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham. (NET) 4. Exodus 3:12, He replied, Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain. (NET) 5. Exodus 33:14, And the Lord said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. (NET)

29 6. Numbers 14:43, For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you. (NET) 7. Deuteronomy 2:7, All along the way I, the LORD your God, have blessed your every effort. I have been attentive to your travels through this great wasteland. These forty years I have been with you; you have lacked for nothing. (NET) 8. Deuteronomy 20:1, 4, When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry and troops who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you. for the Lord your God goes with you to fight on your behalf against your enemies to give you victory. (NET) 9. Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, 23, Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you! The Lord is indeed going before you he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged! and the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, Be strong and courageous, for you will take the Israelites to the land I have promised them, and I will be with you. (NET) 10. Joshua 1:5, 9, 17, No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. I repeat, be strong and brave! Don t be afraid and don t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do. Just as we obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. But

30 may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses! (NET) 11. Joshua 3:7, The Lord told Joshua, This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. (NET) 12. Joshua 7:12, The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. I will no longer be with you, unless you destroy what has contaminated you. (NET) 13. 2 Samuel 7:9, I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. (NET) 14. 1 Kings 11:38, You must obey all I command you to do, follow my instructions, do what I approve, and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David; I will give you Israel. (NET) 15. 1 Chronicles 22:11, Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would. (NET) G. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. Note: David s charge to Solomon is similar to Moses charge to Joshua. Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you! The Lord is indeed going before you he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged! ; Joshua 1:5, No one

31 will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. (NET) II. The priests, Levites (according to their divisions, courses), every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work and will obey your every command. A. David had made sure that Solomon had all the help he needed to complete the task of building the temple. III. David prayed for his son and for Israel. A. 1 Chronicles 29:18, 19, O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, maintain the motives of your people and keep them devoted to you. Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations. (NET) B. As long as Solomon faithfully did God s will, the Lord would be with him. Conclusion: I. Hicks wrote, Chronicles are also words of grace to us. We are the temple of God in whom the spirit dwells. We are the people of God among whom God is still at work just as he was in the days of David and the Chronicles. II. Just as with David in regard to the temple, so with Christians in regard to the church. A. All must be done according to God s pattern.

32 B. All God s people must unite and work diligently to accomplish the church s mission. C. 1 Corinthians 3:1-18, So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready, for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people? For whenever someone says, I am with Paul, or I am with Apollos, are you not merely human? What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow. So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work. We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God s field, God s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each builder s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward. If someone s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God s temple and that God s Spirit lives in you? If someone destroys God s temple, God will destroy him. For God s temple is holy, which is what you are. Guard against self-deception, each of you. If

33 someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise. (NET) III. In all these instructions David s strong love and devotion to God are clearly evident. A. How regrettable that Solomon failed so miserably in so many ways to walk in the Lord s way. IV. David, as should we, in all these matters, demonstrated piety, good sense, prudence, and zeal both for the public welfare and God s glory.

34 Questions 1 Chronicles 28:1-21 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. Whom did David summon to assemble at Jerusalem? 2. Why did David summon these officials to Jerusalem? 3. What was the significance of King David s standing to speak to the assembly? 4. In what ways were those assembled David s brothers and people?

35 5. I had it in my to a as a of for the of the of the, for the of our, and I made to it, David said. 6. Explain the phrase, the footstool of our God. Exactly what was, in David s plan, God s footstool. 7. Why did David not proceed to build the temple? 8. What was David s attitude toward his having been made King of Israel? 9. Who chose Solomon to succeed David? How did political intrigue and political influence affect Solomon s being chosen king? (See 1 Kings 1:1-53).

36 10. Who would build the temple? How was this determination made? What part did David s influence, political intrigue and behind the scenes maneuvering affect Solomon s being anointed king? 11. David charged his son in the of all and of the of the, and in the of our : Be to the of the your, that you may this and it on as an to your. 12. David further charged Solomon: the of your, and him with and with a, for the every and every behind the. 13. Solomon was further advised: If you him (God), he will be by you; but if you him, he will your. 14. Consider now, for the has you to a as a. Be and the work.

37 15. David gave Solomon plans for the of the, its, its, its, its, the of, the of the of the and all the, for the of the of and for the for the. 16. How did God communicate with David? 17. David gave Solomon for the of the and, and for all the of in the of the, as well as for all the to be used in its. 18. How do verses 14-18a show David had given extreme attention to details regarding temple utensils and furnishings? 19. Exactly what was the chariot mentioned in verse 18b?

38 20. Explain how David received in writing from the hand of the Lord the Temple plans. 21. David concluded his instructions to Solomon by saying, Be and, and the. Do not be or, for the, my, is. He will not you or you until the for the of the of the is. The of the and are for the on the of, and in any will you in the. The and the will your every. 22. How can it be said that 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:25 constitute a single literary unit? 23. How are 1 Chronicles chapters 28 and 29 an expansion of 1 Kings 2:1-12?

39 24. Christians constitute the temple of God in which the Holy Spirit dwells. How are the church, God s present temple, and David s- Solomon s temple alike? How are they different? 25. Compare and contrast the temple and the tabernacle. We would like very much to hear from you! We welcome questions and comments. Please write us by email at: sewell6252@comcast.net We look forward to hearing from you!