What God had Told Him - 1 Chronicles 28-2 Chronicles 1

This is Episode #130 and today we’ll read 1 Chronicles chapters 28 & 29 and the very first chapter of 2 Chronicles.    David calls all of Israel together to reveal what God had told him about the building the Lord’s temple.  At the same time, he hands his reign to Solomon, also according to God’s instruction.   

Show Notes

·        Awesome Video of Solomon’s Temple
·        These will help!  Overview videos of all books of the Bible

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Transcript

Joy: You’re listening to Season 2 of the Lifting Her Voice podcast.   This is Episode #130 and today we’ll read 1 Chronicles chapters 28 & 29 and the very first chapter of 2 Chronicles.    David calls all of Israel together to reveal what God had told him about the building of the Lord’s temple.  At the same time, he hands his reign to Solomon, also according to God’s instruction.   

Welcome

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Season 2!  I'm your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me - from the beginning - simply reading God's word together.  We built some spiritual muscles in 2020 with just the New Testament.  But this year we’re going all out, cover-to-cover, Old Testament and New.  So, whether with your first cup in the morning, your commute to work, or as the last thing on your mind before sleep, God’s Word will equip you for every good work.  I’m really glad you’re here!

Intro to 2 Chronicles
 
Well, this episode is a little bit different in that the plan ends one large book and starts another.  Second Chronicles is a compilation of the history of the kings of Judah and Israel.  Like 1 Chronicles, you will find that it adds “omitted things.”  Second Chronicles also goes beyond the captivity and exile of the Israelites, and tells the story of King Cyrus of the Medes coming into power after the Chaldeans and allowing Israel not only to return to its homeland, but giving the people a budget to rebuild Jerusalem.  This will be all new territory to explore and will be expanded even more in the book of Daniel.  

Just as in 1 Kings, quite a bit of time is spent chronicling Solomon’s building of the temple.  When we get done with 2 Chronicles, which as you recall is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, you will indeed have an accurate sense of the Israelites, feeding right into the 400 years of silence, leading to the birth of our Savior.  

1 Chronicles Chapter 28:

David Commissions Solomon to Build the Temple

David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the fighting men, and all the best soldiers. Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’

“Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, my father’s family, and from my father’s sons, he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And out of all my sons — for the Lord has given me many sons — he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping my commands and my ordinances as he is doing today.’

“So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and follow all the commands of the Lord your God so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever. Realize now that the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it.”

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple and its buildings, treasuries, upstairs rooms, inner rooms, and a room for the mercy seat. The plans contained everything he had in mind for the courts of the Lord’s house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of God’s house, and the treasuries for what is dedicated. Also included were plans for the divisions of the priests and the Levites; all the work of service in the Lord’s house; all the articles of service of the Lord’s house; the weight of gold for all the articles for every kind of service; the weight of all the silver articles for every kind of service; the weight of the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the service of each lampstand; the weight of gold for each table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and the silver for the silver tables; the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling basins, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl; the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of the gold cherubim that spread out their wings and cover the ark of the Lord’s covenant.

David concluded, “By the Lord’s hand on me, he enabled me to understand everything in writing, all the details of the plan.”

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished. Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of God’s house. Every willing person of any skill will be at your disposal for the work, and the leaders and all the people are at your every command.”

1 Chronicles Chapter 29:

Contributions for Building the Temple

Then King David said to all the assembly, “My son Solomon — God has chosen him alone — is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the building will not be built for a human but for the Lord God. So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, stones for mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble. Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house: 100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings, the gold for the gold work and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?”

Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. For the service of God’s house they gave 185 tons of gold and 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 4,000 tons of iron. Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced because of their leaders’ willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord wholeheartedly. King David also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said,

May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand. For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and that you are pleased with what is right. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to you. Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you. Give my son Solomon an undivided heart to keep and to carry out all your commands, your decrees, and your statutes, and to build the building for which I have made provision.

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Blessed be the Lord your God.” So the whole assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors. They knelt low and paid homage to the Lord and the king.

The following day they offered sacrifices to the Lord and burnt offerings to the Lord: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, along with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. They ate and drank with great joy in the Lord’s presence that day.

The Enthronement of Solomon

Then, for a second time, they made David’s son Solomon king; they anointed him as the Lord’s ruler, and Zadok as the priest. Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. All the leaders and the mighty men, and all of King David’s sons as well, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been bestowed on any king over Israel before him.

A Summary of David’s Life

David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. The length of his reign over Israel was forty years; he reigned in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for thirty-three. He died at a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon became king in his place. As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, note that they are written in the Events of the Seer Samuel, the Events of the Prophet Nathan, and the Events of the Seer Gad, along with all his reign, his might, and the incidents that affected him and Israel and all the kingdoms of the surrounding lands.

2 Chronicles Chapter 1:

Solomon’s Request for Wisdom

Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom. The Lord his God was with him and highly exalted him. Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel — the family heads. Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon because God’s tent of meeting, which the Lord’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness, was there. Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had set up for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem, but he put the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there. Solomon offered sacrifices there in the Lord’s presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask. What should I give you?”

And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and you have made me king in his place. Lord God, let your promise to my father David now come true. For you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people, for who can judge this great people of yours?”

God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you.” So Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Horses and Wealth

Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. Solomon’s horses came from Egypt and Kue. The king’s traders would get them from Kue at the going price. A chariot could be imported from Egypt for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for nearly four pounds. In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

Close

I know, I know…I’m a sucker for father-son relationships.  (Heck, I’m just a sucker for men being fathers to their kids!).  But the scene with David’s transparency before Israel and then his challenging yet encouraging speech to Solomon gets me.  It is formal and yet intimate.  And there is a stability about it.  It moved me.  

Finally, David's prayer is so applicable to so many events in our own lives, I'm moved to pray that prayer even in a situation that Mitch and I are going through right now.  It is so important for us to remember that we need to give God His glory and not spend all of our prayer time asking for stuff.  I have to admit, I fall into it more often than I would care to confess.

Did you notice any “omitted things” in the conversation between Solomon and God?  Share your thoughts with me at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray that by spending time in His Word every day, you will by changed.  Visit me at Lifting Her Voice.com with your comments and questions.  And don’t forget to visit the Blog page while you’re there.  If you like the podcast, it would be great if you’d give it a five-star review and share it with everyone you know.  Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you tomorrow!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.