David’s plans for the temple
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📚And David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by division, and the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers and with the mighty men and with all the valiant men.28:1 1 Chron 22:17. This chapter makes it clear that before the attempt of Adonijah to seize power (1 Kings 1:5-11), all the leaders of Israel knew that David had chosen Solomon to be king in his place.⚜
2 📚Then David the king rose to his feet, and said, “Hear me, my brethren, and my people. As for me, I had in my heart 📖 to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool 📖 of our God, and had made things ready for the building. 3 📚But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for my name, because you have been a man of war, and have shed blood.’
4 📚“However the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever; for he chose Judah 📖 to be the leader, and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 📚And 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 kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 📚And he said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 📚Moreover, I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast in doing my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.’
8 📚“Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
28:8 Compare Josh 1:6-9. The land could be kept in possession only in the same way it was originally taken – by following God’s commands and obeying His word.⚜
9 📚“And you, Solomon, my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts 📖, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him 📖, he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever 📖. 10 📚Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary 📖. Be strong, and do it”.
11 📚Then David gave his son Solomon the plan of the portico of the temple, and of its buildings and of its treasuries and of its upper rooms and of its inner rooms and of the place of the mercy seat, 12 📚and the plan of all that he had through the Spirit 📖, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the rooms around it, of the treasuries of the house of God and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; 13 📚also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the articles of service in the house of the LORD. 14 He designated the gold by weight for the things to be made of gold, for all the articles for all kinds of service; and the silver by weight for all the articles of silver; for all articles for every kind of service; 15 📚the weight for the gold lampstands and for their gold lamps, by weight for each lampstand and for their lamps; and for the silver lampstands, by weight, both for the lampstands and also for its lamps, according to the use of every lampstand. 16 📚And he designated the gold by weight for the tables of Showbread, for each table; and likewise the silver for the silver tables; 17 📚also pure gold for the forks and the bowls and the cups; and for the golden basins he designated gold by weight for each basin; and likewise silver by weight for each silver basin; 18 📚and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the plan of the chariot of the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
19 📚“All this”, David said, “the LORD caused me to understand in writing by his hand on me, all the details of this plan”.
28:19 David, inspired by God’s Spirit (v 12) wrote down exactly what God wanted the plans and specifications of the temple to be. Solomon followed them completely (1 Kings 6:38). If Solomon had always followed all the instructions David gave him (v 9), it would have been well. But 1 Kings 11:4 reveals that he did not.⚜
20 📚And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or dismayed; for the LORD God, my God, will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 21 📚And, see, the divisions of the priests and the Levites; they are there for all the service of the house of God. With you also, for all kinds of workmanship, will be every skillful 📖 man who is willing, for any kind of service. Also the officials and all the people will be wholly at your command”.