Key Verse Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. 1 Chronicles 28:10

Transcription

1 God Calls Solomon to Build the Temple March 16 Lesson 3 Devotional Reading: Psalm 132 Background Scripture: 1 Chronicles 28 Printed Text: 1 Chronicles 28:5 10, 20, 21 Lesson Aims After participating in this lesson, each student will be able to: 1. Summarize David s charge to Solomon. 2. Compare and contrast the attitudes and behavior David challenged Solomon to display with the attitudes and behaviors the New Testament commands for Christians. 3. Encourage one other person in the coming week to be strong in Christian faith and service. Daily Bible Readings God s Promise to David (Psalm 132:1 12) God Chose Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:1 5) David Advises Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:6 8) Wholehearted and Willing (1 Chronicles 28:9, 10) David s Plan for the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:11 19) God Is with You (1 Chronicles 28:20, 21) For God s Chosen (Psalm 132:13 18) Key Verse Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. 1 Chronicles 28:10 Why Teach This Lesson? Jealousy can be an infectious sin in the life of the church. Some are jealous of those who are especially gifted in music. Others are jealous of those who have special talents in speaking and teaching. David could have been jealous because God chose someone else to build the temple. But David recognized that the temple was God s idea. As the great architect, God knew best who should carry out the task of leading in the construction of this magnificent structure. The church is also God s idea. He is the designer and foreman of the building of this magnificent spiritual structure. He knows who functions best in the different aspects of the building of his church. The cure for jealousy is encouragement. When we see a fellow Christian using his or her giftedness in the areas of music, teaching, etc., our encouragement of that person can drive feelings of jealousy far away! Today s lesson provides an example of encouragement from King David. 1

2 Introduction A. Chosen for a Specific Task One day my dad decided to add a bedroom and porch to the back of our small house. It was a good idea, because my sister and I were reaching our teenage years, and we needed separate bedrooms. The only problem was that Dad was not a builder. He was a very good sawmiller and mechanic, but he was not a builder. Yet we could not hire people to do such work because we were poor by the standards of America in the 1950s. So we did it ourselves. When we were finished, it looked good. But the first substantial rain proved all visual satisfactions to be false security. That roof never stopped leaking. So Dad covered the entire back part of the roof with tar, tar, and more tar. That finally stopped the water leaks, but in really hot weather it leaked tar! Neither my dad nor I ever became builders in the fullest sense of that word. Today I can safely say that God has called me to be a teacher and preacher, and I try to utilize every facet of my abilities in those directions. It is very satisfying. The few times I have tried to remodel our house have ended in frustration. So now whenever I have such a project to do, I hire others to do it. I know my limitations and my calling. King David recognized that God had called him to carry out certain tasks, but the task of building the temple was reserved for his son Solomon. King David s limitation was not one of skill, but one of divine restriction. David thus encouraged his son to complete the task of building the temple. David had an important calling to fulfill, but building the temple was not part of that calling. B. Lesson Background In the first two lessons of this quarter, we have seen our texts from 1 Chronicles paralleled in 2 Samuel. But today s lesson text from 1 Chronicles 28 has no parallel in 1 Kings 1 2, where we would expect to find such a parallel if it existed. The reason seems to be that the author of Chronicles had a particular interest in recording the beginnings of the temple that the author of Kings did not have. We see much emphasis in Chronicles on the skilled craftsmen who participated in this project. God had chosen Solomon to see this task through (see 1 Chronicles 28:5, 6, 10; 29:1). No other person was to launch this project. Even though David wanted to build the temple and had collected materials for it, God forbade him because he had been a man of war and had shed blood (1 Chronicles 28:3). David undoubtedly was aware of the divine choices that God had made through the centuries. Judah had been elevated above his brothers (see Genesis 49:8 10), and David himself had been elevated above his own brothers as well (1 Chronicles 28:4). In a sense, Solomon was elevated above his father, David, in being privileged to build the temple. The temple had to be built by a man of peace, which is the meaning of Solomon s name. Solomon s lengthy reign was characterized by peace (1 Kings 4:24, 25). 2

3 I. David s Pronouncements (1 Chronicles 28:5 7) A. Solomon Chosen to Be King (v. 5) 5. Of all my sons and the Lord has given me many he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. David had six sons born from six different wives during his seven and one-half years in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2 5; 1 Chronicles 3:1 4). When David made Jerusalem his capital, he took more concubines and wives, and more children were born (2 Samuel 5:13 16; 1 Chronicles 3:5 9; 14:3 7). Indeed, God gave David many sons. But of all these it is Solomon (who is not David s firstborn) who is chosen to sit on David s throne. This is a major theme in this text. David is very conscious of God s promise to him of an everlasting dynasty (see 2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Chronicles 28:4a). David was overwhelmed by this promise when it was given many years before (2 Samuel 7:18 29). It is through the Davidic dynasty that God chooses to accomplish his plan for the world. Somehow God s reign in Heaven is to be expressed through this kingdom on earth. So God s throne in Heaven and the Davidic throne on earth are interconnected. The author of Chronicles uses an unusual phrase to communicate this idea: the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. This throne is the faithful witness in the sky (Psalm 89:37); and even though one day God will cast [David s] throne to the ground (Psalm 89:44), he will never take away his promise concerning David s everlasting dynasty. Perhaps David may think that Solomon is the Lord to sit at God s right hand until all his enemies are made a footstool for his feet (see Psalm 110:1; compare 1 Kings 5:3). We now know that only Jesus fulfilled and fills that role and position (see Luke 1:32, 33; Hebrews 5 7). B. Solomon to Build the Temple (v. 6) 6. He said to me: Solomon your son 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. Even though the author of Chronicles does not mention it, there has been a long and bitter struggle among David s sons to attain the kingship. It took great court intrigues to have Solomon anointed king (see 1 Kings 1 2). It was by divine direction that David announced Solomon as his successor (1 Chronicles 22:5 13) and the future builder of the temple that David himself so much wanted to build (1 Chronicles 22:7, 8). The wording chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father emphasizes Solomon s election by God. It also emphasizes an adoption by God in terms of kingship (compare 2 Samuel 7:14a). The verse before us essentially is a covenant statement to reveal a special relationship between God and Solomon, the son of David. What work has God called you to do? If you have not discovered how you can contribute to the kingdom work, what can you do to discover your role? The word house signifies temple. The addition of the word courts (as in courtyards ) will be important to the future pilgrims who will arrive in Jerusalem to celebrate the 3

4 festivals. They will savor the moment when they enter into the courts of the temple (see Psalm 84:2; 100:4; Isaiah 62:9). C. Solomon s Reign to Be Conditional (v. 7) 7. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time. This verse echoes the original promise in 2 Samuel 7: But the author of Chronicles decides not to mention the potential punishment of 2 Samuel 7:14b: When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men. Even without this, however, the author of Chronicles emphasizes the conditional nature of Solomon s reign by using the little word if. If Solomon will obey God s commands, then his kingdom (dynasty) will last forever (compare 1 Chronicles 22:12, 13). At the time Chronicles is written centuries after Solomon, there is no Davidic king on a throne in Jerusalem. By that time the remnant in Jerusalem knows the conditional nature of the Davidic dynasty because of the destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The people will hold out hope that God will restore Israel s fortunes by an anointed one like David to bring about a return to the golden age of David. Surely God will fulfill his promise to David that his kingdom will be forever! History proves that Solomon became disobedient toward the end of his life. As a result, the Davidic dynasty suffered. That little word if packs a big punch! The Big If Operation Overlord marked a turning point in World War II. That was the code name for the Allied invasion of Europe, which took place on June 6, The success of that operation contributed greatly to the eventual defeat of the Nazis. Several factors helped the invasion succeed. First, General Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, gambled on a break in the weather. Second, Allied planes dropped bombs well north of the invasion area in an attempt to deceive the Germans into thinking the invasion would come elsewhere. Third, Allied airborne troops delayed German reinforcements so the seaborne invasion would have time to establish a beachhead. If the weather improved and if the deception worked and if the delaying action went as planned, then the invasion might succeed. It did. But what if any one of those ifs had fallen through? It is much more likely that the invasion would have failed, with history taking a different turn. If is such a little word, but it has profound implications. Most of us have played the what if? game with ourselves, if not with others. David s instruction to Solomon was, in effect, Serve God with a faithful heart. If you do, then you will be blessed; but if you do not, then God will turn away from you. The principle still stands. If is a big word, isn t it? C. R. B. 4

5 II. David s Charges (1 Chronicles 28:8 10) A. Charge to the People (v. 8) 8. So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. Those whom David addresses are listed in 1 Chronicles 28:1. In short, they are Israel s leaders and bravest warriors. David concludes his address to them by presenting two witnesses to his words: of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord and God himself. The people are charged to obey the Lord s commands in order to possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance for their descendants permanently. This charge bears a strong resemblance to that given by Moses centuries before (Deuteronomy 32:46, 47). By the time Chronicles is written, Judah has lost her territory once, and only a remnant populates the land. The people have to learn the hard way that disobedience means the loss of land, just as predicted (see Deuteronomy 31:14 18). For the ancient Israelites, keeping the land is always conditioned on obedience. B. Charges to Solomon (vv. 9, 10) 9. And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. David charges Solomon to acknowledge the God of your father. To know or acknowledge God is a covenant concept (see Jeremiah 22:16; Hosea 6:6; Philippians 3:8 10). To know God is to serve him faithfully in covenant relationship. Solomon is to do this with wholehearted devotion The Hebrew word for wholehearted is shalem, which can also be translated perfect or complete. This may be a play on Solomon s name, which is similar to shalom meaning peace. The words shalem and shalom look the same without vowels, which is how Hebrew is written. The idea of wholehearted devotion is a favorite of the author of Chronicles (compare 1 Chronicles 12:38; 29:9, 19; 2 Chronicles 15:17; 16:9; 19:9; 25:2). When we add heart to mind, we see that Solomon is being charged to know and serve God with every fiber of his being. This is equivalent to the command, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). The fact that God can search all human hearts and minds, understanding even the imaginations of our thoughts, is remarkable from a human standpoint. For God, however, it is reality. That is why God alone is our judge. For that we should be thankful (see Psalm 139:4). 5

6 The charge to Solomon here could become a motto for all: If we seek God, then we will find him; but if we forsake him, then he will cast us off. No great task can be done for God unless one first comes to terms with God himself. One must know the Lord first before one can serve faithfully. The building of the temple indeed, the success of Solomon s entire reign is contingent upon a personal and covenantal relationship with God by Solomon. Why do you think that our relationship with God is more important than our work for God? Or is it our work for God that reveals the quality of our relationship with God? Explain. [Hint: Psalm 51:16, 17; Matthew 15:8; 23:1 36; and 1 Corinthians 13 can enrich your discussion]. 10. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. The Hebrew word for consider now is sometimes translated see in the New International Version (examples: Deuteronomy 1:21; 11:26). It is like saying, Be alert to God s call upon your life! God is the one who has chosen Solomon to build a temple on Mount Zion. The pages of Scripture tell us that it is not an easy life to be handpicked by God. God calls his servants to all kinds of tasks, but this temple-building task for Solomon is a major challenge. And so David charges his son to be strong and do the work. Don t we all need someone to provide this kind of encouragement at times? Tell of a time when you encouraged someone else to a service in God s kingdom. When did someone encourage you to a kingdom task? How did things turn out? III. David s Exhortations (1 Chronicles 28:20, 21) A. Regarding Character (v. 20) 20. David also said to Solomon his son, Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. Solomon has heard this before in a private setting before David (see 1 Chronicles 22:13). Now the exhortations are given to Solomon in public. The kind of public assembly taking place is described in 1 Chronicles 28:1. The nature of this assembly may be compared with that of other assemblies after Israel becomes a monarchy (see 2 Samuel 5:1; 1 Kings 8:1) and after the exile (see Ezra 10:1, 5; Nehemiah 8:1; 9:1). The exhortation be strong and courageous is very similar to those found in Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18. One of the covenantal promises that Solomon receives is that of the presence of God himself. He will be there to strengthen and inspire Solomon. Solomon has been chosen 6

7 for a huge task, and it cannot be done alone. God must be with him. God will see the task to its completion and beyond. There is a saying, God doesn t call the equipped; he equips the called. B. Regarding Workers (v. 21) 21. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command. We have already mentioned that 1 Chronicles is a listing of all those who will participate in the building and maintenance of the new temple. The priests and Levites are especially important in this regard. The author of Chronicles gives some interesting statistics and information concerning the Levites. Only those 30 years old or older are counted, and they number 38,000. Of these, 24,000 are to supervise the construction of the temple while 6,000 are to be officials and judges. The gatekeepers will number 4,000. Another 4,000 are to play musical instruments as part of a praise orchestra (1 Chronicles 23:3 5). Organizationally, the Levites are divided into three groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (1 Chronicles 23:6 23). They will be in charge of the service of the temple of the Lord upon its completion (1 Chronicles 23:24 32). For the origin and history of the Levites, see Genesis 29:34; 46:11; Exodus 6:16 25; Numbers 1:47 53; 3:5 4:49; 8:5 26; 35:1 5; etc. Duties in the temple include singing (1 Chronicles 15:16, 17; 25:1 7), oversight of the treasuries (26:20 28), and various other things (26:29 32). We should recall that while all priests are Levites, not all Levites are priests. Priests are defined in terms of descent from Aaron s sons Eleazar and Ithamar (Exodus 6:23; 28:1; Numbers 3:2 4). David had given the priests an organizational structure (1 Chronicles 24:1 19). All these people are to be at the disposal of Solomon, especially every willing man skilled in any craft. Just as God provided Spirit-filled men to build the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1 11), so God now provides such skilled and willing laborers for the awesome task at hand (see 1 Kings 5 6). Just as God showed Moses the plans for building the tabernacle (Exodus 25 30), so now David shows Solomon the plans for building the temple; it is a plan inspired by the Spirit of God (1 Chronicles 28:11 19). What Solomon must do now is execute the plan. 7

8 Prayer Our Father, creator of the earth, the great builder of this universe, use us in your kingdom to accomplish your will. For whatever you have called us to do, equip us, motivate us, and give us assurance that you are with us in the task of your calling. Help us to make a great contribution to your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen. Creating Something Beautiful Question: What is the most complex piece of handmade machinery in the world? Answer: A grand piano. Both the question and the answer come from Miles Chapin s book 88 Keys: The Making of a Steinway Piano (New York: Clarkson Potter, 1997). The construction of a grand piano takes several years. Little wonder, since each one has 12,000 parts, including tiny levers, springs, pins, screws, knobs, plates, bushings, bearings, hinges, and flanges, to use Chapin s words. The process involves more than 500 craftsmen who possess skills in mechanical engineering, cabinetmaking, wood finishing, and metallurgy. This complexity makes a grand piano begin to sound like Solomon s temple. The process needed to create both amazes us. People in Solomon s day were given the opportunity to use their gifts and skills to create something of great beauty, and everyone had to work together in harmony. Carrying out the ministries of the church also involves many people and their spiritual gifts coming together. What is your part? C. R. B. What are some things you can do to create and maintain a proper home for God s Spirit in the temple of your body? Conclusion Solomon had a rare calling: to be ruler over God s people and to build a temple of staggering size and quality. It s safe to say that God will not call anyone today to repeat this role since the church is not ruled by earthly kings, and it is our bodies, not structures of stone, that serve as temples (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19 22). Even so, God still calls us to serve by using the spiritual gifts he has granted (Romans 12:4 8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11 13). When we recognize what our spiritual gifts are, then we are able to move forward in serving God in specific areas. However, some people become frustrated when they discover that they are unable to make a living doing what God has called them to do. In other words, they must work at a job in order to make an income that allows them to do what they feel called to do. That situation may be a sign that they have misinterpreted what they thought to be their calling; on the other hand, it may be a sign that even though they have correctly interpreted their calling, God wants them to go slow for a while perhaps to allow time for growth in patience and maturity. 8

9 Let me encourage you to listen to God s calling as you discover your spiritual giftedness. When you do, you will find a need in the world you can fill for Christ. Even in retirement, many senior citizens have been given new life by finding such a calling and fulfilling it. If you wish to make a great contribution to the kingdom of God, first you must have a spiritually healthy attitude concerning who and whose you are. As a child of God, you should have no problem accepting yourself as God s most prized treasure (compare Exodus 19:5). Second, you need to realize that great achievements require great struggle. Third, expect that great struggle will yield discouragement at times. That is what forces us to lean on God s Spirit to accomplish the task. No one can accomplish great tasks alone. That thought has kept me in the fray when giving up would have been easy. Choose now to make a difference for Christ in the world. Thought to Remember - Expect God s help. INTO THE WORD Familiarize yourself with today s text on 1 Chronicles 28:5 7. Solomon s Mission, and Ours: study 1 Chronicles 28:5 10, 20, 21 to review the task assigned to Solomon and the character traits he would need to complete that task. Then give brief answers to these questions: 1. What condition did Solomon have to meet in order for God to bless and maintain Solomon s kingdom forever? What conditions do Christians meet in order to be part of God s eternal kingdom? 2. Who would be a witness to make sure Solomon kept God s commandments? Who is our witness in keeping God s commandments? 3. What do you think David meant when he said Solomon should serve God with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind? How can we have such a heart and mind today? 4. Why would Solomon need strength and courage to complete the temple? In what way do we need strength and courage to complete the work on the temple of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19 22)? 5. Who was to assist Solomon in his work? Who assists us in ours? What similarities do we see between the duties of Solomon and our duties as Christians? What essential traits would we need to complete our ministry mission? The author says a Christian desiring to make a contribution for God s kingdom needs one thing and should expect two other things. Write these on the board: 1. A spiritually healthy attitude 2. An expectation of struggle 3. An expectation of discouragement 9