Praise God for Praise!

1 Chronicles 28-29, “Praise God for Praise!”

The last five songs in the book of Psalms are often called “Hallel” psalms, for they begin and end with the cry “Hallelujah!” or, “Praise the Lord!” Praising the Lord is something God’s people are commanded to do, as well as something we expect to do. There is a reason that nearly every church service around the world begins with songs of praise, congregations joining with one voice to speak of the glories of God. This is one of the purposes of the church, specifically told us in the Scripture. Peter wrote of it in his description of the New Testament church, that we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light,” (1 Pet 2:9). Praising the Lord is part of what we do.

That said, is it something that we take for granted? We understand that we are commanded to praise the Lord, that it is part of our core purpose as Jesus’ church…but take a moment to consider the privilege of the command. Who among us should be able to praise the Lord? No one! The only thing any human being should expect when coming into the presence of God is the wrath of God. The only thing we deserve is judgment for our sins. But through Jesus, that isn’t what we receive. Through Jesus we are forgiven, we are reconciled with God, we are made the people of God…and we are given the privilege of praising God. That which we were unable to do before, we are now able to do…and it is a glorious privilege to do it!

David understood the privilege of praise. It was why he was so excited about the temple of God, ensuring that it was the most ambitious project of his reign. Consider what it might have been. The pinnacle of David’s career wasn’t another military campaign, nor was it expanding the borders of his kingdom…both of which, he did often. Nor was it an act of defense, such as is recorded in the book of Samuel when David was forced to flee his own son Absalom, following his treasonous rebellion usurping the throne. The Chronicler is silent regarding that event. Instead, the Chronicler describes something far better: David’s preparations for the temple of God. After bringing the ark into Jerusalem, David had it in his heart to build a permanent home for it (and thus, for God Himself). But this was not God’s will for David, having reserved it for Solomon.

Though submitted to God and the limitations placed upon him, David set out to do what he could for the temple, making as many preparations as possible for its construction. The building site was divinely chosen, recognized by David as the spot where the Angel of the Lord restrained His hand of judgment. After that, it was a matter of getting things ready, both in terms of material and personnel. Chapters 23-26 went into great detail about the divisions and various roles of the Levites. These men served not only as priests, but also as musicians, gatekeepers, and even administrators and judges both at the temple and beyond. Also, there were roles of service for the rest of the tribes of Israel (as seen in Ch 27). Even though they did not serve at the temple itself, they still had a way to serve God.

In Chapters 28-29, focused attention returns to temple preparation, this time through the specific instructions of King David as he himself received instructions from the Lord God. This was the last great act of David’s reign, and what an act it was: preparations for the people to praise God!

Sometimes we forget how great a privilege it is to praise the Lord. None of us should be invited to praise God, no more than David or any of the people in Israel. But God does invite us to praise Him, making our praise possible through Jesus Christ. And because God has granted us this privilege, we ought to do it! May we be those who appreciate the privilege of praise, being willing to serve Him with loyal and generous hearts!

1 Chronicles 28

• The first charge to the people and to Solomon (1-10).

1 Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor.

1. The first step was basic, but foundational. First, the leaders needed to be assembled. David was about to give a very public charge and commission, not only to his son, but to all the people. They needed to be present to hear the command. He gathered the people in joyful, but solemn assembly. 
2. Who was there? It wasn’t only the political leaders and military captains. It was also all those who administered the royal possessions and took care of the royal family. They were also witnesses to the specific directions of the king. After all, David would (in a sense) be speaking of his will for his estate, donating much of his wealth to the temple construction. That needed to be a public proclamation, if his will was to be followed.
3. All in all, there is something to be said about public declarations of our commitments. It is one thing to swear an oath to God under our breath in secret (and sometimes, appropriate). It is another to go public with your commitment to Christ. This is why baptisms are to be public celebrations and ceremonies. Getting publicly immersed in water is not an act that confers salvation on anyone. Salvation comes to a person the moment he/she commits his/her heart to Jesus, repenting of sin and receiving Jesus as Lord. But that public commitment is important. This is why Paul wrote to the Romans “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved,” (Rom 10:9). There is an internal belief in the heart and a public confession of belief with one’s mouth. The public confession backs up the internal belief, demonstrating your true commitment to the Lord Jesus.

2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it 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 preparations to build it. 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.’

1. None of this is particularly new information to readers of Chronicles, as David basically reiterates what he said earlier in Chapter 22. He wanted to build a glorious temple for God, but God did not permit it. David was fully ready to do this thing, desiring to do it, but God didn’t let him.
   1. God does not always give us what we want. Despite what the name-it-and-claim-it teachers say, just because you desire something and wish it to come true using the name of Jesus, doesn’t mean God will grant it. (That isn’t how prayer works, anyway!) While God will always give us what He wants, our wants and desires don’t always match up with His desires for us. Sometimes, even good things are not God’s specific will for us to have. That’s okay. We need to trust God in these things! If He saw fit not to give it to you, trust He has His own reason for it. (God’s will for us is always better than our own wills for ourselves!)
2. As to the reason for God not granting this to David, it mentions his shedding of blood. Was this a reference to his many battles of war, or was it to his act of murder? Earlier, David’s retelling of God’s word to him spoke of the “great wars” made by David as being one of the reasons that God didn’t allow him to build the temple (22:8). But that doesn’t mean that David was sinful in his warfare. His murder of Uriah the Hittite was sinful (without doubt!), but his violent battles as king was something to which God called him. That was his responsibility as the king of Israel. Here, God does not condemn David for being a “man of war,” but rather only states the fact of it. David was a man of war, but that was not the role of the one who was to build the temple. The one to build the temple was to be a man of peace. Not that Solomon was without his own battles, or that he refrained from exercising judgment and the death penalty on lawbreakers, but Solomon’s overall reign was characterized by peace. His very name refers to peace (שְׁלֹמֹה ~ slm). The temple was to be the place where men and women were put at peace with God, having atonement made for their sins. It needed to be built by one who was known for peace, more than being known for war.
   1. If Solomon was known for peace, surely Jesus is known for more! Even so, Jesus will shed blood. (If there is any doubt, read the book of Revelation!) But into eternity, Jesus will not be known as one who shed blood and brought death, but rather as One who shed His own blood to make peace between us and God, and who bought eternal life to many!

4 However the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me 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 Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall 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 to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’

1. God specifically chose of David, of Judah, and of Solomon to lead the nation of Israel. It was David, the least and youngest of his brothers, who was chosen by God to be king. It was Judah, out of all the various tribes of Israel, chosen by God to be the tribe from which the king would come. The scepter would arise from Judah and would not depart (Gen 49:10). Judah was not the firstborn son of Jacob, but he was the patriarch of the ruling tribe of Israel. And likewise, Solomon was not the firstborn son of David. He wasn’t even the most obvious choice of David to be king (that was probably Absalom, who despised his father). Rather, it was the second-born son of the wife with whom David originally committed adultery. That was the son specifically chosen by God to be king. Were these choices unusual? Might they have been bizarre in the eyes of the nation? Certainly…but this was the sovereign plan of God and it pleased Him.
   1. Consider who God chose to be saved through Jesus Christ? Men and women like you and me! As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “not many mighty, not many noble were called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise,” (1 Cor 1:26-27). We are the foolish things, the weak things from this world…yet God chose us as His own. Amazing grace!
   2. Does God’s choice of us exclude any choice of our own? Of course not. We were all called by God in His marvelous grace, but we each had to willingly exercise faith (the faith He made available to us in grace). Our salvation is 100% of God, solely out of His grace. And the way He does it is by offering it to us through the response of our free will. 
2. As to David’s point, he concentrates on the sovereign choice of God for his family, specifically, his son Solomon. Solomon was the choice from God as His own “son.” This hearkens back to the covenant that God made with David: 1 Chronicles 17:11–13, “(11) And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. (12) He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. (13) I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.” God promised that Solomon would be claimed by God as His own son, although history clearly tells us that Solomon’s throne was not established forever. Solomon was part of the Davidic dynasty (which is eternal), but Solomon himself died. Thus, we see Solomon as a partial fulfillment of this prophecy. Where is the full? Jesus. Jesus is the true and ultimate son of David and the only begotten Son of God. Whereas Solomon was claimed by God as His son, Jesus has eternally been the Son of God the Father in a way that we can barely grasp.
3. Although Jesus is the perfect Son of God, Solomon was not. Solomon was imperfect and sinful, just like the rest of us. Don’t miss the “if” of v7. Solomon was not “steadfast” to the Lord. Rather, he faltered in his obedience, marrying foreign women and adopting their idolatry into the nation. – It is quite incredible, if we think about it. Solomon was literally the wisest man on the planet at one point, having been blessed by God. He knew God in ways many people never know. He spoke 3000 proverbs and composed over 1000 songs, only a few of which are recorded in our Bible. Yet, Solomon failed in spectacular ways, some of which is recorded in Ecclesiastes as he found vain futility in all his secular pursuits. And it was because of these things that God did not establish Solomon’s kingdom forever. Solomon, despite his great wisdom, failed to apply it.
   1. No riches nor any amount of wisdom overcomes our sinful natures. We need to be regenerated by the grace of God. We need to be empowered by the Spirit of God. Apart from Him, everything we think we have to stand strong falls short!

8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.

1. Who was to obey the Lord, being faithful to follow God’s commandments steadfastly? Everyone; not just Solomon. Although the king had greater responsibility, the covenant obligations given by God were not just incumbent upon one man, but upon the entire nation. If the people wanted to live in God’s blessing and pass along the inheritance of the land to their children, they needed to “seek out all the commandments of the LORD” and be obedient to Him.
   1. Keep in mind this was a different covenant and dispensation to a different people. Our covenant to the Lord is not based upon our obedience, but upon Jesus’ fulfilled obedience. That said, we cannot expect to live in the blessing of the Lord if we neglect our own obedience to the Lord. Faithfulness to Christ is not something to be outsourced to our pastors and church leaders; it is incumbent upon all of us who claim Christ as Lord!

9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent 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 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”

1. Though David charged all the people, he reserved a specific public charge to his son. Solomon was to be faithful to God and build the temple. But before Solomon could build anything for the Lord, he needed a solid foundation in the Lord:
   1. He needed to “know” God. If Solomon never knew the Lord personally, he could do nothing for the Lord at all. Everything he would do for God started there.
   2. He needed to “serve” God. Serve Him loyally… Serve Him willingly… God knows our hearts. He knows when we are insincere and hypocritical.
2. Notice another “if” in v9. If Solomon sought or forsook God, God would respond accordingly. The option/choice was Solomon’s. Obedience is empowered by God the Holy Spirit, but it is demonstrated through an exercise of the will. Obedience is intentional, if it is to be done. Of course, just because Solomon had a choice doesn’t mean that God had none. God did choose and He chose first (just like He always does). God specifically chose Solomon for this work. But that did not absolve Solomon from making the choice to do the work. 

• The gifts of David for temple preparation (11-19).

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; 13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, 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.

1. Like Moses received the plans for the tabernacle from the Lord (Exo 25:9), so did David receive the plans for the temple. (More will be said about how David received it later.) Of this plan, it was detailed! It included architecture, design, function of rooms, service of the people, and even the instruments to be used.
   1. How we worship matters to God! He has a design for our worship. We aren’t supposed to make up things as we go; we are constrained to follow God’s plan for us as He gave it to us in the Bible. (Rule of thumb: If it’s in the Bible do it; if it isn’t, don’t.)

14 He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service; 15 the weight for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps; for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand. 16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver; 17 also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls—he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl; 18 and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

1. The gold and silver given by David. He wasn’t allowed to build, but he was privileged to give. And did he give! He gave and gave and gave…for anything and everything required by the Lord, David gave in every way he could ensuring that much of his national kingdom budget was dedicated to the task ahead of him.
2. Notice how specific these gifts were. The more David understood the will of God (having the plans for the tabernacle revealed to him), the more he wanted to participate and the more specifically he did participate.
   1. How do we grow in our desire to praise God? We get to know Him better. How do we learn how God wants us to pray? When we know His word. The better we understand God, the better we understand His will for us and the more we’ll want to participate in the things He has given us.

19 “All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.”

1. How did David receive the temple plans from the Lord? It seems similar to the way Peter described inspiration. 2 Peter 1:20–21, “(20) knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, (21) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Whereas some believe that God gave actual hand-written script to David detailing the temple design, it seems more likely that God gave David the understanding, moving him through the Spirit to put the design into writing.
   1. Interestingly, this God-breathed writing does not seem to be specifically preserved for us. Although we get very detailed descriptions of the temple in the Bible, we don’t necessarily have this same “writing” that God clearly gave to David. Why God chose not to preserve it, we don’t know. What we do have is sufficient. We have no need to look for ‘lost’ books or writings. What God gave is all we require.

• Second charge to Solomon (20-21).

20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”

1. David solemnly charged Solomon to do the work. He need not fear to get started on this immense project because God would be with him. The words of David to his son mirror those of Moses to Joshua: Deuteronomy 31:7–8, “(7) Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. (8) And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”” Joshua might have feared to do the massive work of leading the people into the promised land, just like Solomon might have feared to lead the people in the massive work of building the temple. But fear was unnecessary. Why? Because God. God was with him, and God would give all that he required.
   1. Some of the things we might want to do for Jesus, we fear to do because we think we might mess it up. But if God has called us to it – if God commands us to do it, then He won’t let us do it alone. He will be with us, strengthening us.
2. Solomon had no excuse not to do the work. All the money, plans, people, and divine power that he required, he had. — What excuses do we use for not doing the things that God clearly commands? Do we lack knowledge? Read the Bible. Do we lack gifting and power? Ask the Spirit. If it is something that God commands us, we can be certain He will equip us. We have zero excuses…so let us stop making them!

1 Chronicles 29

• Second charge to the people (1-9).

1 Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the LORD God.

1. Solomon was king, but he still needed help. He was young, but he was still God’s choice (contra Adonijah, who is completely unmentioned by the Chronicler). How young was Solomon? No one knows. Most scholars believe he was around 20 years old at the time. Old enough to be considered an adult; young enough to lack wisdom.
2. Notice that David doesn’t shy away from the immensity of what needed to be done: “the work is great.” This was why young Solomon needed the help of the people. Building the temple would be the most important thing Solomon ever did, just like preparing for the temple construction was the pinnacle of David’s own reign. What is more important than the glory and worship of God? What is more important than helping other people worship God as God? (This is our high and holy calling!)

2 Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. 3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: 4 three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses; 5 the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”

1. Verse 2 gives a reminder of the things David had already prepared. But (as seen in v3) David did more than prepare gold, silver, and timber from the nation out of the national treasuries. He also gave abundantly from his own personal treasure. He set a tremendous example in generous giving. Would the other leaders in Israel follow his lead? (Yes, they would!)

6 Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly. 7 They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, into the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly.

1. The leaders did not merely give; they gave willingly and abundantly! The whole scene is reminiscent of Exodus 35-36 which describes the gifts of the nation for the original tabernacle. At the time, the Israelites gave so much that they had to be asked to stop (A request of God’s people that probably hasn’t been heard since Moses!) As in Israel’s ancient days, the people of David’s day gave all that was needed, and more!
2. How much was it? The NLT translates the amounts to modern terms: “188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3750 tons of iron.” Keep in mind this was in addition to what David already prepared from the national treasury in addition to what he gave out of his personal wealth. Just the gifts of the leaders and people came to nearly 5000 tons of various metals, not counting the 4000 tons of gold and 40,000 tons of silver and unweighed iron and bronze (22:14). And all of this was for one building, relatively small by today’s standards (smaller than a football field). For perspective, consider that the Empire State Building of 102 stories has 60,000 tons of steel in its construction. The amount of material available for Solomon’s temple was massively abundant!
3. How was all of this available? Through the praise-filled hearts of the people! They “offered willingly,” a phrase that is repeated no less than three times in these verses. The Hebrew word refers to “incite, impel,” giving the idea that the people’s desire to praise God was so earnest upon them that it was as if their hearts were compelled to bring their offerings to the Lord. This is what ‘cheerful giving’ looks like (2 Cor 9:7)!

• David’s praise and prayer (10-20).

10 Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.

1. God is the blessed God. God is In a sense, we cannot give God blessing, for as Hebrews says, “the lesser is blessed by the better,” (Hb 7:7). We cannot give God more blessing than what is already His, for He is infinitely blessed. But we can recognize the blessing He already has.
2. Initially, David blessed God (or spoke of God’s blessing) because of the privilege of being His people. God is “the LORD God of Israel.” God is “our Father, forever and ever.” God had a special relationship with Israel (and still has one today!), one that was not readily overlooked by David.
   1. We too, have a special relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is a privilege that should not be taken for granted!

11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.

1. God is the great God. In every respect, God is great (power, glory, victory, majesty, everything!). Everything belongs to Him. He is the Creator and the King. He is supreme over all. 

13 “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You. 15 For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow, And without hope.

1. How much did David value the privilege of worshipping God? To what extent did he realize the grace he and Israel had in being God’s special people? He was thankful for the privilege of giving to God. To be able to offer anything to God was a blessing! (1) They were God’s people, under His grace rather than His wrath. They should have died without hope, but God gave them hope, and that was glorious! (2) They had substance with which to give. God gave them everything they needed to give back to Him. Anything that we give to God, comes from God. Our gifts to Him are acknowledgments that these things are already His.

16 “O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. 17 I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You.

1. David reiterates that all the people had to give God had originally been granted by God. They could offer nothing to Him that was not originally His. (As the Creator, He owns everything!) Additionally, David is reminded that God knows the hearts of the people. God would know if the people gave willingly and cheerfully, or not. David believed he knew his own heart (and the hearts of the people), but God knew best. (Our hearts are deceitful and wicked, but we still give to God as best as we can.)

18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.”

1. David’s closing request was for a loyal heart in both the people and in Solomon. Basically, the prayer is “Help us worship You!” He knew Solomon might fail, just like he himself failed in many ways. He knew the inconsistency of the people. If God didn’t give them hearts filled with worship – if God did not help them be loyal, giving them desire to be obedient, they would never be loyal and obedient.
   1. We need God’s help to keep us worshipping Him with sincere hearts. Loyal hearts, sincere hearts require divine intervention! Again, it doesn’t absolve us of our own intention…but there is no doubt that unless God does a work in our hearts, we will never have the intent in the first place!

20 Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God.” So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.

1. As David completed his prayer, he commanded all the people to bless the Lord. Just as he had done, so were the people. David was a true worship ‘leader,’ leading the people in their worship of God. They had just witnessed what he did, so they could do the same.
   1. We don’t need to have musical abilities to lead people in worship; we just need the opportunity. Parents can lead their children in worship, demonstrating to them how to do it. Kids learn to pray by watching their parents pray. Likewise, when you worship on Sundays and Wednesdays, you set the example for your kids (or others) to follow. The key is to actually participate in it yourself. You cannot lead someone where you are unwilling to go. If you do not worship, you will never lead anyone else in worship.

• Solomon’s coronation and kingdom (21-25).

21 And they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 So they ate and drank before the LORD with great gladness on that day. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the LORD to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest.

1. Celebration and public coronation. Huge offerings of sacrifice were made in addition to all the gold, etc. Of course, these sacrifices were not made only because of the completion of the temple preparations, but also because they were making Solomon king.
2. How was Solomon made king “the second time”? This coronation was one that was more public and more planned than what initially took place, when Adonijah attempted a coup (1 Kings 1).

23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, submitted themselves to King Solomon. 25 So the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

1. A few words are said of God’s blessing upon Solomon, giving a preview of what is to come in 2 Chronicles. In essence, Solomon prospered because God made him to prosper. All the blessings Solomon knew in his life was because God chose to bestow them upon him. (Would that Solomon have remembered that throughout his days! Would that we!)

• Summary of David’s kingdom (26-30).

26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. 28 So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.

1. It speaks of an ideal king and an ideal reign (40 years). Scholars estimate the date range of David’s reign to have been 1011-971BC. Again, we see how the Chronicler recorded David’s reign through a lens of grace (the eyes of God!). It never asserts that David was sinless, but his sins and failings were not highlighted. He was not demonstrated to be a man faithful to God but terribly flawed as a father, whose sin with Bathsheba had consequences infecting his family for the rest of his life. Rather, David is described as having a life “full of days and riches and honor.” And in the eyes of God, he was! David was blessed by the Lord, because the Lord loved David. David was a man after God’s own heart…not perfect, but dedicated and faithful. And God showered him with grace.
   1. How much grace has God given us? We have only the barest inkling today. As the eons of eternity unfold, we will still be discovering the extent of God’s grace toward us! How much does He love us? He sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Surely that is grace!

29 Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, 30 with all his reign and his might, and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands.

1. Admission that the records of the Chronicler are incomplete. The author did not attempt to write everything David did, since so much of his deeds were recorded elsewhere. Of course, not all these books are preserved, but all that God wanted His people to know of David, He preserved in the books we do have.

Conclusion:

Of all the accomplishments of David’s with which the author of Chronicles could have used to show the height of David’s kingdom – of all the events that took place in David’s very storied life that demonstrated the summit of what he did…the Chronicler chose this. David’s reign is not shown as concluding with him riding home in victory from battle, nor of him placing his feet on the necks of his enemies. He had seen many victories, conquered many enemies, and became fabulously wealthy. His kingdom rule was so prosperous, so good, that it became the standard for every other king who followed him in Israel and Judah. Men were constantly compared back to David, as David was the ideal king of God’s ancient people. But those other things were not the highlight, the climax of David’s reign in the view of the Chronicler. To the Chronicler the best thing David ever did was something he never saw completed.

David’s greatest accomplishment was making preparations for the temple of God to be built. Though he wasn’t allowed to build it, he was allowed to see the plans for it – he was allowed to personally give from his wealth for it – he was allowed to oversee its design and to personally commission the people to do the job. And David put everything into it. He held nothing back in this matter, setting a marvelous example for his son and his subjects.

Why? Because David understood the privilege of praise. What other nation had a temple designed and blessed by the living God? What other people was called by God, cared for by God, and given ways to worship God? God had chosen Israel out of all the other nations of the world – He chose Judah out of all the other tribes in Israel – He chose David out of all the families in Judah – and He chose Solomon out of all the sons of David. God granted incredible privilege to David and Solomon in their service to Him, as well as to the rest of the nation in worshipping Him. Not all people could rightly worship the Lord…but those who could, should.

This is our privilege as the New Testament church. As born-again believers in Jesus Christ, our sins against God have been satisfied. We have been redeemed from death, reconciled to God, regenerated unto new and eternal life, and made the sons and daughters of God. Many of our neighbors don’t know God and cannot worship Him rightly, because of their sin. But because we know Jesus, we can worship God…and we should worship God.

What a privilege it is to praise the Lord! Every time we lift our voices in song – every time we give of our substance to the Lord – every act of service we provide…each of these things are things that are only available to those who are born-again in Jesus. The only people who can properly praise the Lord (through whatever means) are those who belong to the Lord. Might non-believers donate money, sing songs, and volunteer their time? Certainly…but those are not praise offerings received by God because they do not yet belong to God – they are not yet reconciled to God. But we are! We who have been reconciled to God can praise God. We have been granted the privilege of doing it.

So let us do it! The next time you pray, remember that you have been invited to pray. The next time you sing, remember that God wants you to sing and made it possible for you to sing. Likewise, for your giving and your service. Do it sincerely – do it joyfully – do it with the knowledge that you have been privileged by God to do it. It is all part of His grace…and what you offer, He receives graciously!