The King and His Temple: Be strong, be brave, unafraid not downcast
Text 1 Chronicles 22 Time 10 03 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)
I grew up on a housing estate so most of the houses I saw as a boy were clearly built according to similar patterns. Not all the houses were the same but many were the same as each other. They'd been built quickly, together, uniformly. However, there were one or two mostly older houses that weren't like that. There was one particular house that everyone said the man had built himself. It's still rare today to build your own house but it happens. You can watch TV programmes charting how some have been made. There is certainly something exciting about watching a building going up - the route from the plans to the finished thing.
We come this week to 1 Chronicles 22 and to the account of how David began preparations for the building of the Temple, which would be completed by his son Solomon. This is the subject that the writer of Chronicles, probably Ezra or another priest, has been working up to.
The chapter begins and closes with references to David's preparations. Verses 1-4 tell us how David assembled stone cutters in Jerusalem and amassed very large amounts of iron, bronze and cedarwood for the project. Then at the end, verses 14-19, we have a reference again to David's provisions for the Temple this time to gold and silver as well as bronze, iron, wood and stone as well as to the assembled workforce. David orders Israel's leaders to help Solomon in his task and building the sanctuary of the LORD.
The heart of the chapter then is verses 5-13. Verse 5 and verses 7-10 are words about Solomon - verse 5 about his youth and inexperience, the need for the Temple to be magnificent and the preparations David has made and verses 7-10 about how David had it in his heart to build the Temple but was told his son would be the builder.
That leaves verses 6 and 11-13, David's words to Solomon, which are firstly a reference to the charge then some detail - David wants God to be with Solomon and give him success. He prays for Solomon - discretion and understanding ... so that he may keep the law of the LORD ... and be successful as he obeys. David says Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. This would appear to be the heart of the message here then - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. The words are originally spoken by King David to his son as he contemplates building the Temple in his day. They are also the words of the Lord Jesus to every son of God today, as they go about the work of building his Temple on earth. That is a good way of speaking of our earthly task. It is how Paul speaks to believers at the end of Ephesians 2 (21,22) In him Christ the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Three things then chiefly by way of encouragement in this task.
1. The King and the Temple - a site chosen, workers appointed, materials provided
1. A site chosen
Deciding where to build a place is always a significant moment. Several nations down the years have decided to build federal capitals from scratch. Imagine places like Washington, Canberra, Abuja and Brasilia when there was nothing there. Their sites were all chosen with great care. So here. Then David said, "The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel." This follows on from what happens in the previous chapter. Because of David's sin in numbering the people, a plague comes on Jerusalem but it is dramatically stopped just as the angel of death reaches the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David is aware of it and led by God he purchases the site and, as commanded, makes offerings on an altar there. But there is more, this site, on one of the mountains or hills of Jerusalem becomes the site for The house of the LORD God and the altar of burnt offering which we are told was then at Gibeon. The ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God were to be brought for the first time into a temple, their first time in a solid structure rather than a tent, in this very place.
It is common to refer to the site as Zion but in fact we learn later (2 Chronicles 3:1) that the site was on Mount Moriah, which was, of course, where Abraham had been commanded to sacrifice his only son Isaac. It was full of significance then.
So today when a person becomes a Christian their body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit, the place where God dwells. That person is under a compulsion to join with others in a local church so that together we may be (in Peter's words) like living stones, ... being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
2. Workers appointed. We read secondly (2) So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. If a temple is going to be built then workers are needed to build it. The priority will be stonecutters to do the laborious and back breaking work of dressing the stones that would be used to construct the central place of worship.
Now the interesting thing here is that it is foreigners that David chooses for this task. I'm sure that David had his reasons for the choice - probably because these workers would be working hard and would be under some compulsion, which he was not going to impose of his fellow Israelites. It may be that there were foreigners who were particularly skilled in this area.
Whatever David's reasons it is interesting for us Gentiles as it looks forward to our day when the temple of God - the church - would be constructed chiefly by non-Jews.
3. Materials provided. David was not to be allowed to build the temple but he would do all he could to prepare things for Solomon. Not only did he assemble workers but he also (3, 4) provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David. These are examples of his provisions; a few more come later. The emphasis here is on David's generosity (a large amount of iron ... more bronze than could be weighed ... more cedar logs than could be counted) and his thoroughness. Would you have thought of the need for iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings? I'm not sure I would have. And then the efforts to get cedar wood into the country.
This, of course, points us to the preparations and provisions Christ has made for his church. In Ephesians 4 Paul reminds us of how when Christ ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. These include, says Paul, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. It has all been prepared by Christ. All that is required of us is to make use of his provision.
2. The King and the Temple - the builder chosen, preparations extended, a charge given
We are hoping to build flats in the church basement We are busy working with the architect on what it will be like. Specifications are really important. Who the builder is matters. So here again.
1. The builder chosen. The story of how David wanted to build the temple but was told, no, his son Solomon would do it, is assumed. So we read (5) David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations. Here the double emphasis is on how on one hand the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations and on the other how young and inexperienced Solomon was.
Again the application is obvious. On the one hand to be involve in the work of advancing Christ's kingdom, building his church, is to be involved in something great and magnificent. And yet even the oldest and most experienced of us, what are we? We are so far from being equal to the task, we shrink from it.
2. Preparations extended. But then come wonderful words Therefore I will make preparations for it. So David made extensive preparations before his death. Yes we are weak and inexperienced by nature, as Solomon was, but our King, the everlasting father Jesus provides us with all that we need.
3. A charge given. The third thing here is the charge to Solomon from David. We read how David called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. He begins (7-10) David said to Solomon: "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.'
So historically, although David is keen to build God's house and indeed gets the go ahead at first, in the end he's told he is not the one to build the temple. No, it will be Solomon's work. The reason recorded is that David shed blood and fought many wars. Solomon was to be a man of peace, as his name suggests, and he was to live in a time of peace - he is the one God wanted to build his house.
Perhaps we can suggest that there is a similarity here in the transition from the age of Christ to the age of the Spirit in which we now are. Christ came to win redemption. His blood was shed and victory was won at the cross. He then ascended to heaven and after ten days he sent the Holy Sprit, the dove, through whom the work of the kingdom now goes on - the building of the temple of God on earth. We then are under a charge from Christ to build the church with the help the Spirit gives.
3. The King and the Temple - the builder encouraged, preparations noted, all called on to help
Three final things then.
1. The builder encouraged, Verses 11-13. David says to Solomon or Christ says to us - Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would. May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
So remember that if we are believers, the Lord is with us and we will be successful in seeking to build his church for that reason. We need discretion and understanding in our privileged position, in order to obey God's law. Then there is this four part exhortation Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. It is easy to be afraid or to get discouraged but there is no need for that. Rather we must find our strength in Christ and be encouraged in him.
2. Preparations noted again. Once again in verses 14-16 there is reference to the preparations David has made for Solomon to do the work. I have taken great pains he says to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. He goes on You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron - craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you. Solomon can get on with the work confidently because he knows the preparations David has made - the materials amassed, the workers assembled.
We are in the same position. Christ has done it all. He has prepared for us all we need. Remember Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Christ says to you don't be afraid, be encouraged, all will be well through me.
3. All called on to help. The final thing here is verses 17-19 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, "Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the LORD and to his people. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD."
Once again, these are Christ's words to believers today - God is with you; he has granted you rest on every side. He has made you a Christian and now you can live for his glory in freedom, serving the Lord. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may know God's presence among you for his praise.
There's a story that goes around in various forms about a child with a serious disease. The child can be saved if the blood of a sibling is transfused into them. The sibling is willing and the operation takes place. The child clearly brightens and then the sibling asks when they will start to die, not realising that they could give blood in this way and survive! It's corny and probably not true but it illustrates courage well. Are we courageous enough to care that much for each other?
