Once David completed the task of organizing the Levites and the other officials of the kingdom, he could appoint his successor. He had to proclaim publicly that Solomon was to be the new King because such an appointment was not the way things were done. Solomon was not David’s eldest son, and thus, not the one worldly logic would dictate. Nevertheless, he was the perfect choice because the Lord had chosen him. The people had to realize that the Kingdom was ruled by the Lord and that He, not any earthly king, was the one they should look to for strength and comfort.
Part of David’s commissioning of Solomon involved delegating to him the plans for the building of the Temple of the Lord. Now the Temple was the visible representation of God’s presence on earth and of His covenant with His people. So were the gold and silver vessels used in the Temple. The Chronicler took note of these because they had been stolen by the Babylonians but restored to the returning exiles by the Persians (Ezra 1:7-11). The desire of the Chronicler was that his audience remember the continuity and steadfastness of God’s covenant. Although the returned exiles had no King, they had the Temple and the sacred vessels from it. The Temple meant that the Lord God was dwelling with His people and still dispensing mercy and forgiveness.
The Temple may have been built by David through Solomon, but it was not a monument to any man. It served as a testimony to the trustworthy nature of the Lord who dwelt with His people. Today’s church buildings can serve as a similar testimony if we recall what each may symbolize, the reasons why each was built and the people of God who covenanted together and with the Lord to preach the gospel to the lost. Thus our building should serve as a sanctuary for the lost and hurting people, a place where one may find peace and grace in the midst of a noisy and chaotic world.
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