David’s Preparation For The Temple

by SMITH, K. | Category: Builders For God | Feb 2008

This is an article for people who want to give their very best to God. We only have one life and we want to make sure that at the end of it we have done something with it that will last forever, bringing glory to God.

If this describes you, you will be able to relate to King David. He had fought off Israel's enemies and given them peace and security, but he wanted to leave a better legacy even than that. It just didn't seem right that he lived in a comfortable and magnificent palace when God met with His people in a simple tent. He thought that God deserved to live in a beautiful temple that would shine out His grandeur and character for everyone to see. There was nothing wrong with the tent – it was built to God's own design – but David didn't want God to have less than he had himself. Unfortunately so many of us are more like the Jews many years later whom God had to remind about ‘"my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house"’ (Hag. 1:9)

David was not the man chosen to build God's house. He was a man of war and had shed blood (1 Chron. 28:3), while God's house was to be a peaceful place, where even the sparrow finds a home (Ps. 84:3). God, however, valued David's desire to build something that would honour Him. The detailed plan was personally given ‘from the hand of the LORD’ (1 Chron. 28:19). The king was so fired up with this vision that he devoted the remaining years of his life to preparing for it. He saved up his treasures and the finest things in his kingdom so that his son could realise the blueprint he had seen. You can imagine father and son spending night after night in the palace planning for what the young man was going to build for God.

The new temple was going to be more complicated than the tabernacle. Indeed, it wasn't just one building, but an interconnected series of courts, rooms, treasuries for the gifts and accommodation for the priests and Levites, all surrounding the Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept (vv.11-19). Each stone would be lovingly crafted and would fit perfectly into the particular chamber of which it formed a part. Each of these chambers would fit perfectly into the design of the temple as a whole. No wonder the disciples said, when they visited the reconstructed temple that existed on the same site in their own time, ‘"what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"’ (Mark 13:1)

God is building a house today that will glorify Him even more than the house David prepared. All believers are ‘living stones’ (1 Pet. 2:4-5), but there is part of God's design that can't be realised by us just as individual stones. Each church of God is, like the one in Corinth, God's building (1 Cor. 3:9) and God has quarried the stones to be built in relationship to one another in such buildings. And there is part of the design that can't be realised by these buildings (or churches) acting independently of each other, any more than the design can be realised by believers acting independently of each other without being part of a local church. Ephesians 2:20-21 is most accurately translated in the Revised Version of the Bible as it describes the house God is making out of these buildings:

‘Christ Jesus ... in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord.’

In the New Testament, God has passed on His plan as clearly as He passed it on to David. God wants to see churches of God built into harmonious and loving relationship with one another across the world to form a place where He can be seen to live. We need to be as careful as Solomon was to consult the Architect's plan if we are not to miss out on its beauty.

David had gold and other precious commodities and he wanted to give them to God. You too, I'm sure, want to give Him the very best in your life – your time, your energy, your money, your love. Paul told the Corinthians that the work they were doing in God's temple would be assessed by the Architect when He returns:

‘Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done’. (1 Cor. 3:12-13)

David brought gold and silver for overlaying the walls of the house (1 Chron. 29:4). Gold reflects Christ's kingly glory, while silver is often thought to have been a reminder to Israel of the price that was paid for their redemption (see Num. 18:16). Any service to God that is based on appreciation of these things will be cherished by the Lord when he evaluates our service at the judgement seat. David also gave precious stones to adorn what was already a beautiful house. Even the wood He provided to be overlaid with gold would have been of the very best quality (1 Chron. 29:2,8; 1 Kin. 6)). Whatever we give, we only give back to God from what He has given to us:

‘"O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own"’ (1 Chron. 29:16).

It delighted David that the people followed his example in giving so generously, willingly and wholeheartedly to the work of God's house. It was a very joyful time. David prayed, ‘"O LORD ... keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts towards you"’ (v.18). It is our prayer that the Christian world generally will have such purposes and thoughts to work at God's house in our own time. If you have been challenged by these things, God has shown you what He wants you to do. Now He says to you:

‘"Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished"’ (1 Chron. 28:20).

Bible quotations from ESV.

For further study:

1. In what way is our attitude to God's house (relative to our own house) more like David's attitude or that of Haggai's audience?

2. What do you think of the 'parable' of the perfect fit of stones and buildings as relating to our service today (1 Pet. 2:5; Eph. 2:20,21)?

3. What 'gold' and 'silver' items (1 Chron. 29:4; 1 Cor. 3:12,13) are we able to contribute towards the building of God's house?

SMITH, K. | Feb 2008
Builders For God