Much like Moses and Joshua before him, David calls an assembly to pass along wisdom and to exhort the people to remain true to God's calling on their lives. David highlights how God had not called him to build the temple: "I had it in my heart to build a house as a place a rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'" (1 Chronicles 28:2,3) David must entrust the work of the temple to his son Solomon and the myriad participants in the building effort, even after the Holy Spirit had given David detailed plans for the temple. Much like Moses, whose vision of the Promised Land would remain only from the mountaintop, David would look toward the resting place for the true King, only to see it in his visions.
In David's address, there were four key teachings:
1. God has designed a personal will (or mission) for each person. David notes that God had "chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 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. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.'" (1 Chronicles 28:5-7)
This teaching is not New Age psychobabble, but rather a reflection of the personal nature of God. He desires an intimate relationship with each of His followers. Through the Scriptures, He offers clear guidance on His general will, but He also works out His specific will for each person through time. He reveals His will through "open" and "closed" doors; through words of wisdom from godly people; through His Word; through circumstance; and through the faculties He has given us, including our desires, skills, and abilities. Many people, including myself, are eager to determine God's will so that we move along that path and not look back. God's revelation of His will often involves twists and turns that are not diversions, but rather key lessons. In the life of Moses, for example, we see someone who had received education in Pharaoh's schools but later had to flee to Midian because of a conflict with a fellow Israelite. He then worked in that desert land for 40 years. Moses's first 80 years of life were the exact necessary preparation for the final 40 years of his life, where he would 1) confront Pharaoh and stand firm for God's plan for the Israelites and 2) lead a groaning herd of 1,000,000-plus people through the desert.
2. God searches the heart and demands true devotion. "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." (1 Chronicles 28:9)
The stakes of obedience are high. Cosmic destinies hang in the balance. While God does choose to reveal Himself, each follower of Christ must decide in his heart how he wishes to interact with God and with others. Will he show a modest devotion, one that costs little? Or will he surrender all to Christ, seeking to honor Him in all things? These words from David echo a sentiment from Psalm 139:1-4, teaching us to look beyond mere words and actions to our motivations:
"O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
"You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
"Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD."
3. God's faithfulness provides all that we need to have lasting hope. "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.'" (1 Chronicles 28:20)
David explains to his son that he should not trust in the royal treasury or in a master craftsman; rather, the Lord would guide the building efforts. We often hide our hope in something temporary, such as money or even a reliable friend. While God does bless us with these provisions, we may miss true security if we fail to remember the source of all these temporary "security blankets." As a friend once shared, the key to security is to remember that He who holds the universe is the One Who's holding you.
4. Because we are giving back to God a portion of what He's given us, we may give willingly and cheerfully. 1 Chronicles 29:14-18 reads: "'But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you."
QUESTIONS
1. What has God "chosen" for your life? Based on today's reading, how might you seek His wisdom for your life?
2. What are your motivations for loving others? Serving them? Going to church? Reading God's Word?
No comments:
Post a Comment