PREPARATIONS OF THE BUILDING MATERIALS, THE LABORERS, AND THE MOTIVATION TO WORK If we compare between what came here and what came in (1 Kings 2: 1-9). It was not befitting of David to build the temple on account of that he has shed much blood, even though it was for a just cause; While his son Solomon, because he was a man peace, he was assigned to do it. Between Solomon and Joshua the son of Nun: Seen by God as unbefitting to build the temple, David left the task to his son Solomon. Yet he made all preparations for building it, starting from purchasing the land, to gathering together the building materials, to exhorting the leaders and the people to give, to establishing the system of worship in the temple after it is built, etc. In a similar way, Moses, seen by God as unbefitting to bring the children of Israel forth into the promised land, and to distribute it among the tribes, he left the task to his disciple Joshua, after preparing everything to help him do it. a- The same way the elder Moses delivered the task to his young disciple Joshua to lead the people into the promised land; the elder David delivered the task of building the house of the Lord to his young son Solomon (Deuteronomy 31: 23; I Chronicles 22: 6). The two elders: Moses and David, delivered the tasks to the young men in the presence of the people. b- The two elders Moses and David encouraged the two young men Joshua and Solomon, to take up the tasks, and confirmed to them that God will be with them. c- Both young men were granted by God the spirit of wisdom and understanding to do the work, together with the confirmation that God will be with them. d- In both cases, the leadership work was integral in unity between the elder and the young man. 1- The location chosen For the temple 1 2- Preparation of the laborers and the building materials 2 - 5 3- The enjoyment of the divine promise 6 - 10 4- David’s advises to Solomon and to the leaders of the people 11 – 19 1- THE LOCATION CHOSEN FOR THE TEMPLE: “Then David said, ‘This is house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel” (1) By an inspiration from God, David said: “This is the house of the Lord God”. It is befitting to let the Lord Himself choose the location of His house, for the whole earth and its fullness are the Lord’s. He chose a land possessed by a Jebusite; which was a happy prophecy of the entrance of the temple of the gospel among the Gentiles (See Acts 15: 16-17) Although a temple of Lord was not built so far, yet the presence of the sacrifice (the altar), and the throne (the ark of the covenant), confirm the true divine presence among the people. David sinned, yet his repentance resulted in purchasing the land of Ornan the Jebusite, on which the temple would be later built. God turned the evil deed into good. … Remembering the sin of David, the priests, the Levites, and the people, along the generations, on their way up to the temple for worship, in every visit to the temple, will always put their trust in the Lord, who, alone is without sin, … it is befitting of the believer, whether a priest, or one of the congregation, to perceive that no man is without sin; for behold, David the pious man sinned, and was in need of a sacrifice to atone for his sin. Perceiving that the threshing floor (21: 28) will be the location of the future temple, and of the altar of the burnt offering, David started right away to prepare for its building, despite his knowledge of that it is his son Solomon who will have that privilege. The location of the future temple was a threshing floor; as the church of the living God is His land and His threshing floor (Isaiah 21: 10). Christ has his sickle in His hand to purify His threshing floor. That was the house, for it is the altar. The temple was built for the sake of the altar; and the altars were there before the temples. When the Lord responded by a fire from heaven on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, David perceived that that place was the location chosen by God to have His house built on it. 2- PREPARING THE LABORERS AND THE BUILDING MATERIALS: Before his death, David prepared much (5) not for the day of his death, but for the building of the house of the Lord. He dedicated his life to a series of battles, not to extend his kingdom, as much as to gather together building materials for the house of the Lord. Apparently, he was one of the greatest war heroes; but, on the inside, he was actually preoccupied with the building of the temple. “So David commanded to gather the aliens who were in the land of Israel; and he appointed masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God” (2) The author here intends to confirm that the Israelites were not forced to work, even to bring forth the stones for building the house of God The aliens are the Canaanites who remained in the land, and were dwelling among the Israelites (1 Kings 9; 20-21); Not able to annihilate them, David and Solomon forced them to do specific tasks (2 Chronicles 8: 7-9). The people of Tyre and Sidon, having been experts in cutting wood, and works of iron, bronze and stones, etc. David and Solomon numbered them and gathered hundred fiftythree thousand and six hundred of them (2 Chronicles 2: 17) Prophesying here about the temple of the new covenant, the house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11: 17), we see David here give his command to gather together the aliens in his land to partake of the building it (2; actually to partake of building the second temple (Isaiah 60: 10). Here we find the secret spoken of later by the apostle Paul, namely grafting the nations in the root of the tree of Israel (Romans 11: 17) “And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints, and bronze in abundance beyond measure” (3) Because Solomon built the temple, it was called Solomon’s temple; but it was David’s temple as well, on account of that a great part of the work was done by him. Iron and bronze: were rare and accordingly high-priced in the old compared to our days. David has taken much bronze from those he conquered in his wars (18: 7-8). “And cedar tree in abundance, for the Sidonians and those from Tyre brought much cedar wood to David” (4) The nations around Israel were invited to partake of that great work, which they did with great joy, flaring zeal, and good will, That was a reference to that the church of the new covenant will embrace the nations and peoples of the Gentiles. It is to be noticed concerning the building material: a- Gold, silver, and bronze, came from the spoil of the wars in which David conquered; but kept nothing for himself. b- Much of the building materials, presented by the surrounding nations as gifts and donations, David did not bring forth into the storehouses of his palace, but were all counted to the account of the temple. c- The building materials included iron nails for gates; which may seem to us now as of lowly value, were indispensable for completing the building. The Sidonians and those from Tyre: were world famous for their expertise in many works. “Now David said: ‘Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it’. So David made abundant preparations before his death” (5) Preparing the leader of such a great project was very important for its success, as an exceedingly famous and glorious achievement throughout all countries; For it was a symbol of the church of Christ, that proclaims the presence of God Himself among His people, bearers of the icon of their Creator. We are not sure of Solomon’s age at that time; having reined for forty years, and was an old man when he died, we may deduce that he was twenty years plus when he sat on the throne (It was said about Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 13: 7) that he was young and inexperienced when he was 41 years old); even though, according to Josephus, Solomon was fourteen, and according to Rashi, he was twelve years old. Like Moses who delivered to his disciple Joshua the task of overcoming the surrounding nations, and distributing the promised land among the tribes of Israel; So David did when he delivered to his son Solomon the task of building the house of the Lord; And with the same spirit, the apostle Paul delivered to his disciple Timothy the preaching task in his farewell epistle (2 Timothy). To make those preparations, David took into consideration the following issues: a- As Solomon was young and inexperienced, David feared that he might not work with the enthusiasm he wished him to; but finding the building materials ready, which is an important part of the work, this might be a motivation and an encouragement for him. It is befitting of the elders and those of more experience not to despise the young or the weak; but to provide them, as much as possible, with all the necessary possibilities to help them do God’s work.. b- It is befitting of the house of the Lord to be exceedingly great, huge and magnificent; and everything in it should be the best of their kind in the world; on account of that it is meant for the great honor of being the house of God, the Creator of the whole world; as a reference to the Lord Christ, in whom is all fullness, and all treasures. The people at that time had to be taught through sensed ways, like the greatness of the building, to let the worshippers feel the holy awe and submission to God; and to call the strangers to see it as a wonder of the world; and through it they may recognize the true God. Concerning such a good impression, David wrote in his psalm, saying: “Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring presents to You” (Psalm 68: 29). c- Saying “So David made abundant preparations before his death”, referred to that he was getting old and near the day of his death; which made him more zealous to do more for the building before his departure. … We should, likewise work for the sake of the Lord, for our own sake, and for that of our generation, with our whole strength before our departure; on account of that after death there will be no way nor chance to work; “For in death there is no remembrance of You. In the grave who will give You thanks?” (Psalm 6: 5). 3- ENJOYING THE DIVINE PROMISE: “Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel” (6) In (2 Samuel 24), after talking about the plague, it was said that David grew old and died; but here in the book of Chronicles, it so seems that David’s bond with the temple to be built in the reign of his son, was so intense to preoccupy the rest of the book. Despite the fact that Solomon was young and inexperienced, yet he was able to perceive the instructions of his father concerning the task he assigned him to do. When David was enthroned, he had before him many tasks to do; but Solomon had only one task, namely, to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. (6). “And David said to Solomon:’ My son, as for me it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God’” (7) With gladness, David received the word “NO” from God; And when He told him that his son will be the one to build the house, he readily did his best to provide him with all possibilities to help him fulfill his assignment. “But the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘You have shed much blood, and made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, for you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight” (8) Although David shed that blood since his young days with justice and honor in the service of the God of Israel, yet that made him unfitting for that specific task; or rather less so than his son who was not called for a bloody task. Despite the fact that David has gone through those wars against his will, and was not their initiator; God considered him a man of blood. For God is against wars, and pro peace; His Son Jesus Christ is the King of peace, who brings peace to the earth. Giving David the reason for not assigning him for the task of building a house in His name, God shows how precious the life of men is to Him; and that he intends of him who will build the temple of the gospel to have one goal, namely the salvation of men, The task assigned to David was to make the necessary wars to establish the kingdom; whereas the task assigned to Solomon was to build the house of the Lord God of Israel. War, even though it may sometimes have its reasons, and importance; yet it is not befitting for the holy worship of God. The apostle Paul desired that “men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath” (1 Timothy 2: 8). Although blood in the Holy Book is a holy thing; shedding it with wrath, as in war, is counted as unethical, and unbefitting for the pure worship of God; + David was not allowed to build the temple, because he was a man of blood. Yet the reference here was not – as some may assume – to his wars, but to the crime he committed of commanding the killing of Uriah the Hittite. (St. Jerome) The church has its priorities. What Moses desired to bring the children of Israel into the promise land, God fulfilled on the hands of his disciple Joshua, into whose hands Moses was happy to deliver the leadership. And what David desired, the Lord fulfilled on the hands of his son Solomon. + It was high time for the exhausted laborer in the vine of the house of the Lord to have rest.. Perfect in knowledge, knowing that his death is close at hand, David intended to demonstrate clearly his love for the Lord.. Knowing that death will soon come to destroy the temple of his body; he intended to build a holy temple for the Lord his God; He intended to build a Holy of Holies to the Almighty God of the whole earth; But when he showed his intentions, God talked to him by the Spirit, saying: “Son of Jesse, You will not build for Me a house of stone; for only the hearts of the righteous can accommodate Me; I honor and sanctify the pure soul; but no house built by the hands of men can accommodate Me; Heaven, My throne cannot accommodate Me in her bosom; And the earth alone is My foot stool (1 Chronicles 28: 2; Psalm 99: 5); With full authority “I measured heaven with a span; and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure” (Isaiah 40: 12) You cannot build a temple for My glory and honor; for your fingers have shed much blood (1 Chronicles 22: 18; 28: 3); Your son shall build Me a house to dwell in, and to be worshipped; And I will be with him as I was with you (2 Samuel 7: 12, 13; 1 kings 5: 19; 1 Kings 6). (St. (mar) Jacob El-Serougi) “Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in hid days” (9) Because he will be a man of rest; he will not waste his time, wealth, or mind, away from this task; Because I will give him rest of his enemies all around, no one can dare to threat nor to attack him; And because, in his days, there will be peace in Israel; He will be able to build My house. … Yet we should notice that when God gives rest, He expects work. The temple was referred to Solomon, for his very name (Solomon) inspires peace; derived from the word ‘Peace’; He was not a man of war like his father. Although God said that Solomon will be a man of peace and rest, that He will give Israel peace in his days; but we know that his peace was not perpetual. There will be One who will stand before the people of Israel, when their leaders reject His call, saying: “Come to Me, all you who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28); who will do what Solomon could not do; one of David’s grandchildren; who can grant quietness and peace to the human soul. Not intending to deny David to get his heart’s desire – building the house of the Lord – God granted it to his son Solomon. On one aspect a father becomes happy when he feels that what he could not personally have, his son will get; the success of the son brings happiness and gladness to his father. And on another aspect, in spite of the exaltation of David’s life, to whom God testifies that he is according to His heart, yet the house of God, the source of peace, would not be built by hands that shed much blood, even though justly; For the house of the Lord refers to the righteousness of Christ, the Grantor of peace. “He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I shall be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever” (10) God chose him for that task, and called him to be the one to do it: “A son shall be born to you, his name shall be Solomon, and he shall build a house for My name” (9-10). No power will motivate us to serve God more than our knowledge that we are assigned by God to do it. “And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever” (10). As we well know, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled that promise. 4- DAVID’S ADVISES TO SOLOMON AND THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE: “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you, and may you prosper, and build the house of the Lord your God, as He has said to you” (11) “Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God” (12) David sought from the Lord to be with Solomon, to give him wisdom and understanding; and exhorted Solomon to keep the law of the Lord. He sought for his son Solomon, “May the Lord give you wisdom and understanding” (12). Nevertheless, despite what Solomon got of wisdom and understanding, he was seduced by his heathen wives and perverted. By that, the Lord confirms to us our need of our Lord Jesus, the wisdom of God Himself, to dwell in us, and to set us a holy sanctuary for Himself. David prays, saying: “May the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel”. Whatever task assigned to us by the Lord, we have hope that He will give us the wisdom to do it. Solomon’s eyes might have been on this prayer by his father David, when he prayed himself, saying: “O Lord, give me wisdom and understanding” . David ends his talk by saying: “Arise and work; May the Lord be with you”. Yet the hope in the presence of the Lord with us should not be a cause for slothfulness on our part; we should “arise and work”, by which we would have the confidence that He is with us. If we seek our salvation; God will work in and by us. David told Solomon to give every thing possible for the sake of building the house of God; He does not need to do the work in haste, nor with the easiest or cheapest way; For there will be no lack of building materials; He says that even in the time of his affliction and humiliation, in the years he was trying to build the kingdom, he strived to gather together everything for building the temple of God; at which God looked and called David a man according to His heart. For God concentrates on the spiritual values more than anything else. “Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed” (13) God said to Solomon the same thing He said to Joshua the son of Nun: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be dismayed” (Joshua 1: 7). This simple commandment is actually addressed to every one of us; For man’s success in his works depends upon keeping the commandments of the Lord. He commanded him to take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments of the Lord, which the Lord commanded His servant Moses; and not to assume that by building the temple he would have a license to sin; for such a way of thinking would be unacceptable. He will be the king of Israel; yet he should always remember that he is one of the subjects of Israel. David commanded his son Solomon to keep God’s statutes and judgments, probably because he noticed some weakness in him; as his mother Bathsheba probably noticed in him some weakness concerning women. Here we read the advice of David; but whoever wishes to read those of Solomon’s mother, let him refer to the last chapter of the book of Proverbs. Encouraging his son to do that great work, saying: “Be strong and of good courage”; David warned him not to be the foolish builder who “after he had laid the foundation, is not able to finish it” (Luke 14: 29) We as well, in our spiritual war, we need to have courage and persistence. “Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the Lord one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them” (14). By saying “I have taken much trouble”, he refers to those he endured in the wars he went through at the beginning of his reign; or to those he endured at its last stage when his son Absalom rebelled against him; or to his physical weakness during his old age. In spite of all those troubles, he strived to prepare an abundance of treasures for the sake of the temple. In spite of the book’s disregard the faults, afflictions, and sufferings of David, in an attempt to provoke the spirit of joy in the souls of those returning from captivity, to experience the deposit of the eternal life; Yet, in this context, that seems unique in the book, it confirms David’s strife by the divine grace in him. David gave Solomon a list of the extensive preparations he provided for the sake of the temple (14); not with the spirit of pride, and vain glory, but as an encouragement to Solomon to start working with joy, on account of that a solid basis was already set for him. The figures mentioned here of the quantities of gold and silver way look unreasonable; which made some interpreters to doubt some kind of misprinting; or to assume that the ‘talent’ here is nothing more than a spoonful. Yet verse 16 mentions that the gold and silver were “beyond measure”; And David mentions here the things he consecrated (18: 110, to the house of the Lord; namely, not only for the building process, but for the treasury as well. Which would then be more reasonable. David knows that his son needs encouragement, because that he was raised in the house of women in the royal palace, and was accordingly, not a warrior. We may even say that the words of the Lord Jesus, saying: “Some have labored, and others have entered into their labor” (John 4: 39), apply to Solomon who entered into the labor of his father David. David exhorts his son not to be slothful, concerning the preparations he made for him, but to add to them. “Moreover there are workmen with you in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all types of skillful men for every kind of work” (15) “Of gold and silver, and bronze and iron there is no limit. Arise and begin working, and the Lord be with you” (16) David counseled his son not to open the door before the spirit of failure to crawl through it; that he is perpetually in need to perceive the presence of the lord with him, and that he should arise and begin working, and the Lord will be with him (16). “David also commanded the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,…” (17) Here, David calls the leaders of Israel to help Solomon in such a great work before him; For those who sit on thrones could not do the good work they seek to do, unless those around them come to their help; he exhorts the leaders to counsel Solomon, to encourage him, to do their best to make things easy before him, and to support him on every aspect; for however wisdom, and understanding, possibilities, capabilities, and talents, Solomon may have, yet he is in need of the help of others; David therefore commanded the leaders of Israel to help his son, with the confirmation that it is God Himself who works; “Is not the Lord your God with you?”. The two books of the Chronicles concentrated on the collective work with the spirit of fellowship in the Lord. There is great difference between the spirit by which David thought in the previous chapter, compared to how he does in the present chapter. In the former he numbered the people with the spirit of pride in his heart; while here, in the humility of heart, he serves God; There, corruption prevailed; while here grace had the upper hand. “Is not the Lord your God with you? And He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people” (18) He motivates the leaders always to remember God’s work with them, to give Him thanks for the great things He did for their sake; to remember how He gave them rest on every side; conquest and a good land to inherit (18). For the more we remember the work of God with us, the more we shall give Him thanks, and the more we shall strive to minister to Him. Concerning God’s dealing with us in the past, we perceive that: 1- He never forsook us, but He accompanied us all along the journey of our life. 2- He perpetually works to give us rest in every aspect of our life 3- He longs for us to live with authority, and with the spirit of strength. 4- He granted us the promised land, not in this world, but in the heavenly places. + So will the righteous be, as though in his secret place (namely in comfort) wherever he goes, and will have dominion over the whole creation (Genesis 1: 26). (The scholar Origen) + You let man have dominion over everything under his feet, to make him be completely dedicated to You. Hence, You let him have only You as his Lord; but set him a master over all Your creation. (St. Augustine) “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord” (19) Here, king David calls us practically to partake of building the temple of the Lord in our hearts: 1- He encourages us to work hard without slothfulness; he calls us to start by setting our hearts and our souls to seek the Lord our God; as though he asks us to set our happiness on pleasing Him, to direct our sight toward His glory; to seek Him as the source and the goal of our main profit; to do all that from our hearts and souls; and to let righteousness be our option and preoccupation. By so doing, we shall never grumble of sufferings, nor of expenses to build the sanctuary of the Lord our God I wish our heart, as well as our body, with all its members, energies, possessions, and desires, be faithfully preoccupied with God; Namely, use our whole being to minister to God with joy. Let us, as Christians and as clerics, now ask ourselves, if we are serious enough in doing our mission; or we are just spectators doing nothing. Let us wake up, stand aright, and move toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and say to Him: “We desire to live with You” 2- It is befitting of all to work together with the spirit of love and unity; Hence he addresses his talk in the plural sense, saying: Set, arise, build”. 3- Building the Most Holy Sanctuary, refers to setting the throne of the Almighty God in our depths. It is befitting of us when praying psalm 132 in the Compline prayer (the twelfth hour), to remember that while sleeping, we should count our hearts and minds as sanctuaries for the Lord, to sing together with the psalmist: “I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty God of Jacob” (Psalm 132: 4) 4- David provoked the leaders of Israel to cooperate with Solomon, making it clear that building the temple of the Lord is done first by the heart, then by the hand, saying: “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God… “ (19) 5- The prophet David calls us to bear the spirit of resurrection, saying: “Arise”, Let us work by the Grantor of resurrection, the Grantor of conquest, even over death. “Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God”. ------------------------------ AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 CHRONICLES 22 WHAT SHALL I PRESENT TO THE NEW GENERATION? + David’s soul exulted to perceive that his own son will do what he could not do; The same way the soul of Moses exulted to deliver the work to his disciple Joshua; What did the two elders present to the new generation? The way You (God) was with them, You will be with Joshua and Solomon; They sought from You for them the spirit of wisdom, understanding, and courage; They prepared everything they could to help them succeed in their mission Grant me, O Lord to exult in the new generation; What we cannot do, our children can; We seek for them, not only to be like us, but to be better. + How much we desire to carry the new generation; To present them to You, exceed us in holiness, righteousness and wisdom; We shall never cease to pray for their sake; To see Your plan fulfilled in their life; Then we shall offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and praise. + Grant them a life full of peace and joy; Not to relax, and become slothful in Your work; But, by You, to find comfort, to grow more active and zealous. + Grant them the exultant spirit of resurrection; Not to dwell in the graves of laziness and slothfulness; But to work to the account of Your kingdom with their whole hearts; With their souls, and all their spiritual and physical energies; Proclaim Your glory, splendor, and holiness in them; To make them glorify Your name all the days of their life
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