DAVID’S PERSONAL OFFERINGS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE, AND HIS THANKSGIVING TO GOD 1- David’s personal offerings 1 - 5 Offerings by the rulers and the leaders 2- 6 - 9 3- David’s magnificent prayer and praise of thanksgiving 10 – 21 4- Declaration and anointment of Solomon a king 22 - 25 5- The departure of David from this world 26 - 28 6- The sources of the book 29 – 30 1- DAVID’S PERSONAL OFFERINGS: After proclaiming that he gathered together much for the building of the house of the Lord, David offered from his own pocket gold and silver, and exhorted the people to offer generously for that cause. For those offerings from the hearts, both the people and the king rejoiced. The king presented himself a living role model, not only to the people, but to all the leaders. Offering joyfully and generously from his own possessions (2 Corinthians 9: 7), motivated everyone to do likewise. “Furthermore king David said to all the congregation: ‘My son Solomon, whom God alone has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the Lord God” (1) David sought from them to take into consideration that Solomon whom God alone has chosen, was young, inexperienced, and needs their help to carry out that great work that needs all hands to accomplish. As the temple is not for man but for the Lord God; the more they offer for the building, the more splendid it will be. … It is always good to encourage the young and the weak who minister to God. This book ends by longing to enjoy the true David and the true Solomon. … Solomon was anointed as a symbol of the Lord Christ, about whom God said on the tongue of His prophet Isaiah: “Behold, My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights” (Isaiah 42: 1). While Solomon was a symbol of the true King, the Lord of glory Jesus; Yet he was young, and the work was great. The Lord Christ, on the other hand, is alone able to reign forever, to sit on the heavenly throne, and has no weakness nor shortcomings. It is to be noticed that the author here, used the Persian word ‘berah’ for the temple, meaning (a palace), which was never used in any other book, even in the books dating back to the Persian or Greek era; And he also used for the wealth offered to build the temple, the name of the golden currency of Persia (Derham or Darics) (17). “Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for the things to be made of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, onys stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance” (2) David told his people about the great preparations he provided for the work; for he did not want to burden them with the whole responsibility; nor to let the whole project be based upon offerings; but he, nevertheless gave them the chance to show their good intention in addition to what he did. So he says: “I have prepared with all my might” (2). The work of God, we have to do with all our might, following the lead of David who offered gold and silver, etc. Whereas the King of kings presented His precious blood to build His holy church. + Qualify me, O my Lord Jesus Christ to contribute to building Your house … I long to offer gold for the cover (Exodus 25: 17), to the ark of the covenant, to the lampstand, or to the lamps. But having no gold, I would offer silver to make the boards and their bases (Exodus 26: 25) Allow me, O Lord, to offer precious stones to adorn the robe and breastplate of the high priest; … and if I am too poor to do that, let me offer goats’ skin, so that I would not appear barren without fruition. Let us build and adorn the tabernacle of the God of Jacob, our Lord Jesus Christ. (The scholar Origen) “Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver” (3) He presented to them a good example. Beside what he provided to that work, of spoils of war and gifts from the surrounding nations; he offered much from his own possessions: “Three thousand talents of gold, and seven thousand talents of silver (3-5); Yet he did not give them the way the Pharisee did, to be seen by people, but because he likes to sit in the house of God, as he said: “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life” (Psalm 36: 8, 9). Here he proved it; for those who dedicate their hearts to minister to God, would never think of the sufferings nor of the expenses that will cost them. Our gifts will give pleasure to God, when they come out of love. Those who direct themselves toward the heavenlies, dedicate their heart to the house of God, through which they find their way to heaven. + Those who are fed from the fullness of the house of God, and drink from the river of His pleasures, will be satisfied (Psalm 36: 8). (Getting drunk) this way David could behold that divine beauty that no mortal can behold. (St. Gregory bishop of Nyssa) David told them what he offered to make them follow his lead; for those who have reached a high level of honor, have to make their light apparent to all people, on account of that their impact would be more powerful and of wider extent than others. St. Basil the Great often talked about the commitment of the leader to be a role model to his subordinates. + As it is befitting of the congregation to obey the leader and submit to him in every way; it is very important that the one chosen to be a guide should be a role model for every virtue before those who look up toward him. He should be as the apostle say: “temperate, soberminded, of good behavior, and able to teach” (1 Timothy 3: 2). It is therefore advisable to search the life of a candidate for leadership, not just concerning his age, for it so happen that childish features go together with grey hair and wrinkles; but to make sure if his personality and characters have grown befittingly; on account of that what he will do and say, as a leader, could represent a kind of law and a way by which the congregation will be committed. + Woe to the leader who abuse his authority, and treat his subjects with arrogance and haughtiness; for punishment will be waiting for him from the Just Judge, according to the way he used in dealing with the saints of God. + I wish the leader would not be puffed up because of his high position, lest he would be denied of the blessings of humility; I wish the greater would be like the lesser, + It is befitting of those who occupy the higher positions to be ready to present even the physical services, according to the role model of the Lord Jesus who washed the feet of His disciples. (St. Basil the Great) “Three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses” (4) “The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” (5) David offered to the temple gifts set apart even since the days of the prophet Samuel;, Saul, and Abner. He offered his own wealth, and encouraged the others to follow his lead and give generously for the building of the temple (1-5). His words came like those of the prophet Moses to Israel concerning the building of tabernacle of meeting in the wilderness (Exodus 35: 4 – 19). Once and again he exhorted the others to give generously from what the Lord has given them: He exhorted them to follow his lead, saying: “Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” (5) 1-We should all, everyone in his own range, minister to the Lord, dedicate our ministry to Him, separate it from anything strange that would interfere with it; and direct it toward the honor and the glory of God. 2- God longs to see all people minister in His house. God’s ministry should be for us our main preoccupation “to consecrate ourselves to the Lord”; namely to offer plenty, as it came in Moses’ law; …. There is enough work for everyone; and “consecrating oourselves”, should imply serving Him alone by the freedom of will and by the strength of the grace drawn from Him. 3- We should work with readiness, good intention, and swiftness, namely, we should do it today. And not postpone it till tomorrow. 1- OFFERINGS BY THE RULERS AND LEADERS: . “Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s works, offered willingly” (6) “They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron” (7) “And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, into the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite” (8) The leaders followed the lead of the king (2 Corinthians (: 7), for “each one gave as he purposes in his heart, and not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver”; they offered as is befitting of the leaders of Israel. “Then the people rejoiced for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and king David also rejoiced greatly” (9) The common people rejoiced to have the chance to honor God from their own possessions; and rejoiced to see the generosity of their leaders, and their appreciation of that great work. David rejoiced as well to see how his psalms had such a great impact upon them; to see his son and heir on his throne, surrounded by people full of love toward the house of God; and that the work on which, for so long, he has put his heart, is going to progress. For it is a great privilege for the righteous people to know before they depart that they are leaving behind them such zealous men toward the worship and its continuation. David did not seek from the leaders and the representatives of the people to participate, in putting the plan of building the temple, for it was already done by the Lord, and according to his divine thinking, but he sought from them to partake of the work itself, for which the people, as well as David himself rejoiced; for they all saw that what they give to God is of what He has already given them. David’s mind was preoccupied with how the people should give their hearts to God; and with how his own son would minister to God with his whole heart. For the gift loved by God is that the believer would give his heart before his possessions; and to renew his covenant with God with his whole heart. David cleverly spoke to all to exhort them to partake of the building of the house of God. It is our duty, not only to do good, but to exhort the others to do it as well. There were many rich people in Israel, who benefited from the days of peace, during which the temple is being built; whom David did not commit to give as a tax, but only exhorted them to use the chance to give generously and with the freedom of will, as all the works of righteousness and generosity should be done. 2- DAVID’S MAGNIFICENT PRAYER AND PRAISE OF THANKSGIVING: David cared to praise and glorify God; confirming that all are much indebted to him; Whatever much they gave it would be nothing compared to the gifts God has given them. David’s gift to God is a prayer of thanksgiving (Genesis 24: 27; Daniel 2: 20-23; Tobit 8: 5-7) David and all the people did the following: 1-They celebrated the glorious name of God 2-They offered with generosity and pleasure from what God has granted them. From His hand they took to give Him back. 3- David sought from God to grant all: the king, the leaders, and the people, a perfect and upright heart. Here, the book presents to us the most magnificent prayer of thanksgiving; David’s farewell prayer came rich in the holy liturgical thought, befitting of worship in all eras. It is a prayer of “the secret of the temple” or of “the secret of its dedication to become a temple for the Lord”. He presented his prayer with all humility, that it could be said about him what was said about the humble tax-collector: “This man went down to his house justified rather than the other” (Luke 18: 14) Here we see how the first book of the chronicles cares for David’s liturgical worship; about which, in the books of Samuel came 77 verses, while here there are 323 verses. The book of Chronicles cares to present David to us as a man of worship; while those of Samuel and the kings cared to present him as a king. David seeks from the Lord to bring forth the hearts of His people, and of his son Solomon to Him, and to keep them upright. “Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation, and David said: Blessed are You, O God of Israel, our Father forever and ever” (10) In this magnificent prayer, David refers to God as the source of all the gifts that are willingly offered to his temple; which are brought back to Him in a true way that brings pleasure to Him. Here we see David presents an awesome prayer on the occasion of the contribution of the leaders to build the temple (10). In it David blessed the Lord, not only in his secret place, but before the whole congregation as well. That is what we would expect when we read in verse 9 of this chapter that “King David rejoiced greatly”. Such a godly man would be expected to make this situation a subject of his thanksgiving, as well as of his rejoice; for looking around with comfort, he would certainly raise himself up high with praise. David now came to be a frail old man, looked forward to the end of his days on earth. It is befitting of the saintly old men, on their death beds, to have their hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving; as that will calm down the moans of their physical weakness, and make their expectation of death less grim. Most David’s psalms at the end of the book of psalms are psalms of praise; For the closer we get to the world of perpetual praise, we shall find out that we talk and work by the language of that heavenly world. In the address of David we see that he extremely loves God, and refers to Him the glory as the God of Israel “blessed forever and ever”; the same way the Lord’s prayer ends by saying: “Yours are the majesty, the power, and the glory” “, a praise befitting of God, in a holy awe, godliness, and proper emotion. According to St. Gregory of Nyssa, [By praise, we become equal to the angels in honor[. According to St. Athanasius the apostolic: [The well-established soul forgets all its sufferings, and by singing the holy words it looks forward to Christ alone]. And According to St. Basil:[Praising God is the work of angels]; And, talking to us about the personal and collective praise, St. Basil the Great says: + Singing a praise by a psalm would bring calm to the spirit; to abide in peace; would calm down our violent tempests of emotions, as it controls our lusts, and would quench the fire kindling in our chests before it consumes everything. Do you wish to see all bound in friendship; the adversaries reconcile, and the enemies forgive one another? …. Sing a psalm!... For how could one embrace animosity against another who praise God with one voice? Love is the greatest goodness; and singing praise by psalms brings forth love, by bringing forth a kind of a bond of unity; and bringing people together in one harmonious choir. It is the point of beginning for the novice; help for those who are already on their way; and a source of strength for the mature. If it so happen that a certain psalm brings forth sadness, it will be a divine sadness; for the psalm could grant tears to the stony heart. +` What could be a greater rejoice than to liken the angels on earth? At the beginning of the day, man wakes up to pray and to praise the Creator with singing spiritual songs; And at sunrise, he starts work accompanied with prayer wherever he goes; seasoning his work with praise. The tranquility of solitude is the start of the purification of the soul, by keeping the mind from being confused for any reason; or being distracted through the senses by the issues of this world; it would return to itself, and its thoughts would be lifted up to God. In the tranquility of solitude, man would find in the Holy Books – as in a drug store – the proper treatment of his ailment. (St. Basil the Great) “Yours, O Lord is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and majesty; for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord; And You are exalted over all” (11) God’s exaltation is unlimited, not only because He is great, strong and splendid, but because He has the power, the blessing, and the glory; all those features are from, and in Him; He is the Fountain of every splendor and blessing; He is worthy of all what we refer to Him of the praise of glory. His is the greatness; huge and imperceptible; All are little or nothing compared to Him. His is the power; whole, unlimited, and un-opposable; He has the power in all His creation, coming from, and dependable upon Him. His is the glory; All the glory we offer Him from our hearts, lips, and life, are not enough to give Him His due.. His is the conquest. He surpasses all, can defeat and submit everything to Himself. His is the victory. Both personal and true, awesome, inexpressible, and unimaginable. His is the authority. Unlimited and undisputable ; He is the true King and Lord of all “For all that is in heaven and on earth is His”. His is the majesty. For He is the king of kings, To Him should be the glory and worship, for He is exalted over all. We are all familiar with the Lord’s prayer. When the disciple sought from the Lord to teach them how to pray, He gave them a model prayer, and referred them to that of David; For “Your kingdom comes” has been in David’s heart. The short and simple words in David’s prayer, gather together the hopes and aspirations of generations and centuries; of the greatest in the old testament; whole, royal, full of reverence, praise, and thanksgiving; deny any worthiness of man, and proclaim his dependence on God; reveals the humiliation of the soul “Both riches and honor come from you, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might. In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all” (12) God as the whole authority; Whoever is rich or honorable among men, draws his riches and honor from God. Such confession, David intended for the leaders of Israel to share; lest they would assume that, by their generosity they are worthy of being rewarded by God; on account of that they have drawn their riches and honor from God; and what they presented to Him is nothing of the plenty He has granted them. Any power we may have is given to us by our Father, the Lord God of Israel (Psalm 68: 35). “Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name” (13) Here, by thanksgiving, David confesses God’s grace, that made them able to give willingly to the building of the temple (verse 13-14): “Now, therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name”. For the more we minister to God, the more we become indebted to Him; for He gave us the honor of becoming His servants…. For, has the servant any favor for doing what he is commanded to do (Luke 17: 9) No! … but he should thank God abundantly. Here we notice: 1- It was a moment to reveal the power of God’s grace in us, when we can willingly minister to God, for He desires from us to intend and to work; for “Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power” (Psalm 110: 3) 2- We should give glory to God on everything good we, or the others do. We should not boast our good work; because the greatest honor and pleasure in the world is to minister faithfully to God. We are exhorted by St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi to mix, even our food with praise, being the word of life and the food of the spirit, saying: + Whoever eats without giving thanks to God will be like animals that do not know how to praise God. Having a mouth, word, and reason, we are better than animals. If we do not meditate in our honor, as it is written, we shall be like beasts. Our table with its food stirs praise in us; Do not care for the food just because it is delicious; Mix the word of life with the food; Looking at the bread, let us praise its Creator; so that our food becomes a motive for singing praise; The Creator, indeed, is amazing, and glorified in His works; in how He creates, and in How He sustains the living on a daily basis? (St. (Mr) Jacob El-Serougi) “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come of Your own we have given You” (14) Here David humbly talks about himself and his people, concerning the donations they offered, saying: 1-Concerning himself and those who partook of his work, David wonders how would God ever acknowledges them, and does such things with them (14): “Who am I, and who are my people?”. Despite the Fact the David was the most honorable among the kings, at the time; and his people the most honorable among the peoples; Yet he so talks about himself and about them, as unworthy of that divine favor. Although David was great and ruling a great people; and although he and they offer substantial gifts to honor God, yet he sees himself little and lowly in his own eyes. “Who am I, O Lord, and who are my people?”. “We are aliens and pilgrims before You”; we are miserably and lowly creatures. … The angels are at home in heaven; and the saints are aliens and pilgrims on earth. “Our days on earth are as a shadow”. Although David’s days were exceptionally of a high caliber, on account of that he was good, and of great benefit to others; but now he is no more than a frail elderly man, and sees his days on earth like a shadow. That means that our life on earth are mortal and will eventually come to an end. Here, anticipating no endurance of anything great; there is no point in boasting our minister to God, for it is limited within a tiny period of time, to claim any worthiness from it. 2- Concerning their gifts, he says: “For all things come of Your own we have given You” (14); And, “All this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and all are Your own” (16). Having them as a gift from You, we are indebted to use it for You. What we offer You is nothing but a small portion or a rate of what is Yours . “For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers. Our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope” (15) “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own” (16) David blessed the Lord, worthy of every honor, the Head of all, the Source of all riches. And says that he and his people are not worthy to offer Him anything; for what they offered are of what He has given them (14-16). What is important is that, although we cannot give God anything; for everything is His from the beginning; yet He will bless us when we do. The reason some of us are poor, little, and narrow-minded, is because we are not generous with God. God will bless us when we open up our hearts to Him. It is befitting of us, therefore, to acknowledge God in all our spirituals, and to refer every good thought, goal, and work, to the work of His grace which He pours on us. “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1: 31). “I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the righteousness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You” (17) He appeals to God concerning his faithfulness in what he did (17). David, as a good man, knows that God “tests the heart and have pleasure in uprightness”, and that he knows whoever misunderstands or despises it. What brought comfort to David’s heart, is that God knows how he has given from what is his; and that He saw how his people have willingly given. He did not boast his good work, nor felt envy toward those who did. “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intents of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their hearts toward You” (18) Seeing how the hearts of his people exult in the Lord, David sought from Him to make them steadfast in perfection, in loving Him, and in keeping His commandments. He prayed to God for the sake of his people, and for the sake of his own son Solomon, to let them continue in what they started to do. In his prayer, he addressed the Lord as “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”; God of the covenant with them, and with us for their sake … O Lord, grant us the grace to consummate our commitment to the covenant, lest we would lose its benefit. They were kept in their perfection by the grace of God that supported their way; I wish the same grace, which was their portion, be ours likewise. David prayed for the sake of his people, that the good thought which God has put in their minds, He would keep in them forever. That they would not decrease from how they are so far; that they would not lose their faith in which they are steadfast, that they would not become lukewarm in their love for the house of God; but to have the same thoughts perpetually. For the great consequences depend upon what are in the inner depths in our hearts and minds; and upon what we seek, and what we think. Any good thing that reign upon our hearts and those of our beloved, we have to refer to the grace of God, praying: [David set the necessary materials for the temple; But, O Lord, set the hearts of Your people to be worthy of this privilege. Steadfast their will; for they have good intentions. Keep them, O Lord, like this even after my departure from the body]. “And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provisions” (19) He prayed for the sake of his son Solomon (19), saying: “Give him a loyal heart”. He has already advised him to serve God with a loyal heart. He did not pray to God to make Solomon rich or great, but to make him loyal and faithful; for there is nothing better than that. “O Lord, give him a loyal heart”, not only to keep Your commandments in general, but to concentrate his eyes on building the temple in particular…. Yet, building the temple does not prove the loyalty of his heart, unless he is alert to keep the commandments of God; …. Namely, building churches will not save us, if we disobey the commandments of God. David’s heart had comfort until the last moments of his life; and he blessed his son to carry out the task. Behold, the old David departs exultant to the place of rest, enjoying the divine beauty reflecting on him; and the boy Solomon enjoys the divine secrets, putting them on as a splendid garment. … God, in His love for man who seeks His grace, will pour over him His divine blessings in his childhood, youth, and until his old age; And his children who walk in obedience of His commandments, will enjoy the exalted secrets. + David blessed all the people and his son Solomon; then departed to rest among his fathers. The tired warrior entered into the place of rest; and in his place, the boy Solomon came to lead the kingdom. That old age full of beauty finally found rest; and in his place came a young man clothed with secrets. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) The rite of delivering the responsibility of building the temple to Solomon, ended with the holy blessings, and an exultant celebration; and another celebration will be held when the works is done. “Then David said to all the congregation: ‘Now bless the Lord Your God’. So all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and the king” (20) David called his people to bless the Lord; a magnificent portrait of submission before God in great awe. 1- Having partaken of David’s worship of God, When he ended his prayer, he sought from his people them to proclaim their consent, saying: “Now, bless the Lord your God” (20) 2- They showed respect to the king, looking at him as a tool in the hand of God for their own good; and by honoring him they honor God. 3- The next day they offered the Lord a multitude of sacrifices (21): burnt offerings wholly consumed by fire; and peace offerings shared by those who offered them. By that they gave God great glory, as thanksgiving for their good life, in spite of that David went the way of all the earth. 4- “They ate and drank before the Lord with great gladness” (22). As a sign of their gladness in the Lord, and of their fellowship with Him, they ate of the peace offerings; they celebrated by what they offered to the Lord; which hints to the fact that they will lack nothing by their generous offerings. 5- For the second time, they made Solomon the son of David king; for they found if befitting to repeat the celebration for the people’s benefit; because Solomon, the first time was anointed in a hurry on account of the rebellion of Adonijah; So “anointed him before the Lord” (22)/ 4- DECLARATION AND ANOINTMENT OF SOLOMON A KING:: “And they made sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the next day, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel” (21) “So they ate and drank before the Lord with great gladness on that day; and they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the Lord to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest” (22) “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him” (23) The verses (23 – 30) raise Solomon to his throne, and send David to his place of comfort in his grave. By that a new generation comes forth to replace the old one; “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord” (23); not the throne prepared by the Lord in heaven, but the throne of Israel, called “the throne of the Lord”, not only because all nations and kingdoms submit to him, but because he is, in particular, the king of Israel (1 Samuel 12: 12); The Lord founded their throne and occupies them directly by kings by His command; the civil laws of their kingdom were divine, and the prophets were their personal counselors; their throne was therefore, the throne of the Lord; Whomever He calls to it will prosper by the blessing of the Lord. as long as he follows the divine counsel. “All Israel obeyed him” (23); “and all the leaders and the mighty men, and also the sons of king David, submitted themselves to king Solomon” (24); in spite of the fact that his brothers, because they were his seniors in age, and had more right to be enthroned ahead of him; they most probably felt that they were unjustly treated. … Yet it was God who intended to make him king, and, accordingly, He made him worthy of it; and made all submit themselves to him, to make his throne a peaceful one. … Although his father David might have been better than him, yet he came to sit on the throne with extreme difficulty, after a long time, and long and slow steps. But having a stronger faith, his was a stronger temptation. “All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of king David, submitted themselves to king Solomon” (24) “So the Lord exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such a royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel” (25). Because Solomon was not disturbed when his father delivered all his inheritance for the temple, God granted him more than what he would inherit. David gave his heart, kindled with the love of God as an inheritance to his son Solomon, who, in turn presented all possibilities to build the house of the Lord. “So the Lord exalted Solomon exceedingly” (25); for those who honor God, will be honored by Him. “He bestowed on him such a royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel” (25); and made everything he did or said worthy of admiration; more than all the kings and judges of Israel before him have enjoyed. + Then all the people of the house of Israel shouted loud glorifying God who granted Solomon wisdom; They said: [Blessed be the Lord who kept His love to His servant David, set his son after him, and filled him with wisdom]; [Blessed be the Lord who revealed His justice to king Solomon, made him wise to be able to reign after his father David]; [To exalt the throne of king Solomon over Israel; and to make his reputation spread among the princes and peoples of the earth]; [To let the queen of Sheba come from her far country to test his wisdom (1 kings 10); bringing with her all kinds of spices]; (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) 5- THE REPOSE OF DAVID: The book ended by presenting a short account of the years of David’s kingdom, with reference to the sources of the book.. “Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel” (26) What came in (1 Chronicles 26-30) conforms to what came in (1 Kings 2: 10-11). “And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem” (27) “So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place” (28) Here, the author brings David the great man to his last days on earth; he lets him sleep, and draws the curtain down on him: 1- He presents a short account of his reigning years (26-27): He reigned 40 years, like his predecessors: Moses, Athaniel, Deborah, Godeon, Eli, Samuel, and Saul; as well as his son Solomon after him. 2- He gives a short account of his repose (28); only to say that “he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor” (28). a- He was very rich and honored by both God and men; having been a man of war since his youth, he carried his soul on his hand; he, however was not “taken away in the midst of his days”, but was kept safe through all his battles; to die peacefully in his own bed. b- Although he died in a good old age, riches, and honors; yet he was ready to die and to leave everything behind, as he said in psalm 49: 15, ”God shall receive me”; and in psalm 23: 4: “For You are with me”. A good man may have a long life, riches and honor, yet is never satisfied, except in the compassion of the loving God. 6- SOURCES OF THE BOOK: “Now the acts of king David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer” (29) “with all his reign and his might, and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands” (30) In a detailed account of David’s life and his kingdom, the author refers to his first and last acts, written in the book of Samuel the seer, and after his death, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer (29); in which came an account of his reign inside his kingdom, as well as of his wars outside it (29, 30). As those records were there, then were lost; it is possible to refer instead to the trustworthy documents of the church, even if they are not considered as divine inspiration. That was what God recorded of David’s life; for he wants us to know His feeling toward David, a man according to His heart, whom He loved, and with whom He dealt as we saw. This encourages us, for God will deal with us with the same compassion and firmness He used with His servant David. God is amazingly good. If we are unable to build a temple for His name, we can offer Him the temples of our bodies; Although He draws no benefit from our worship, yet He possesses us. It is therefore a great joy to put ourselves in His hands and to live for Him. ------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 CHRONICLES 29 SET YOUR HOUSE, O LORD, IN MY HEART + You did not allow David the prophet and king to build Your house; But promised him that his son Solomon will do it; For that, his soul exulted, and his heart kindled with zeal; He dedicated all his energies and possibilities to prepare the way for his son; Grant me, O Lord, to make my soul exult in all my children; What I cannot do myself, the next generation will joyfully do; My soul exults in any holy task done by the youth. + Grant me and my brethren to encourage every believer to work; To rejoice in the dedicated hearts and hands to the account of Your kingdom; Give us and them pure and loyal hearts; For You wish to rest Your head in our hearts. + The little David started his life by singing Your praise, even while shepherding the sheep; He walked with the same spirit of praise even in his tribulations; He dedicated all the energies of his kingdom to praise You; He mixed his work, even his food, drink, and dreams with praising You; By this he trained himself on the angelic life, and was prepared for the heavenly glory. He delivered his spirit in an exultant holy old age; + He ended his life by stirring up the spirit of joy and exultation in the life of his people; They set his son Solomon a king over them; And You granted him wisdom, greatness, and riches; He sat on the throne of his father; And You counted his throne as Your throne, O Son of God; You covered him with Your mercies, and supported him with Your grace; The hearts of all the people, together with their leaders and rulers, exulted; Glory and greatness be to You, O King of kings, and Lord of lords; Yes indeed, David passed away from this world; But You came from his seed, incarnate, and set out of his heart a temple for Yourself; What more shall we seek from You? Come, O Lord Jesus, and reign in us.
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