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1 Chronicles Chapter 22 (ESV)
5 For David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it.” So David provided materials in great quantity before his death.
6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’
11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. 14 With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. 15 You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working 16 gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you!”
REFLECTION:
- God told David forbidding him to build the temple because he had shed too much blood. The task was given to his son Solomon to accomplish. Everyone including kings made mistakes and sinned. If we can be like David being sorrow and regret for his sin, God can still use us to fulfill His good will. God can turn disaster into blessing after we confess our sin.
- David humbly received the “rejection” from God and he did not envy his son having the glory of building the temple. On the contrary, David actively helped Solomon in preparation for building the temple. Not only did David prepare the materials and workmen for building the temple, he also encouraged Solomon. One day our children will make their own decisions. We should learn from David in helping Solomon and help our children in making the necessary preparation. For example, we should teach our children how to pray and to read the Bible, teach them how to discern right and wrong, and help them understand the importance of serving in church ministries, etc. Reflect how we could prepare the path for our children today and help them understand and fulfill God’s will.
PRAYER:
Pray for your children and the children of other brothers and sisters in the church. Ask God to give you more wisdom and love so that you could nurture the next generation. Help them to walk on a righteous and good path so that they may increase in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
