1 Chronicles 28:9-21--David's Charge to Solomon

1 Chronicles 28:9-21
English Standard Version

David's Charge to Solomon
9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 10 Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”

11 Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; 13 for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the LORD; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the LORD, 14 the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, 15 the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, 16 the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, 17 and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; 18 for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 19 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan.”

​20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “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. 21 And behold the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command.”

---

Now David turns to his son Solomon who is about to take the throne and charges him to follow the LORD and His Law in all that he does.  Solomon was supposed to have his own copy of the book of Deuteronomy next to him and read it regularly and make sure that he followed it.  I would certainly say that David knew the issues that would face Solomon and addressed them all in his charge.

First, David is concerned with a divided heart.  Clearly this was an issue with Solomon with a heart that desired all kinds of pleasure, knowledge, worldly wisdom, riches, women, and eventually even building places of worship to other gods.  Solomon is warned that he cannot depend on David's relationship with God to save him (though the LORD does save him for the sake of David), as the LORD should judge Solomon by Solomon's own actions.

After this charge and telling Solomon to be careful to do everything according to the plan that David received, David turned over the plans to Solomon and entrusted the construction of the LORD's Temple to him.  David had determined everything precisely and exactly and made provision so that there would be enough raw materials and workmen available.  The LORD had given the vision to David but entrusted the execution to Solomon.  All Solomon had to do was be obedient to the charge that the LORD gave to him through David.

David ends the charge with words that sound familiar to us, as they are much like the charge given to Joshua first by Moses and then by the LORD in Deuteronomy and then in Joshua.  "Be strong and courageous," and "I will never leave you or forsake you."  David also makes sure that Solomon knows that he's not alone.  All the Levites and all the leaders of the people are with him.  They will all come together to make sure that everything is done.  All Solomon needs to do concerning the Temple is give the command and they will take care of doing what needs to be done.  This project would be of utmost importance, and the LORD would protect Israel from its enemies the entire time that this construction is going on.  Not only during this construction period, but during the whole reign of Solomon, there will be peace, as Solomon was not to be a man of war like his father David.  His hands were not to be stained with blood.  That is why he was chosen to build the Temple of the LORD. 

We have just one more chapter in 1 Chronicles before we start 2 Chronicles.  Remember this is all one book in the Hebrew Bible and this is the last book for them, so when we reach the end of 2 Chronicles, it's the way that the Old Testament ends for them--desiring a better king, the perfect king--Messiah, the Son of David.  Only He will be able to take that which is going to be divided and make a new people united to Himself making no division between Jew or Greek, male or female, rich or poor.  All will be made one and united through Him.  Where Solomon's disobediences will bring division, Christ's obedience will make a new people that are one with Him and the LORD in a way that Israel could have never been.