1 Chronicles 28
David’s last meeting
David calls a Jerusalem meeting
1David called a meeting at Jerusalem. He invited:- all the tribal leaders
- his royal officials
- military commanders who led a battalion of 1,000 men
- commanders who led a company of 100
- managers of his land and livestock
- men serving in elite fighting units
- all soldiers in the country.
4Yet the LORD and God of Israel chose me to become your king. More than that, he promised that from now on, all the kings of Israel will come from my descendants. He chose Judah, my tribe, to lead all the others. Out of all the sons my father had, God chose me to be your king. 5And of all my sons—and you know I have plenty of them—he chose Solomon to take the throne of Israel when I leave you.
6God told me, ‘Your son Solomon will build this house and the courtyards for me. I will treat him like a father treats a son. 7I guarantee that if he does what I tell him, his kingdom and his family dynasty are secure forever.’ 8So, with God watching, I’m telling you and all of Israel to obey his laws. Do it so you can keep on living in this good land he gave you—and so you can pass it on to your children as their permanent inheritance.”
David’s assignment for Solomon
9David turned to his son and said, “Solomon, my boy, do this for me. Get to know your dad’s God. Then live a life that pleases God. Not just because he asks you to do it, but because you want to do it. The LORD will understand this because he knows what you think and want. If you look for God, you will find him. But if you don’t want him, you won’t have him. And that will be the end of that. 10Listen to me. The LORD chose you. You’re the one who will build his Temple. Stay focused and get it done.”11David showed Solomon the plans he created for the Temple complex. That included the sanctuary, treasury, rooms upstairs, and the Most Holy Place where the Ten Commandments were kept inside the Ark of the Covenant chest.
12The king went over all the detailed plans he had in mind for the courtyards around the Temple buildings, and for the adjacent buildings as well, along with the storage facilities for treasures people would bring as offerings devoted to God. 13David reviewed with Solomon plans the king developed for the work he assigned to various groups of priests and their Levite associates. He even told him about the utensils he envisioned priests and Levites would use at the Temple.
14David told him how much gold and silver he had collected, by weight. He said it was for artisans to use when they made those utensils. 15David reported the weight of gold and silver for the various lampstands, 16tables—a gold table for the sacred bread [2]— 17forks to handle the sacrificed meat, bowls, cups, 18and an incense altar (made of refined gold). He also told Solomon about the lid he made for the Ark of the Covenant. It represented a celestial chariot [3] powered by two cherubim on top of the lid. They stretched their wings forward, covering the inside of the sacred box below.
David to Solomon: Get it done
19David told Solomon, “These are plans that God gave me. He made it clear to me, so I wrote it down. 20So, commit yourself to this work. Stay strong, be brave, and get it done. Don’t be afraid of anyone. The LORD my God will be with you from start to finish. 21The priests and Levites already have their work assignments. They’re right here. And I have all the plans you need for skilled artisans and others to help you. The people and their leaders are with you. Tell them what to do, and they’ll do it."Footnotes
The “box” with the Ten Commandments is often called the Ark of the Covenant. But it means the Box of the Law. The box was a gold-covered chest that held the laws the Israelites agreed to obey: the Ten Commandments. Inside that chest was a golden jar with some manna, Aaron’s almond wood staff that budded, and stone tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments. Covering the chest was a lid with figures representing glorious celestial beings called cherubim. This was the place where God’s people found forgiveness (Exodus 25:10-22; Hebrews 9:4-5). It was lost to history, perhaps stolen by invaders such as the Assyrians from what is now northern Iraq or the Babylonians of southern Iraq who leveled Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC.
The sacred bread was flat bread, also known as Matzah or Unleavened Bread, made without yeast. Priests ate this bread inside the Temple once a week in a holy ritual. The ritual reminded them of how God has provided food for his people (Exodus 25:30).
The reference to the chariot seems confusing. In the original Hebrew, it’s merkaba, which means “chariot.” That’s clear enough. But did David expect Solomon to build a model of a gold chariot carrying angelic beings inside? Or did the word “cherubim” mean God has his own forms of transportation? It’s unclear. The Ark of the Covenant had already been built. It came from the time of Moses, perhaps two or more centuries before David. Scholars often disagree about which century Moses lived: 1400s or 1200s.
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