1 Chronicles 22:5

PREPARATION FOR THE LORD’S HOUSE

‘David prepared abundantly for it before his death.’

1 Chronicles 22:5

I. The great distinction of David’s work of preparation for the Temple is its unselfishness.—David did not think of the Temple as having to be built either for his own glory or Solomon’s glory, but for the glory of God. If it was to be built for God’s glory, the important thing was that it should be built when and as it could be built; it did not matter much by whom, if only it should be built for God’s glory. To have had a hand in building it, however small, was a privilege and a joy which carried with it its own reward.

II. The details of David’s contribution to the future Temple are not recorded in the Bible.—They point to a great truth: the preciousness of work unrecognised by man, unrewarded here: they suggest that in his life of shadows labour and the credit for labour do not always go hand in hand. (1) David’s example at the close of his life suggests to all of us the duty of preparing, so far as we may, for the building up of the House of God in the world after we ourselves have gone. (2) David’s example should encourage all those who are tempted to think that life is a failure because they can only prepare for a work which will be completed by some one else. The Divine Son of David never forgets those who have laboured to promote His cause and His kingdom.

Canon Liddon.

Illustration

‘A fine and delicate sense of the becoming hindered David from building the Temple. A voice within him had whispered, “No: however right and praiseworthy the idea, you are hardly the man to carry it out. Your hands are too stained with blood.” When the Divine word came, simply interdicting, it awoke in him at once a Divine perception of the reason and reasonableness of it; and the God-taught, God-chastened spirit within him made him see at once why the work of enshrining the ark, the ark of the holy and awful Presence, must not be his.’