5.2 Solomon Worship

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How to establish the worship of God here on earth 1
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First we consider these four things.
1. The extensive preparations already made for the worship of God beforehand
Led by God, David had decreed (22:1) that ‘The house of the LORD God is to be here’ that is, on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite ‘and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel’. We cannot go into this here but it was no doubt where Abraham took his son Isaac to sacrifice him. It points to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus was going to make in Jerusalem. David appoints (2) ‘stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God’ and provides materials for the temple to be built (3, 4) – iron to make nails for the doors, etc, and ‘more bronze than could be weighed and more cedar logs than could be counted’ from Phoenicia. He explains (5) 'My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it. So David made extensive preparations before his death.'
In a similar way we can say that by his death on the cross Christ has extensively provided for his people all the materials necessary that they may be the Temple of God. God’s people were, as it were, ‘young and inexperienced’ but God was intending and is intending a church ‘of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations’. Do not fear for just as ‘David made extensive preparations before his death’ for Solomon’s temple so Christ has made extensive preparations by his death and so the task we are facing should not daunt us. In Christ we have the resources to take forward the work of building his church.

2. The worship of God will be established, though not as we sometimes expect
From verse 6 we have David’s actual charge to Solomon regarding the temple. He explains how, ‘I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God’. He was prevented, however, by a message from God saying (8-10) 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.'
In Jesus’ day there was confusion about the way the kingdom would go forward too. People like James and John did not realise at first that Jesus would die before the kingdom was established in the ways they envisaged. They imagined Jesus sat on an earthly throne, one of them on his right, one on his left. However, Jesus did die. When he rose again he sent the Holy Spirit and the establishing of the church has been in his hands, as it were, ever since. He is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the one of whom God says 'He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.'
Jesus has left us but God will ‘establish the throne of his kingdom’. We can be sure of that. God’s house will be built – not always in the way we expect but it cannot fail.

3. The words of prayer and encouragement here and Christ’s word for and to us
David speaks to Solomon in verses 11-13 of his prayers for him and speaks to encourage him. He asks that ‘the LORD be with you, and’ prays that Solomon may ‘have success and build the house of the LORD’ as promised. ‘May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel’, he prays ‘so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God.’ David is convinced (13) that Solomon ‘will have success if’ he is careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave to Moses for Israel.
‘Be strong and courageous’ he says ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged.’ You know that Jesus intercedes for his people and speaks to them. He prays that they may know God’s presence among them, that his church will be successfully built and not fail. What ‘discretion and understanding’ we need, especially those who lead. As we said before, obedience is absolutely crucial in all this. So let us listen to this exhortation from the Lord to ‘be strong and courageous’ and let us ‘not be afraid or discouraged’ despite the difficulties of the task.

4. The beginning of the work and how it is carried on to completion
David’s final words to Solomon are in verses 14-16. He reassures him ‘I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD.’ He mentions just how much ‘gold, silver, bronze and iron, and wood and stone’ he has amassed. ‘And you may add to them’ he says. There are also many workers of all sorts. All that remains now is for Solomon to hear this word – ‘Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.’
Finally, David speaks not only to Solomon but also (17-19) to ‘all the leaders of Israel’ telling them ‘to help his son Solomon.’ I suppose we could say that Christ, like Solomon, has his commission from his Father to build his church. However, God also speaks to us and he tells us ‘to help his son.’ The Lord says to you today, if you are a believer,
Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side?
By the death of Christ on the cross comes justification and being justified we have peace with God. Just as he ‘handed the inhabitants of the land over to’ David so that ‘the land’ was ‘subject to the LORD and to his people’ so Christ has subdued the devil and his people now have great power. So (19) 'Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that all that is sacred and honouring to God may be brought together for his glory.'
Christ has begun the work but for it to carry on it is important that we take heed and be devoted heart and soul to ‘seeking the LORD’ our God and building his church. Are we?
In 1 Chronicles 23-26 we have a description of how David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and Levites. Their names are given and their work is described. Then in Chapters 28 and 29 come more words to Solomon.
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