41:1,2The details of how David came to power are given more completely in 2 Samuel. Chronicles emphasizes that God declared David to be the ruler although he used the efforts of many people, even some of Saul’s own family. God is still sovereign over history, directing events to accomplish his will. The books of Chronicles demonstrate that no matter what people may do to try to hinder God’s work, God still controls all events and works his will in them.
Life Application Study Bible1 ChroniclesChapter 29
1 Chronicles 29
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 662, 663
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
291 Chronicles 29
Gifts for Building the Temple
129 Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the LORD God himself! 2Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble. 3“And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. 4I am donating more than 112 tons of gold* from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver* to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings Sand for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the LORD today?” 6Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army,* and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. ’ For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold,* 10,000 gold coins,* 375 tons of silver,* 675 tons of bronze,* and 3,750 tons of iron.* 9They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the LORD under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD, and King David was filled with joy.
David's Prayer of Praise
1010Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly: 11O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel,* may you be praised forever and ever! 1* Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 13“Q our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! *4But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! *We are here for only amoment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. 16“Q LORD our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 17I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. 18“O LORD, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes.?Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.” 20Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the LORD your God!” And the entire assembly praised the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the LORD and the king.
Solomon Named as King
2121The next day they brought 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 male lambs as burnt offerings to the LORD. They also brought liquid offerings and many other sacrifices on behalf of all Israel. 22They feasted and drank in the LORD’s presence with great joy that day. And again they crowned David’s son Solomon as their new king. They anointed him before the LORD as their leader, and they anointed Zadok as priest. 23So Solomon took the throne of the LORD in place of his father, David, and he succeeded in everything, and all Israel obeyed him. 24All the officials, the warriors, and the sons of King David pledged their loyalty to King Solomon. 25And the LORD exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him.
Summary of David’s Reign
2626So David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27He reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28He died at a ripe old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. Then his son Solomon ruled in his place. 29A]l the events of King David's reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer. 30These accounts include the mighty deeds of his reign and everything that happened to him and to Israel and to all the surrounding kingdoms.
Textual footnotes
- 3,000 talents [102 metric tons] of gold.
- commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
- 10,000 talents [340 metric tons] of silver.
- 100,000 talents [3,400 metric tons] of iron. 29:10 Israelis the name that God gave to Jacob.
- 29:4a Hebrew
- 29:4b Hebrew 7,000 talents [238 metric tons) of silver.
- 29:6 Hebrew the
- 29:7a Hebrew 5,000 talents [170 metric tons] of gold.
- 29:7b Hebrew 10,000 darics [a Persian coin] of Fei about 185 pounds or 84 kilograms in weight. 29:7c¢ Hebrew
- 29:7d Hebrew 18,000 talents [612 metric tons] of bronze.
- 29:7e Hebrew
Life Application Notes 14 notes
44:1King Hiram also sent tumber and craftsmen to help Solomon build the Temple (2 Chronicles 2:1ff).
29:1Solomon became king in 970 B.C.
29:1It is possible to be obsessed with a church building to the neglect of the real church—the people of God. But the opposite response, neglecting the church building, is also wrong. David makes this point when he says that the Temple is “for the LORD God himself!” Although we should avoid wasteful extravagance, we must remember that every church building can be a visible witness for God. How can your church building be better used to tell the world about God?
29:3-5David gave from his personal fortune to the Temple. He encouraged others to follow his example, and they willingly did. Both the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:5-36:7) and the Temple were built from the voluntary gifts of the people. Like David, we can acknowledge that all we have comes from God (29:14-16). We may not have David’s wealth, but we can develop his willingness to give. It is not what we have that counts with God, but our willingness to give it.
29:6-9These leaders displayed a right attitude toward their Money by giving willingly to God’s work. This attitude is described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” When we are generous because we are thankful, our attitude can inspire others. Give generously to God’s work.
43:10-14Uzzah died instantly for touching the Ark, but God blessed Obed-edom’s home where the Ark was stored. This demonstrates the two-edged aspect of God’s character: He is perfectly loving and perfectly just. Great blessings come to those who obey his commands, but severe punishment comes to those who disobey him. This punishment may come swiftly or over time, but it will come. Sometimes we focus only on the blessings God gives us, while forgetting that when we sin. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). At other times, however, we concentrate so much on judgment that we miss his blessings. Don’t fall into a one-sided view of God. Along with God’s blessings comes the responsibility to live up to his demands for fairness, honesty, and justice.
40:13,14Saul’s unfaithfulness was both active and passive; he not only did wrong, but he also failed to do right. He actively disobeyed by attempting murder, ignoring God’s instructions, and seeking guidance from a medium. He passively disobeyed by neglecting to ask God for guidance as he ran the kingdom. Obedience, too, is both passive and active. It is not enough just to avoid what is wrong; we need to actively pursue what is right.
29:15David contrasts God’s everlasting nature with the fleeting lives of his people. Nothing lasts unless it is rooted in God’s unchanging character. If our most impressive deeds fade to dust before God, where should we place our confidence? Only ina relationship with God can we find anything permanent. His tove never fades, and nothing can take it away.
29:19“Wholehearted desire to obey” means to be entirely dedicated to God. This is what David prayed for Solomon—that he would desire, above all else, to serve God. Do you find it hard to do what God wants, or find it harder to want to do it? God can give you wholehearted devotion. If you believe in Jesus Christ, this is already happening in you. Paul wrote: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Consider yourself blessed if someone in your life is praying this way for you.
29:21Liquid offerings of wine were poured out as sacrifices to God to acknowledge his role in providing for his people.
29:25Solomon surpassed his father’s wealth and splendor. David’s legacy resulted from his vital relationship with the LORD, and he passed his spiritual values on to Solomon. Any money or power we leave to our children is far less valuable than the spiritual legacy we pass on. What spiritual inheritance will your children receive? In what specific ways are you passing on that legacy today? 29:29: A seer was someone who received messages from God for the nation in visions or dreams.
29:30First Chronicles vividly illustrates the importance of maintaining a relationship with God. The genealogies in chapters 1-9 emphasize the importance of a spiritual heritage. The second part of the book details the life of David. Few men or women in the Bible were as close to God as David was. His daily contact with God increased his capacity to worship and strengthened his desire to build God’s Temple. David's life shows us the importance of staying close to God—through studying and obeying his Word and communicating with him daily. Second Chronicles, on the other hand, reveals how quickly our lives can deteriorate (spiritually, mentally, and socially) when we fail to stay well grounded in God.
29:32-50:26Profiles of Joseph, Reuben, and Judah are found on pp. 71, 73, and 85.