1 Then David said, “Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

2 David commanded to gather together the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God. 3 David also provided great quantities of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for clamps, as well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing, 4 and cedar timbers without number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar to David. 5 For David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it.” So David provided materials in great quantity before his death.

6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’

11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. 14 With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. 15 You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working 16 gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you!”

17 David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord.” – 1 Chronicles 22:1--19 ESV

David's days were coming to an end. He was growing old and his reign as the king of Israel was just about over. His reign as king had been a roller coaster experience filled with wars, domestic disputes, and enough ups and downs to leave his head spinning. But as he contemplated the end of his life and reign, one thing was on his mind: The construction of the temple he had longed to build for God.

David had dreamed of building a house suitable for God but had been denied the privilege. Instead, God had promised to build a house for him – “a dynasty of kings!” (2 Samuel 7:11 NLT). And somewhere along the way, God had shared with David the reason his dream of building the Temple had been dashed. God informed David, “You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name” (1 Chronicles 22:8 NLT). This was not a divine indictment of David’s many wars and battles against the enemies of Israel; those conflicts were God-ordained and came with David’s role as the anointed king of Israel.

God was indicating that the Temple would be built during a time of peace, not war. David’s role had been to establish the kingdom by subduing Israel’s enemies and solidifying the unity of the 12 tribes under a common banner. He had successfully accomplished that mission but it would be his son who would build the temple during a time of unprecedented peace.

“…you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.” – 1 Chronicles 22:9 NLT

In Hebrew, Solomon’s name (šᵊlōmô) means “peace” and he would reign during a period of divinely ordained tranquility and stability. There would be no wars to wage or conflicts to distract Solomon’s attention. His time and resources could be dedicated to his primary responsibility of building a house for God.

This was in fulfillment of a promise that God had made to David.

“For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:12-13 NLT

Having been assured by God that his dream would eventually be fulfilled through his son, David went about making preparations for the construction of God’s house. Even though God had denied David the right to construct the temple himself, David was still excited about the prospect of his son, Solomon, making this life-long dream a reality. So, he began the process of buying the land, collecting the materials, and providing much of what was necessary for the process of construction to begin once he was gone and Solomon had ascended to the throne in his place.

David was a pragmatic man who knew that his young son would need all the help he could get to accomplish this massive building project.

“My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” – 1 Chronicles 22:5 NLT

David was taking no chances. To ensure that his dream was fulfilled according to his wishes, he used his authority, connections, and the royal treasury to set Solomon up for success.

David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David. – 1 Chronicles 22:2-4 NLT

But David knew that Solomon would need more than a good location and the proper construction materials. He could provide Solomon with all the physical elements required to build a magnificent Temple but that would not be enough. There would be a spiritual dimension to Solomon’s efforts that would spell the difference between success and failure. He knew from first-hand experience that Solomon was going to need to be obedient to God, and not just in completing the construction of the Temple.

God had told David, “I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do” (2 Samuel 7:14 NLT). This promise would have been frightening as well as assuring. As a father, David wanted his son to avoid the discipline of God at all costs. He knew from personal experience that God’s punishment, while always lovingly administered, was difficult nonetheless.

Building the temple would be useless and pointless if the one constructing it was disobedient to God. In his role as king, David had learned the importance of faithful obedience to God. So he passed along what he had learned to his young son, Solomon:

"Now, my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his instructions in building the Temple of the LORD your God. And may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the law of the LORD your God as you rule over Israel. For if you carefully obey the laws and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!" – 1 Chronicles 22:11-13 NLT

David told Solomon that his success in building the temple would be tied to his faithful adherence to the instructions given by God. This would not be Solomon's temple but God's. He was to listen to God and do exactly what he was told. David prayed that God would give his son wisdom and understanding and that Solomon would obey God's law for the entirety of his reign. He knew that obedience would be the key to Solomon’s successful completion of the Temple and his kingship as well. So, he encouraged Solomon to be strong and courageous and to not allow fear or a sense of defeat to mark his reign.

"The LORD your God is with you," he declared. "He has given you peace with the surrounding nations. He has handed them over to me, and they are now subject to the LORD and his people. Now seek the LORD your God with all your heart. Build the sanctuary of the LORD God so that you can bring the Ark of the LORD's covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the LORD's name." – 1 Chronicles 22:18-19 NLT

David was preparing to hand over the reins of a powerful kingdom that was enjoying a time of unprecedented peace. The royal treasuries were filled with plunder from his many successful military campaigns. He was bequeathing to Solomon a beautiful royal palace and a well-fortified city in which to live, along with a well-respected name and legacy of leadership that would be difficult to match.

But the most important thing David could leave his son was his encouragement to obey God faithfully. He recognized that this had been the secret to his own success, and he wanted Solomon to be a man after God's own heart just as he had been.

David understood that the best way to recognize a man after God's own heart is through his life of faithful, consistent obedience. There had been days when David disobeyed and failed to follow God's plan, but he always returned to God, having recognized his sin, taken responsibility for it, and repented of it. He wanted Solomon to understand that the Temple would be useless and impractical if the God for whom it was built never took up residence in it, and disobedience would be the quickest way to guarantee God’s absence.

David had left Solomon far from empty-handed.

“I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the Lord—nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls…” – 1 Chronicles 22:14 NLT

There were ample stones and timber to build a magnificent edifice for God. Solomon would have no lack of resources or skilled craftsmen to accomplish this massive building project. But David knew that Solomon’s greatest need was internal, not external. David could provide all the manpower and materials necessary to bring his vision to life, but only Solomon could bring a heart that was wholly dependent upon the Lord. So along with all the timber, stones, gold, and silver, David left his son some sound fatherly advice.

Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord’s name.” – 1 Chronicles 22:19 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.