David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are 1 Chronicles 22-24, Psalm 125.

1 Chronicles 22:6-16

Then [David] 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!”

I can certainly identify with David’s desire for Solomon to succeed. We dads want to give our sons every opportunity to do well in life. Multiply that by 1,000 if we are wishing for their success in the things of God. This is where David is with his son Solomon as he nears the end of his life and realizes that the task before his son is greater than his son’s resources.

David had desired to build a temple for the LORD; to give the LORD a dwelling befitting God’s honor and glory. He thought that the tabernacle was insufficient. It was temporary and mobile. A permanent building – glorious and majestic – seemed to him to be much more appropriate. David, however, was a man of bloodshed and war. He was not to build the temple. That task was to be given to Solomon, David’s son.

David was deeply committed to seeing the temple take shape. Though he would not build it himself, he did everything he could to prepare Solomon for the task. He gathered gold and silver in abundance, along with iron, bronze, timber, and stone. He also assembled skilled craftsmen of every kind – stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and artisans who would help bring the project to completion.

In other words, David provided resources of every kind for his son: financial resources, building materials, skilled workers, and wise counsel. Solomon himself would later ask the LORD for wisdom to lead the people and carry out the work entrusted to him.

Yet David understood that the most important resource was not gold, labor, or even wisdom itself. The greatest need was for the LORD to be with his son.

So David prays. He asks the LORD to grant Solomon success, discretion, understanding, courage, and faithfulness. David knew that unless the LORD prospered the work, all the preparations in the world would not be enough.

That remains true for us as well. God gives us many resources for our daily vocations and for the work of his kingdom – abilities, relationships, material blessings, opportunities, and knowledge. But above all, he gives spiritual gifts: his word, prayer, faith, and the promises of Christ. These are the gifts that sustain us, guide us, and strengthen us for the work God places before us.

Thanks be to God for all his gifts – and especially for those spiritual gifts through which he continues to build his people into a living temple of praise.

Click on the graphic below to watch the Bible Project video summary of the book of 2 Samuel.