29:1 David reminded the assembly of people that the work of building the temple was great (and yet, in a sense we are so small). Solomon was young and inexperienced; while God's philosophy of righteousness and compassion is simple, there is a lot to be done (even for us) and without Him we are incapable. Our work is the same as Solomon's was: building the temple of God. Solomon built a physical temple, we built a spiritual one within us and our connections with others. Compared to God, we are young and inexperienced. Through a steadfast relationship with God, we are made able.
29:2-5 David did all that was in his power to ensure that the kingdom could continue after him. That is all we can do: our part in giving the kingdom life while we are here. The friends and family and influence we make here are pillars. David gave all that he had, the best of himself and his possessions, to the construction of the temple. The temple of God now is a spiritual kingdom we create within ourselves and among humanity. In order for it to thrive, we are invited and encouraged by God to give our best to it.
29:6-9 The leaders of the tribes of Israel offered willingly, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. It is in the spirit of cheerful giving that God hopes we will do all things in His name. God delights in wholehearted participation. The leaders of Israel established the physical temple of God out of a place of love and gratitude for God, rather than obligation. They rejoiced as they offered willingly to God; once we have built a relationship with God, it is our great joy to worship Him from a place of awe and thanks.
29:10 David's praise of God begins with the statement that God is our eternal Father. As children of the earth and humanity and universe, it is immeasurable beneficial for us to have an eternal parent; a powerful force that supersedes earth, humanity and universe. The magnitude of our relationship with God is rooted in the fact that we will always have Him and that He has always been with us. He is both pillar and foundation, our support and home during our respiration on earth and beyond earth in spirit.
29:11 The vibrancy and virility of David's faith stemmed from his fascination for who God is. David was constantly in awe of God's power and glory, victory and majesty. Truly God's presence is amazing, commanding without an effort on His part. God just is that miraculous and good. In large and small moments during our life journey and faith journey, we perceive glimpses of that power and majesty - glimpses that illuminate our souls and give us life like we have never experienced before.
God's goodness comes from two main elements: His power and His mercy. He balances the two perfectly. He is both defender and rescuer, authority and magnanimity. We love Him not because He dominates but because of how He dominates. It is His nature that we have fallen into faith and love with.
29:12 God encourages His children to be generous; and He is our living example. God uses all of the tools in His divine arsenal to be generous. He does not do anything selfishly; His thoughts and actions are all directed toward justice and compassion for His children. How blessed are we to have a mighty God who uses His power for us instead of on or against us. He gives us strength; so many corrupt leaders on the earth have retained their power by keeping their people weak. God helps us to reach our highest potential, fulfill our purpose, and to grow in strength and character.
29:13 Therefore, professed David: we thank You and praise Your glorious name. In times of joy and difficulty, it is so helpful to simply but powerfully worship our glorious God. Worship nourishes our soul and reminds us on a spiritual level who He is and what He has promised on our behalf. Worship opens access to a level of God that the world and circumstance has shut out. Worship reminds our soul of the nature of its maker: hope, understanding and acceptance pours in like light.
David thanked God because he had many examples of God's help in his life. David had great perspective, he was conscious of all the way and times God helped him out of distress. Sometimes we are not where David was in faith; sometimes discouragement overshadows the spark of light of our faith. Worship will ignite that spark into a flame and then a wildfire. Thank God, even when you do not know what you are thanking Him for. Thank Him for His promises, thank Him for what He will do. Thank Him for the work He does behind the scenes working situations into your favor. Thank Him for feeling what you are feeling with you; just knowing our emotions are felt viscerally by Him is an enormous comfort. Worship will open the connection with Him you need to be nourished by Him.
29:14 Humble character reminded David of how baffling and generous it was that God would care so much about a people so small. It is just not our experience in the world for the meek and small to be loved and magnified. How many of us pick up an insect an devote our entire lives and energy to loving and protecting it? God's compassion is that perfectly selfless and focused. (And not a particularly charming insect either: an insect with enemies and flaws and dreams and family, a stinger and maybe even a bad attitude). Even if we make an annoying buzzing noise, or cause Him to itch with our foibles, God still delights to see us fly.
29:15 It is only because of God's empathetic heart that we matter. David pointed out that we are (without Him) temporary beings and foreigners to the kingdom of God. We are weary travelers on earth. But because of His love, we are beloved children. Infinite. Made by Him, bright enough to bust the shadows of defeat and death and desolation.
29:16 David had amassed a huge amount of materials to built the temple. Yet David was conscious of that fact that everything he had gathered had been provided by God. God provided the land in which it gathered as well as the materials themselves. God provided the safety of the kingdom, the opportunity to build. Except for love, there is nothing we can give God that He has not already created. And even our love is inspired by His own.
29:17 God knows the intricacies of your mind and soul. David knew that God is a heart-tester and heart-knower. That gave David joy rather than fear. David's relationship with God was intimate enough to show God the best and worst of himself. He knew that God would discipline and work with him to make the ugly beautiful. David knew that ultimately, all God wants is our genuine effort and full-intent on living righteously. We are not perfect in our execution of righteousness (we have the tendency to be grumpy and selfish or even mean and arrogant), but if we are perfect in our intention, that is more than good enough for God. To be perfect in intention is to learn from our ugliness, and turn back toward the right(eous) direction every time we've turned off.
29:18-19 David asks God for three things:
- Keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of your people: David was aware of our flaws and knew that we need God to keep us focused. We need God to help us to keep our thoughts kind and selfless and just. The world does not inculcate into us such values, we need Him to remind us of His nature.
- Fix their heart toward You: with God pinned as our destination, we more easily remain on track. With God as our destination, we can assess our situation from the perspective of where we have placed Him (if at all) in it.
- Give my son a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things and to build the temple: if we have lived righteously, it is our hope that our posterity continue to carry faith into the generations of earth we will not live. David cared about humanity; it was important to him that this kingdom of God lasted beyond just his lifespan. Some kings (ahem, Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:19) did not care what happened after they were gone. David wanted humanity to flourish in faith. David wanted the temple to continue to be built upon (spiritual) throughout eternal generations.
29:20 It is imperative for us, as God's children, to take up a position of obedience and reverence for Him. When we bow our heads or our bodies to God, it is a reminder that He is the one who lifts us up. It is a reminder that He is the power who breathed life into our longs. It is a reminder of our humility and dependence on Him.
29:21-25 After a massive sacrifice of thanks to God, Solomon was anointed king. God established Solomon and the kingdom as a powerful and prosperous nation. History and much of the Old Testament is the story of the rise and fall of kingdoms. There is only one everlasting kingdom and it is the Kingdom of God. Corrupt people and corrupt kings have caused the physical representations of God's kingdom to crumble. But the temple and kingdom of God is alive in His faithful and righteous children.
Side note: In some ways, the kingdom of Israel was like the garden of Eden. God explained that a broad and pure channel of faith would ensure His provisions could come consistently and abundantly. If, through faith and righteousness, the tribes had obeyed God, the kingdom would indeed have lasted forever. Intrusion and destruction was a subsequent result of their refusal to continue to be defended and provided for by God. That applies to our individual lives: God as our defender* and provider must push out all other (inadequate) sources. Anger and fear will not defend us. Vanity and desire will not provide for us. Only God can perfectly perform those jobs.
In Matthew 26:53, Jesus reminded His disciples that He had access to more than twelve legions of angel armies! Jesus explained that He could receive their help through prayer and so can you! What better defense has ever, could ever, exist?
29:26-30 David's reign and the first book of Chronicles comes to a close. David lived a good, long life of service to God. David reigned for forty years over God's fledgling nation and even before that, he helped it come about through obedience to God's will. David is our example that by submitting ourselves to God's will, God dedicates Himself to the task of providing us with blessings of joy and fulfillment.
David: shepherd, soldier, king, servant-child of God. Allow God to establish you as all of these things too, in the context of your life.
David: shepherd, soldier, king, servant-child of God. Allow God to establish you as all of these things too, in the context of your life.
