1 Chronicles28

King David assembles all the leaders of Israel to declare God's choice of Solomon, not himself, to build the Temple, explaining that he was a man of war. David charges Solomon to serve God faithfully and provides him with the divinely inspired architectural patterns and material specifications for the Temple. He encourages Solomon to be strong and courageous, assuring him of God's presence and the support of the people and skilled workers.

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David Assembles the Leaders

And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that served the king by course, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor, unto Jerusalem.

Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: as for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building.

But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build a house for my name, because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Howbeit Jehovah, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel;

and of all my sons (for Jehovah hath given me many sons), he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel.

And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and mine ordinances, as at this day.

Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Jehovah, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Jehovah your God; that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Take heed now; for Jehovah hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

The Divine Pattern for the Temple

Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porchof the temple, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper rooms thereof, and of the inner chambers thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat;

and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, for the courts of the house of Jehovah, and for all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things;

also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and for all the vessels of service in the house of Jehovah;

of gold by weight for the vessels of gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; of silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service;

by weight also for the candlesticks of gold, and for the lamps thereof, of gold, by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof; and for the candlesticks of silver, silver by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick;

and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;

and the flesh-hooks, and the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl;

and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.

All this, said David, have I been made to understand in writing from the hand of Jehovah, even all the works of this pattern.

Final Charge and Assurance

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for Jehovah God, even my God, is with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of Jehovah be finished.

And, behold, there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee in all manner of work every willing man that hath skill, for any manner of service: also the captains and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 28

Verse 1

David gathers all the key personnel—military, civil, and tribal leaders—to formally announce Solomon’s succession and prepare the nation for the massive Temple construction project.

Verse 2

David refers to the Ark of the Covenant as the 'footstool of our God.' This imagery emphasizes God's transcendence; the ultimate resting place is in heaven, and the Ark merely serves as the earthly point of contact.

Verse 3

God denied David the right to build the Temple because he was 'a man of war.' The Temple, representing peace and holiness, required a builder whose reign was characterized by rest (Solomon, whose name means 'peace').

Verse 4

David traces the divine election through the generations: from the nation of Israel, to the tribe of Judah, to Jesse’s house, and finally to David himself. This emphasizes the covenantal certainty of the Davidic line.

Verse 5

Solomon’s kingship is presented not as a dynastic right but as a divine appointment, sitting upon the 'throne of the kingdom of the LORD.' This establishes the monarchy as fundamentally a theocracy.

Verse 7

The promise to establish Solomon’s kingdom 'for ever' is conditional on his obedience. While the Davidic dynasty is eternally chosen, the prosperity of the individual king depends upon his faithfulness.

Verse 8

David addresses the entire assembly, underscoring that the responsibility for possessing the covenant land rests on the collective obedience of the people to God’s commandments.

Verse 9

This is David's central charge to his son: serve God with sincerity ('perfect heart') and enthusiasm ('willing mind'). The warning that God searches the heart anticipates Solomon's later moral and spiritual compromise.

Verse 10

The phrase 'be strong, and do it' is a common biblical exhortation for undertaking a massive, God-ordained task, previously given to Joshua as he prepared to conquer the land.

Verse 11

David provides Solomon with the detailed architectural blueprint (the 'pattern'). This physical transfer emphasizes the seriousness and divine authority behind the plans.

Verse 12

The pattern was received 'by the spirit' (or divine inspiration). This elevates the Temple design beyond human architecture, paralleling the divinely revealed plans for the Mosaic Tabernacle.

Verse 18

The 'chariot of the cherubims' refers to the imagery of the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolizes God’s mobile throne (cf. Psalm 18:10 and Ezekiel 1).

Verse 19

David affirms that the Lord gave him the entire design 'in writing.' This unique claim ensures Solomon that the plans are authoritative and must be followed precisely, just as Moses received written instructions for the Tabernacle.

Verse 20

David reiterates the command to 'be strong and of good courage.' He assures Solomon that God’s presence ('my God, will be with thee') guarantees the completion of the massive undertaking.

Verse 21

David confirms that Solomon will have all necessary human resources: the divinely organized courses of priests and Levites, skillful craftsmen, and the full cooperation of the political leaders and people.

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1 Chronicles28

David Assembles the Leaders

The Divine Pattern for the Temple

Final Charge and Assurance

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