1Chronicles 21:1-3 And Satan stood up against Israel.(with God allowing it:.2Samuel 24:1-3; other examples).and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be, but my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then does my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

Man wants to know his strength in things, such as here in wanting to know how great his forces are. This kind of approach gets man's mind off God and of course, that what the dark side wants, but it also shows God, man's heart in things, whether of not man's trust is in his armies, etc. or in God. Man often fails to see the incredible power of God. An example in the story of Gideon.

1Chronicles 21:15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it. And as he was destroying, the Lord beheld and he repented him of the evil and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Ornan is also known as Araunah:.2Samuel 24:18-20.

1Chronicles 21:29 For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

1Chronicles 22:1-4 Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the joinings and brass in abundance without weight; Also cedar trees in abundance, for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.

1Chronicles 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries. I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

1Chronicles 22:6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel.

1Chronicles 22:7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God.

1Chronicles 22:8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed blood abundantly and have made great wars. You shall not build an house unto my name, because you have shed much blood upon the Earth in my sight.

Like us today, David back then was in a right stead with God, totally forgiven for the many wrongs he did. But David would also be remembered by others according to what he had done. God didn't want the temple of God to be thought of as being built by one who's hands had caused much violence. Though forgiven for our wrongs, our reputations are often remembered by those having been affected by those wrongs.

A lesson regarding destructiveness.

1Chronicles 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about. For his name shall be Solomon and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

1Chronicles 22:10 He shall build an house for my name and he shall be my son and I will be his father and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.

The word 'forever' here is a limited term meaning 'as long as present conditions are extant'. Ancient physical Israel has been replaced with spiritual Israel, an 'Israel' of the heart and open to all in the world.

1Chronicles 22:11,12 Now, my son, the Lord be with you and prosper you and build the house of the Lord your God, as he has said of you. Only the Lord give you wisdom and comprehension and gives you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 

1Chronicles 22:13 Then shall you prosper.(*), if you take heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses.(the so-called.Mosaic Law).with, concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage, dread not, nor be dismayed.

Revelation 21:8.

1Chronicles 22:14-16 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand thousand talents of silver and of brass and iron without weight, for it is in abundance. Timber also and stone have I prepared and you may add thereto. Moreover there are workmen with you in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work. Of the gold, the silver and the brass and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with you.

1Chronicles 22:17,18 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, Is not the Lord your God with you? and has he not given you rest on every side? for he has given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand and the land is subdued before the Lord and before his people. 

1Chronicles 22:19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Arise therefore and build you the sanctuary of the Lord God to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.

1Chronicles 23:1 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

1Chronicles 23:30 And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise at even.

Some of the ancient Levitical priests were designated to, among other things, give thanks to God in the morning and in the evening, a good principle for us to follow in our own meditation times.

1Chronicles 24:10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah.

1Chronicles 25:3 Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the Lord.

1Chronicles 26:4 Moreover the sons of Obededom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third and Sacar the fourth and Nethaneel the fifth,

1Chronicles 26:6,7 Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father. For they were mighty men of valour. The sons of Shemaiah; Othni and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu and Semachiah.

1Chronicles 26:8 All these of the sons of Obededom. They and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, were threescore and two of Obededom.

1Chronicles 26:9 And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong men, eighteen.

1Chronicles 27:3 Of the children of Perez.(Genesis38:27-30).was the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month.

1Chronicles 27:23 But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, because God had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

1Chronicles 27:24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel, neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

1Chronicles 27:25 And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel and over the storehouses in the fields in the cities and in the villages and in the castles was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah.

1Chronicles 27:26-31 And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub. And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite. Over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. And over the olive trees and the sycomore trees that were in the low plains was Baalhanan the Gederite and over the cellars of oil was Joash. And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite. And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.

1Chronicles 27:32 Also Jonathan David's uncle was a counsellor, a wise man and a scribe and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons.

1Chronicles 27:34 And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar and the general of the king's army was Joab.

1Chronicles 28:1-8 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course and the captains over the thousands and captains over the hundreds and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king and of his sons, with the officers and with the mighty men and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem. Then David the king stood up upon his feet and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God and had made ready for the building. but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war and hast shed blood. Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever, for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler and of the house of Judah, the house of my father and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons, for the Lord hath given me many sons, he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.(Israel was still one nation at this time; later it split into two nations). And he said unto me, Solomon thy son shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son and I will be his father. Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever,.if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.(Solomon did build a house for God, but later let women turn his heart). Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God, that ye may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

1Chronicles 28:9 And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and knows all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found of you, but if thou forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

1Chronicles 28:10 Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build an house for a sanctuary.(a sanctuary for the ark of the covenant). Be strong and do it.

1Chronicles 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch and of the houses thereof and of the treasuries thereof and of the upper chambers thereof and of the inner parlours thereof and of the place of the mercy seat.

1Chronicles 28:9 And you Solomon my son, learn about the God I your father have followed all my life as perfectly as I knew how to and did for all times I was of willing mind to. For the Lord searches all hearts and knows all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found of you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.(what does the word 'forever' mean here?).

David was far away from God many times in his life, but underneath it all, he really did love God. Consider what he did.

1Chronicles 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, will be with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you.(Hebrews 13:5), so finish all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

Why David himself couldn't build this tabernacle, this house:.1Chronicles 22:6-8.

....continues to Chapter 29

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