Category: 1 Chronicles

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Everyone gave to build the temple of the Lord – king, priest, Levite, citizen of ancient Israel. It is everyone’s privilege to give today to build the living temple of the Lord – minister, elder, member, adherent!

SJA Notes

* Loving God, behold how good and pleasant it is when we Your people dwell in unity!

“Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.”

Here we see the joy that comes from sowing bountifully – God’s people rejoicing in their generosity.

We read in 2 Corinthians 9,

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

How wonderful it is that David the king reflects the reality of our KING IN HEAVEN – Jesus, He loves a cheerful giver.

Let us wrestle with what this means for us in our lives today.

To be generous without thought of return, and to guard against the pressure to give under compulsion or reluctance.

* Dear Lord God,

You love a cheerful giver – Please help us give cheerfully.

Please help us Lord to give of our time, our energy, our thoughts and actions and our speech – Everything of us, in whatever opportunity Your bring.

Please protect us Lord from bad doctrine, false religion, that breaks away from this truth that You have laid down.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

In a solemn sacred assembly of God’s people, David invests Solomon with the charge to build the Temple of the Lord. This was to be the great work of his life. The New Testament shows us that the Temple of the Lord that we are to be builders of is the Church. It’s a temple built of living stones! Jesus’ great commission was just such a solemn investiture of us disciples.

SJA Notes

* Lord God, let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy.

“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you.”

We have heard similar exhortations from Moses (Deuteronomy 1) and Joshua (Joshua 1), and here David repeats the cry to his son Solomon.

“Be strong and courageous and do it.”

By the Lord’s mighty hand David had conquered the enemies of God and His people. There was peace.

Solomons’ reign is largely one of peace and prosperity.

Why would David exhort his son to not be afraid or dismayed?

One reason that is given in the text is – The building of God’s house, the template.

That the Lord God Almighty has tasked you with building His house, this is a big deal – The place where He would dwell on earth!

Sometimes we can be afraid, dismayed, stressed or worried about what the Lord calls us to do.

These words ring true for us as they did for Solomon.

Let us be strong and courageous and do whatever the Lord sets our hands to do.

* God Above,

Thank You for the encouraged that we read in Your word.

Thank You that You equip and strength us to be strong and courageous – Strong in Your strength, courageous through our trust in Your love and sovereign will.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Gate keepers/those who police the place, treasurers, army officers/ those involved in defence and offence, political leaders and bureaucrats/those involved in administration. We need people of all sorts of gifts and abilities in the Church of God. Isn’t this Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 12 – different members but one body?

SJA Notes

* Almighty God, may our hearts not be lifted up, our eyes not raised too high. May our souls be calmed and quieted. Our hope is in You!

“All these were stewards of King David’s property.”

We read here how complex it is to run a country of a million-plus people.

Look at all the jobs.

There are accountants, auditors, captains of industry and military, councillors and more.

Even just for the finance and wealth-management of the kingdom, we can find much depth in this passage.

There is Ahijah, in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and of dedicated gifts.

Then there is Shelomoth who had charge of the treasuries of the dedicated gifts (perhaps in conjunction with Ahijah) – Something like a chief auditor.

Azmaveth looked after the accounts of the country itself, and then Jonathan oversaw the management of the city, village and tower finances.

God is a God of order. We see this in how He made the world.

We see this truth here in this passages. In the temporal and spiritual structures He instituted and brought about.

There is much wisdom here for us today.

Good order builds a healthy society. Good order is part of true religion.

We can be encouraged in the work God has for us, the different roles we have throughout our day and week – Because it is working for the Lord!

* God Above,

Thank You for the work You have done Lord God, in creation and since then – Working for the good of us, Your people.

Thank You for the work You have set for us to do. Please help us to go about that work with all our might.

Thank You Lord.

Amen.