Preparation of Materials for the Temple Solomon's Character: 1 Chronicles 22

From: Meditations on 1 Chronicles By: Henri L. Rossier

1 Chronicles 22 • 9 min. read • grade level: 10

1 Chronicles 22

"And David said, This is the house of Jehovah Elohim, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel" (1 Chron. 22:1¹Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. (1 Chronicles 22:1)). The altar that had been built and the sacrifices that had been offered sufficed for David to proclaim the establishment of the temple. Doubtless the Lord's house was not yet constructed, but in effect it was found there where the altar — the sacrifice — and the throne (or ark) was, the real presence of God in the midst of His people. Later, in the Book of Ezra, when the ark had ultimately disappeared, the altar alone remained as gathering center for the people, and then the remnant built the temple around the altar.

These examples show us how we may recognize the house of God, whether we consider the present time as similar to the days of David which preceded Solomon's glory, or whether we view the days we are passing through as days of ruin resembling those of Ezra, which in reality they are.

Having proclaimed the existence of the house of God, David is occupied with its future manifestation (1 Chron. 22:2²And 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. (1 Chronicles 22:2)). The king gathers the strangers living in the land of Israel and appoints them to work together at erecting the future temple. 153,600 in number, as we learn in 2 Chron. 2:2, 17-18²And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. (2 Chronicles 2:2)
¹⁷And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. ¹⁸And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work. (2 Chronicles 2:17‑18), they are employed as bearers of burdens and as stone cutters. Only the latter are mentioned here. Their work bears the stamp of servility, yet it is different from that of the Gibeonites (Josh. 9:21²¹And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them. (Joshua 9:21)), for we know how costly the stones of the temple were (1 Kings 5:17¹⁷And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. (1 Kings 5:17)). Moreover, we see in 1 Chron. 22:4⁴Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. (1 Chronicles 22:4) that the nations beyond the land of Israel were called to join in this great work and that they applied themselves with zeal and absolute good will. So it will be when the millennial temple is built (Isa. 60:10, 13¹⁰And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. (Isaiah 60:10)
¹³The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. (Isaiah 60:13); Zech. 6:15¹⁵And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. (Zechariah 6:15)).

"And David prepared iron in abundance... and brass in abundance... and cedar-trees innumerable." In 1 Chron. 18, as in 2 Sam. 8, we learn that the brass, silver, and gold came either from the booty of war, of which David kept nothing for himself, or from the voluntary offerings of the nations which sought the protection of the king of Israel. The cedar wood came from Lebanon and was brought by the people of Tire and Zidon. Other less precious materials also contributed to the temple's construction, for iron was needed "for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joists" (1 Chron. 22:3³And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; (1 Chronicles 22:3)). Iron was not only useful, but it was indispensable, despite its lesser worth. It was one of the products of the land of Canaan, "a land whose stones are iron" (Deut. 8:9⁹A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. (Deuteronomy 8:9)); and it alone could serve to join together the various pieces of wood in the building. Without it, the doors of the temple could not be opened or closed, nor could the partitions be built. Just so, even the most common materials of the heavenly land are indispensable to Him who has determined the order of His house and whose alone is the secret of its construction. Likewise, let us not despise the materials that enter into the composition of the building if they have value in the eyes of the sovereign Architect of the house.

In 1 Chron. 22:5⁵And 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. (1 Chronicles 22:5), David, thinking of Solomon's youth, prepares everything necessary for him, for he was not yet strong enough to build this house which was to be "exceeding great in fame and in beauty in all lands." Likewise, when the true Solomon will take in hand the reins of government, he will find all that will constitute the glory of His kingdom already prepared by the true David, by Him who suffered and was rejected by His people. It is David who commands Solomon (1 Chron. 22:6⁶Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel. (1 Chronicles 22:6)) to build a house for the Lord, but he had himself received this commandment from God, for the Lord had told him: "He shall build an house unto my name." Thus God in His counsels has decreed that everything is to be subjected to Christ for "the administration of the fullness of times," but it is in virtue of His sufferings and rejection that the Lord has the right to the kingdom. Solomon was not called upon to establish it, for the kingdom was only in his person in germ. Solomon was still "young and tender," but David through his sufferings and victories had prepared everything necessary for God's rest and the reign of righteousness and peace about to be inaugurated.

When it is a matter, in type, of Christ's millennial reign, it is impossible to separate His sufferings and His rejection from His glories. This is why 1 Peter 1:11¹¹Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (1 Peter 1:11) tells us that the prophets testified "before of the sufferings which belonged to Christ, and the glories after these." It is the same here, and we insist particularly upon the little phrase in 1 Chron. 22:14¹⁴Now, 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 thou mayest add thereto. (1 Chronicles 22:14): "And behold, in my affliction I have prepared...and thou shalt add to it."

This is all the more striking as Chronicles does not in any way take up David's afflictions. Except in this passage they are not once mentioned. We have previously seen the reason for this omission. Throughout Chronicles David is shown us as taking possession of the kingdom according to God's counsels and establishing the kingdom by his victories over the nations. This latter feature, as we have already seen, in this book is presented in an accessory way, the Spirit in a single account uniting all the victories of the king won at different times in order to bring in the future reign of his son Solomon, the king of peace.

Martial victory and peace, here presented in type by these two distinct men, will be fulfilled in the person of a single Man, Christ. The distinction we have just made we find expressed here by the mouth of David: "The word of Jehovah came to me saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto My name, for thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, 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 [peaceful], and in his days I will give peace and quietness unto Israel. He shall build a house unto 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" (1 Chron. 22:8-10⁸But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. ⁹Behold, a son shall be born to thee, 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. ¹⁰He 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 for ever. (1 Chronicles 22:8‑10)). Yet, although Chronicles passes over David's affliction in silence, it was impossible not to mention these words: "My affliction." Without this there could be no rest for the throne of God in His temple and in the midst of His people. In his affliction David prepared all the materials for the house of God. Also, when in Psa. 132 it is a matter of finding "a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty One of Jacob," habitations of which the ark's return to Zion was only the prelude, the psalmist cries: "Jehovah, remember for David all his afflictions" (Psa. 132:1¹<<A Song of degrees.>> Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions: (Psalm 132:1)). The temple and the earthly throne before whose footstool the saints will bow are founded upon "the afflictions of David." It is the same in Rev. 5 with the heavenly throne. Its center is the slain Lamb who is the root of David. Thus the earthly and heavenly portions of the kingdom are both built upon the sufferings of Christ.

David in his affliction had prepared everything for the house of God, and Solomon, the king of peace, was to add yet more (1 Chron. 22:14¹⁴Now, 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 thou mayest add thereto. (1 Chronicles 22:14)). So it will be during Christ's reign; he will add all His glories to His temple upon earth as well as to the new Jerusalem in heaven, acquired at the price of His sufferings on the cross.