Good weekend to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
INHERITANCE is often imagined to be a wonderful ‘windfall’ of blessing! But have you noticed inheritance is almost always very complex and many times comes with ‘strings attached’? Perhaps you’ve experienced that?
I left you yesterday in Jerusalem, in the palace of King David, as he was beginning the complicated process of the inheritance transfer of the kingship of Israel to his son Solomon. (1 Kings 1:29-40) Join me today as we take a closer look at the record of this remarkable event as recorded for us in 1 Chronicles 28. There are important life lessons for us to learn, my friends! In Solomon’s case his inheritance not only included the role and responsibilities of the throne of Israel, as he was crowned as Israel’s third king, but as we’ll discover today, there was more, much more involved!
King David summoned all Israel’s officials for he had some important things to say about this inheritance process. The record says: “King David rose to his feet and said, ‘Listen to me, my fellow Israelites. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a warrior and have shed much blood...Of all my sons – and the LORD has given me many – God has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. God said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build My house and My courts…for I have chosen him. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out My commands and laws as is being done at this time.” (1 Chronicles 28:1-7)
You’ll remember young David was first selected by God to be Israel’s second king because of the tenderness and purity of his heart, a heart seeking after God! (1 Samuel 16:7,13) But after David’s remarkable defeat of the Philistine Goliath, (1 Samuel 17) David was recruited into Saul’s army and spent the following many years as a warrior fighting Israel’s battles against their enemies, at least up until Saul died and David was crowned king. While David sought to remain honorable to God in all things, he had been a very successful soldier and leader of Saul’s armies.
Takes a majority to change anything and there is never enough people attending or by proxy Do you ever get enough votes to change anything. He’s just he is just a pawn I think the real is maybe one or two on the board but a few people outside the board who know how to the management systemOne resounding chorus said it all as David returned from battle on one occasion: “Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7) Such a victorious reputation was earned with a great deal of bloodshed, including one of David’s most loyal soldiers Uriah, husband to Bathsheba! (1 Samuel 11)
So, while David had been very successful as a warrior helping to defend the people of Israel from their enemies, it appears to me David’s heart had been profoundly affected by his battlefield experiences. If you are a military veteran, especially if you’ve seen combat action, you understand how it affects your heart and even your perspective on almost everything. The horrific disaster with Bathsheba and David’s plan for the killing of his faithful soldier Uriah, is an example of how war had affected David.
As God evaluated David’s desire for building a house for God’s Ark of the Covenant, it appears David’s changed heart had disqualified him from being the man God could entrust with the great and holy Temple project. Oh God still loved David, but God chose young Solomon for this Temple privilege and God gave David the right words to challenge his son for this sacred project.
David continued his charge to Solomon and the officials of Israel who would be serving at Solomon’s side: “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive and every thought. If you seek Him, the LORD will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you… Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house as a sanctuary. Be strong and courageous and do the work.” (1 Chronicles 28:9,10)
Can you imagine yourself standing there, in King David’s palace, as a witness to this defining moment in Israel’s history? Can you imagine such words being spoken to you as you receive your inheritance? Regardless of our God given life purposes or the inheritance expectations placed upon you and me, can we embrace King David’s challenging words as true and very significant for living a God honoring life? Have you experienced the heavy weight and sacred truthfulness of those words in your life journey thus far? As you consider your end-of-life inheritance words for your descendants, are these words of David, some you might consider?
What happened next in that palace throne room is very significant. The record says: “Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. David gave Solomon the plans of all that the Spirit of the LORD had put in his mind for the Temple…all this I have in writing as a result of the LORD’s hand upon me, and God enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.“ (1 Chronicles 28:11-19)
Oh my, what a sacred, powerful, significant, defining moment in the entire history of the nation of Israel and in God’s Grand Narrative! Do we remember another very similar time when God gave a human being the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the plans for a never before seen “Tent of Meeting”, where God would meet with His people? That man was Moses, of course, and that encounter was on Mount Sinai, as God gave Moses unique, divinely inspired construction plans for the Tabernacle. (Exodus 25-31)
As David handed his son Solomon the scrolls with the detailed plans for this great Temple of God, I imagine everyone in the room held their breath, perhaps some wept at the sacredness of this moment. Perhaps Solomon trembled as he extended his hands to receive those sacred scrolls while Solomon heard one more powerful statement from his father King David: “Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged; for the LORD My God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of this Temple of the LORD is completed. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work…and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all this work.” (1 Chronicles 28:20,21)
Do those powerful words resonate with you my friends as words we’ve heard before in God’s Grand Narrative? They are the same words God spoke to Joshua as the mantle of leadership was passed to him after Moses’ death! (Joshua 1:1-9) Those words have propelled men and women into great adventures of faith for centuries, including me and I hope many of you, my friends!
While David had more to say in this inheritance transition, we’ll leave that till Monday. This weekend I urge you to find some extended time to immerse yourself in 1 Chronicles 28, asking God to give you a fresh understanding of His hand of guidance, protection and blessing upon you, and seeking to discern with renewed vision what God’s purposes are for the remainder of your life! I know that’s a big challenge, and I accept it with you!
More notes to help you in this are found in the “Grand Narrative” link below, and I invite you to join me again in wonderful worship with the song link we’ve provided below, and I’ll be ready to join here again on Monday.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Chronicles 18.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.