Before David died he had a desire to prepare materials for the temple of the Lord that Solomon would build. David loved the Lord as we can tell from his Psalms. He wrote in Psalms 29:2, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” And again in Psalms 99:5, “Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.” His passion was that the temple might display the glory and honour of the Lord in a holy manner. He wanted the world to get a glimpse of the awesomeness of God by the awesomeness of His temple.

Transition

This evening as we study this chapter, I want us to see the duty we have of uplifting God to the world through our temples.

David Gathered Materials (v.1-5)

  1. He began preparing building materials
    1. He gathered the strangers in Israel to work (v.2). The work of cutting stone, timber, and smelting metals was hard work. David used foreigners taken captive in battles and perhaps Canaanite people who were not killed by Joshua as slaves to do this hard work.
    2. He prepared huge cut stones, an abundance of iron nails, an abundance of brass, and an abundance cedar timber brought from Tyre and Zidon in the north (v.2-4).
    3. In addition, he prepared much gold and silver (v.16).
    4. All this preparation was not easy. It took much hard work.
  2. He planned for the temple’s appearance
    1. David determined that the house of the LORD must picture God’s excellence (v.5).
    2. He said it must be exceedingly magnifical. This means great to the highest extreme.
    3. He determined that it must be extremely great in two ways.
      1. It must be great in fame or reputation
      2. It must be great in glory or splendour and beauty
    4. The greatness of this temple must be known throughout all countries. It must let the world know the greatness and excellence of God.
    5. We note also that David said it was a house “for the LORD” (v.6), “unto the name of the LORD” (v.7), “for God’s name” (v.10), and the “sanctuary of the LORD God” (v.19). The word “sanctuary” refers to a holy place.
    6. David’s goal was not personal fame or praise. His goal was all about honouring the name and reputation of the LORD. It was to make a place that would be set apart and holy in which the LORD could dwell among men.
      ☆ What can we learn from this? Does it mean that we ought to build church buildings that are expensive and elaborate that are worthy of our great God? I don’t think so! Let’s sift this thought through Scripture. In the O.T. God dwelt close to men first in the tabernacle and then in the Temple. After Christ paid sin’s debt and returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit came to live in believers. We are now the Temple of the Lord.
      ☆ (1 Corinthians 6:19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
      ☆ If you are a Christian, your body belongs to God and it is His temple. As the OT temple, your body is to show God’s excellence and holiness to the world. Your words, attitudes, actions, activities, clothing, hair styles, and appearance are all to display God’s excellence and holiness. Just as in David’s day, this will take preparation work.
      ☆ Our words, attitudes, actions, and activities ought to show others that your God is holy and excellent. It is a constant challenge to keep these areas of our temple God-honouring.
      ☆ We often struggle in the area of clothing because the world is such a bad example. Men, short shorts and going without a shirt can cause women to think wrong thoughts. Body piercing and tattoos dishonour one’s temple. In 1Co 11:14-15 we read that long hair on men and short hair on women are a shame. Ladies, if you wear pants, jeans, shorts, or leggings they make you look unisex, you will act less feminine, and they reveal body shape that should be kept covered. Wearing skirts above the knee, even with leggings, can cause men to take a second look at you in a lustful way. Tight clothing, low necklines and bare shoulders cause men to think wrong thoughts. I tell you these specifics, not to be unkind, but because I love you. God wants your temple to glorify Him.
      ☆ Young people, most of you are old enough to determine in your own heart to keep your temple God-honouring. Decide in your heart to honour God, even if others think you are odd.

David Charged Solomon (v.6-16)

  1. He explained why he had not yet built the temple (v.6-10)
    1. God would not let David build the temple because he had shed much blood in battles (v.8).
    2. God told David that He wanted his son Solomon to build the temple (v.9).
  2. He emphasized Solomon’s need for God’s help (v.11-16)
    1. David prayed that the Lord would be with Solomon.
    2. Solomon would need wisdom and understanding to properly build the temple (v.12).
      ☆ Knowing exactly how to best glorify God in our body and in our spirit takes wisdom and understanding from God. Remember, wisdom is the God-given ability to make right choices. The better you get to know God, His love and care for you, and His holiness, the more you will desire to keep your temple holy to rightly display Christ to the world.
    3. Solomon must stay close to the Lord and obey Him (v.13).
      ☆ Many professing Christians give a poor picture of God’s glory and holiness by the way they live. Sadly, many Christians in independent Baptist churches give the world a poor picture of God’s glory and holiness.
      ☆ If we are going to cause our “body” temple to glorify and honour the Lord, we need to stay close to God. This goal must be a passion in our hearts. It is not just following your pastor’s rules. You must have a longing to reflect the glory and holiness of God in all that you do.

David Commanded Men to Help Solomon (v.17-19)

  1. He reminded them of God’s blessing (v.17-18)
    1. He commanded the men to help Solomon (v.17). Building the magnificent temple was a great task. Solomon needed help.
    2. He reminded them that the Lord was with them (v.18). Because God had helped them overcome enemies and had given them peace, this showed them that God was with them.
  2. He urged them to build with a heart for God (v.19)
    1. The first phrase in verse 19 is the key to building your temple to reflect the glory and holiness of God – “set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.”
    2. Building a temple for the honour and glory of the Lord is a heart issue. We must put our hearts into it or we will fail.
      ☆ Godly parents, pastors, pastor’s wives, teachers, and mentors can be a great help to us in building our temples for the glory of the Lord. In Proverbs 15:32, God commends those who accept godly help. “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.”

Conclusion

As Christians, our bodies are God’s temple. God the Holy Spirit lives in us. God has commanded us to glorify Him in our body and in our spirit because they both belong to Him.

Solomon built the temple for the Lord after much preparation, hard work, counsel, and dependence on the Lord. If you life like the world around you, your temple will not glorify the Lord. You must prepare, work, receive counsel, and depend on the Lord. Trying to please me is not the answer. I am just trying to point you in a godly direction.

My challenge to you this evening is to surrender your all to the Lord. Be willing to do anything necessary and obedient in everything. Ask God for strength to change any area of your life needed so that your temple will truly glorify God. Ask God to change your bad attitudes, actions, and words. Ask God to help you change any clothing so that it all honours Him. Ask God to increase your dependence on Him for help.

Song: Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord – 337
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David’s Temple Preparation
27 December 2015 PM – 1 Chronicles 22:1-19 – Life of David – Scott Childs