1 Chronicles 22 Explained - 5 Minute Bible Study
1 Chronicles 22 Short Summary:
In 1 Chronicles 22, David makes preparations for his son, Solomon, to build a temple to the Lord in Jerusalem. He begins stockpiling wood, bronze, silver, and gold to be used in the construction project. He commissions Solomon to begin the project, and to lead the people according to the laws of God as their next king.
What is 1 Chronicles 22 About?
WHEN:
The Book of 1 Chronicles was written several hundred years after King David’s reign.
David became king of Judah in approximately 1055 B.C, the year Saul died. David’s reign spanned approximately 40 years (1055-1015 B.C.). He reigned over Judah for 7 years and 6 months, before becoming king over all Israel. His reign over all Judah and Israel lasted 33 years.
CHARACTERS:
David – The second king over all Israel and Judah.
Solomon – David’s son with Bethsheba. Solomon would become the 3rd king of Israel and Judah.
Ornan (Araunah) – A Jebusite who owned a threshing floor near Jerusalem.
WHERE:
Ornan’s threshing floor was located at the spot where the Jerusalem Temple would later be built (1 Chron 21:18; 2 Chron 3:1).
OUTLINE:
DAVID DETERMINES TO BUILD THE TEMPLE AT ORNAN’S THRESHING FLOOR (22:1):
In 1 Chronicles 21, David built an altar at Ornan’s threshing floor and offered a sacrifice. God responded to his sacrifice by sending fire from heaven.
David determined the spot would be the location of the future temple, which his son, Solomon, would build after his death.
DAVID PREPARES MATERIALS FOR THE FUTURE TEMPLE (22:2-5):
God wouldn’t allow David to build the Temple, but David wanted to contribute, so he started making preparations for the time when his son, Solomon, would start the project.
David gathered up all the foreigners who lived in the land to be laborers.
He gathered stonecutters to begin work on the stone portions of the construction.
David started stockpiling supplies for the project: nails, bronze, iron, silver, gold, and cedar timbers.
DAVID COMMISSIONS SOLOMON TO BUILD THE TEMPLE (22:6-19):
David explained to Solomon that it had been his desire to build a temple for God, but God forbid him, because he was a man who had been involved in many wars and much bloodshed.
God had promised David that he would have a son, one who would enjoy a season of peace in Israel, and the temple would be constructed by him.
David spoke to Solomon and commissioned him to the task.
David spoke a blessing over Solomon. He wanted God to give Solomon “wisdom and discretion” to lead the people according to the “statutes and rules” of the Lord.
After talking to his son, David encouraged his countrymen to support the project, saying, “Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the LORD” (22:19).
APPLICATION:
David was as zealous about supporting Solomon’s work as he was about accomplishing his own.
David was a leader, and under his leadership many great things were achieved in Israel. That said, the temple was not to be on his list of accomplishments. q
We can learn a lot about good leadership from the way David responded when God denied him the right to build the temple.
Sometimes, leaders are incapable of humbling themselves to play a supporting role in anyone else’s work.
When someone else is put in charge, they pout and moan and don’t offer help. They spend all their time explaining, to anyone who will listen, why they should be leading the work.
David wasn’t like that. He accepted God’s decision and did everything he could to help the work succeed, even though he wasn’t allowed to lead.
