Study Desk

but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.'

"Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of all my father's household to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, my father's household, and from my father's sons, He was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

And out of all my sons—for the Lord has given me many sons—He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord 's kingdom over Israel.

He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father.

"As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Realize now that the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it."

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple and its buildings, treasuries, upper rooms, inner rooms, and a room for the mercy seat.

The plans contained everything he had in mind for the courts of the Lord 's house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of God's house, and the treasuries for what is dedicated.

Also included were plans for the divisions of the priests and the Levites; all the work of service in the Lord 's house; all the articles of service of the Lord 's house;

the weight of gold for all the articles for every kind of service; the weight of all the silver articles for every kind of service;

the weight of gold for each table for the rows of the bread of the Presence and the silver for the silver tables;

the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling basins, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl;

the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of the gold cherubim that spread out their wings and cover the ark of the Lord 's covenant.

Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won't leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Lord 's house is finished.

Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of God's house. Every willing man of any skill will be at your disposal for the work, and the leaders and all the people are at your every command."

Then King David said to all the assembly, "My son Solomon—God has chosen him alone—is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for the Lord God.

So to the best of my ability I've made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, stones for mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble.

Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I've provided for the holy house:

100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,

the gold for the gold work and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?"