Study Desk

And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation in the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds when you drove out nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.

You made Israel your very own nation for all time. You, O Lord , became their God.

so it may become a reality and you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord who commands armies is the God of Israel.' David's dynasty will be established before you,

for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.

Now, O Lord , you are the true God; you have made this good promise to your servant.

Be strong! Let's fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!"

God was also offended by it, so he attacked Israel.

David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

God sent an angel to ravage Jerusalem. As he was doing so, the Lord watched and relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was destroying, "That's enough! Stop now!" Now the Lord 's angel was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

David said to God, "Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!"

David then said, "This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel."

He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel.

David said to Solomon: "My son, I really wanted to build a temple to honor the Lord my God.

"Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.

Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the Lord your God.

He told them, "The Lord your God is with you! He has made you secure on every side, for he handed over to me the inhabitants of the region and the region is subdued before the Lord and his people.

Now seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly and with your entire being! Get up and build the sanctuary of the Lord God! Then you can bring the ark of the Lord 's covenant and the holy items dedicated to God's service into the temple that is built to honor the Lord ."

The descendants of Moses the man of God were considered Levites.

For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given his people rest and has permanently settled in Jerusalem.

They divided them by lots, for there were officials of the holy place and officials designated by God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.