Study Desk

the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, "Do you really believe King David is honoring your father by sending these men to comfort you? He probably sent them to spy on our country, so he can come and destroy it."

The Ammonites realized they had made David furious. So they paid over thirty tons of silver to hire chariot troops from Mesopotamia and from the Syrian kingdoms of Maacah and Zobah.

Joab saw that the enemy troops were lined up on both sides of him. So he picked some of the best Israelite soldiers to fight the Syrians.

he made fun of Israel, so David's nephew Jonathan killed him.

But David would not change his mind. And so Joab went everywhere in Israel and Judah and counted the people. He returned to Jerusalem

So the Lord sent a horrible disease on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites died.

David said, "Would you sell me your threshing place, so I can build an altar on it to the Lord ? Then this disease will stop killing the people. I'm willing to pay whatever you say it's worth."

So David paid Araunah six hundred gold coins for his threshing place.

He got a large supply of iron to make into nails and hinges for the doors, and he provided so much bronze that it could not be weighed.

He said, "The temple for the Lord must be great, so that everyone in the world will know about it. But since my son Solomon is young and has no experience, I will make sure that everything is ready for the temple to be built." That's why David did all these things before he died.

May he give you wisdom and knowledge, so that you can rule Israel according to his Law.

Obey the Lord your God with your heart and soul. Begin work on the temple to honor him, so that the sacred chest and the things used for worship can be kept there.

Later, Shimei had four more sons, in the following order: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. But Jeush and Beriah didn't have many children, so their descendants were counted as one family.

And so, the Levites won't need to move the sacred tent and the things used for worship from place to place.

However, both families included temple officials and priests, and so to make sure the work was divided fairly, David asked God what to do.

Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count the people, but he stopped when the Lord began punishing Israel. So the total number was never included in David's official records.

After everyone was there, David stood up and said: Listen to me, my people. I wanted to build a place where the sacred chest would be kept, so we could go there and worship the Lord our God. I have prepared all the supplies for building a temple,

Solomon, my son, worship God and obey him with all your heart and mind, just as I have done. He knows all your thoughts and your reasons for doing things, and so if you turn to him, he will hear your prayers. But if you ignore him, he will reject you forever.

But you must see that everything is done according to these plans. Be confident, and never be afraid of anything or get discouraged. The Lord my God will help you do everything needed to finish the temple, so it can be used for worshiping him.

David and the people were very happy that so much had been given to the Lord , and they all celebrated.