Study Desk

David said to God, "I am the one who sinned and did wrong. I gave the order for the people to be counted. These people only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong. Lord my God, please punish me and my family, but stop the terrible disease that is killing your people."

But David could not go to the Holy Tent to speak with God, because he was afraid of the angel of the Lord and his sword.

David said, "The Temple of the Lord God and the altar for Israel's burnt offerings will be built here."

So David ordered all foreigners living in Israel to gather together. From that group David chose stonecutters to cut stones to be used in building the Temple of God.

Then David called for his son Solomon and told him to build the Temple for the Lord , the God of Israel.

David said to him, "My son, I wanted to build a temple for worshiping the Lord my God.

David said, "Now, my son, may the Lord be with you. May you build a temple for the Lord your God, as he said you would.

He will make you the king of Israel. May the Lord give you wisdom and understanding so you will be able to obey the teachings of the Lord your God.

David said to them, "The Lord your God is with you. He has given you rest from our enemies. He has handed over to me the people living around us. The Lord and his people are in control of this land.

Now give yourselves completely to obeying the Lord your God. Build the holy place of the Lord God; build the Temple for worship to the Lord . Then bring the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord and the holy items that belong to God into the Temple."

Moses was the man of God, and his sons were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.

David had said, "The Lord , the God of Israel, has given rest to his people. He has come to live in Jerusalem forever.

The Levites had the job of helping Aaron's descendants in the service of the Temple of the Lord . They cared for the Temple courtyard and side rooms, and they made all the holy things pure. Their job was to serve in the Temple of God.

These were the groups chosen to serve in the Temple of the Lord . They obeyed the rules given them by Aaron, just as the Lord , the God of Israel, had commanded him.

All these were sons of Heman, David's seer. God promised to make Heman strong, so Heman had many sons. God gave him fourteen sons and three daughters.

Heman directed all his sons in making music for the Temple of the Lord with cymbals, lyres, and harps; that was their way of serving in the Temple of God. King David was in charge of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

Ammiel was sixth, Issachar was seventh, and Peullethai was eighth. God blessed Obed-Edom with children.

Other Levites were responsible for guarding the treasuries of the Temple of God and for the places where the holy items were kept.

Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the people, but he did not finish. God became angry with Israel for counting the people, so the number of the people was not put in the history book about King David's rule.

But God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple for worshiping me, because you are a soldier and have killed many people.'