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Man After God’s Own Heart
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it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will
be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Again David appealed to the congregation: “My son Solomon,
whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the
work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the Lord
God.” He said, “For the house of my God I have prepared with all
my might,” and he went on to list the materials he had gathered.
“Who then,” he asked of the assembled multitude that had brought
their generous gifts, “who then is willing to consecrate himself this
day to the Lord?”
There was an eager response from the assembly. “Then the
people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal
heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also
rejoiced greatly.”
“Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and
David said: ‘Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever
and ever. ... Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your
glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we
should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from
You, and of Your own have we given You. ... Give my son Solomon
a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies
and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for
which I have made provision.’”
David’s Example Is No Excuse for Sin Today
With deepest interest the king had gathered the rich material for
building and beautifying the temple. He had composed the glorious
anthems that in future years would echo through its courts. Now his
heart rejoiced in God as the leaders and princes of Israel swelled
the offerings, giving of their own possessions into the treasury. It
was God alone who had made His people generous. He, not man,
must be glorified. His Spirit had made them willing. If His love had
not moved on the hearts of the people, the temple would never have
been built.
When he felt that death was approaching, the burden of David’s
heart was still for Solomon and for Israel, whose success must so
largely depend on her king’s integrity and loyalty to God. “And he