1 Chronicles 28 Study Notes: David Charges Solomon to Build the Temple
David gathers Israel’s leaders and explains that God barred him, a warrior, from building the temple but chose Solomon for the task. He urges the people and Solomon to obey God wholeheartedly, hands Solomon the temple plans he received from the LORD, and tells him to be brave because God will be with him.
General
Why did David tell Solomon to take courage and not lose heart (28:20)?
Answer: The LORD would stay with him until all the work was complete
David told Solomon to take courage and get to work, without fear or discouragement, because the LORD God would be with him and would not fail or abandon him until every task for God’s house was finished (28:20). David added that the priestly and Levitical divisions were ready, and that willing, skilled workers, the officials, and the whole nation would follow Solomon’s lead (28:21). These words echo what Moses told Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:7-8) and what God Himself told Joshua (Joshua 1:9). The New Testament applies God’s promise never to forsake His people to believers today (Hebrews 13:5).
- 1 Chronicles 28:20 (BSB)“David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.”David encourages Solomon with the promise that God will not forsake him.
- Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses encouraged Joshua with the same promise of God’s presence.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God told Joshua to be strong and courageous because He was with him.
- Hebrews 13:5 (BSB)“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.””The New Testament applies God’s promise never to forsake His people to believers.
Theological
What assurance underlies David’s command to Solomon in 28:20 to take courage?
Answer: The LORD would stay with him until all the work was complete
David’s command to take courage rests on God’s presence and faithfulness: the LORD would neither fail nor forsake Solomon until every task for God’s house was completed (28:20), and the priests, Levites, skilled volunteers, and people stood ready (28:21). The language closely echoes the commissioning of Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Joshua 1:9). Hebrews 13:5 applies the same promise to every believer: God never abandons His own people.
- 1 Chronicles 28:20 (BSB)“David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.”David encourages Solomon with the promise that God will not forsake him.
- Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses encouraged Joshua with the same promise of God’s presence.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God told Joshua to be strong and courageous because He was with him.
- Hebrews 13:5 (BSB)“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.””The New Testament applies God’s promise never to forsake His people to believers.
General
According to David in 28:4, how did he come to rule over Israel?
Answer: The LORD picked Judah, then Jesse’s family, then David
David credits his kingship entirely to God’s choice, narrowing it step by step: God picked Judah to lead among the tribes, then from Judah He chose the household of David’s father Jesse, and then among Jesse’s sons it pleased Him to set David over all Israel as king (28:4). Nothing is said about David earning it. Long before, Jacob had said that the right to rule would stay with Judah (Genesis 49:10), and a psalm praises God for picking Judah and picking His servant David, taking him from caring for sheep (Psalm 78:68, 78:70). The kingdom came by God’s free choice and good pleasure.
- 1 Chronicles 28:4 (BSB)“Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He chose my father’s household, and from my father’s sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel.”David traces his kingship to God’s choice of Judah, Jesse’s family, and himself.
- Genesis 49:10 (BSB)“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.”Jacob foretold that royal rule would belong to Judah.
- Psalm 78:68 (BSB)“But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.”The psalm credits God with choosing the tribe of Judah.
- Psalm 78:70 (BSB)“He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;”The psalm credits God with choosing David from the sheepfolds.
Theological
How does David trace the origin of his kingship in 28:4?
Answer: The LORD picked Judah, then Jesse’s family, then David
David traces his kingship to a chain of divine choices: Judah among the tribes, Jesse’s house within Judah, and David among Jesse’s sons, because it pleased the LORD to set him on the throne (28:4). The emphasis falls on God’s free, sovereign good pleasure, not on David’s qualifications. This fits Jacob’s word that royal rule would belong to Judah (Genesis 49:10) and matches the psalm’s celebration of God choosing Judah and choosing David from the sheepfolds (Psalm 78:68, 78:70). This choice concerns office rather than salvation, yet it displays the same unconditional freedom with which God chooses throughout Scripture.
- 1 Chronicles 28:4 (BSB)“Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He chose my father’s household, and from my father’s sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel.”David traces his kingship to God’s choice of Judah, Jesse’s family, and himself.
- Genesis 49:10 (BSB)“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.”Jacob foretold that royal rule would belong to Judah.
- Psalm 78:68 (BSB)“But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.”The psalm credits God with choosing the tribe of Judah.
- Psalm 78:70 (BSB)“He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;”The psalm credits God with choosing David from the sheepfolds.
General
In front of all Israel, what did David urge the assembly to do, and why (28:8)?
Answer: Obey God’s commands, so they could hold the land and pass it on
Speaking before all Israel, gathered as God’s own assembly, with God Himself listening, David urged the people to obey and diligently search out every command of God, so that the good land would stay theirs and pass to their children forever (28:8). Moses had told Israel the same thing: obedience to God’s commands was tied to a long life in the land and to taking possession of it (Deuteronomy 4:40, 6:18). Later in Israel’s history Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of unfaithfulness (1 Chronicles 9:1), showing how seriously this charge was meant.
- 1 Chronicles 28:8 (BSB)“So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever.”David charges the assembly to keep God’s commands so they may keep the land.
- Deuteronomy 4:40 (BSB)“Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”Moses linked keeping God’s commands with living long in the land.
- Deuteronomy 6:18 (BSB)“Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your God swore to give your fathers,”Moses linked doing what is right with possessing the good land.
- 1 Chronicles 9:1 (BSB)“So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.”Chronicles records that Judah was later exiled for unfaithfulness.
Theological
What charge did David lay on the assembly in 28:8, and with what stated purpose?
Answer: Obey God’s commands, so they could hold the land and pass it on
Before Israel gathered as God’s assembly, with God as listener, David charged the people to obey and diligently search out every command of the LORD, with the stated purpose that they would hold the good land and bequeath it to their descendants forever (28:8). This echoes Moses’ covenant exhortations linking obedience with life in the land (Deuteronomy 4:40, 6:18). Chronicles itself records the outcome of covenant unfaithfulness: Judah was carried off to Babylon (1 Chronicles 9:1).
- 1 Chronicles 28:8 (BSB)“So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever.”David charges the assembly to keep God’s commands so they may keep the land.
- Deuteronomy 4:40 (BSB)“Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”Moses linked keeping God’s commands with living long in the land.
- Deuteronomy 6:18 (BSB)“Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your God swore to give your fathers,”Moses linked doing what is right with possessing the good land.
- 1 Chronicles 9:1 (BSB)“So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.”Chronicles records that Judah was later exiled for unfaithfulness.
General
When God promised to establish Solomon’s kingdom forever, what condition was attached (28:7)?
Answer: That Solomon would firmly keep God’s commands and rulings
God promised to establish Solomon’s kingdom forever if Solomon was determined to obey His commands and ordinances, as he was then doing (28:7). Ordinances are God’s rulings or decrees. God later repeated this same condition to Solomon directly (1 Kings 9:4-5). A psalm records God’s oath to David in the same way: David’s sons would sit on his throne if they kept God’s covenant, His binding promise-relationship with them (Psalm 132:11-12). David had also charged Solomon to keep God’s ways so that God’s promise would be fulfilled (1 Kings 2:3-4).
- 1 Chronicles 28:7 (BSB)“I will establish his kingdom forever, if he resolutely carries out My commandments and ordinances, as is being done this day.’”God’s promise to establish Solomon’s kingdom is tied to his obedience.
- 1 Kings 9:4-5 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”God repeats to Solomon that his throne will be established if he obeys.
- Psalm 132:11-12 (BSB)“The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne. If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.””The oath to David links his sons’ throne to keeping God’s covenant.
- 1 Kings 2:3-4 (BSB)“And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn, and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”David charges Solomon to obey so that God’s promise will be fulfilled.
Theological
What condition accompanies the promise to establish Solomon’s kingdom in 28:7?
Answer: That Solomon would firmly keep God’s commands and rulings
The promise to establish Solomon’s kingdom forever is joined to a condition: that he steadfastly obey God’s commands and ordinances, as he was then doing (28:7). The LORD restated this condition to Solomon after the temple’s dedication (1 Kings 9:4-5), Psalm 132:11-12 frames the oath to David the same way, and David’s deathbed charge urged Solomon to keep the Law so that the promise would be fulfilled (1 Kings 2:3-4).
- 1 Chronicles 28:7 (BSB)“I will establish his kingdom forever, if he resolutely carries out My commandments and ordinances, as is being done this day.’”God’s promise to establish Solomon’s kingdom is tied to his obedience.
- 1 Kings 9:4-5 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”God repeats to Solomon that his throne will be established if he obeys.
- Psalm 132:11-12 (BSB)“The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne. If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.””The oath to David links his sons’ throne to keeping God’s covenant.
- 1 Kings 2:3-4 (BSB)“And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn, and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”David charges Solomon to obey so that God’s promise will be fulfilled.
General
Why did David tell Solomon to serve God with his whole heart and a willing mind (28:9)?
Answer: The LORD examines every heart and knows each motive
David told Solomon to know his father’s God and to serve Him with an undivided heart and a ready mind, because the LORD examines all hearts and grasps the purpose behind every thought (28:9). Outward religion is not enough, since God sees what is inside. When God chose David, He told Samuel that people look at the outside but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). God says He searches the heart and examines the mind (Jeremiah 17:10), and no creature can hide anything from Him (Hebrews 4:13).
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”David charges Solomon to serve God wholeheartedly because God searches every heart.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (BSB)“I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.”The LORD declares that He searches the heart and examines the mind.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing is hidden from God’s sight.
Theological
On what ground does David urge Solomon in 28:9 to serve God wholeheartedly and willingly?
Answer: The LORD examines every heart and knows each motive
David’s charge to know his father’s God and serve Him with an undivided heart and a ready mind rests on God’s complete knowledge: the LORD examines all hearts and grasps the purpose behind every thought (28:9). Knowing God here is personal and covenantal, not merely informational, and service must come from the heart because God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The LORD searches the heart and examines the mind (Jeremiah 17:10), and everything lies exposed before the God who judges (Hebrews 4:13).
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”David charges Solomon to serve God wholeheartedly because God searches every heart.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (BSB)“I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.”The LORD declares that He searches the heart and examines the mind.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing is hidden from God’s sight.
General
Why did God tell David that someone else, not he, must build the house for His Name?
Answer: He had fought many wars and had spilled blood
David told the gathered leaders of Israel that giving the ark a permanent home to rest in had been his heart’s desire, and he had already made preparations for it (28:2). But God had told him he must not build it, because he was a warrior who had spilled blood (28:3). The same word had come to David earlier (1 Chronicles 22:8), and the prophet Nathan had first told him that God’s house would not be built by him (1 Chronicles 17:4). Instead, a son of David whose reign would bring rest would build it (1 Chronicles 22:9). God’s no did not mean God had set David aside: in the very next breath David speaks of the LORD choosing him as king (28:4).
- 1 Chronicles 28:2-3 (BSB)“Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a man of war who has shed blood.’”David tells the leaders of his desire to build and of God’s reason for refusing him.
- 1 Chronicles 22:8 (BSB)“but this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My Name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.”David had earlier reported the same reason God gave him: the blood he had shed.
- 1 Chronicles 17:4 (BSB)““Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell.”Nathan’s message first told David that he would not build God’s house.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9 (BSB)“But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign.”God promised a son, a man of rest, who would build instead.
Theological
What reason did David give the assembly in 28:3 for God’s refusal to let him build the temple?
Answer: He had fought many wars and had spilled blood
David’s desire to give the ark a permanent home was sincere and he had prepared for it (28:2), yet the LORD withheld the task from him because he was a warrior who had spilled blood (28:3). This repeats the word David had already received (1 Chronicles 22:8) and Nathan’s first message that David would not build God’s house (1 Chronicles 17:4). The building was reserved for a son whose reign would be marked by rest (1 Chronicles 22:9). The refusal is not a rejection of David himself, since he immediately rehearses the LORD’s choice of him as king (28:4); God simply assigns each servant his own part in His purpose.
- 1 Chronicles 28:2-3 (BSB)“Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a man of war who has shed blood.’”David tells the leaders of his desire to build and of God’s reason for refusing him.
- 1 Chronicles 22:8 (BSB)“but this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My Name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.”David had earlier reported the same reason God gave him: the blood he had shed.
- 1 Chronicles 17:4 (BSB)““Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell.”Nathan’s message first told David that he would not build God’s house.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9 (BSB)“But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign.”God promised a son, a man of rest, who would build instead.
General
According to David, where did the detailed plans for the temple come from (28:19)?
Answer: The LORD gave them in writing, with His hand on David
David gave Solomon plans for the porch, buildings, storerooms, upper rooms and inner chambers, and the chamber of the mercy seat, which was the gold lid of the ark, the sacred chest that held the tablets of the Law (28:11). The plans covered all David intended for the courts, the divisions of priests and Levites, and how much gold and silver each article required, down to the gold cherubim, winged heavenly beings whose outstretched wings spread over the ark (28:12-18). David said the LORD Himself had made every part of it plain to him in written form, with the LORD’s hand upon him (28:19). In the same way God showed Moses the pattern for the tabernacle (Exodus 25:9, 25:40), and the New Testament explains that the tabernacle built by that pattern was a likeness pointing to heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5).
- 1 Chronicles 28:11-12 (BSB)“Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, storehouses, upper rooms, inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat. The plans contained everything David had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things,”David hands Solomon the plans for the temple and its courts.
- 1 Chronicles 28:19 (BSB)““All this,” said David, “all the details of this plan, the LORD has made clear to me in writing by His hand upon me.””David says the LORD made the whole plan clear to him in writing.
- Exodus 25:9 (BSB)“You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.”God showed Moses the pattern for the tabernacle and its furnishings.
- Exodus 25:40 (BSB)“See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”Moses was to make everything according to the pattern shown him.
- Hebrews 8:5 (BSB)“The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.””The earthly sanctuary was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.
Theological
What source does David claim for the temple plans in 28:19?
Answer: The LORD gave them in writing, with His hand on David
David delivered to Solomon the full design of the temple: portico, buildings, treasuries, and the chamber of the mercy seat (28:11), with everything he intended for the courts, the priestly and Levitical divisions, and the weights of gold and silver for each article, culminating in the golden cherubim over the ark (28:12-18). He attributes the whole plan to the LORD, who made it clear to him in writing, His hand being upon him (28:19). As with Moses, who was to build following the design God revealed (Exodus 25:9, 25:40), the sanctuary’s design came from God’s revelation rather than human invention, and Hebrews calls the sanctuary built by that pattern a likeness pointing to heavenly realities (Hebrews 8:5).
- 1 Chronicles 28:11-12 (BSB)“Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, storehouses, upper rooms, inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat. The plans contained everything David had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things,”David hands Solomon the plans for the temple and its courts.
- 1 Chronicles 28:19 (BSB)““All this,” said David, “all the details of this plan, the LORD has made clear to me in writing by His hand upon me.””David says the LORD made the whole plan clear to him in writing.
- Exodus 25:9 (BSB)“You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.”God showed Moses the pattern for the tabernacle and its furnishings.
- Exodus 25:40 (BSB)“See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”Moses was to make everything according to the pattern shown him.
- Hebrews 8:5 (BSB)“The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.””The earthly sanctuary was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.
General
True or False: David told Solomon that if he sought the LORD, the LORD would let Himself be found, but if he abandoned the LORD, the LORD would reject him forever.
Answer: True
This is true. David told Solomon that if he sought the LORD, God would be found by him, but if he turned away from God, God would reject him forever (28:9). The promise and the warning stand side by side. A prophet later said much the same to King Asa and the people of Judah (2 Chronicles 15:2). God promises that those who search for Him wholeheartedly will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Seeking the LORD is one of the great themes of Chronicles, and David had already urged Solomon to set his heart and soul on it (1 Chronicles 22:19).
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”David sets before Solomon the promise for seeking God and the warning for forsaking Him.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 (BSB)“So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”A prophet gives Asa a matching promise and warning.
- Jeremiah 29:13 (BSB)“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”God promises to be found by those who seek Him with all their heart.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19 (BSB)“Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.””David had already urged Solomon to set his heart on seeking the LORD.
Theological
True or False: In 28:9 David sets before Solomon both a promise for seeking the LORD and a warning of permanent rejection for abandoning Him.
Answer: True
This is true. David sets before Solomon a promise and a warning together: the LORD lets Himself be found by the one who seeks Him, and He will reject forever the one who forsakes Him (28:9). The same pairing reappears in Azariah’s word to Asa (2 Chronicles 15:2), and the promise that God is found by those who seek Him wholeheartedly is echoed in the prophets (Jeremiah 29:13). Seeking the LORD is a central call in Chronicles, already pressed on Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22:19.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”David sets before Solomon the promise for seeking God and the warning for forsaking Him.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 (BSB)“So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”A prophet gives Asa a matching promise and warning.
- Jeremiah 29:13 (BSB)“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”God promises to be found by those who seek Him with all their heart.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19 (BSB)“Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.””David had already urged Solomon to set his heart on seeking the LORD.
General
Out of David’s many sons, what had God said about Solomon (28:5-6)?
Answer: God had chosen him as a son and would be a Father to him
David said the LORD had given him many sons, but God picked Solomon to reign over Israel in the LORD’s kingdom (28:5). God said Solomon would build His house and courts, because God had chosen him as His son and would be his Father (28:6). This repeats the promise God made through Nathan about David’s son (1 Chronicles 17:11-13) and the word David passed on to Solomon himself (1 Chronicles 22:9-10). The New Testament takes up these Father-and-son words and applies them to Jesus, the greater Son of David (Hebrews 1:5).
- 1 Chronicles 28:5-6 (BSB)“And of all my sons—for the LORD has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. And He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him as My son, and I will be his Father.”David reports God’s choice of Solomon and the Father-son promise.
- 1 Chronicles 17:11-13 (BSB)“And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor.”God first promised through Nathan that David’s son would build and be His son.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9-10 (BSB)“But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’”David had told Solomon of this same promise.
- Hebrews 1:5 (BSB)“For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?”Hebrews applies the Father-son promise to Christ.
Theological
What did God declare about Solomon, according to David in 28:5-6?
Answer: God had chosen him as a son and would be a Father to him
Among David’s many sons, the LORD singled out Solomon to reign in the LORD’s kingdom (28:5), and declared that Solomon would build His house because God had chosen him as His son and would be his Father (28:6). This restates the Davidic covenant given through Nathan (1 Chronicles 17:11-13) and repeated to Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:9-10). Hebrews 1:5 applies the Father-son promise to Christ, showing that the covenant reaches its fullness in Him, the true Son of David whom God chose.
- 1 Chronicles 28:5-6 (BSB)“And of all my sons—for the LORD has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. And He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him as My son, and I will be his Father.”David reports God’s choice of Solomon and the Father-son promise.
- 1 Chronicles 17:11-13 (BSB)“And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor.”God first promised through Nathan that David’s son would build and be His son.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9-10 (BSB)“But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’”David had told Solomon of this same promise.
- Hebrews 1:5 (BSB)“For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?”Hebrews applies the Father-son promise to Christ.
General
True or False: David spoke of the throne Solomon would occupy as belonging to the LORD’s kingdom, not merely to David’s family.
Answer: True
This is true. David said God had picked Solomon to reign in a kingdom that belonged to the LORD (28:5). The king of Israel did not own the kingdom; he ruled it on God’s behalf. God had said the same through Nathan, calling both the house and the kingdom His own (1 Chronicles 17:14). When Solomon was made king, the text calls his seat the LORD’s throne (1 Chronicles 29:23), and later the queen of Sheba praised God for giving Solomon His own throne to reign on the LORD’s behalf (2 Chronicles 9:8).
- 1 Chronicles 28:5 (BSB)“And of all my sons—for the LORD has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.”David says Solomon will sit on the throne of the LORD’s kingdom.
- 1 Chronicles 17:14 (BSB)“But I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.””God calls the kingdom His own in His promise about David’s son.
- 1 Chronicles 29:23 (BSB)“So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.”Solomon’s enthronement is described as sitting on the LORD’s throne.
- 2 Chronicles 9:8 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.””The queen of Sheba recognizes that Solomon reigns on God’s throne for Him.
Theological
True or False: In 28:5 David describes the kingdom Solomon would rule as the LORD’s own kingdom.
Answer: True
This is true. Solomon is to reign in a kingdom David calls the LORD’s (28:5): the monarchy is the LORD’s, and the Davidic king reigns as His appointed regent. Nathan’s oracle has God calling the house and kingdom His own (1 Chronicles 17:14); Solomon’s accession is described as taking the LORD’s throne (1 Chronicles 29:23); and the queen of Sheba blesses God for giving Solomon His own throne to reign on His behalf (2 Chronicles 9:8). Israel’s kingship always pointed beyond itself to God’s own reign.
- 1 Chronicles 28:5 (BSB)“And of all my sons—for the LORD has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.”David says Solomon will sit on the throne of the LORD’s kingdom.
- 1 Chronicles 17:14 (BSB)“But I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.””God calls the kingdom His own in His promise about David’s son.
- 1 Chronicles 29:23 (BSB)“So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.”Solomon’s enthronement is described as sitting on the LORD’s throne.
- 2 Chronicles 9:8 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.””The queen of Sheba recognizes that Solomon reigns on God’s throne for Him.