July 16th

By Randall L. Broad

Read: 1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14

Today in the reading from the Old Testament, we discover a foreshadowing of God’s grand design for the universe. In 1 Chronicles we are reading about the last days of David, arguably one of God’s favorite Old Testament servants. Yet near the end of his days, he wants only to build a temple for his God who has brought him through so much, who never forsook him even in his struggle and sin. In this passage he is giving instructions to his son, Solomon who will be king after him.

⁸ “But the Lord said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. ⁹ But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. ¹⁰ He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

1 Chronicles 22:8-10

God in his infinite wisdom has chosen a king who would build his temple and rule over an earthly kingdom of unparalleled riches and peace. God would watch over this kingdom and this king. He would be a man of peace to build a Temple to honor my name (v. 8). This language is very important here; it is to be a place of worship where the descendants of Abraham and David honor the name of the Lord. But the ultimate goal is to secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever (v. 10). This is accomplished first under the wise leadership of Solomon and ultimately through the coming of the Messiah. In between are struggles and trials; captivity and conquest; the earthly kingdom nor the temple will endure forever. However all these events were necessary to prepare for the coming of the Word, the King who would sit upon the throne of God’s true Kingdom … and like Solomon Jesus had to be free of the blood of humanity (i.e. sin). He had to be a man of peace, of infinite wisdom, and the Son of God.    

Jesus did not come to rule over an earthly kingdom, but rather a heavenly one and he ultimately extended the covenant relationship we read about today from the descendants’ of Abraham to the sons of all nations. That is to say the covenant relationship we will honor his name and he will be our Father. You could make an argument David already understood this as he instructs his son today. We find countless prophecies of this relationship in the psalms and prayers of David. We also find the paternal theology of God. When God tells David, Solomon will be my son and I will be his Father, he is making a bond with every Israelite that will follow David and prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. Later, that covenant will be extended to all humanity through the cross. We stand in the shadow of that relationship with Him today.

Walk with the Lord …

Ephesians 1:17

(RLB230716)

© Copyright 2017: Randall L. Broad

Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad. It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university, church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.