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BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 28, Day 5: 1 Kings 10:14-29; Psalm 72

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

Summary of 1 Kings 10:14-29:

Solomon accumulated gold and shields. He made a huge throne of ivory and gold. Everything was made of gold. He engaged in foreign trade with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons. Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than any other earthly king. Everyone sought his advice and gave him gifts in return. Solomon accumulated chariots and horses, and silver was common in Jerusalem.

Summary of Psalm 72:

David prays for Solomon. He asks God to endow him with justice. The people will prosper. He will defend the afflicted and help the children of the poor. Solomon will endure and be prosperous. All kings will bow to him. May he live long and his name endure forever. Let all nations be blessed by him. Praise to God.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 28, Day 5: 1 Kings 10:14-29; Psalm 72:

12) Part personal Question. My answer. Solomon was just to the people. He judged in righteousness. He defended the afflicted and saved the children of the needy. He lived a long life. He ruled a vast area. The desert tribes bowed before him. He was brought tribute by distant kings. The kings of Sheba and Seba presented him with gifts. All kings will bow down to Solomon and serve him. He rescued the needy. People prayed for him and blessed him. The land was plentiful. His name endures forever. All nations were blessed by him, and they called Solomon blessed. It doesn’t really encourage me to pray. We should be praying for all those lost anyways and for all we know to prosper, for those who are suffering, and for God to show up in lives and bless people.

13) Part personal Question. My answer: When you have great wealth, you have great responsibility.  People want to learn from you, and you are obligated to help them be better people. You also have an obligation to take care of those less fortunate than you — both financially and with your time. My lesson is when you’re successful, you need to help others who are struggling. Share your wealth. Bless others.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 28 Day 5: 1 Kings 10:14-29; Psalm 72:

This shows the power of prayer of parents for their children. King David prayed powerfully for Solomon, and God granted all of David’s requests. Solomon was indeed blessed by God, in part because of David’s faithfulness to God. It also shows the power of God’s blessings when you walk in His ways.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 28, Day 5: 1 Kings 10:14-29; Psalm 72:

Commentary 1 Kings 10:14-29:

This was a vast amount of gold, which came to Solomon yearly. One commentator estimated the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281,318,400. According to the value of gold in 2015, it would be just under $1 billion dollars. This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon, but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666.

The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 13:18). In fact, the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man, and the man may be Solomon. This isn’t to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some strange reincarnation of Solomon.

1 Kings assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. God blessed Solomon with great riches, but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself.

According to Dilday, each large shield was worth about $120,000 ($250,000 at 2015 values). The smaller shields were worth $30,000 ($57,000 at 2015 values). $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields.

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King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom

The promises of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 were fulfilled in his reign: The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow(Deuteronomy 28:12).

There were few military conflicts during the reign of Solomon, yet he still saw the importance of a strong defense. Perhaps there were few military conflicts because Solomon had a strong defense.

Remains of Solomon’s fortress and stables at Megiddo can be seen today.

When we think of Solomon’s great wealth, we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches. He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame. God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame, and God fulfilled His promise.

Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes. He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism. We don’t have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson.

Image result for psalm 72Multiplying horses was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 17:16, which said to the Kings of Israel: But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, “You shall not return that way again.”

Solomon traded in horses with the kings of the Hittites and Syria. Solomon could have used this as an excuse, saying he was not using the horses for himself. Many examples of gross disobedience begin as clever rationalizations.

Commentary Psalm 72:

The title of this Psalm is, A Psalm of Solomon. It is possible to translate the Hebrew here (and in almost all the Psalms which reference an author) as “A Psalm to Solomon,” and some have regarded it as David’s Psalm to and about his son Solomon and his Greater Son the Messiah. Yet, the most natural way to take the title is as it is given, A Psalm of Solomon and that the line about David in 72:20 refers to the collection of Book Two of the Psalms, which is heavy with David’s Psalms, separating it from Book Three, which begins with 11 Psalms authored by Asaph.

It is possible that Solomon complied this second book of the Psalms (Psalms 42-72) and composed this Psalm as a fitting conclusion for the collection of mostly David’s Psalms. It is a fitting conclusion, because it unexpectedly does not focus upon David himself, but on the Messiah – the King of Kings and the Son of David.

“The New Testament nowhere quotes it as Messianic, but this picture of the king and his realm is so close to the prophecies of Isaiah 11:1-5 and Isaiah 60-62 that if those passages are Messianic, so is this.” (Derek Kidner)

“Righteousness dominates this opening, since in Scripture it is the first virtue of government, even before compassion (which is the theme of verses 12-14).” (Kidner)

Sometimes mountains represent human governments in the Bible, and David may have intended this allusion. He had in mind a national government (mountains) that blessed the people and local government (the little hills) that ruled with righteousness. This godly government would accomplish at least three things:

  1. The king and his government will make sure that justice is administered fairly.
  2. The king and his government will rescue those most vulnerable in society.
  3. The king and his government will protect Israel, keeping them free from external domination and from internal corruption.

However, the mountains could stand for something else:

  • Geddes wrote they spoke of messengers placed on a series of mountains or hilltops distributed news through a land.
  • Mollerus wrote that it spoke of the fertility of soil on the mountains.
  • Caryl wrote that it speaks of the safety from robbers who often infested mountain passes.
  • Alexander Maclaren wrote of another sense: “The mountains come into view here simply as being the most prominent features of the land.”

Image result for psalm 72Psalm 72:5-7

  • The answer to the prayer would mean that the people of Israel – the king, his government, and the people – would fear the Lord forever, throughout all generations.
  • The Scriptures often connect the ideas of righteous, just government, and blessing upon the ecology and produce of the land.
  • As God sends such a rich blessing His people would flourish and there would be an abundance of peace (shalom) that will last beyond comprehension (until the moon is no more).
  • In a greater sense, it points to Jesus alone. The connection between the righteous and peace reminds us of Melchizedek, the One who was and is both the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace (Hebrews 7:1-3).
  • To oppose the King with such a great dominion meant certain defeat. His enemies would be brought low in a way associated with the curse upon The Enemy in Genesis 3:14-15.

“Bear in mind that it was a custom with many nations that, when individuals approached their kings, they kissed the earth, and prostrated their whole body before them. This was the custom especially throughout Asia.” (LeBlanc, cited in Spurgeon)

All kings shall fall down was prophesied in a beautiful word from the prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 7, which had in mind both David’s immediate son and successor (Solomon) and David’s ultimate Son and Successor (Jesus the Messiah). Both were in view in 2 Samuel 7:11-16, and both are in view in Psalm 72. The fulfillment in Solomon’s day is described in 1 Kings 10:23-25

“The distant nations are the kings of the ‘distant shores’ (72:10): Tarshish (cf. Psalm 48:7), Sheba (modern Yemen), and Seba (an African nation: cf. Genesis 10:7; Isaiah 43:3; 45:14

“Tarshish may have been Tartessus in Spain; it was in any case a name associated with long voyages; likewise the isles or ‘coastlands’ were synonymous with the ends of the earth: see, e.g. Isaiah 42:10.” (Kidner)

Psalm 72:12-14

  • The justice and righteousness David prayed for and aspired to regarding Solomon’s reign (Psalm 72:1-4) will be perfectly fulfilled in the Greater King.
  • “The king is represented in Psalms 72:14 as taking on himself the office of Goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, and ransoming his subjects’ lives from ‘deceit and violence.’” (Maclaren)

Blessed as it was, Solomon’s own reign did not live up to this fully. After his death they complained of his oppression (1 Kings 12:4). “Solomon continues to speak more wisely than he was ever to act.” (Kidner)

The lives of the poor and needy are often considered to be of little value. The Messiah, the Greater King, will regard their life as precious. This is especially meaningful when we consider the cheap regard for life outside and before the world influenced by Christianity.

Image result for animals of the biblePsalm 72:15-17

Commentators debate verses 15-17 if the He spoken of here refers to the ransomed man of the previous lines or of the King who ransomed him. Since the previous lines speak of a multitude redeemed and this He speaks of One, and because the following lines fit much better with the King, we regard He shall live as both a wish and a declaration for the King.

“How little this might mean is obvious from the address, ‘O king, live forever’, in the book of Daniel; yet also how much, can be seen from the Messianic prophecies and from the way these were understood in New Testament times.” (Kidner)

The Greater King would receive gifts and honor and praise. He would bestow great blessing on the earth (an abundance of grain in the earth) and upon His people (those of the city shall flourish).

“Gold, grain, and fruit were ancient measures of prosperity. So this is a way of saying that under the reign of Jesus there will be prosperity of every conceivable kind.” (Boice)

David recognized that this King of Kings was not only the fulfillment of the promise made to him in 2 Samuel 7:11-16. It was also the fulfillment of the great promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3: In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Themes of Psalm 72

Psalm 72 speaks powerfully of the kingdom of the King of Kings and speaks of it in terms of His personal rule, not ruling through an institution such as the Church. “In this Psalm, at least, we see a personal monarch, and he is the central figure, the focus of all the glory; not his servant, but himself do we see possessing the dominion and dispensing the government. Personal pronouns referring to our great King are constantly occurring in this Psalm; he has dominion, kings fall down before him,: and serve him; for he delivers; he spares, he saves, he lives, and daily is he praised.” (Spurgeon)

There is also a tragedy in this Psalm. As high as it soars with the concept of the king and his reign, we remember the sad disappointment of how quickly the monarchy in Israel declined after Solomon. There were certainly some good kings after Solomon, but the glory of the kingdom went from Solomon’s gold (1 Kings 10:16-17) to Rehoboam’s bronze (1 Kings 14:25-28) in only about five years.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 25, Day 3: Proverbs 14 and 16

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

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Summary Proverbs 14:

Here we see words about being wise. Think about your ways. The good man will be rewarded. A wise man fears the Lord. Those who are kind to the needy are blessed. Hard work pays off. Fear of the Lord leads to life. You’ll live longer if you’re wise.

Summary Proverbs 16:

Motives matter to God. Commit to God. God works out everything. You’ll avoid evil if you fear the Lord. Be honest. Trust God, and you’ll be blessed. Be patient. Speak pleasant words.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 25, Day 3: Proverbs 14 and 16:

6) Part personal Question. My answer: The wise build their own house, think about their ways, fear the Lord and shuns evil, and gain knowledge. Thinking about my ways.

7) Part personal Question. My answer: God desires us to have fear of Him, so we can have wisdom, and He’ll be our secure fortress. God is just for He brings down the wicked. God wants us to be kind, think about our ways, and to grow in wisdom with Him. Cultivating wisdom is hard work, and it’s easier to be evil in a sense. I need to be better at going out of my way to be kind to others and think about my ways.

8 ) Part personal Question. My answer: Honesty is valued. Pleasant words are instructive, sweet to the soul of the other person. Our wisdom is shown by what we speak, and by the control we have over the words that come from our mouth.Gossip separates close friends. I need to speak more words that flow from the honeycomb and be more instructive with them.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 25 Day 3: Proverbs 14 and 16:

There is always so much packed into a chapter of Proverbs that it’s hard to take it all in. Proverbs is meant to be read slowly and in small, digestible pieces. It’s hard when we have to cover two chapters to digest it all.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 25, Day 3: Proverbs 14 and 16:

Commentary Proverbs 14:

This is all about the contrast between wisdom and folly.

Wisdom builds; foolish tear down.

The fool deserves the rod of correction (Proverbs 10:13), which is made of the fool’s pride and comes from his own mouth.

Proverbs 14:4: Upheaval and a mess to clear up is the price of growth.

A witness does not lie.

Proverbs 14:6: Scoffer – someone whose pursuit of wisdom and the truth is cynical and superficial.

Proverbs 14:7:  “One cannot increase in knowledge by associating with a fool—nothing comes from nothing.” (Ross)

Proverbs 14:9: Fools mock sin because they don’t fear the LORD (Proverbs 1:29 and 8:13)

Proverbs 14:10: Joys that you have to understand personally, according to Spurgeon:

  • The joy of sin forgiven.
  • The joy of sin conquered.
  • The joy of restored relationship with God.
  • The joy of accepted service.
  • The joy of answered prayer.
  • The joy of usefulness for God.
  • The joy of peace in time of trouble.
  • Highest of all: the joy of communion with God.

Proverbs 14:11: The tent is literally a tent. “The tent is by no means used for any kind of dwelling but refers to a nomadic tent. It is a bell tent, supported in the middle by a wooden pole and composed of several dark, goatskin curtains. It was fastened down to pegs with cords.” (Waltke)

Proverbs 14:12: The way is the path of life a man or woman walks upon. Solomon observed that this way often seems right to a man. However, it can be the way of death. To really know if we are on the way of life (instead of the way of death), we need to fear the LORD and receive His wisdom, especially as revealed in His word.

Image result for proverbs 14The principle of this proverb is so important that God repeated it again at Proverbs 16:25

Proverbs 14:14: The backslider slips in obedience to God.

Proverbs 14:19:  “The Egyptians and Joseph’s brothers bowed before Joseph. The proud Pharaoh and his people bowed before Moses. The saints will judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2).” (Bridges)

Proverbs 14:20: Poor people don’t have many friends; rich people do. This proverb is an example of just a fact of life.

Proverbs 14:22: Plan good, not evil.

Proverbs 14:23: Hard work is rewarded.

Proverbs 14:25: Truth brings light, freedom, blessing, and God.

Proverbs 14:30: When we are sound on the inside, we’re healthy on the outside. Envy corrupts us from within and poisons other aspects of life.

Proverbs 14:31: To oppress the poor is a direct sin against God.

Proverbs 14:32: Righteous go to heaven (with Jesus as accepted Savior).

Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness is to follow God’s will and God’s way.

Proverbs 14:35: The king favours an able minister; his anger is for the incompetent.

Commentary Proverbs 16:

Proverbs 16:1:  “A somewhat obscure proverb which recognizes that man has to exercise his own reason in making his plans, but that he is dependent on the Lord for the answer of the tongue.” (Morgan)

Proverbs 16:3: Solomon tells us to first commit our works, then trust that our thoughts and plans will be established. We usually think of this in reverse.

Proverbs 16:6:  God’s mercy prompted the great sacrifice of Jesus Messiah on the cross, and His truth made it necessary to make atonement in a way that honored the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 16:9: We plan as we can and should, but we should never think our ability to plan makes us lord over our lives. It is the LORD who directs our steps.

Proverbs 16:11: Fair and honest business is God’s business.  “Balance [weights] refers to a stationary balance with beams and bolts, and scale (see Proverbs 11:1) possibly refers to the hand-held balance.” (Waltke)

Image result for proverbs 16Proverbs 16:13: Kings need to hear honesty and wisdom.

Proverbs 16:14: Kings can put people to death when angry, but wisdom will help us to have the right reaction.

Proverbs 16:15: The welcome and approval of a king is like life-giving rain, especially the latter rain which ensured a good harvest.

Proverbs 16:18: God hates pride.

Proverbs 16:20: Obedience to God brings good.

Proverbs 16:21: True wisdom is demonstrated in life. Wise teachers choose their words carefully and in so doing enhance the learning experience for their students.

Proverbs 16:23: Our wisdom is shown by what we speak, and by the control we have over the words that come from our mouth.

Proverbs 16:24: “Jonathan’s eyes brightened when he ate the honeycomb (1 Samuel 14:27); such is the uplifting effect of pleasant words.” (Ross)

Proverbs 16:25: The repetition of this proverb (also at Proverbs 14:12) emphasizes its importance.

Proverbs 16:26: Hunger makes a man work hard.

Proverbs 16:27: An evil man spreads evil.

Proverbs 16:28: Whisperer denotes a malicious gossip.

Proverbs 16:30: Evil men don’t take evil seriously.Image result for proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:31: Value the wisdom of old age of those who walk in righteousness.

Proverbs 16:32: Under God’s wisdom and strength, to rule one’s own spirit is a greater accomplishment than to conquer a city. This is a powerful victory because you have to fight Satan with your own hands.

The Roman emperor Valentinian on his deathbed, that among all his victories one only comforted him:  “I have overcome my worst enemy, mine own naughty heart.”

Proverbs 16:33: To cast the lot was to use some tool of chance to make a choice. The lot was used to divide the land of Israel among the tribes (Numbers 26:55, Joshua 14:2) and to arrange the workers for the temple (1 Chronicles 24:5). The disciples used lots to fill the vacancy left by Judas (Acts 1:26).

To cast the lot was a way to commit the decision to God, and when we commit our decisions to Him, God guides us (Proverbs 3:5-6)

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 23, Day 4: 1 Chronicles 22:1-19; 29:1-20

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

Image result for 1 chronicles 22

Summary 1 Chronicles 22:1-19:

David helps prepare to build the temple. He gathers stonecutters to dress stone; he gathered iron, bronze, and cedar logs. He tells the leaders of Israel to help his son, Solomon, build the temple.

Summary 1 Chronicles 29:1-20:

David gives a speech to the people to help him build the temple, announcing all he has given and he gives more to the building of the temple. More people gave riches to help build the temple. David praises God, saying all of this is His anyways and prays Solomon stays devoted to God’s decrees and for him to build the temple.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 23, Day 4: 1 Chronicles 22:1-19; 29:1-20:

9) Personal Question. My answer: David prayed that Solomon would wholeheartedly “keep God’s commandments, requirements, and degrees and to do everything to build God’s temple.” He prayed for Solomon to keep God’s laws, be strong and courageous, and not to afraid or discouraged. I pray for all I know to walk in Jesus’s ways and light. Praying to not be discouraged is important for all of us because we all are beaten down by the sins of this world.

10) David did all he could to help Solomon prepare to make God’s temple before he died. David prayed his thanks and acknowledged that everything came from God. He gave of his own treasures and led by example in this way.

11) David gives over and above everything he has already given. I need to be better at not just giving the minimum too.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 23 Day 4: 1 Chronicles 22:1-19; 29:1-20:

David shines in these passages as the man after God’s own heart. He is concerned in his last days that all is ready for the temple to be built by his son. He does all he can. He gives over and above. He prays for his son. He does everything. Great example of how we should be always, but especially at the end of our lives — making sure our legacy (kids) are set up for success when we depart this world.

Link to great book of Kings summary video HERE

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 23, Day 4: 1 Chronicles 22:1-19; 29:1-20:

Commentary 1 Chronicles 22:1-19:

1 Kings 5:15-18 describes how these Gentiles were actually put to work in the building of the temple in Solomon’s day, some 70,000 slaves.

The cedar trees of Lebanon were legendary for their excellent timber. This means David (and Solomon after him) wanted to build the temple out of the best materials possible.

This great temple to God would be built with “Gentile” wood and using “Gentile” labor. This temple was not only for Israel. Only Jews built the tabernacle, “But the temple is not built without the aid of the Gentile Tyrians. They, together with us, make up the Church of God.” (Trapp)

“The king’s provision of ‘a large amount of iron’ reflects how conditions had changed during his time – known archaeologically as Iron I – due, no doubt, to the incorporation of iron-producing Philistines within the sphere of Hebrew control.” Payne

David’s excitement over the temple

Solomon had the same vision for the glory of the temple, and he indeed built it according to David’s vision of a magnificent, famous, and glorious building. Solomon had this vision breathed into him through his father’s influence.

  • We can almost picture the old David and the young Solomon pouring over the plans and ideas for the temple together with excitement. David knew that it was not his place to build it but had the right vision for what the temple should be in general terms, and he passed that vision on to his son.

David was a peace with the idea that he himself could not build the temple and was content to prepare the way for his son to build it successfully.

Solomon building the temple was a sacred charge for him to fulfill. David knew that he could not fulfill this last great work of his life himself; he could only do it through Solomon. There was a sense in which if Solomon failed, David failed also.

Image result for 1 chronicles 22This explanation was not previously recorded, either in 2 Samuel or in 1 Chronicles. Here we find one of the reasons why God did not want David to build the temple, and why He chose Solomon instead. God wanted a man of rest and peace to build a house unto Him.

  • It wasn’t that David’s wars were wrong or ungodly, or that the blood he shed was unrighteous. It was that God wanted His house built from the context of peace and rest and victory; He wanted it to be built after and from the victory, not from the midst of struggle.

“The church (whereof the temple was a manifest and a illustrious type) should be built by Christ, the Prince of peace, Isaiah 9:6; and that it should be gathered and built up, not by might or power, or by force of arms, but by God’s Spirit, Zechariah 4:6.” (Poole)

The temple — Solomon’s greatest achievement

David knew that Solomon could not be strong or courageous without obedient fellowship with God.

God promised David that as long as his sons walked in obedience, they would keep the throne of Israel (1 Kings 2:1-4).

No matter what the Assyrians or the Egyptians or the Babylonians did, as long as David’s sons were obedient and followed God with their heart and with all their soul, God would establish their kingdom. He would take care of the rest.

David took seriously his mission to prepare the way by bringing both security and treasure to Israel and his successor Solomon. With these two resources he could build the house of the LORD.

  • The Bible tells us that Jesus – the greater Son of David – is also building a temple (Ephesians 2:19-22). He has prepared the building materials (his people.)

This is an enormous amount of gold. Some Bible commentators believe this large number is accurate and some feel it is a scribal error. Either way, David clearly amassed significant resources for a temple he would never build and told Solomon to receive these enormous resources and add to them.

David made all the preparation, but it was in vain if Solomon did not begin working.

David prepares the way for the Temple

David is an example of someone who works in the background, who receives none or little credit for his work, but the job cannot be done without him.

  • David gathered the materials for the temple.
  • David prepared some of those materials.
  • David won the peace with surrounding nations that Israel needed to build the temple.
  • David found and purchased the site to build the temple.
  • David established the plans for the temple.
  • David organized and commanded the administration and servants of the temple.

No one calls it “David’s temple.” It seems that all the credit, all the name, all the glory goes to Solomon. It didn’t bother David because he was a man after God’s heart — it was all about God — and always would be.

David knew that one leader was not enough to get a great work done. When God calls a leader, He also calls other to help.

“Thus Solomon came to the Jewish throne with every possible advantage. Had he made a proper use of his state and of his talents, he would have been the greatest as well as the wisest of sovereigns. But alas! How soon did this pure gold become dim! He began with an unlawful matrimonial connection; this led him to a commerce that was positively forbidden by the law of God: he then multiplied his matrimonial connections with pagan women; they turned his heart away from God, and the once wise and holy Solomon died a fool and an idolater.” (Clarke)

“The work is everlasting, though the workmen die. We pass away, as star by star grows dim; but the eternal light is never-fading. God shall have the victory.” (Spurgeon)

Commentary 1 Chronicles 29:1-20:

Before a great God there are no small works; everything should be done for the glory of God (Colossians 3:22)

David gave all he gave because he loved the house of God. We naturally give to and support that which we love. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

David specifically used the phrase house of my God to emphasize the personal connection; this was more personal than saying merely the house of God.

Why did the Israelites need to give to God?

  • Giving to God is a way to consecrate yourself to God.

“The king’s appeal for each giver to ‘consecrate himself’ reads literally ‘to fill his hand.’ This was a technical phrase used to describe ordination to the priesthood; and Scripture, significantly, places the act of giving on this same level of devotion.

The generous giving made David rejoice and praise God. It wasn’t for the sake of the wealth itself, but because it demonstrated that the hearts of the people were really interested in God and in His house. Cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Image result for 1 chronicles 29FUN FACT: This is the first time in the Bible that God is addressed directly as a Father over His people.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray beginning with this phrase, our Father (Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus may have had this passage in mind when teaching His disciples about prayer.

“This verse supplies the conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer: ‘For thine is the kingdom’ (Matthew 6:13, KJV

Gifts from God

David knew that both the ability and the heart to give were themselves gifts from God. He was actually humbled by having such a heart to give, both in himself and in the people of Israel as a group.  And keeping God’s commandments would be the key.