Solomon - David's Desire to Build the Temple, and Solomon's Role

In II Samuel 7:1-3 David presents his desire to build God a house of cedar to Nathan the prophet so that God would be consulted and His holy will accomplishe. David wanted to build a temple that would be "exceeding magnifical, of fame, and of glory throughout all countries." I Chronicles 22:5 At first Nathan thinks this is a good idea and he tells David that "the Lord is with thee." II Samuel 7:3 After Nathan leaves Jesus talks to Nathan and give him a message to give to David. Jesus states that David was not to build the temple but his child, through his bowels, would be the one to build the temple. II Samuel 7:4-17. David then worships God and shares the burdens of his heart about how grateful he was that God would be willing to work with his, and his descendants. David also expresses his gratitude for the mercies and graces of God and asks God to bless his house and preserve it forever. II Samuel 7:18-29 This particular incident happens some time before David’s experience with Bathsheeba and the subsequent terrible events of David’s life. The story of David and Bathsheeba happen in II Samuel 11.

David must have been concerned who would be the son to follow him and reign over Israel. He must have had some awareness of the defects of his sons and we can assume that he prayed to Jesus about these issues. After the Bathsheeba incident, and the subsequent judgments were started, it must have been an interesting experience for David to see the special tokens of love given to Solomon because Scripture says "and the Lord loved him." II Samuel 12:24 In II Samuel 12:25 Scripture records that through Nathan the prophet when Jesus gave Solomon the name Jedidiah- Beloved of the Lord, David must have felt some of the love and forgiveness of the Lord that He would take such an interest in David and his family.

In a parallel story in I Chronicles 22:1-13 David speaks to Solomon about his desires and how he interpreted the counsel of Jesus through Nathan the prophet (II Samuel 7:1-3 and I Chronicles 17:1-27). In this section of Scripture David tells Solomon about what Jesus had promised Him and how he had prepared for the building of the temple even though he, David, would not build it but one of his sons would do the actual work. What a mighty testimony that David gave that he would not try to manipulate Jesus into allowing him to build the temple but would accept the decisions of Jesus gracefully and as a Christian gentleman, and trust that Jesus would do what was best for David, his descendents, and for the will of God.

In I Chronicles 22:7-10 David tells that it was his desire to build the temple but Jesus explains to him that he, David, was a man of wars and he had shed blood abundantly, thus not giving the testimony that he was a man of rest and peace. But Jesus promises that David would have a son who would be a man of rest and that Jesus would give this son of David rest from his enemies round about. In I Chronicles 22:9 the Bible conveys the idea that God may have given David the name to call his son – Solomon – Peace. It appears that Jesus wanted to communicate a large message to His people that God wants peace and rest for His people, not blood shed and war.
David then reiterates that the Lord wanted Solomon to build this temple and that the Lord would give Solomon wisdom and understanding concerning Israel and the law of the Lord thy God. David encourages Solomon and tells him that he will prosper if he is willing to fulfill the statutes and judgments which Moses had been given.

After this series of stories David explains to Solomon that he, David, had prepared in many ways to build the Lord’s temple. David had accumulated a hundred thousand talents of gold for the temple. David had also accumulated a thousand thousand talents of sliver, and brass and iron without weight. He had also gathered much stone, timber, and workman. I Chronicles 22:14-16. David also had developed the pattern/blueprints of the Temple that had been given to him by the Spirit of God. I Chronicles 28:11-19. This pattern was very similar to the pattern given to Moses on Mt. Sinai as he talked with Jesus about how to build the wilderness tabernacle for Jesus. Exodus 25:8-9,40 "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." This tabernacle pattern is also referred to regarding the differences between the tabernacle made by Moses after the pattern of the tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. Hebrews 8:1-5.

After David finishes his recounting of the materials and the blueprint, David then encourages Solomon to build this sanctuary to the Lord Jesus. It is his calling, Jesus especially named him for the job, and that he could do it if he will rest in the care of the Lord, and be obedient to His laws and instructions. "And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord." I Chronicles 28:20. This counsel was given to Solomon, it is a basic repetition of what God instructed Joshua in Joshua 1:1-9. These promises, given to these men of God, are promises for all of God’s people who will hear the voice of God calling each one of us to do His holy will. What Jesus did through Joshua, and David, and Solomon, He will gladly do to us as well. This is the promise of the story of Solomon and how David prepared the way for his son to accomplish this great task for Jesus his Lord and Saviour.