WE shall have something to say by-and-by about the workmen, so we pass it over now, only just reminding you that though gifts for service were given by Christ in His ascension glory, provision was made for it in His humiliation (see Eph. 4.). “He ascended up on high,” but, says the Spirit of God:
“He that ascended is the same that also descended first into the lower parts of the earth.”
He that ascended and gave was the same also that descended and procured. David provided the workmen, and Solomon employed them.
“David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
“Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath He not given you rest on every side? for He hath given the inhabitants of the land into my hand”; ―(not “into yours,” that is very striking); “and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before His people.
“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise, therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord” (1 Chron. 22:17-1917David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people. 19Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord. (1 Chronicles 22:17‑19)).
Here it is not simply example, but commandment. “David commanded.” So it is the will of the Lord Jesus Christ that we should be fellow-workers with Himself, after His own example, in laying ourselves out for the same object that He had in view, which is God’s ultimate and eternal glory in the salvation and building together of precious souls. David commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, “Is not the Lord your God with you?” “Hath He not given you rest on every side?” If you have not His presence with you, seek it.
Christ before He gave the gifts, led captivity captive. So here David says
“The land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise, therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God.”
When David fixes the site he says, “This is the house of the Lord God”; but when he speaks to the people here he says, “Arise, therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God.” And that is just how God put it in giving orders for the tabernacle in the wilderness. “Let them build Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” It is not simply a habitation for God, though that is important; but if God dwells in a house it must be a sanctuary, it must be a holy place, for “holiness becometh God’s house forever.” Further―
“to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house of the Lord that is to be built to the name of the Lord.”
His own proper place in connection with the various services of the house of God.
We will now pass on to chapter 28:
“And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and the captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.”
Read also chapter 29:
“Furthermore, David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom God alone hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.”
There is first a house mentioned, then a sanctuary, then a palace. What honorable, striking, significant terms! “We are builded together for a habitation of God,” so it must be a holy place, and it must be worthy of God Himself―a palace, a royal abode. We must not suppose anything will do for God. I am not speaking about the external structure.
“Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God.” Oh, how sweet that word, “my God.” How it reminds us of the language of the Lord Jesus, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God”; and in the third of Revelation, how He dwells upon it:
“I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God.”
And so here it is “a house for my God.” Put those terms together―a “house for God,” a “sanctuary,” a “palace,” and a “house for my God.” No wonder you get his might thrown into it.
“Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones and stones to be set, glistening stones, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.” (Compare 1 Cor. 3:1212Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (1 Corinthians 3:12).)
In the third verse there are certain additions:
“Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.”
First he said, “I have prepared with all my might.” Then he says, “I have set my affection on the house of my God.” There is not only the “work of faith,” but there is the “labor of love.”
How striking every word is! David was not content to empty the exchequer of the kingdom, if I may so express it, into the treasury of the Lord’s house, but he must then throw in his own private property over and above. The work of faith will lead to large contributions, but love leads one to impoverish himself.
We remark, again, when it was “with all his might for the house of his God,” it was gold and silver and other things “in abundance.” Now over and above this, he gives “even three thousand talents of gold (in value ₤164,455) of the gold of Ophir.” Love not only provides richly, but provides the very best. It is” gold of Ophir” now, because he has set his affection upon the house of his God. “And seven thousand talents of refined silver.” How very striking those little changes are when it comes to a question of affection! Affection not only does with its might, but it does its very best―nothing too good. If it is gold, it must be the “gold of Ophir;” if it is silver, it must be “refined silver.”