Introduction
Gill, in his commentary, gives us a useful summary of this chapter.
‘In this chapter, we read of the place David pitched upon by divine direction for building the temple on, 1 Chronicles 22:1, the preparation he made of artificers to build it, and of matter to build it of as iron, brass, and wood, 1 Chronicles 22:2, the charge and instructions he gave to Solomon to set about it, 1 Chronicles 22:6 and to the princes of Israel to assist him in it, 1 Chronicles 22:7.’
Preparations For The Temple
‘Then David said, “The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David. David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.’ 1 Chronicles 22:1-5
The remainder of this book is more or less devoted to a discussion of David’s extensive preparations to build the temple. The temple was going to be built on the land that David bought from Araunah for his personal sacrifice for the sin he committed in numbering Israel.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There is no parallel elsewhere for what is given in this chapter, aside from obvious references to the Law of Moses, to Joshua and Nathan’s prophecy delivered to David in 2 Samuel 7.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The double miracle, that of the angelic appearance and that of the fire from heaven had convinced David that here he had found the destined site of that “house” which it had been told him that his son should build, 1 Chronicles 22:10. Hence, this public announcement.’
This was the very place called, ‘one of the mountains of Moriah,’ upon which Abraham prepared to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, Genesis 22:22, as confirmed by our Chronicler in 2 Chronicles 3:1. Today it is occupied by the Dome of the Rock Mosque.’
The foreigners mentioned here are those Canaanites whom the Israelites had conquered and put them under forced labour, 2 Chronicles 2:17 / 2 Chronicles 8:7-10 / 2 Samuel 20:24. David then proceeded to gather a huge amount of materials which was going to be used to build the temple.
God’s temple was to be magnificent, famous and glorious, it appears that David wants a temple built which was better than any other temple the pagans had built. This would also send a powerful message out to all the other nations, that God was the only one true God.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The exact age of Solomon at this time is uncertain but it cannot have been more than 24 or 25. It may have been as little as 14 or 15, 1 Kings 2:2.’
‘Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. But this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant 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.’ “Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would. May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.” 1 Chronicles 22:6-16
Before David died he designated Solomon as his successor. The reason for this was simply to stop any rivalry between the sons of David after his death.
Once Solomon was anointed as David’s successor before he died, David could watch the behaviour of the other sons in reference to them accepting Solomon as their king.
Notice that David admits that the building of the temple wasn’t God’s idea but his. Building a temple was never a part of God’s plan and so, God allowed the building of the temple but claimed the temple after it was built.
The reason David wasn’t allowed to build the temple was because he shed too much blood, 2 Samuel 8:2 / 2 Samuel 8:5 / 2 Samuel 10:18 / 2 Samuel 12:31 / 1 Kings 11:16. This task was left to Solomon, a king who inherited a kingdom of peace from his father.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The words used here in 1 Chronicles 22:9, show that David was referring to the words of God through Nathan, 2 Samuel 7:12-14. Yes, God promised that son, all right, but David failed to understand what God said about WHEN that son would be born. It would not happen during David’s lifetime, but when thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, 2 Samuel 7:12.
Furthermore, the kingdom of that son would be established after David, 2 Samuel 7:12, but Solomon’s kingdom was established during David’s lifetime. Solomon was made king before David’s death, 1 Kings 1:32-40 / 1 Chronicles 23:1, there was a co-regency of four years.’
It is a mistake to read these words as revealing the name that God Himself gave to that Great One who would build David a house. This clause is the word of David, not the Word of God. God indeed gave Solomon a name, but that name was Jedidah, 2 Samuel 12:25. God certainly didn’t name Solomon twice!
The word of the Lord came not by Nathan, 1 Chronicles 17:4-15, but on some other occasion, 1 Chronicles 28:3. The words, ‘He will be my son, and I will be his father’ are quoted in 2 Samuel 12:14 / 2 Samuel 7:13 and is applied to Christ, Hebrews 1:5.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The significance here is the reference to the Law of God through Moses, a reference to Exodus 20:1, and the direct quotations from Exodus 3:4 and Joshua 1:6-9 and Deuteronomy 31:24, thus providing incontrovertible evidence of the prior existence of the Pentateuch long centuries prior to the discovery of that allegedly ‘false document’ in the reign of Josiah.’
David refers to the multiple troubles of his reign, which had prevented him from accumulating very much treasure. Israel was equipped with many killed workers, stonecutters, masons, carpenters, gold and silver workers and ironworkers.
‘Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, “Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the LORD and to his people. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 22:17-19
Solomon had no building skills whatsoever and so, David enlists the help of the leaders to help Solomon.
They would help Solomon with their advice, and with their purses, and by overlooking the workmen, directing and encouraging them.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following.
‘They are to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, which was now in a tent of David’s erecting and pitching, and the holy vessels of God, which were in the tabernacle at Gibeon, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord, so that they might be together, and made use of, which in times past had been separated, and much neglected.’