David's Charge
Notes
Transcript
1 Chronicles 28
1 Chronicles 28
David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors. Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’ Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.
These are some of the last words from King David before he dies. He has made preparations for the temple and God has appointed Solomon his son to build it. David leaves them with these words; observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord. They are to not only do what the law says but they are to seek it out. What this means is to be intentionally devoted to God and the things of God.
The question I want to ask you is do you intentionally seek out the things of God? Stumbling into this podcast or having a verse of the day notification pop up and you read it sometimes does not count. We must seek out God and encounters with him through his word. Seeking out an encounter with God can be compared to seeking out an encounter with a wild lion. It is highly likely that I will encounter a wild lion here in my office in the middle of a town in the middle of the United States. If I want to have an encounter with a wild lion I am going to go to the Serengeti in Africa. If I want to encounter God, I am best suited to go to his word, and go to prayer, and go to church. Though encounters with God can happen anywhere because he is everywhere, if we are to seek him out for us to see him that is where we need to look. Though there might be micro organisms in my yard I will more quickly go to a microscope because that is where I can see them most clearly.
We need to listen to the call of David because this call is to the people of God. Though it was in a different time there is still much value for us to heed this same charge.
