His Whisperings – Page 57 – Inspired by His Word

Psalm 132:13-18 Zion (Jerusalem) is chosen and blessed by God

Posted on March 15, 2008 by Janice D. GreenMarch 15, 2008

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion,
     he has desired it for his dwelling:
14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
     here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it–
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
     her poor will I satisfy with food.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
     and her saints will ever sing for joy.

17 “Here I will make a horn grow for David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

Psalm 132:13-18 (NIV)

OK, now. This selection starts off with the LORD having chosen “Zion” as his dwelling place. I’ll have to admit that I’ve sung songs like “We’re Marching to Zion” and I’ve always had this warm fuzzy feeling when I heard the name, but today I had to look it up. Zion is often used as another name for Jerusalem which has also been called the City of David. More specifically it refers to a hill in Jerusalem, the highest point, which is considered to be the most holy place in Jerusalem. Zion is also referred to as heaven by many.

God has pronounced his blessings on Zion, declaring her (he uses feminine pronouns for Zion) to be his resting place forever. He has promised to bless and provide for her and her priests and saints forever.

God promises a “horn” which will grow for David. Fortunately for me, I read the footnotes on the word horn long ago and learned that whenever it is used it is referring to strength. These verses are referring not only to David’s son, Solomon, but they refer to Jesus Christ as well, the Most Holy descendent of David.

We mustn’t read these verses without recognizing the validity of the hand of God. Jerusalem has been the center of the Jewish faith from the time of King David. It was the center of the Jewish religion when Jesus walked this earth. It was the location where Jesus’ crucifiction, death, burial, and resurrection took place. Even though the Jewish nation hasn’t always held possession of Jerusalem, they have succeeded in regaining control of it. The whole world is focused on Jerusalem and the Middle East today causing many to read or re-read the book of Revelation.

Father God, may these verses increase our faith as we recognize your hands at work in the time of David, the time of Christ, and in our present and future. Give us the confidence and courage to continually put our faith and trust in you alone.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 28:20-21 Godly encouragement for Solomon

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Janice D. GreenMarch 13, 2008

20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. 21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.” 1 Chronicles 28:20-21 (NIV)

Solomon was young when he became King of Israel. Not only was he a new king, but he had laid out before him an enormous task – to build the temple of the Lord. He had a set of plans that would have been mind-boggling to any building contractor. It would be easy to imagine Solomon feeling overwhelmed with it all.

But David spoke words of encouragement to his son, reminding him that God was with him and would see him through the building of the temple. David had also prepared the priests, Levites, and skilled craftsmen who would help him with the task.

How did David encourage Solomon? Did he say things like “Hold your head up high,” or “Keep a stiff upper lip,” or “Look for the strength you need within yourself?” Not according to this record. David first pointed Solomon to God assuring his son of God’s strength and help. He also supplied people to help support him through the task.

I remember a very difficult day at work when I felt so defeated that I shared through my tears with my co-worker that I thought I would go home early. She immediately built me up by sharing bits of wisdom from her Christian faith. I can’t specifically remember the difficulty that brought on my despair, but I’ll never forget the warmth of her encouragement. She also took care of some of my responsibilities while I regained my composure to face the afternoon.

Almighty God, help us to remember just how mighty and powerful you are on those days when we feel the need for encouragement. And open our eyes to see the opportunities that are always around us to offer Christian encouragement and assistance to others who are overwhelmed or discouraged.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 28:11-19 God’s plan for the temple

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Janice D. GreenMarch 13, 2008

1 Chronicles 28:11-19 (click to view passage)

David had written out very elaborate plans that the Spirit had placed in his mind for the temple, its rooms, courts, everything including numerous named articles and the weight of refined gold or silver for each article to be used in the service of the temple. There were also instructions for the priests and Levites who would do the work in the temple. Verse 18 even refers to the cherubim of gold that sheltered the ark of the covenant with their wings, so it appears the plans included an upgrade in the ark.

“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”

(Verse 19, NIV)

In a recent post (1 Chronicles 17:1-6 No house for God?) I discussed the importance of honoring God by the way we care for our churches and places of worship. This is yet one more example of God prescribing excellence in creating places to worship him.

Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see where we fall short in honoring you by the way we care for things that belong to you.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 28:9-10 David’s counsel to King Solomon

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Janice D. GreenMarch 12, 2008

9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NIV)

As King David passes the responsibility of the throne to his young son, Solomon, he challenges him to acknowledge God in everything and to serve him with his whole heart. He reminds him of the importance of seeking God in order to find him. He assures him that to reject God is to be rejected by God. David then reminds Solomon of the one thing that is most dear to David’s heart – that the LORD himself had chosen Solomon to build a temple for God’s sanctuary. David challenges him to be strong and to carry out the task set before him.

King David knew he was nearing the end of his life; and as part of the inaugural ceremonies for King Solomon, David shared from the depths of his heart what he knew was the most important aspect of a successful reign as King over God’s people. What would you consider to be the most important advice you would want to pass on to the next generation? Would your deepest concern for your descendants be for them to seek the Lord with all their hearts (as you have/should have done), or would you be giving them advice on how to get ahead in life (as you might have done)? What are you telling the next generation through your everyday example?

Compare King David’s advice to Solomon with the kinds of advice our national leaders seem to pass on one to another. Consider what the most important traits are for our leaders to possess today. Are King David’s words still good advice for our leaders today?

Father God, we need your wisdom today more than ever. Increase our hunger and thirst to know you. Help us to seek you with all our hearts so that we will know without a doubt that we have truly found you. And then, dear God, enable us to serve you with such sincere and total devotion that our enriched lives will serve as a legacy that will inspire our descendants to trust you fully.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 28:6-8 Solomon to build the temple

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Janice D. GreenMarch 11, 2008

6 He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’

8“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.
1 Chronicles 28:6-8 (NIV)

David continues to address all the officials and the warriors of Israel. He again affirms to the people that God had chosen his son Solomon to be the next king, and Solomon would be the one who would build God’s house and courts. He tells them that God also promised to establish his kingdom forever provided he followed God’s commands and laws.

Who was Solomon? He was the son of Bathsheba, the woman David had stolen from Uriah getting her pregnant. David eventually arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle as an attempt to cover his guilt. After this child was born he became sick and died. Solomon was the second son Bathsheba bore for David. (See 2 Samuel 11 & 12:1-25)

I find in this passage a great example of how God is able to redeem our mistakes. David was not perfect, but when he did sin, he became convicted of the sin and repented. The repentance was real, and consequently, God was still able to use David in a mighty way. Lord, bless our understanding of these verses. Help us to appreciate the importance of following you wholeheartedly if we are to expect your blessings.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.