the Lord’s temple – Be Still…

2 Chronicles 29:18-36 – What a Worshipful Celebration!

Read 2 Chronicles 29:18-36

The Chronicler loves a good party, especially when it involves praising the LORD in worship. Great accomplishments had been made to restore the temple and prepare the place to receive offerings to the LORD. King Hezekiah appreciated the significance and seemed driven to please the LORD.

I may not understand all the purification rituals, but I do understand that we should always want to present ourselves well before the LORD. I suppose that’s why for generations people used to dress up for church wearing their “Sunday best.” Only the best for God!

1 Chronicles 23:1-32 – What Levites Do

Read 1 Chronicles 23:1-32

If you’ve ever wondered who the Levites were and what they do, this is the text for you! Even though David wasn’t the one chosen to build the temple, he wanted to do as much as he could to help the process. It had been his idea in the first place, so I’m sure he had lots of plans going through his head. By putting all of this in motion, he could feel like he had made a difference in more than just his military victories.

The Chronicler doesn’t go into all the details surrounding Solomon’s coronation here. Suffice it to say there was drama surrounding who would become king! You can read more about that in 1 Kings 1-2.

1 Chronicles 22:1-19 – The Temple

Read 1 Chronicles 22:1-19

Turns out the threshing floor location David purchased for his sacrifice in our last reading will become the eventual building site for the temple. Isn’t it great to see how God works behind the scenes to make things happen? God can and will use our mistakes, brokenness, and sinful decisions for good, turning them into something beautiful.

With this chapter, we are beginning the wind down of David’s reign as he prepares his successor, son Solomon. The material in this closing section of 1 Chronicles is unique to this book. We don’t have any parallel story lines from other Biblical passages. Today we see how David aids Solomon for what God will be doing in his life. Isn’t that what any good father would do, prepare their child for the future?