Gary Gleans

Besides the construction of the massive structure of the temple, there were many furnishings that were spread throughout the temple.  These furnishings included the altar on which the sacrifices were made, many basins that were used for washing, candle holders and all of the utensils that were needed for making these sacrifices.  All of these objects were made out of gold, silver or bronze and were very ornately decorated according to Solomon’s specifications.  The building and furnishing of the temple demonstrates Solomon’s commitment to excellence as well as his skill as a leader.  He was able to define a direction, recruit the staff that was needed to reach his desired goal, delegate responsibilities to the right people and then oversee the project to its completion.  God is pleased when we serve Him with excellence. THE TEMPLE WAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE: The temple was a place that represented man’s relationship and communion with God.  This is why it had to be a beautiful place as

The first four years of Solomon’s reign were spent in building the temple, David had desired to do this while he was alive, but God had other plans.  This was a massive task to accomplish that required great leadership and coordination of the people involved.  The children of Israel were very successful in this task because they were all able to cooperate under the leadership of Solomon.  He did not allow the spirit of competition to take over amongst the people.  God is pleased when we live for His glory and to accomplish His will. THE TEMPLE WAS A MASSIVE STRUCTURE: The size and location of the temple were amazing.  It was a huge building that required a very large number of people to build it.  It was located on Mt. Moriah which was a very significant place.  It was where Abraham had offered Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice.  It was also where Moses received the Law of God and where God appeared to David.  This was an important part of God’s plan for the people and a major und

Solomon takes on the job of building the temple and he realizes that he cannot do the job by himself.  He reaches out to king Hiram just as David had done and he asks for supplies to be sent to Israel as well as skilled labor to do the work.  Solomon also makes it clear that he will be building a palace for himself with these materials.  It is a sign of wisdom to know one’s limitations and then employ the help of others to supply those needs.  We must not allow our pride to fool us into thinking that we can do everything on our own and enlist the help of others.  Humility and the ability to delegate are two of the most important qualities a leader can develop in his life. SOLOMON REQUESTS HELP: The job that is ahead of Solomon is a big one.  He recognizes that the temple he is building for the Lord is far from being a house for the Lord as the universe is not capable of containing the Lord.  The temple is simply a place to offer sacrifices to the Lord.  However, this place of sacr

Solomon begins his reign in the best way possible.  He calls the people together and goes before the Lord with sacrifices recognizing that it was a great blessing as well as a great responsibility to be king over Israel.  Solomon wants everyone to know from the very beginning that he is dependent upon the Lord.  Solomon’s dedication to the Lord and his desire to serve the people with divine direction pleases the Lord very much and God blesses Solomon with incredible spiritual as well as material gifts.  God is pleased when we seek Him and He loves to bless His children in amazing ways.  All of the blessings in heaven and earth are at God’s disposal and He longs to share those blessings with us; but our hearts must be right before Him or many of these blessings could cause us to stray from the Lord. SOLOMON STARTS HIS REIGN WITH THE WORSHIP OF GOD: Solomon’s first official act as king is to gather all of the leaders together and to show and tell them how the worship of God would be

As David approaches the end of his life, he wants to make sure that the people understand what he has been doing and what the purpose of his reign has been.  David wants to make sure that the nation is united and ready to work together on accomplishing the task of building the temple.  This has been the focus of David’s life for the final part of his reign and he wants to make sure that this purpose is not forgotten by the people or by Solomon.  As a leader, David sets the direction for the people and then he sets an example for the people to follow.  Leaders are called to do just those two things.  We must make sure that we are casting a vision and setting a clear course for the people who follow us.  We must also be first in line to show the way of obedience. DAVID COMMUNICATES THE WILL OF GOD: David knows that he is at the end of his life so he calls all of the people together and he communicates the most important things that he wants the people to remember.  First he wants th

Transitions in leadership are a very dangerous times for nations and ministries.  As David nears the end of his life and reign over Israel, he does a very wise and important thing: he calls the people together and makes it very clear who his successor will be and he challenges both the people and his son to be faithful.  Since David had many sons from many different wives, the line of succession could have been difficult for people to determine and the ensuing struggle for power could have created division in the nation or led to a great amount of bloodshed as his sons fought one another for the position of power.  But transitions are not just dangerous because of power struggles in order to establish new leadership.  They are also dangerous because it is an easy time for a loss of vision or a change in purpose to occur in the nation or ministry.  David wants to make sure that there are no power struggles or change in direction for the nation of Israel when he is gone.  Leaders today

David was surrounded by great leaders and had the entire nation well organized and prepared to defend itself.  The military was strong, well defined and well prepared to take on whatever it might need to face.  Each tribe was led by a man who was well respected within the nation and these men were, in turn, submissive and loyal to David.  Then the government was also organized under a variety of administrative tasks that made sure that the kings agricultural investments as well as the treasury in general was organized and ready to go.  God is orderly and efficient and He is glorified when we reflect these qualities in our lives and in the way we organize our lives.  Whether we are in charge of a home, a church, a state or a nation God calls us to be well organized and prepared to serve Him in all that we do. THE NATION WAS DEFENDED BY A STRONG MILITARY: David was a warrior and understood how to organize and control the military.  All of the men who were enlisted in the military we

The operation of the temple would be just like any other building, it would require security and maintenance.  These tasks were not as public or visible as the priests and worship leaders, but they were vital to the operation of the temple and David took the steps necessary to organize the logistical side of how the temple would be made secure and how it would be able to be maintained after the construction was complete.  David was an insightful and prepared leader who sought to take care of every aspect of this project before he left the execution of the project to his son.  We need to recognize and be aware of the wide variety of people who are necessary to serve within the body of Christ.  Not everyone’s job can be public or flashy, but everyone’s job is important and vital to fulfilling God’s purpose for the church. DAVID ORGANIZED THE FACILITY OF THE TEMPLE: The temple would have four different gates that would permit access to the facility.  The gatekeepers would be responsi

The Lord loves the praise of His people and He has gifted men with the ability to play instruments, compose melodies, write lyrics and sing songs as an act of worship to the Lord.  Music was created by God and it should be honoring to God.  David was a gifted musician and He understood the importance of music to the life of the temple as well as the worship of the people.  He organized the musicians from the tribe of Levi into groups that would divide up the various responsibilities of leading the children of Israel in songs of praise.  Music continues to be an important part of every culture today.  Unfortunately, much of the music being produced today is degrading to man and dishonoring of God.  We need to be sure that our music is pleasing to God and lifts our hearts to worship Him. DAVID FORMS VARIOUS GROUPS:  The 288 musical members of the family of Levi were divided and organized into 24 groups of 12.  These 24 groups were then given specific responsibilities in the preparat

David continues to make preparations for the building and operation of the temple that his son Solomon will be in charge of building.  He has gathered massive amounts of building materials and now he is setting about to organize the tribe of Levi in order that the different services, sacrifices and the general running of the temple would run smoothly once it was constructed.   It is important to recognize that the worship of God involves people and not just a really nice building.  Too often the focus of many churches becomes a construction project or maintaining a physical structure.  The temple would be a very special and ornate building but the purpose and ministry of that building would be carried out by people.  David wanted to be sure that the people were ready to do their jobs so that they building would not just become another sort of idol in Israel. DAVID DECIDES WHO THE PRIESTS WILL BE: The entire tribe of Levi was responsible for caring for the tabernacle and therefor t

As David reached his old age, he wanted to leave the kingdom to his son in a way that would assure that Solomon would have every opportunity to succeed as a leader of the nation.  David’s priority was to make preparations for the building of the temple, but also to leave the people who would be in charge of caring for the temple and leading the people in worship organized and ready to serve.  David wanted to create a physical and spiritual momentum in the nation of Israel that Solomon would be able to ride throughout his reign.  It is far too common to see men reach the final years of their lives and just decide to coast into the end.  David was not like that, he moved into a higher gear in order to be able to finish well.  We must be willing to use our wisdom and experience to help mold and motivate the next generation so that they will faithfully walk with God. DAVID DIVIDES THE DESCENDANTS OF LEVI: The tribe of Levi had been set apart by God as the tribe responsible to lead the

Worship was a key focus of David’s life and building a place for worship was one of the deepest desires of David’s heart.  God had prevented David from building the temple because of his many battles and wars.  However God had promised that his son would build the temple.  David wanted to facilitate that in any way that he could.  He wanted to have as much participation in this project as possible without rebelling against the commands and wishes of the Lord.  David was passionate about worshiping and praising the Lord.  David recognized the greatness of the Lord and wanted His greatness to be known in all the nations of the world.  God is pleased when we are passionate about Him and He desires to be praised by every nation on the earth.  This must become the focus of and the driving force that gives meaning to our lives. DAVID PROVIDES FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE: David accepted the fact that he would not be allowed to build the temple, but he was also thrilled at the prospect

David was a king who was far from perfect.  He did not obey the Word of the Lord or even follow the advice of his advisers when they warned him.  His heart desired God but it was also corrupt and vulnerable to the sins of men.  Today’s text gives us a clear illustration of his sinfulness but also gives us a glimpse of his tender heartedness before the Lord as well as his trust in the Lord.  There are no perfect men apart from Christ.  David is hero of the faith, not because of his perfection, but because of how he responded to sin in his life.  We must all realize that we will sin and that our sin will have consequences, but we must also learn from David to allow the consequences and guilt of our sin to drive us to our knees in worship.  Bitterness and anger at God because of the consequences of sin should have no place in our hearts. DAVID SINS BEFORE THE LORD: David had been very successful up until this point of his reign.  He had brought he ark back to Jerusalem, he had united

David continues his conquest of the territory that the Lord had promised to the nation of Israel.  These nations should have been removed many years prior to David, but the children of Israel refused to obey the Word of the Lord and were too easily satisfied with what they had already conquered.  These nations were a constant source of temptation to Israel and led them into sin and idolatry for generation after generation.  Finally David was taking on the task that should have been accomplished by previous generations.  We must be careful not to be too easily satisfied with where we are in our walks with the Lord.  We can easily become complacent in our walk with God and tolerant of sin that displeases the Lord. ISRAEL CAPTURES THE CITIES OF THE AMMONITES: The Ammonites were a people with whom the children of Israel had lived for many generations and, for the most part, there had not been war between the nations.  David had peaceable relationships with the former king, but that al

Misunderstanding and prejudice can be very dangerous things.  When the king of the Ammonites died, David sent a group of men to console his son and show his support because the king had been an ally to David.  What David intended as a gesture of sympathy and comfort was taken as an act of aggression and espionage.  The young Ammonite king took this group of men, shaved their beards and cut off their clothing so that they would be exposed.  This act of humiliation triggered guilt and the assumption that Israel would retaliate.  The new king paid for the Syrian army to come to their aid and the new alliance began to prepare to make a preemptive attack on Israel.  David had no choice but to defend his nation and send his army into war.  The sad thing is that none of this was necessary.  David’s heart was sincere and he truly wanted to continue his alliance with the Ammonites.  We too often suffer from the results of misunderstandings and lack of communication that can lead us down a very

David was a great king and leader who was blessed by God in many ways.  He had great military power, he possessed great wealth and he had a tremendous amount of influence over his own nation as well as the nations surrounding him.  David did not allow all this fame and power to make him proud but constantly praise God for the steady flow of blessings that came his way.  There are many men who are able to remain faithful to the Lord in the face of difficulties and distress, but David was one of the rare men who was able to remain faithful to the Lord in the face of great success.  David had his difficult times, but overcame them with trust in the Lord and almost always came out victorious.  We have a tendency to allow our pride to grow when we experience blessing.  The key to avoiding that is to fill our hearts with gratitude and praise to the Lord. DAVID DEFEATED THE ENEMIES OF THE LORD: There were many nations that had been allowed to survive and thrive in and around the territor

We often complain about not knowing what to get someone for a birthday or Christmas present.  We want to honor that person but cannot think of anything within our price range that the person would want or need.  David want demonstrate his gratitude towards God.  I can almost hear him thinking: “what do you get for a God who has everything.”  David finds himself in a position where he feels the desire in his heart to give a house to the Lord.  He feels uncomfortable with the fact that he lives in a beautiful palace while the ark of the Lord is being housed in a tent.  David’s desire is to bless the Lord, but we find David once again being blessed by the Lord.  We serve a God who does not need anything.  We should never feel like we are making some sacrifice when serve the Lord or attempt to do something “for Him.”  The reality is that it is a privilege to serve Him and we always end up getting more than we give. DAVID TRIES TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR GOD AND ENDS UP HAVING HIS HOUSE BLES

Now that the Ark has arrived in Jerusalem and been placed in the tent that David had prepared for it David sets up the Priest and the Levites to care for this tabernacle, make sacrifices as the Law requires and lead the people in worship.  David also celebrates the occasion by distributing gifts of food to all the people as they complete the journey of transporting the Ark.  This is a momentous occasion that is worthy of great celebration and David wants the entire nation to recognize the significance of this day.  He also ends the day by returning to his home to bless all who are in his household.  David is not only the leader of worship in the nation but also in his own home.  God delights in the praise and worship of His people.  Worship is the purpose for which we were created and we are never so fulfilled as we are when we accomplish that for which we were created.  David, the song writer, composes a song with deep and beautiful words from which we have derived many of our praise

David decides, once again, to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, only this time he does it the correct way.  He prepared place to receive it and he ordered that the Ark be transported according to the instructions of the Word of God.  David had learned a valuable lesson from his first attempt to bring the Ark and now he is committed to doing this in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  When we believe that we know what God wants us to do, we must be careful to study the Word of God to see how He wants us to do those things to which He calls us.  God’s Word is the clear source for the instruction that we need to be able to please Him in all that we do. DAVID SEPARATES THE LEVITES TO CARRY THE ARK OF THE LORD: This is where David had made his mistake the first time that he tried to move the Ark.  He had put it on a cart instead of had the Levites carry the Ark.  Now he has done his “homework” and has studied to the Scriptures to see exactly how God had instructed the people to move the Ark. 

David’s kingdom is now established and recognized not only by the people of Israel, but also by the other nations.  Some of the other nations seek out David in order to make peace with him while others are seeking David out in order to take him out by means of war.  Both of these acts are demonstrations of the recognition of other nations of David’s kingship over that nation.  God’s work will always have allies just as it will always have enemies.  No matter who is helping us or trying to hurt us, we must always place our trust in the Lord and seek Him for wisdom as we endeavor to please and serve Him. DAVIDS KINGDOM IS DELIGHTED BY THE PROVISION OF GOD: God uses an ally in the king Hiram from Tyre to provide for the construction of David’s palace.  David appreciated the help of Hiram but he recognized that the true provision was from the Lord.  He knew also that the people of Israel were God’s people and that his position was to serve them as the people of God.  His song of prais