I have in my heart to build a House for the Lord. Throughout my life I have always identified with King David, but in this instance, I feel more like his son Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 28, David says, 'I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'' Then God says to David in verse 6, '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.' This verse highlights how amazing our relationship with God is, He calls us His sons and daughters; a truth expanded in 1 John 3, 'The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are His children.'
The Temple which David wanted to build was to be outstandingly beautiful. It was the desire of his heart to build a House for the Lord. From verse 11 in 1 Chronicles 28, David outlines all that he has prepared according to the plans which the Spirit revealed to him (v12).
All my life I have wanted to build a ‘Temple’ like King David. Now, I don’t mean a literal Temple, but I’ve wanted to reflect and reveal the Glory of God in an unprecedented way. As I reach my 90th birthday and look back over my life, this has been my desire all along: to do something to bring honour to the Name of the Lord. So much of what I have seen in and through my ministry has come because of the desire in my heart. I didn’t visualise how it would be fulfilled. All I had determined was this would be my life’s work.
I briefly want to mention how in verse 4 David says, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever.’ You remember how when Samuel went to Jesse’s house to anoint the next King, Jesse brought all his sons before Samuel except David, who was the outcast working with the sheep. The other sons were rejected by God, but David was chosen and anointed. - Let me encourage you, other people may reject and disqualify you, but when God anoints and chooses you, nothing is impossible.
Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 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. (1 Chronicles 28:5-6, NIV)
In these verses I see something really interesting. Solomon has been chosen to build God’s House, for God has chosen him to be His son, and God will be His Father. This is the only place in the Old Testament where you see such a relationship: God is saying that Solomon shall be to Me as a son. It is almost as if Solomon is a shadow and forerunner of the relationship we can have with God through Jesus.
Like with Solomon, God has chosen you, as His child, to build His house here on earth. No, it is not a physical building, this 'house' we build is to reveal God's Glory and Majesty to an unbelieving world.
David urges Solomon in verse 20, '"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."' I want to challenge you: Do the work of evangelism. Fill the Kingdom of God. God will not fail or forsake you!