April 8, 2021: Day 33 – I Chronicles 29

What a great ending to this book of the Bible.  Just to add to the last chapter remember David has called a national assembly so the heads of all the households are gathered and they are hearing what David has to say.  What David says is that not only will Solomon build the temple, but that Solomon will also succeed him.  This succession actually takes place in this chapter and in this place.  It almost seems like after David was finished speaking he hands the reigns over to Solomon and from there Solomon takes the throne.  Well, we know that David has to die first and then Solomon takes over, which this chapter condenses in order for us to arrive at the place where Solomon is now in charge.

Notice that David in the beginning of this chapter does two things.  First, he tells those gathered, the leaders of the houses of Israel, that Solomon is young and will need the support from everyone who is gathered there.  As a sign of their support David asks a second thing.  He gives an inventory of all the valuables that the temple already possesses.  He then says, and on top of that I am going to contribute of my own free will the following, and a long laundry list of treasures are listed on top of that.

From there he asks if anyone else wants to give a free will offering, and each tribe agrees to it.  David is ecstatic that they are willing to give without him forcing them, or taxing them.  It was their own free will.  But notice that David goes first in order to show an example of what should be done.  

As a result of this generosity on behalf of the people David addresses God and blesses the Lord and reminds himself and the people gathered of the truth in what just happened.  The truth, David states, is that all that David had, all that any of those gathered had, was actually a gift from God.  Nothing that we possess is actually our possession, but rather a possession gifted from God to us.  

At a time when David is handing over the throne, is looking at the inventory of all that he has at  the end of his life, it is good to remark and to remind ourselves that all that we have comes from the Lord.