“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.” — 1 Chronicles 22:19
What does it mean to “set” ourselves to accomplish something? I pondered that question as I read today’s focus verse, which begins with the instruction to “set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.”
Initially, the word “set” made me think of setting the font specifications on the word processing program I am using to write this devotional. Like most software applications, my program came with established defaults. Its default font is Times New Roman and the font size is twelve points. However, I can change those specifications to a sans serif option like Arial or Futura, or a script such as Lucida Calligraphy or the ever-so-elegant Scriptina. I can increase the font size from twelve points to ten times that, or more. Until I do, though, this document and any others I compose will appear in Times New Roman, size twelve, every time. Action is required to make a change.
“Set” sometimes is used as a verb—a word that indicates action. In our focus verse, the instruction to “set your heart and your soul” implied an action that needed to be taken. David was encouraging the national and tribal leaders of Israel to fix their hearts upon seeking the Lord for strength and a determination to focus upon fulfilling His instructions. This would enable these leaders to assist David’s son Solomon in the construction of a sanctuary for the Lord—a monumental task in spite of the preparatory steps David had taken.
Have we set our hearts and souls on seeking the Lord? Have we resolved to pursue His purpose in our lives? That will not just naturally happen. We come into this world with spiritual “default settings” that determine nearly every aspect of how we operate, and those settings reveal an innate compulsion toward sin and self-will. Until the sinful nature we were born with is changed, our focus will not be upon God and the furtherance of His Kingdom, but upon our personal needs, desires, and preferences. To be able to do God’s will or accomplish His plan for our lives will require a reset! And while we have the ability to change defaults on our software applications and electronic devices, only God can change hearts.
The national leaders of King David’s day had to make a choice as to whether they would do as he instructed. Today, we too must choose. Are we resolved to set our hearts to seek God and fulfill His purpose for our lives? We can be!
Chapter 22 of 1 Chronicles continues the description of David’s preparations for building the Temple that began in chapter 21. In verses 1-5 of this chapter, David chose the Temple site (the parcel of land he had purchased from Ornan the Jebusite in the previous chapter) and began preparing materials for construction of the house of the Lord. He charged his son Solomon with the task of building the house (verses 6-16), and exhorted the national and tribal leaders of the land to assist his son with the project (verses 17-19).
The “strangers in the land” referred to in verse 2 were non-Israelites, probably the Canaanites who were servants and paid tribute to Solomon as he began the building project (see 2 Chronicles 8:7-9). The Zidonians, alluded to in verse 4, were from Sidon, now part of southern Lebanon. The “cedar trees in abundance” mentioned in verse 4 likely came from Hiram, king of Tyre, which is also in southern Lebanon now. The cedar trees of Lebanon were renowned for their excellent timber. This indicates that David (and Solomon after him) wanted to build the Temple out of the best materials possible.
In verse 5, the fact that David accepted God’s pronouncement that he would not be the one to oversee the construction of the Temple is seen in the fact that he still “prepared abundantly” for the project—he amassed great stockpiles of materials. His determination that “the house . . . must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries” is evidence of his desire to honor God.
The prophet Nathan had revealed earlier that one of David’s sons would build the Temple (see 1 Chronicles 17:11-12). Verses 5-6 of this chapter indicate that the son chosen for this task was Solomon, whom David commissioned in verses 6-16. This was not a suggestion or an idea offered to Solomon for his consideration; it was a sacred responsibility for him to fulfill. This was an initial charge; David’s formal and public charge to Solomon is recorded in chapter 28.
After David gave his charge to Solomon, he spoke to civil and military leaders of Israel and exhorted them to give their full support to Solomon as he undertook the task of building the Temple.
II. The reign of David
C. The organization of the Temple ritual
1. The preparation for the Temple’s construction (22:1-19)
a. The gathering of materials (22:2-5)
b. The instructions to Solomon (22:6-16)
c. The command to the leaders (22:17-19)
Doing God’s will requires total dedication—a focused determination to obey Him with all our hearts and souls. When we set ourselves to seek Him in that way, He will provide the strength, grace, and abilities we need to accomplish whatever tasks He has given us.
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