1 Chronicles chs. 28 & 29
David wanted to build a house for the Lord but God would not allow it because David had been a man of war and had shed blood. Instead the Lord chose David’s son, Solomon, to build His house, even though Solomon was a product of a relationship between David and Bathsheba that had begun out of David’s lust and wickedness. God convicted David of his failure and sin and eventually redeemed the relationship, producing Solomon, a child of grace, after David had humbled himself before God, repented and received God’s forgiveness. An important principle was demonstrated: humbling, repentance, forgiveness.
In nature David had displayed wickedness and willfulness and abused his position as king at the start of his relationship with Bathsheba. However, in spite of all his failure he knew he was the CHOICE OF GOD! God gave David insight into what God had called him to. Destiny. He did not let his past failures prevent him from fulfilling his destiny. God gave David, (not Solomon) the pattern for the temple….1 Chronicles 28:10 onwards. Verse 12 tells us he received it all by the Spirit. Verse 19 describes God’s hand being upon David so he understood the pattern by divine revelation.
CHALLENGE
Will we dare to believe that in our nothingness and history of past failure we can still be the CHOICE OF GOD for His kingdom purposes and our destiny in Him. 1 Chronicles 29:19 talks of God “revealing the pattern for the temple by His hand upon me”. This is a type of what God has called us to. Each one of us is a living, working, functioning part of His Temple, His Body. He is working with us, we are the Potter’s clay with “His hand upon us”. Living epistles.
The Temple pattern is for the Body of Christ – fitly framed together for the habitation of God, that His presence will spill out of us. We are that Temple.
What God gives me I must learn to hold in humility and there will be an attendant witness from heaven. I do not find my identity in being the choice of God, my identity is in Christ. I find my divine purpose in being chosen of God, but I must not get the two mixed up: 1) There is a place of safety in my identity in Christ. 2) I am the choice of God for His glory.
1 Chronicles 29 continues the challenge – verse 5 – who then is willing to consecrate his life to the service of God for His purposes? When David expresses how God has tried his heart, and also how God has pleasure in an upright heart, and then goes on to say that he, David, has offered willingly from the uprightness of his heart, one tends to think of David’s past failures and flawed nature and think, HOW CAN HE SAY SUCH A THING?
But the thing that pleased God about David, (a man after God’s own heart), was the fact that after trying him, David rose above the condemnation of his own sin and focused on the fact that he was THE CHOICE OF GOD!
Everything God requires, He provides the wherewithal to do. Why must I think so negatively when I am the choice of God? At my salvation God placed within me His incorruptible seed. He will finish and perfect the work He has started. It begins at home and extends to all my relationships.
God’s ultimate purpose reveals His divine plan for my life.
