The Covenant of Moses: The Greater Glory!

Read Ezra 3:7-13; Haggai 2:1-9

Last time, we found out that the Jews initially failed to put first things first in building the temple and instead focused on settling in other towns and establishing their own homes.  God cursed them and prevented them from prospering in their own endeavors.  Fortunately, they listened to the words of the prophet Haggai and put forth the work towards rebuilding the temple.  Within a month, they had laid the foundation of the temple and as would be expected, had a ceremony commemorating  the event.  The generation who had been born in captivity was very happy and celebrated their accomplishment, but the older generation who had been taken as captives from Jerusalem and managed to live long enough to be able to return, were stricken with a tremendous amount of sadness and cried when they saw the results of their work.

Why the mixed reaction?  Well, the older generation knew what Solomon’s Temple looked like before it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s army.  It was the most glorious structure that had ever been created and it’s magnificence was in accordance to the One Whose presence occupied the Most Holy Place.  But the Hebrews sinned and violated the temple in every way imaginable, thus God allowed it to be destroyed with the rest of the city.   Now, the older generation is looking upon a foundation of a temple that would be far inferior in splendor to Solomon’s Temple and all they can do is grieve over what their past sins had caused to happen.  No doubt, they saw what little in their eyes they had accomplished as a sign that their relationship with God could never be the same again.

God doesn’t leave his people to remain in despair.  He sends Haggai again, this time not to reprimand a people who earlier failed to put their focus on their work to rebuild the temple, but to encourage them that all is not hopeless.  God reminds them that he is still faithful and still with them as He has been since He led their ancestors out of Egypt according to the covenant He made with at Sinai!  God doesn’t end there. In fact, He says the glory of this house under construction will exceed the glory of Solomon’s Temple!  Whoa!  How is that possible?  The glory of the Lord that entered into that temple was so bright and awesome it forced the priests to leave the building during the dedication ceremony.  Plus so many structures around that temple was constructed with gold and this one wasn’t!  What did God mean when He said that?

God’s plan always was to reveal Himself fully to the world and the Hebrew nation at this time was the vehicle through which He was working through.  As we learned a couple of posts ago,  it was through this nation that the Messiah would appear!  But that couldn’t happen with  a city and a temple in ruins.  The tabernacle in the wilderness was erected because God WANTED to dwell amongst people!  The temple Solomon built to house the tabernacle was built for the same purpose. The brightness of God’s glory inhabited the Most Holy Place in both instances.  While God was ever-present amongst His people, access to him was restricted because the glory of God’s presence would only destroy His people if it came upon them unveiled.  Now God plans to do the same thing but this time the temple will be graced by the presence of God who will take on humanity, Jesus Christ!  That is how Haggai’s prophecy would be fulfilled.  The arrival of the greater glory would shake the nations and people in need would find the peace they had been seeking from God!

Food for thought:  Restoring a relationship to the Lord isn’t easy.  When we attempt to rebuild that relationship and recover from the mess we brought upon ourselves because of our pas sins, it can seem that we can never get back to where we were before in our relationships with God and others.  But the words of the prophet still resonate today.  Don’t give up!  It isn’t easy but the Lord is always ready to restore His people in many ways when we come back to Him in full repentance.  While we may lament what we lost in the past, He can not only heal us but bless in ways in the future that will exceed what we had in the past!

Up next:  Now Satan decides to show up…

 

The Covenant of Moses: You’re Just A Prayer Away

Read 1 Kings 8:44:53; 2 Chronicles 6:36-29;  Daniel 6; 9:1-19

The decision Daniel finds himself in another situation in chapter 6 of the book where his faith is tested because of his devotion to God.  Because of his extraordinary character, King Darius appoints Daniel over all the authorities who ruled over the provinces of the Medo-Persian empire.  Jealously soon ensued and they used his repetitive practice of praying from his house through his window towards Jerusalem.  The men use Daniel’s faithfulness to God by convincing the king to make a law that would cause anyone who payed homage to another man or god to be thrown in the lion’s den and be killed.  The king consents not knowing what the affect it will have on Daniel.  Daniel isn’t phased at all and continues to pray as he had before.   Despite trying to do something to save Daniel, the Persian officials let the king know that Daniel has to be thrown in the lion’s den because the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked.  Once he is thrown in, the king cannot sleep over worry about Daniel.  The next day the king goes to the den and asks Daniel if his God was able to save him as he had hoped from the lions.  Daniel replies in the affirmative, and the king removes him out of the den and puts those officials and their entire families into the den for their deceit and they are all killed by the lions.

It is during this time that Daniel is reading from the book of Jeremiah and he takes note of the fact that the Jews were to be in captivity for seventy years.  Sensing that the end of their captivity will soon come to an end,  Daniel begins to pray.  He begins with an open confession, recalling the horrible decision the Hebrews had made in rejecting God’s laws, commandments, and ordinances; thus they deserved to have suffered the consequences.  He confesses that God was just in dealing with them according to the sins they had committed.  Then Daniel pleads for God’s mercy.   He recalls how powerful and mighty God was in delivering the Israelites from Egypt.  Daniel states that the current state of Jerusalem and the Israelites causes them tremendous embarrassment amongst the other nations.  He asks for God’s wrath to be turned away from Jerusalem not because of anything about the people but because God is merciful and that city bears God’s name.

Food for thought:  As we continue to explore our current emphasis or restoration, we see the prophet exemplify that persistent desire to see that come to fruition for the people of God.  It is clear that the words of Solomon’s  had an impact on Daniel because his prayer life reflects it.  He prays consistently toward Jerusalem because he knows what  that the prayer of a repentant sinner WILL matter and that God will hear because of what the king prayed for centuries before.  He persists in praying for that restoration after the confusing prophetic scenario God presents in chapter eight.  With the expected end of the seventy year period of captivity about to end, Daniel doesn’t assume anything.  He lifts up his prayer to God because he knows he serves a God who still hears his children pray to Him!

When we are in a state of despair from dealing with the consequences of our sin, it is often easy to feel that we cannot pray to God or it’s not worth it because God won’t hear us.  That’s what the devil wants us to think because he knows that prayer is the key avenue by which we connect with God!  On the contrary, God wants us to pray to Him even MORE when we have fallen into sin!  When we do pray we must follow that pattern that Daniel did.  Our FIRST step towards full restoration back into a relationship with God is to confess sins openly and honestly, knowing that God will forgive a truly repentant sinner.

What is another powerful wake up call in Daniel’s prayer is that God WANTS to restore us because even when we fall into sin, no matter how deep it goes, God wants us back because we carry His name with us!  God specializes in saving and restoring folk because it is a tremendous opportunity for Him to show the world that salvation is only through him.  It is when you seem like you’re so far away from God, it is then when God comes after his children and asks them to turn to him.  This is when we need to pray and study our Bibles more than ever.  Daniel turned to God in prayer when he knew the situation was dire and urgent.  We must do the same when we fall into sin because our salvation is at stake!

Up next:  God sets a timetable for restoration and salvation…….

The Covenants of Moses and David: A Lost Opportunity

Read 1 Kings 11:26-40; 12:25-31; 13:1-6, 33 34; 14:1-20

Jeroboam was given an opportunity of a lifetime by God.  For Solomon to put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribe of Joseph shows how industrious and dependable he was.   No doubt, God saw in him a lot of good otherwise He wouldn’t put him as ruler over ten tribes of Israel.  Through the prophet Ahijah tells Jeroboam that this is being done because Solomon fell into idolatry and failed to worship God as David did.  In addition, God extends to Jeroboam the same opportunity as He gave to David:  an enduring kingdom and legacy IF Jeroboam followed God and obeyed His commands as David did.  Such an opportunity no doubt had to have made Jeroboam excited!

As we found out in the previous post, Ahijah’s prophecy is fulfilled once Rehoboam makes the mistake of following the advice of his peers in how he should rule over Israel.  The people of Israel revolt, and ten tribes do as the God says they would;  They turn their backs on David’s grandson and make Jeroboam king over them.   However, Jeroboam has a major concern.  Although these ten tribes are under his rule, the spiritual center of all Israel is still Jerusalem, where Solomon’s temple is located.  It is the capital of Judah and under Rehoboam’s rule.  The Israelites would still go down there to participate in all the temple services as they had before.  Fearing that continuing such a practice would cause the ten tribes to kill him and rejoin with Rehoboam, Jeroboam seeks advice (from whom we don’t know) and decides to make two golden calves in Dan and Bethel, presenting them to the people as the gods who brought them out of Egypt.  He even institutes his own priesthood, festivals and sacrifices.   The whole nation  follows his lead.

While he was making an offering, a man of God utters a prophecy against the altar where Jeroboam is making his offering to the idol in Bethel  and the altar splits in two as it comes crashing down.  Angry, Jeroboam points at the man to have him seized but his hand becomes shriveled up so he can’t move it.  Realizing that the Lord has done this to him because of his actions, Jerobaom asks the man of God to pray for his healing and it happens.  This was warning from God, but Jeroboam refuses to change his ways and continues to raise up install false priests and conduct his sacrifices to his idols.

Jeroboam’s son Abijah gets sick and Jeroboam sends his wife to Ahijah disguised as someone else with a food gift to ask what will happen to their sick son.  But the blind prophet is not fooled because God tells him it is the wife of Jeroboam coming to see him.  God’s message of bad news for Jeroboam and his family  is blunt and to the point  God first reminds him that he took the ten tribes of Israel from David’s house to rule over them.  Instead of following David’s example, Jeroboam led the people of Israel into idolatry.  Thus his young son will die, another king will rise up and obliterate Jeroboam’s entire family, and then the nation of Israel will be destroyed and taken into captivity by a foreign power.  All of this will be done because of Jeroboam’s action which caused him and israel to sin.

Food for thought:  Jeroboam’s life is another cautionary tale of what happens when you decide to do your own thing rather than trusting God.  He had a “good idea” on how he wanted Israel to stay loyal to him, but it conflicted with everything God wanted him and His people to do.  God was and still is EXPLICIT in what he expects from His people; that his he requires uncompromising loyalty and devotion us to Him.  Jeroboam took the wrong advice from the wrong people when he inquired about how he should keep the people of Israel loyal to him.  We should never take advice from people when they recommend we do things contrary to God’s commands.  When Jeroboam sinned and his hand was withered, God’s grace was given to him when He healed him.  Jeroboam realized at that moment he had offended the true God of heaven and that should have been enough of a warning to end his idolatrous practices and return to worshiping the true God of heaven.

But pride and stubbornness took over and he kept on doing what he had before.  God is loving and forgiving toward sinners, but there will come a time where the unrepentant person will reap the full wrath of God’s judgment.  In speaking to Jeroboam’s wife, Ahijah foretold of the tragic consequences of Jeroboam’s sin.  The manner in which Abijah died was an act of mercy by God upon the child because the rest of Jeroboam’s family would later be slaughtered by another king.  Instead of having a legacy that would match that of David, Jeroboam and his family would meet a tragic end.  And to make matters worse, the northern kingdom of Israel was going to continue down this path of rejecting God until a foreign power conquered them.    God is one who gladly offers us opportunities through life to accomplish something great for Him.  We have no need to be jealous of what God has given to others or fearful that what He has given us will be taken by someone else,like Jeroboam did.  instead we will reap the blessings that come from a life fully devoted to following God and keeping His commands.  Ultimately, we will inherit the paradise that will create for us to enjoy for all eternity.  Let’s stay true to Him and not blow the opportunity of a lifetime!

Up next:  A prophet of God stands alone…..

The Covenants of Moses and David: A Heart Turned Away

Map showing the Kingdoms of Israel (blue) and Judah (orange), ancient levant borders and ancient cities such as Urmomium and Jerash. The map shows the region in the 9th century BCE. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: English translation of hebrew version. Map of the twelve tribes of Israel, before the move of Dan to the North (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Read Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1 Kings 11:1-13, 26-43; 12:1-24; Ecclesiastes 12

Solomon was a faithful follower of God during most of his life, achieving great notoriety, wealth and influence that even his father David had not achieved.  But the Bible records the sad final chapter in Solomon’s life.  Through Moses, God warned any future king of Israel to not take an abundance of women from idolatrous nations and marry them in order that his focus would not turn from worshiping God and instead cater to their wishes.  The king was to read a copy of the Law of Moses DAILY in order to remember this counsel.  It is clear Solomon does not heed this advice.    Once he marries these pagan women and becomes an old man, he surrenders to them and their wishes and forsakes God.   He even goes along with his wives and concubines in worshiping these false gods in the temples he made for them.

God is furious with Solomon and hands down a severe punishment.  Ten tribes of Israel will be taken from Solomon and given to his servant while Judah remains under his command (Benjamin, the smallest tribe, was also included).  The only reason why God leaves Solomon with a tribe to command is because of the covenant promise He made to David (David was a member of the tribe of Judah).  Furthermore, God will allow this split of the kingdom to occur under the reign of Solomon’s son because of the respect God has for David!

The adversary God chooses to take command over the ten tribes of Israel is Solomon’s servant Jeroboam.  The prophet Ahijah, with the prophetic gesture of tearing his new robe and giving him ten pieces of it, tells Jeroboam that he will rule over these ten tribes.  Solomon, knowing what God plans to do with Jeroboam, tries to have him killed but he escapes safely to Egypt.  Once Solomon dies Jeroboam returns to Shechum and with the leaders of Israel, asks Rehoboam, to be less of a taskmaster on the people than his father Solomon had.  Rehoboam considers the advice two camps, the elders who recommend he heed the people’s advice, and his peers who recommend he be even harsher on the people.  Rehoboam fulfills God’s prophecy by choosing the latter, and the ten tribes leave in anger.  Rehoboam escapes to Jerusalem, while the man responsible for the hard labor on the Israelites is killed by them.  Jeroboam is then made king over the Israelites.  Rehoboam raises an army up to try to retake the ten tribes by force but through Shemaiah the prophet, God tells him to don’t bother, because it was His will that this happened.  Rehoboam heeds God’s command and a civil war is averted.

Food for thought:  The sad end to Solomon’s reign as king of Israel is a classic example of a man who allowed power, fame, riches and even wisdom get to his head.  In spite of exceeding his father in just about everything he had accomplished in life, Solomon fell short in following God with the same fervor and commitment to God as David had.  Now one could look at it as if David did something far worse in his life than Solomon did!  After all, he was the one who committed adultery by having an affair with Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother), then purposely sending her husband, Uriah, into battle to be killed.

However, what we find out about God is He doesn’t treat all sin the same.  Sin is highly offensive to God, no matter what kind it is,  David paid a steep personal price for his sin; the death of his son and a chaotic family life that included incest and betrayal.  But he never wavered in worshiping God as the only true god with all his heart and mind.  From the time God, lead His people out of Egypt, God made it clear the sin that He found most offensive was the one of idolatry; that intermarrying with idolaters and following along with them would ultimately bring ruin to the people of Israel.  When you add in the fact God, had spoken directly to Solomon twice and made him the most powerful and wisest king on earth, we can only marvel at the depth of his downfall.  David’s sin caused him personal pain and shame; Solomon’s sin brought down an entire nation!

Solomon found personal redemption before his passing.  The words of the wise man In Ecclesiastes is one of a man who is reflecting on how all the wisdom, power,  money and the world are meaningless when one doesn’t have God.  Sadly, the damage  had already been done to the nation, and there was no way he could go back and undo his tragic mistake of leading his people into idolatry.  He concludes that the most important thing is to follow God’s commands;  after all, one day everything we do will be judged by God.  That is the same for us today.  There is nothing wrong with us striving to maximize our quality of life in this world as long as we do it God’s way.  But on top of that we must remember that God is Supreme.  NOTHING…not our jobs, our families, our friends, our possessions…takes priority over letting God know that we realize he is Lord over all.   Putting anything else before God causes us to be just as guilty of committing idolatry as Solomon did centuries ago.  The enemy succeeded in causing Solomon to sin this way and he’s doing his best to do the same to us.  Once God’s people forsake Him and fall into idolatry, there is no limit to the depth of sin they can fall into.  Let’s commit ourselves as believers to worshiping the only true God who made heaven and earth!

Up next:  A man blows the opportunity of a lifetime…..

The Covenants of Moses and David: The Prayer of Solomon

Read 1 Kings 8:12-66; 9:1-9; 2 Chronicles 6-7

We pick up were we left off at the temple dedication ceremony.  Once God’s presence fills the temple, Solomon speaks to the assembly of Israel and recaps David’s desire to build the temple for God, the resultant covenant God made with him, and His decision to defer the building of the temple until Solomon’s reign.  Solomon acknowledges that he has completed the temple.  He asks God to hear his prayer and the prayers of the people.

Solomon then asks for God’s mercy and forgiveness to be given to the people of Israel  so that they could be delivered from various punishments that God would bring upon them because of their sin.  Whether it is suffering from famine, lack of rain or plague, being defeated by an enemy in battle or being carried away in captivity, Solomon asks for God to forgive and restore his people if they turn away from sin and offer prayers to the temple  He also prays for foreigners to be welcomed into the fold of Israel and for proper acts of justice between the offender and the innocent to be properly adjudicated.  At the end of the prayer, fire comes from heaven and consumes the sacrifices as the glory of God fills the temple.  Solomon and the people perform thousands of sacrifices as part of the temple’s dedication.

In response to Solomon’s prayer, God speaks to Solomon at night and expresses the terms of the covenant again. If Israels sins and receives punishment upon their land, they will be restored if they turn to God and confess their sins in prayer.  Solomon will also reap the reward of having his legacy continue if he follows in the footsteps of David.  If however, Solomon and his people fall into idolatry, the temple would be destroyed and the people of Israel will be sent into captivity.

Food for thought;  In this grand scene and follow-up response of God to Solomon, the central issues of God’s relationship with his people are once again laid out for us to see.  Solomon covers it all in his prayer.  He knows that as a nation the people of Israel are at a “high point” in their relationship with God.  They are worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.  But Solomon knows that people can and do sin.  Thus he pleads for God to be attentive and listen to prayers of the people of they have enough sense to turn to this temple and ask for forgiveness when they do sin and suffer the consequences.  God reiterates the reality for Solomon and his people that obedience to God would result in prosperity and continuance of the kingdom while idol worship will result in ruin.

These texts are a reminder to Christians that worshiping God and obeying him is not something you do on one grand occasion but on a continual basis.  Celebrating and worshiping God in one grand occasion does not allow us to do whatever we want and live life contrary to God’s will and commands in the future.  Prayer is a important tool for us to use to draw us closer to God.  One of the uses for prayer is to help us to remain close to God and to worship Him, always being mindful that we are at war with our sinful natures, and it is only through God that we can obtain the victory over them.  We cannot allow pride to seep in and make us feel good about what we have done for God in the past or the present.  With a humble heart, we can remain loyal to God from now into the future.

Up next:  The heart of the king is stolen away…

The Covenants of Moses and David: The Work of a Perfect Heart (Part 2)

Read 1 Kings 3:1-15; 4-8:1-11; 2 Chronicles 1-5

The assorted texts for this post are large in number because of the detailed account of how the temple was constructed.  First thing we see Solomon do was ask God for wisdom in order to properly rule Israel when God asks him what he wants.  God gives him the wise heart has asks for as well as riches.  Not surprisingly, He lets Solomon know that he will richly bless Solomon if he follows his father’s example in keeping God’s commandments.

Solomon shows wisdom and humility by asking Hiram, king of Tyre, to give him workers with the skills needed to help him build the temple (this is the same king who built David his palace).  King Hiram gladly agrees, and with his help the work on the temple is done.  The amount of information seen in both books is extensive concerning how the temple and it’s vessels were made.  It takes Solomon seven years to build the temple and thirteen years to build his own palace!

Once the temple is completed, the last and most important piece of furniture is brought in by the priests; the Ark of the Covenant!  An enormous amount of sacrifices are being done during the temple dedication ceremony in front of the whole congregation which was made up of all the elders and leaders of the tribes of Israel.  Then the people along with the priests conduct a service praising God with their voices and musical instruments.  God shows up to the ceremony in a cloud so bright the priests are unable to enter the temple!

Food for thought:  Solomon’s early years are a testimony by which we can look when charged with a task in which we give honor and worship to God.  As important as it was for David to make the preparations and plans for the temple, it was his responsibility to make sure the plan of building the temple came to fruition.  Asking God for wisdom in ruling the nation shows humility in Solomon and it is an example to Christians that we should be asking God for wisdom as well when making any important decision in our lives.   Then he asks for help from the King of Tyre in providing the skilled labor he needs to help build the temple.   Sometimes in life, you need help from someone who has more knowledge and experience in completing a task that is important to you.  This is an example which shows that Christians should be a people open and willing to work with others  Sometimes it takes a LONG time to make complete a project that is important to you.  But when it’s all in the name of bringing honor to God, we should do such a task with joy and dedication because the end result will make it all worth it!

Up next:  A prayer of hope, faith, and forgiveness…

The Covenants of Moses and David: The Work of a Perfect Heart (Part 1)

Read 1 Chronicles 28, 29

As we learned previously, David has determined to make preparations for the temple to be built under his son Solomon’s leadership.  Now, King David gathers together all the leaders and commanders in Israel for his final address to the nation before his death.  Once again, David states the reason as he did earlier in the book that as a warrior who shed blood, he was deemed by God to not be fit to build the temple.  Rather, Solomon his son will do it.   David mentions again the promise God made to him regarding his legacy being continued through Solomon as long as he follows and worships God.  David charges the leaders in Israel to follow God in order to remain in the Promised Land, and admonition that is drawn from the Law of Moses.   He makes the same charge to Solomon next that is drawn from the Law of Moses to follow God with his whole heart and mind.  He encourages Solomon to do the work because God is with him!

David is very organized.   He has all the specific plans laid out on how the temple should be built and he has all the necessary material gathered together.  But he doesn’t stop with materials he gathered from outside resources; he gives of his own personal wealth!  Now David charges the leaders in Israel to be just as committed as he is to the work of building the temple.  The donations come pouring in of all kinds as the people follow the example of their king.  Once that is done, David prays to God in front of the congregation, praising Him for his goodness the His people.  He acknowledges that all these materials belong to God anyway .  He asks for God to keep the hearts of the people Solomon’s heart loyal to Him, keeping God’s commands, just as they had demonstrated that heartfelt commitment in giving of their means to help build the temple.  After the end of the prayer, Solomon is crowned king and David later dies.

Food for thought:  David ends his life on as a high a note as one can get.  Despite his own mistakes and sins in his past, David never loses focus in paving the way for God to honored to the highest order possible by housing the Ark of the Covenant in what will become one of the most beautiful buildings ever erected..  Even though he won’t live to see it, he takes actions to make sure that his son Solomon has all he needs to complete the project.  He demonstrates true leadership by taking his own possessions and contributing it to the temple work.  With such great leadership displayed in front of their eyes, the people of Israel follow suit and give of themselves with the same deep devotion to God as their king has.   When I read these texts I ask myself this question;  How passionate and dedicated are we as Christians toward doing those things that further the work of God, which is uplifting Him and giving him the honor and glory that He deserves?  How dedicated are we in doing what we can to let the world know how great God is and how He is deserving of receiving the BEST from us in everything we do?  The closer we get to God, the more our hearts will reflect his character and as a result, our outward actions of honor and devotion to Him will be manifest for others to see, such that some people will be drawn by our witness to worship God just we do.   David gives us an ideal example of what worshiping God with all your heart and mind is all about.  Let’s pray that we follow in his footsteps.

Up next:  Like father, like son….

The Covenants of David and Moses: Be a Man! (Woman)

Read 1 Chronicles 22, 1 Kings 2

We see David at the end of his reign and with little time left before he dies, he makes preparations for the temple to be built.  He knows that with such a large project, he needs to help his son out who is still a young man.  We learn in further detail that God didn’t allow David to build the temple in his lifetime because he was a warrior who fought many battles and killed many people.  Instead, God promised David a son who will have a peaceful rule who will build the temple instead.  Hence, Solomon, whose very name means “peace”, will perform that task

Despite his own sins and missteps, David maintained a relationship with God that was as close as one could have.  It should not surprise us at all that the key message of David to his son is to remain loyal to God and obedient to the covenants that was made to himself and to the people of Israel that is written down in the Law of Moses.  David knows what is at stake; obedience to God will bring prosperity to Solomon and disobedience will bring him run.  Plus, God has promised David that he’d always have an heir to occupy his throne and he wants his son to make sure that that legacy remains intact.

David includes the princes of Israel in his address.  As leaders, they have a responsibility  to assist Solomon in making sure that the temple is built.  Echoing the words of Moses, he implores them to love God and serve him completely.

Food for thought:  These messages of David show how much David wants Solomon and the princes of Israel to build the temple for God and be loyal to Him..  Nothing else matters to David and he does his part in getting the necessary materials together for the temple to be built.  So many people have ideas on what it means to be a man or woman, but David lays it out for us!  Being a man or a woman means being committed to God and doing great things for Him first and foremost.  For many, being “grown” and having power means using it to further your own interests but in David’s eyes, using power to further the work of God while remaining obedient to Him is the only way to go.  Are we this committed to doing the work of God in our own lives?  That’s something to ponder.

Up next:  This is what happens when a heart is in the right place….