When King David was an old man, he wanted to build a temple for God. But David had been a man of war, so God told him that the honor of building the temple would go to his son, Solomon. David gathered a huge amount of materials for the construction of the temple. He donated all of his personal wealth to the project, and inspired the family leaders of the tribes of Israel to donate generously as well (I Chronicles 29:3-9). This is the context in which we find a special prayer of King David. It is recorded in I Chronicles 29:10-20, and there are many lessons we can learn from it.
Praise and recognition.
Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:
“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever!
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”
~I Chronicles 29:10-11
David first focuses on God’s awesome nature. He ascribes to God the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. The use of the definite article, “the”, in these descriptions highlights the magnitude of these characteristics. It’s like saying that to God belongs all greatness, all power, all, glory, etc. David begins his prayer by acknowledging God’s supremacy, and praising Him for it. This is a great way to start a prayer!
The source of all things.
Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!
But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
~I Chronicles 29:12-14
David was no stranger to wealth, power, honor, and might. It must have been tempting for him to take credit for all that he had acquired and accomplished. After all, David was a man who had slain giants and conquered armies. But David recognized that it had all been given to him by God. He says plainly in verse 14, “Everything we have has come from you.” We would do well to remember this any time we start to think we have achieved something on our own.
A proper perspective and response.
We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.
O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you!
I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.
I Chronicles 29:15-17
Life is short. We’re here one day and gone the next. David understood that the most important thing he could do was to glorify the One who had given him life, wealth, and honor. He dedicated himself and his fortune to God because he had experienced God’s loving care all throughout his life. It pleases God when we recognize all He has done for us. We ought to willingly and joyously give back to Him.
Closing with hope.
O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes.
Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.
Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” And the entire assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the Lord and the king.
~I Chronicles 29:18-20
David finishes his prayer, filled with hope for the future. His thoughts turn to his people and to his son Solomon who will soon be crowned king. David desires that they will love and obey God so that they will enjoy the blessings that God has for them. In closing, he instructs the people to, “Give praise to the Lord your God!”
Now is a good time for some self examination. Do you thank God daily for all that you have? Do you give Him credit and praise for whatever wealth, honor, and power you possess? Take a lesson from David. Make it a habit to thank God for everything. It all comes from Him, so be sure to give credit where credit is due.
