by
Gordon MacDonald for Generous Giving
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"[Solomon said,] 'Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on Sabbaths and New Moons and at the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel' ” (2 Chronicles 2:4).
David was a dreamer. Chief among his dreams was a temple where the nation might gather and engage in all the appropriate actions of worship. This idea became a passion for David. Nothing he had ever accomplished was as important in his eyes as this one objective: to build the house of the Lord.
And so you can imagine the numbing disappointment David must have felt when God said that the temple was not his to build. David had too much blood on his hands.
David has something to teach the would-be generous giver here. Men and women of influence and means are determined people; they aren't used to having anyone say “no” to them--not even God. And so, when it becomes clear that God is redirecting our efforts, what can we do so our natural determination does not become a liability? The story of David provides a few clues to us.
When God said “no” to David, the king responded graciously. He relinquished the task to his son Solomon. We don’t know all the details, but Scripture gives us a glimpse of David’s empowering Solomon for this work: “The Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work” (1 Chr 28:10). David released the vision of the temple into the hands of another (see 1 Chr 28:11-19). It was a noble transaction between father and son--one that more than a few fathers have handled poorly.
David also took pains to provide an enormous amount of the essential building materials out of his own pocket. The result was that David was in a position to challenge the rest of Israel to follow in his steps. In other words, David’s call to Israel to build a temple under the leadership of his son began with his own generosity.
Solomon would get the credit for building the temple. But, as it is in many cases, the force behind this “house of the Lord” was an older man with a dream. David had imagined a place, a spiritual center where the community could celebrate the core of the nation’s life--its walk with God.
The temple would have its ups and downs in Israel's spiritual life. But year after year as it stood at the center of Jerusalem's life it would be a reminder of a man with a dream and a generous heart. Israel would be the better for it. The story makes one ask: What dream have I set in motion with and through others that will add value to the generations to come?
© Generous Giving, 2002. Used by permission of Generous Giving. All rights reserved.
Generous Giving is an educational stewardship ministry that seeks to encourage givers of all income levels—as well as ministry leaders, pastors and teachers and professional advisors—to fully understand and embrace what it means to live generously, according to God’s word and Christ’s example.
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