Bible Commentaries

In the place where the mercy of God operated in staying the plague resulting from his sin, David chose to build the house of his God. The threshing floor of Oman the Jebusite was chosen as the site of the Temple. The days were rapidly passing, and the end of David's life was not far off. During these latter days his underlying desire became the supreme matter. In perfect acquiescence with the will of God, he gave up all thought of building, and set himself to preparing everything for another hand to carry out. "So David prepared abundantly before his death." His charge to his son is very beautiful. He frankly told him how God had refused to permit him to build, and named the reason. He was careful to teach Solomon that his appointment to build was of God, and thereby created a solemn sense of responsibility in the matter. Out of personal experience both of failure and of realization, David told his son that the condition of success in the enterprises of God is observance of the statutes and judgments of the Lord. He expressed his conviction, moreover, that the house of God must be "exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries."

This is a picture of a man who through stress and storm had found his way into the quiet calm assurance of his place in the divine economy. The heats and passions of earlier years were under perfect control, and burned to co-operation with the purpose of God, wholly within the limits of the divine will. It is a condition of peace and power.