1 Chronicles Chapter 28

David’s Public Charge to Solomon

A. David’s public words to the assembly of Israel and to Solomon

1. The assembly of Israel gathers to hear King David

1 Chronicles 28:1
“Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel, the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor.”

David gathered the full leadership of Israel in Jerusalem for one of the most important events of his reign. Present were the officers of the tribes, the commanders of the military divisions, the captains over thousands and hundreds, the stewards over the king’s possessions, high level officials, valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor. This assembly represented the entire political, military, and administrative strength of the kingdom. David intended this gathering to serve as a public passing of authority to Solomon and a formal charge regarding the construction of the temple. Despite this clear public declaration, Adonijah would later attempt to seize the throne when David died, as recorded in 1 Kings 1 and 2. Nevertheless, this assembly united the leaders of the nation under David’s final directives and prepared the kingdom for a peaceful transition.

The Chronicler likely has in view the same collective leadership described in the preceding chapters. Payne notes that the final chapters of 1 Chronicles form a unified narrative, beginning with the assembly of leaders in chapter twenty three and continuing through chapters twenty eight and twenty nine. The event is solemn, public, and national in scale. David stood before those who carried the responsibility of the kingdom and delivered his final charge.

2. David speaks to the assembly of Israel

1 Chronicles 28:2-8
“Then King David rose to his feet and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people, I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. But God said to me, You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood. However the Lord God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler, and of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. Now He said to me, It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day. Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.”

David rose to his feet to speak, a detail the Chronicler includes because David was advanced in age and declining in health according to 1 Kings 1. His effort to stand demonstrated the gravity of the moment. David reminded the people that he had desired to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence, and for the footstool of God. David had made extensive preparations for this purpose, but God had refused his request. David was a man of war who had shed blood, and though his military victories were necessary for establishing Israel’s peace, they disqualified him from building the temple. God desired a man of peace, and Solomon, whose name is connected with peace, was chosen to build it.

David explained that God chose him from among his brothers to rule Israel, establishing Judah as the ruling tribe, and choosing David’s family line for the monarchy. Among David’s many sons, God specifically selected Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord. God also established a covenant with Solomon, declaring that He would be a Father to him and would establish his kingdom forever if Solomon remained faithful to the commandments and judgments of God.

David then exhorted the assembly to be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord. Israel was to treat obedience as a serious responsibility. They were to search the Scriptures, discern the will of God, and walk in full obedience rather than choosing only those commandments that suited them. The nation’s prosperity and the inheritance they would leave to their children depended on their faithfulness. This public charge emphasized covenant faithfulness, national unity, and complete obedience to the word of God. David was preparing Israel not only for Solomon’s reign but for generational stability rooted in obedience to the Lord.

3. David speaks to Solomon

1 Chronicles 28:9-10

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary, be strong, and do it.”

David turned from addressing the assembly to addressing Solomon directly. His words form one of the most powerful father to son exhortations in Scripture. David began with the foundational command, urging Solomon to know the God of your father. David’s success, strength, endurance, and victories all flowed from his personal relationship with God. He urged Solomon to follow the same path. No amount of administrative skill, political wisdom, or military ability could replace knowing the living God personally. Solomon was called to cultivate an intimate, genuine relationship with the Lord, anchored in faith, obedience, and reverence.

David then commanded Solomon to serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. True service requires both. A loyal heart speaks to sincerity, devotion, and integrity. A willing mind speaks to understanding, discernment, and thoughtful obedience. Some attempt to serve God with emotion but without knowledge. Others serve with intellect but without affection or passion. David insisted on both. Morgan notes that knowing God precedes serving Him, because all failures in service begin with failures in understanding who God is. A right vision of God fuels faithful service.

David explained why Solomon must commit himself wholeheartedly, saying that the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. God knows every motive, every inclination, every hidden desire. Nothing is concealed from Him. Understanding God’s omniscience should produce humility and devotion. It should stir a healthy fear of God and cultivate sincere obedience. Solomon would rule a great nation and assume great responsibilities, but God alone would judge his heart.

David then gave both a promise and a warning. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. This proved true in Solomon’s life. When he sought the Lord early in his reign at Gibeon, God appeared to him, granted wisdom, and blessed him abundantly as recorded in 1 Kings 3. Yet Solomon later forsook the Lord by allowing idolatry into Israel, and God announced judgment, resulting in the division of the kingdom in 1 Kings 11. Selman notes that Solomon’s devotion was inconsistent. He sought God, but not with a whole heart, and his divided heart eventually produced a divided kingdom.

David concluded with a firm and urgent charge. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary, be strong, and do it. The temple required determination, courage, discipline, and unwavering obedience. Everything David had prepared over decades, every ounce of gold and silver collected, every plan and blueprint drawn, every priest and Levite organized, would amount to nothing if Solomon failed to complete the work. The building of the temple was not merely a political project but a divine assignment. Solomon was chosen by God for this purpose, and David urged him to rise to the task with strength and resolve.

B. The Plans for the Temple

1. David gives Solomon the plans for the temple

1 Chronicles 28:11-13
“Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat, and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things, also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the articles of service in the house of the Lord.”

David handed Solomon a detailed set of architectural and organizational plans for the construction of the temple. The text lists the vestibule, the various houses, the treasuries, the upper chambers, the inner chambers, and the specific location of the mercy seat. David also provided detailed plans for the courts of the house of the Lord, the chambers surrounding them, the treasuries for general temple use, and the treasuries for dedicated things. In addition, David presented Solomon with the arrangements for the divisions of priests and Levites, the structure of their service, and the requirements for all the articles used in temple worship.

This means that David did virtually everything needed for the temple except physically build it. He secured the land, gathered the materials, prepared the workers, organized the priesthood, and established the administrative and spiritual framework. Now he also handed Solomon the divinely inspired blueprints. The Chronicler emphasizes that these plans were not David’s architectural imagination. David gave Solomon the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, meaning they were given through the direct influence of the Holy Spirit.

Spurgeon notes that since the temple was to be the earthly dwelling place of God, it was fitting that the design came from God Himself. If God was to be the One who dwelled there, then the house needed to reflect His mind rather than the creativity of men. The temple was not to be modeled after pagan sanctuaries or human artistic whims. It was shaped according to divine revelation, ensuring that its symbolism, dimensions, furnishings, and order reflected heavenly truth rather than earthly imagination. The temple would be a visible testimony of God’s holiness, beauty, and order.

2. The ornate furnishings for the temple

1 Chronicles 28:14-19
“He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service, also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service, the weight for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps, for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand. And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver, also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls, he gave gold by weight for every bowl, and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl, and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.”

David continued by giving Solomon precise specifications for every object to be used in the temple. These verses emphasize the overwhelming amount of gold and silver involved. The word gold appears eleven times in six verses. Gold was assigned by weight for every item of gold, and silver by weight for every item of silver. Lampstands, lamps, tables for the showbread, bowls, forks, basins, pitchers, and the altar of incense were all regulated by weight. Each object required exact material quantities, ensuring uniform beauty and perfect craftsmanship in the house of God.

David also provided instructions for the construction of the chariot, which he explains as the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Trapp notes that this imagery reflects how God is described elsewhere. Psalm 99:1 presents Him as enthroned between the cherubim. Psalm 18:10 describes Him as riding upon a cherub. Psalm 68:17 describes the angels as the chariots of God. Jewish teachers said that those who saw God in former times did not see the Rider but only the chariot in which God rode. The cherubim overshadowing the ark symbolized the holy presence of God, His throne, and His glory dwelling among His people.

Trapp adds a sobering observation. By portraying the cherubim as a chariot, God showed Israel that His presence among them was not fixed or permanent if they rebelled. If the nation fell into sin and provoked Him, He would depart swiftly. The imagery of a chariot communicated mobility as well as majesty.

David concludes this section by declaring that all these instructions came directly from God. The Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans. This echoes the pattern set when God gave Moses the blueprint for the tabernacle on Mount Sinai. David stood as a king under divine authority, not as a king improvising sacred architecture. God revealed the structure, order, and purpose of His house. David received the plans through divine revelation, recorded in writing, authenticated by the presence of God’s hand upon him.

This underscores the sacred nature of the temple. Its every detail bore the imprint of God’s design, not human invention. Solomon would build a structure conceived in heaven and entrusted to Israel through David.

3. David’s Final Charge to Solomon

1 Chronicles 28:20-21

“And David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and of good courage, and do it, do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service, also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”

David concluded his charge to Solomon with a powerful and deliberate exhortation. He commanded his son to be strong and of good courage, and do it. These words echo the Lord’s commissioning of Joshua in Joshua 1:5-7, where God prepared Joshua to complete the mission Moses began. The Chronicler intentionally draws this parallel. David functions as a second Moses who brings Israel to the threshold of a monumental work, and Solomon is positioned as a second Joshua who will bring that work to completion. Just as Moses could not enter the land, David could not build the temple. Solomon, like Joshua, would finish what the earlier leader had faithfully prepared.

David strengthened Solomon’s resolve by reminding him of the presence of God. Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. David did not simply say “the Lord God will be with you.” He said the Lord God, my God, emphasizing that the same God who sustained David through war, exile, betrayal, coronation, and decades of reign would now sustain Solomon. David bore witness to God’s faithfulness from his own life. Solomon could continue with confidence, knowing that God Himself would ensure the completion of the temple if Solomon faithfully obeyed.

David then turned from exhortation to practical provision. Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God. With these words we can picture David physically handing Solomon the scrolls containing the assignments of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers, the treasury officers, and all temple servants. David had organized every aspect of the priestly and Levitical system, providing Solomon with a complete framework for worship, sacrifice, maintenance, security, and administration.

David also assured Solomon that every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service. Solomon would not lack skilled artisans. He would have stonemasons, metalworkers, woodworkers, designers, engravers, and craftsmen gifted by God for holy work. The temple would require excellence, beauty, and precision, and David assured Solomon that God had already prepared men who possessed these gifts. Their willingness to work was an act of worship in itself.

Finally, David reminded Solomon that the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command. The nation was united behind the project. Solomon would have the full support of political leaders, tribal heads, military commanders, administrative officials, and the general population. David had labored to build national unity around the temple, and Solomon inherited a unified people ready to obey their king and fulfill God’s purpose.

David’s final charge blends spiritual courage, divine promise, practical preparation, and national unity. Everything was in place. The plans were drawn, the materials gathered, the workers prepared, the priesthood organized, and the people unified. Solomon had one crucial task left.

Be strong, and do it.