Let us now stand together that we might hear the Word of God, and I'm going to begin with the reading from 1 Chronicles and then read from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2. 1 Chronicles, Chapter 28 is my text for today. I'll make a comment before reading Luke 2 as to its significance. Hear now the word of our God. David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men, and all the seasoned warriors. Then David rose to his feet and said, Hear me, my brothers 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 I made preparations for building. I put God, but God said to me, you may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood. Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader. And in the house of Judah, my father's house, and among my father's sons, he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, he has chosen Solomon, my son, to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me, It is Solomon, your son, who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules as he has today. Now, therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, Observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever. And you, Solomon, my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it. When David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat, and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasures of the house of the God, and the treasures for dedicated gifts, for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the Lord, for all the vessels for the service in the house of the Lord, the weight of gold for all the gold vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, the weight of golden lampsticks and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for lampstands and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand in the service, the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, and pure gold for the forks, the basins, and the cups, for the golden bowls and the weight of each, for the silver bowls and the weight of each. For the altar of incense made of refined gold and its weight, also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All this he made clear to me in writing from word of the Lord, from the hand of the Lord. All the work to be done according to his plan. Then David said to Solomon, his son, be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. And behold, the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service. Also the officers and all the people will be holy at your command. We have read of the time when David is transferring the throne to Solomon, and we have had indication of the house of David continuing forever. And so we turn to Luke 2.8-14. Same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased." So far, the word of our God. It might seem to you that on this one occasion, a bit of a rare occasion when I am preaching, that I should turn to the book of Chronicles and preach from a passage such as this. I have to tell you, in my seeking to decide what I might preach on, I recalled this passage as one that I found very helpful to me in times past, and for that reason I trust that it will be a blessing to you today. Chronicles is an interesting portion of the Scripture. In our English Bibles, We find chronicles right after the books of Samuel and Kings. We find them there as part of that historical section of our Bibles. However, in the Hebrew Bible, it's found at the end of the scripture. It's found among the writings, along with the Psalms and Proverbs and so forth. It's treated differently than simply as an historical document. And I found myself in my studies in Chronicles in the past that, indeed, Chronicles is something more than a study of history. Indeed, it seems, and the tradition is, that Ezra was the one who wrote Chronicles. That's disputed by some, but nonetheless, that's the tradition. And it fits, because if you can imagine the days of Ezra, remember, he was one of the leaders who brought people back from captivity to the land where they had been living prior to God's bringing his judgment upon them. And as he brought those people back, they came back a little bit at a time, doing this and doing that, building houses, and then they got involved in the building of the temple. You can well imagine that if you had been in a foreign country for some period of time and had the chance to go home, you would be looking forward to it. But in this instance, I think when they got home, they would have found many reasons to be discouraged. What they had left was not there. What they tried to do was often prevented by enemies around about them. There was much cause for them to despair as they returned to that land. And I believe that whenever this was written exactly, that it was written at a time that sought to encourage the Israelites, reminding them of their history, reminding them that they were indeed God's special people, and that He had made promises to them. And though they had not been faithful, God had been faithful. Just an interesting little side note related to that is the fact that we're looking at chapter 28, but there's really a section in 1 Chronicles 17-29 that is a piece together. And out of that, the chapters 17-21 are very much a parallel to 2 Samuel 7-24. They're not identical. Clearly there are other means of communicating the history over the years that the chronicler has used that the writer of Samuel did not. And what we're looking at is something that is not in the Samuel record. We're looking at something that the chronicler thought was important for his readers. And now I suggest it's important for us today. As we begin to look through this chapter, and it's my intent to just sort of step through the chapter and pick up on certain themes that are there as we go through the chapter. We begin, we find that David has summoned all the officials, and there's a brief listing of those who are the officials. Actually, in chapters 22 through 27, there's the detail of all these people. You know, Chronicles begins with nine chapters of names, and then you think you're going along pretty well in the history, and suddenly you come to chapter 22, and you find out, oh, here we go again, more names. But David, you see, was a man of organization, and he was used by God to bring into existence the people of Israel in a way that was pleasing before him. And a part of that was the government structure, a part of it was the worship structure. And David was involved in bringing these matters into an organizational structure that allowed the people to function as God would have them do. As he gathers these people, he does it for a purpose. The thing that came to my mind was something like the State of the Union address that the president might give, and probably half of us have never listened to it, but at the same time there are a large number of people who do give attention to that, and we might read news reports for days after it. It's a time when the leader gives a situation and declares to the people what is happening and what is going on. And so here David has come to a point where he has something so important that he gathers the whole nation together. It is a state of the union, if you will, for Israel at that time. And so David speaks to them, and he speaks of a matter of experience in his life. And you may know the story well of how it is that David looked around him at one point and he realized that things were pretty well organized and settled. And he himself had a place to live, a nice place to live, a castle, if you will. And then he remembered that God was still in a tent. All of Israel had lived in tents for quite some time. But when they came into the promised land, they began to build and to develop it. And all that had taken place, but now God was still in the tent, in the tabernacle. And so David thought, I should build a house for God. And that was such a good idea that even Nathan the prophet said, yeah, let's do that. But then, as we have before us now, God said, no. David, you're not the one to build this temple. He went on to declare that it would be Solomon, as we'll see in a moment. But consider for a moment, you have a great idea. Other people think it's a great idea. And then you're told, nope, can't do that. What is your response? We'll see that as we progress. What did David do when God said no? Here we continue to see how it is that David recognizes the working of God in the history of Israel. In verse 4, we're told how it is that he chose Judah Then he chose out of the house of Judah, he chose the family in which David was born. And then out of David's family, he's going to choose Solomon, particularly. In this, it reminds us of God's moving throughout history. God is the one who has created the heavens and the earth. God is the one who placed Adam and Eve in the garden. God is the one who saw their sin and rebellion, which was worthy of death, and graciously promised to them a Redeemer. God was the one who chose those through whom that Savior would be born. Looking at Seth and Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, And here, particularly, we come then to that time when it is Judah, when it is David, when it will be Solomon. God is at work among His people. In all that His people do, God continues to work. One of the things that is particularly brought out here and emphasized to us, I believe, is that God is the one who chooses his leaders. It says, of all my sons, the Lord has given me many. Do you know how many David had? David had 19 named sons by his wives. And after that listing, then it says, and other sons by his concubines. That's a large family gathering. Out of all those, God chose Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of God, just as he had chosen David to sit on the throne after the false start under King Saul. God is moving, is what David is acknowledging to his leaders there. Even here, he has acknowledged that God's plans are better than his. God had said to him, Solomon, your son is the one who will build my house and my courts. I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. The special place that Solomon holds in the history of Israel, a man that God truly set apart, a man of peace, a prince of peace, God chose him. And God promises here, as David repeats it for us, I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving and carrying out my commands and laws as is being done at this time. And here in this passage and in the other passage that have similar content, we find that there are two things going on. Here the his kingdom which seem to speak specifically to Solomon as the king of Israel. But always behind that is the kingdom of God. And so it is that what we find, God does maintain Solomon's kingdom. But because of Solomon's disobedience and others after him who turned from the way of the Lord, There is no longer one who sits physically upon a throne in Jerusalem, but by his grace there is one who sits on the throne of heaven. And so we read from Luke chapter 2, the son of David was born, Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Messiah. And so God does indeed continue in his faithful provision for his people through the years and through the generation. David, having declared this to his officers, to his leaders of the people, says to them, so now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. While it is true that we can never keep the commands of God perfectly because of our sinful nature, nonetheless, we know that as we do as God would have us to do, his blessings come to us. And Israel is the perfect example of what happens when you don't do as God commands. As I said, this writing of Chronicles, I believe, is for those who have returned from that judgment of exile that God had brought upon them because of their sinfulness. So the people of Israel, notice, are also commanded to keep what God would have them to do. But now if you can imagine, David's been speaking to the people. And if it's like one of our situations today where when a leader is speaking, there's always an entourage back here on the platform behind him. You can imagine that now he turns and he says, and you, Solomon, my son, acknowledge the God of your father. Serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind. He has spoken to them. He's spoken about Solomon. Solomon's been sitting there listening to what's been going on, but now it's Solomon. Solomon is the focus. Even these words that are here, acknowledge the God of your father, serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, are like echoes out of Deuteronomy 6 that we read before. the call for a complete and full giving of ourselves to the living and true God. Solomon is, as it were, encouraged by some further statements which sound to me very much like what we read in Psalm 139, that the Lord searches our heart. He understands every motive. God knows what's going on. We cannot hide from Him. There may be many secrets that I or you have that others do not know, but God knows. And that can be seen as hard, because we know we've done wrong. But it can also be good, because it says God knows what's happening in our lives, and He's guiding and directing us by His Spirit in a way that will please and honor Him. But the final declaration here of David to Solomon is, consider now, for the Lord has chosen you. He has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary, as a holy place. Be strong and do the work. Be strong and do the work. I'll say more about that in a moment as we come to another place where that is presented. having told Solomon that now it is his job to assume the responsibility for the building of the temple. David then goes on to outline some of the plans. Believe it or not, though it may have seemed like I was reading forever, that is obviously a condensed version of what David would have presented on that occasion. In summary, we have it here, but David apparently had it in great detail. And if you have your Bible before you, you can look at verse 18. He even gives one specific thing. He says, God gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and sheltered the ark of the covenant. Realize David looked at the Ark of the Covenant as God's dwelling place among the people. It was this that he wanted to build a house for, because it was the representation to the people of God that God was with them. But then as David finishes telling about these plans, David said, I have in writing, from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan." Back in verse 12, there was a hint of this type of thing, that David's plans indeed came from God. But here David says, I have it in writing. God has given it to me in such a way that these details are in writing. For us, that's a wonderful Old Testament example of what we read in the New Testament when we read how it is that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. How it is that the Spirit moved men to write, so that we have what we call our Bible today. David is a living example of the past, of what God does in instructing His people. We don't remember things very well. We can hear it, we can read it, and turn away and remember it no more. But God, by His grace, has given to us His written Word that we can look to it again and again and again. And so David, now affirming that these plans are not his, but they are the Lord's, says to Solomon once again, be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. These words are like those that were spoken to Joshua when he took over the leadership of Israel from Moses. There are times in our lives when indeed we especially need the encouragement, the challenge to be strong, to be courageous, to do the work. But with that, we need the reminder that God is with us and will enable us. I'd like to give you a personal example. Some people would say I should never do this, but I'm going to do it. I am here bringing the Word of God to you today. This is the first time in over a year since I have preached. I've had some health things that have made me concerned to commit to such a thing. And believe me, After not preaching for over a year, it is of great anxiety to do so. And in God's providence, in my picking this passage and in reading, Be strong! Do it! Be strong! Courageous! Do it! That has helped me through. And as I recognized that, I thought, there are doubtless things to which you have been called to do. And you and I can remember that we can be strong, courageous, and get the job done, because the Lord, our God, is with us. Doesn't mean we can do anything or everything, but it means we can do what He would have us to do. It's like in Philippians, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God enables and empowers us to do that which he would have us to do. And we sometimes can enter into responsibilities with great fear and trepidation. If you've taught Sunday school or some such thing as that, you can know that sometimes you, how did I get myself into this? I can't do this. This is a time. Be strong. Courageous. Do it. The Lord your God is with you. And another encouragement closes out the chapter here. As David says to Solomon, not only should you be strong and courageous and do it, but as it were, he says, remember, Solomon, just a short time ago, I gave similar instruction to these leaders who are out here. You're not alone. Not only have you got the Lord with you, but you have those helpers that you need in order to get the task done. David, as I said, was an organizer. He brought Israel together in a way that allowed Solomon to have a good well-organized kingdom to rule over. David didn't quit even after this speech. He continued to provide that which was needed to build the temple. His great desire was to do what he could do to bring honor and glory to God. He wasn't allowed to do that one thing that he thought would be really great. but he was able to pass that on to his son to get it done. And in the midst of all of this, as we look at David and at Solomon, then think forward to Rehoboam and all those that follow after, and we see how it is that the people of Israel turned from God. They were not strong. They did not do what they should do. But God graciously continued to claim them as his people and brought onto the throne of David the Lord Jesus Christ. God is a faithful God. Put your trust and your confidence in him at all times and all circumstances. Do as he commands. Follow him. for that is the way of righteousness in Jesus Christ. Let's pray together. Almighty and gracious God, we know that you have created the heavens and the earth and you have created us. We know that you have every right to expect of us what you desire. But we also know that you are a gracious God, and you only require of us that which is good for us. We thank you, Lord, that you do work all things together for good to those who love you and are called according to your purposes. We pray, Lord, that as we go out into the world that we will see what you have called us to do. We will be able to acknowledge it, We will be able to commit to it. And we will do it. We'll be strong, courageous. Lord, not relying upon our own wisdom and our own strength so much as relying upon you. Even today, Lord, as you have worked here among us and brought your word to us, we pray, Lord, that you might continue to bless us with your truth, not only in our heads and our hearts, but in our hearts as well, that you might be glorified. This is our prayer. In Jesus' name, amen. We respond now with hymn number 532. He's the owner of my holy land. And keep me ever holy in the fire, That in my service I may find My soul's delight from day to day. Guide me, O Savior, with Thy hand, And so control thy thoughts and dreams, While joyfully tread the earthly streets, While you have lived to do a blessed life. While we all say your name today, Where footsteps come and stop, And make me walking in thy path, To perfect newness, truth, and grace. By me, O Lord, that I may care, O sing a hymn for Judah, O God, his temptation give thee sight, and crown each death with shelt'ring hair. All right.