Slideshow image

            King David said to his son Solomon, “My Son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God, but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, … ‘you shall not build a house for My name…’” (1 Chronicles 22:7-8). David assembled the leaders of Israel and said to them, “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…” (1 Chronicles 28:2-3). Speaking again to his son, David said, “I have set my affection on the house of my God…” (1 Chronicles 29:3).
             The first thing that can be observed about David is that even though he desired to do something good, because it was not the Lord’s will, David respected the Word of God. That principle is carried over in the lives of Christians in the present century in daily living and in the work and functioning of the church. David truly believed what he wrote concerning the Word of God, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my pathway” (Psalm 119:105),
            The second thing that can be observed about David is the sentiments that David expressed toward God were from the heart. David had set his heart, his mind, his affections on the goal of building a house for the Lord, and even though David was not allowed to build the Temple he began to organize the finances for the future construction of the Temple saying, “I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepare for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver…” (1 Chronicles 29:3). David sacrificed personally so that the Temple could be built because he had it in his mind, heart, and affections to serve the Lord.
            The house that David referred to, was a literal building, the Temple, but the New Testament reveals that the house of God this side of the cross is the Lord’s church. Paul wrote to Timothy, “But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God…” (1 Timothy 3:15). In the Old Testament the people of God went to the Temple, the house of God, but in the New Testament the people of God are the house of God, the Lord’s church. David had his mind, heart, and affections set on the house of God, in the same manner, as Christians we should have our mind, heart, and affections set on the spiritual house of God, the church. What does that look like in the life of a Christian?
            For the Christian it would look like being with family when the house of God comes together. Paul understood the house of God when he remained in Troas for seven days so that he could be with his spiritual family on the first day of the week. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…” (Acts 20:7). Contextually, this was when the church came together to worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24) and has continued to do so since the first century. The life of the Christian is more than being present in an assembly on the first day of the week, but it is also seeing the value of the house of God throughout the week and being concerned about brothers and sisters in the spiritual family. Paul wrote concerning this house, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27), and went on to illustrate that every person in the family of God is important and that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).
            David set his mind, heart, and affections on the house of God, the Temple, in a similar manner as Christians we should have our mind, heart, and affections set on the spiritual house of God, the church, by desiring to be with the family and demonstrate a genuine concern for brothers and sister regardless of their earthly circumstances or status. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:34).