I Chronicles 28, A Promise to Solomon

We continue the report of the administration of King David. The Chronicler, reporting on past practices of David, is motivated by the creation of the second temple at the end of Nehemiah and so will focus on the policies in Jerusalem, around the palace and future temple site.

1 Chronicles 28: 1, Meeting in Jerusalem

David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.

David has a meeting of all officials in Jerusalem, both the military and administrative leaders.

1 Chronicles 28: 2-7, Solomon's dynasty

King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, `You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.' 

"Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons--and the LORD has given me many--he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me: `Solomon your son is the one who will 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 is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.'

David appoints Solomon as his successor. In 1 Kings 1, we have an appointment of Solomon as successor at the end of David's life, as he is on his deathbed. If this is the same event, it is greatly simplified, with none of the palace intrigue of 1 Kings.  It is also possible that this event preceeds the deathbed events and that the deathbed events were to make it clear that this succession still held. (Solomon had older brothers, such as Adonijah, who sought the throne.)

David announces God's promise that his dynasty, continuing through Solomon, will be an eternal dynasty.  This is the "Davidic covenant", that will eventually focus on a Messiah in the line of David.

The instructions to Solomon include begin "unswerving" in his devotion to YHWH.

1 Chronicles 28: 8-10, Instructions to the assembly and Solomon

"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.

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."

Solomon and the assembly are instructed to seek YHWH and follow Him at every stage. These instructions include building a temple during Solomon's reign. They also include a warning about what happens if Solomon or his descendants forsake YHWH

1 Chronicles 28: 11-18, Temple plans

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.

He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the LORD, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.

He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
 

Meticulous temple plans are passed on to Solomon. The "chariot" of God is the cherubim on whose wings God was portrayed as riding.

1 Chronicles 28: 19-21, Be strong and courageous

"All this," 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."

David also said to Solomon his son, "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. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."

Solomon, like Joshua (Joshua 1: 5-7), is told "Be strong and courageous" and that YHWH will not forsake him. Payne says that the Chronicler emphasizes parallels between Moses/Joshua and David/Solomon. Solomon is following David just as Joshua obeyed Moses. We will see that Solomon, unlike Joshua, is not completely faithful to the divine mandate.