In this passage, David takes up an offering for building of the temple. He uses the youth of Solomon, the greatness of the project, and his own example of giving as incentives for the people to give freely. The people respond and bring a generous offering for which David blesses the Lord before the entire congregation.

What Does It Say?

1. With all his might, David had prepared for the house of the Lord gold, and ________, and _________, and iron, and _________, and stones.
2. David closed his appeal for an offering with these words, “And who then is willing to ____________ his service this day unto the LORD?”
3. David declared, “Thine, O LORD, is the ___________, and the power, and the ________, and the victory, and the __________.
4. David continued, “Both riches and __________ come of thee, and thou __________ over all.
5. Our days on the earth are as a __________, and there is none ___________.

What Does It Mean?

1. In speaking of the greatness of the work of building the temple, David states, “for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God” (v.1). Why did David call the temple a palace? What does he mean that it is not for man, but for God? Reconcile this statement with Isaiah 66:1Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
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2. This passage in speaking of the people states that, “with perfect heart they offered willing to the LORD” (v.9). What is a perfect heart? The phrase is used 9 times in the Bible: 2 Kings 20:3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
   See All...; 1 Chronicles 12:38All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
   See All...; 1 Chronicles 28:9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
   See All...; 1 Chronicles 29:9Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
   See All..., 1 Chronicles 29:19And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
   See All...; 2 Chronicles 19:9And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
   See All...; 2 Chronicles 25:2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
   See All...; Psalm 101:2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
   See All...; Isaiah 38:3And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
   See All.... One of the best ways to get a feel for the meaning of a word or phrase is to look up the places it is used in the Bible. Carefully read these verses and tell what you can see about the meaning of a “perfect heart.” You can also look the word perfect up in a dictionary to see if this adds to your understanding.
3. David states, “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers” (v.15). This matches the testimony of Abraham in Genesis 23:4I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
   See All.... What is a stranger in the Bible? What is a sojourner? How do the titles of stranger and sojourner fit Abraham in ways that they do not fit David? How then were David and the people of Israel strangers and sojourners? See Leviticus 25:23The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.
   See All... and Psalm 39:12Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
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What Does It Mean to Me?

1. David testified, “I have set my affection to the house of my God” (v.3). In his love for the house of the Lord, he had given of his “own proper good…over and above” what he had given from the national treasury. In Psalm 26:8LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
   See All..., David states, “LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.” See also Psalm 27:4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
   See All.... Why did David have such a love for the house of the Lord? How can we learn from this love and apply it to our daily lives?
2. David asked, “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee” (v.14). Go through this verse phrase by phrase. What practical lessons can you learn from each phrase?

Suggested Memory Verses

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 [11] Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. [12] Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
See All..., 1 Chronicles 29:15For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
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