2 Chronicles 6

(September 4, 2014)

                David is a fascinating case study for so many reasons, and one of those reasons is on display in this chapter.  David wanted to build a temple – an objectively good thing.  But because his plan ran counter to the Lord’s desires, it became bad for him to pursue the good thing he wanted.

                Stewardship is a real thing – we violate it at our peril.  We need to remain focused on what it within our particular stewardship, and not spend our time steadying the Ark or dodging our duty.  Whatever it put before us, we handle to the best of our ability and move on.  David was called to accomplish things as a king of Israel, and he wanted to build the Lord a temple.  One was his assignment, and one was not.

                This is so different from the approach of so many others.  Many pastors or preachers feel like they desire the good thing of being a teacher of the Gospel (and it is clearly a good thing that they desire), but without the assignment from the Lord it is not what they should be doing.  I would love to be in a position to dedicate myself full-time to the Gospel, but it is likewise not my assignment.  Some people wish to push forward this political agenda, or that service agenda, but unless we are steadily working through the challenges that the Lord has placed in our path we are not living up to what we should be doing and unless we are called to do something, we should not put our spiritual hobbies above our assigned duties.

                Finally, Solomon makes a very good point about something unique about God – He is a keeper of covenants.  Many religions believe in gods that we are to make promises to, but they are ‘powerful’ and as such are not required to make promises to us or can change their minds at their will.  But we know that God is a covenant-making God and a covenant-keeping God.  When He makes a promise to us, we can count on that promise and rely on it completely.