1 Chronicles 22:16
in gold and silver, bronze and iron--craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you."
in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number.

David had gathered immense stores of precious metals and building materials for the temple Solomon would build. Gold and silver would adorn the sanctuary and its furnishings, reflecting the holiness and glory of the God worshiped there. Bronze and iron supplied the strength needed for gates, tools, structural elements, and vessels. Israel also possessed an abundant body of skilled workers, continuing the pattern established when Bezalel, Oholiab, and other gifted artisans prepared the tabernacle. The temple would be built through human labor, yet every resource and ability ultimately came from the Lord.

1Ch 29:2 Now with all my ability I have made provision…
2Ch 2:13-14 So now I am sending you Huram-abi, a skillful man…
Exo 35:30-35 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has…

Now begin the work,

David charged Solomon to move from preparation to faithful action. The materials had been assembled, the plans had been given, and the kingdom was established in peace. Solomon was not to delay in fulfilling the responsibility God had assigned him. The temple would stand in Jerusalem as the appointed center of Israel’s worship, where sacrifices would be offered and God’s name honored.

2Ch 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD…
1Ki 6:1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites…
Hag 1:8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber,…

and may the LORD be with you.”

David’s blessing recognized that neither wealth, skill, nor royal authority could secure success apart from God’s presence. The Lord’s favor would enable Solomon to complete the temple and to govern with wisdom. God’s dwelling among Israel anticipated the greater revelation of His presence in Jesus Christ, who came to dwell among His people and makes believers a dwelling place for God through the Spirit.

Rut 2:4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem…
Hag 2:4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD.…
Jos 1:9 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous?…

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The King of Israel who is preparing for the construction of the temple. He is speaking to his son Solomon, encouraging him to begin the work.

2. Solomon
David's son, who is chosen to build the temple. David is providing him with resources and encouragement to fulfill this task.

3. Temple Construction
The event of building the temple in Jerusalem, which is a significant project for the Israelites, symbolizing God's presence among His people.

4. Jerusalem
The city where the temple is to be built, serving as the spiritual and political center of Israel.

5. Resources (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron)
The materials mentioned are abundant, signifying God's provision and the importance of the temple.
Teaching Points
God's Abundant Provision
God provides abundantly for His purposes. Just as there was no limit to the resources for the temple, God equips us with what we need to fulfill His calling in our lives.

The Call to Action
David's command to "Arise and begin the work" is a reminder that faith requires action. We are called to step out in obedience, trusting in God's presence and provision.

The Importance of God's Presence
The phrase "may the LORD be with you" underscores the necessity of God's presence in our endeavors. Success in God's work is not just about resources but about His guidance and blessing.

Legacy and Preparation
David's preparation for the temple teaches us about leaving a legacy of faith and preparing the next generation to continue God's work.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does David's preparation for the temple reflect God's provision in your own life?

2. In what ways can you "arise and begin the work" God has called you to, trusting in His presence?

3. How does the abundance of resources for the temple challenge you to view God's provision in your current circumstances?

4. What steps can you take to ensure that God's presence is central in your daily tasks and decisions?

5. How can you prepare and encourage the next generation to continue in the faith and work of the Lord, as David did for Solomon?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 5-6
These chapters describe the actual construction of the temple under Solomon's leadership, fulfilling David's preparations and instructions.

Exodus 25-31
These chapters detail the instructions for building the Tabernacle, which served as a precursor to the temple, emphasizing the continuity of God's dwelling place among His people.

Philippians 4:13
This verse speaks to the empowerment believers receive from God, similar to the encouragement David gives Solomon to begin the work with God's presence.
A New Year's ExhortationR. S. Latimer.1 Chronicles 22:16
Be DoingJ.R. Thomson 1 Chronicles 22:16
Christian Activity and its RewardGeorge Clayton.1 Chronicles 22:16
David's Charge to SolomonS. J. Wilson, D. D.1 Chronicles 22:16
Inactivity the Dry-Rot of Young MenT. C. Cuyler.1 Chronicles 22:16
David's Charge to SolomonF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 22:6-16
Successful ServiceW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 22:6-16
A Son PredictedBiblical Museum1 Chronicles 22:6-19
David's Charge to SolomonMonday Club Sermons1 Chronicles 22:6-19
God's Word to DavidJ. Parker, D. D.1 Chronicles 22:6-19
LearnJ. Wolfendale.1 Chronicles 22:6-19
The Prediction of Solomon's BirthJ. Parker, D. D.1 Chronicles 22:6-19
One Man's Work for God Fits Into, and Follows On, Another Man'sR. Tuck 1 Chronicles 22:14-16
People
David, Sidonians, Solomon, Tyrians, Zidonians
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Arise, Begin, Beyond, Brass, Bronze, Craftsmen, Gold, Iron, Limit, Numbered, Silver
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 22:1-19

     5089   David, significance

1 Chronicles 22:14-16

     4312   bronze
     4336   iron
     5272   craftsmen

1 Chronicles 22:15-16

     5273   creativity

Library
David's Prohibited Desire and Permitted Service
'Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel. 7. And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God: 8. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto My name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in My sight. 9. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate,
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

The Promise in 2 Samuel, Chap. vii.
The Messianic prophecy, as we have seen, began at a time long anterior to that of David. Even in Genesis, we perceived [Pg 131] it, increasing more and more in distinctness. There is at first only the general promise that the seed of the woman should obtain the victory over the kingdom of the evil one;--then, that the salvation should come through the descendants of Shem;--then, from among them Abraham is marked out,--of his sons, Isaac,--from among his sons, Jacob,--and from among the twelve sons
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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