I Kings 5
Dear RTB’ers,
Solomon to Hiram: But now the LORD my God has secured me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. (v. 4) Solomon owes an enormous debt of gratitude to his father (and to his father’s God!). Not only does he have rest on every side, but he also had this relationship with Hiram that David had begun. (See II Samuel 5:11.) But David’s contribution to the temple building was more than just materials and a commercial alliance. Because our readings won’t get to I Chronicles for a while, here’s some further information:: Then King David said to the entire assembly, “…Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God … {gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance}. Moreover, … the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy temple, namely, 3,000 talents of gold … and 7,000 talents of refined silver … for all the work done by the craftsmen.” (I Chronicles 29:1-5) One website calculated David’s contribution to the construction of the temple at roughly $20 billion in today’s dollars.
David’s “legacy” that he passed on to Solomon makes me think of my own father and his many contributions to my personal growth, and also to what more I might do for my own children before I go to meet the Lord. Something more than a few dollars here and there…!
Blessings.