Then addressing the assembled princes David said: “The work[1] is great; for a house is prepared not for man, but for God. Now, if any man is willing to offer, let him fill his hand to-day, and offer what he pleaseth to the Lord.” And the princes and the people joyfully brought their gifts[2] for the Temple of the Lord.
And David rejoicing exclaimed: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of Israel, our Father from eternity to eternity. All things are Thine, and we have given Thee what we received of Thy hand. O Lord, keep for ever this will of their heart and let this mind remain always for the worship of Thee; and give to Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, that he may keep Thy Commandments.” Having thus spoken, David slept in peace. He was buried in Sion (Fig. 45) [3].
COMMENTARY.
God's Omniscience. David said to Solomon: “Serve God with a perfect heart; for the Lord searcheth all hearts and thoughts of the soul.”
God's Holiness. God indeed forgave David his sin, but all the same He told him that he should not build Him a Temple, because he was a man of blood.
God's Justice. “If thou forsake God,” said David to Solomon, “He will cast thee off for ever.”
The end of Davids life. The last days of the royal prophet’s life were beautiful and edifying. His only care was that a fitting Temple should be raised to the Lord, and he urged his son most earnestly to be faithful and obedient to God. And then he slept “in the Lord”, i. e. in the grace of the Lord. He was able to gaze back on his active and eventful life, and leave it with the thought that he had finished his task. The task which God had given the former shepherd to do was very great and important for the development of God’s kingdom upon earth. David had secured to the chosen people their possession of the Promised Land, he had disabled his enemies for a long time to come, he had strengthened the unity of the people, ordered the government of the country according to God’s laws, extirpated the
- ↑ The work. The work of building the House of God.
- ↑ Their gifts. As formerly their forefathers had eagerly brought of their wealth for the making of the Tabernacle (chapter XXXVIII), so now did they joyfully bring splendid offerings with which to build a worthy Temple for the Lord.
- ↑ Buried in Sion. St. Peter in his first sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2, 29) alludes to the fact, saying: “Ye men brethren, let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this present day.
