1 Chronicles 28

6–7 Here David repeats to the assembly what the Lord had told him earlier (see 2 Samuel 7:12–16; 1 Chronicles 22:10)—namely, that his son Solomon’s kingdom would be established forever. But here, a very important condition is added: the Lord promised to establish Solomon’s throne forever—“if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws” (verse 7). Here again we are reminded that when it comes to individuals, God’s promises are conditional. We know that Solomon, sadly, did not fulfill the conditions (see 1 Kings 11:1–13).

However, in another sense, God’s promise of a “forever” kingdom was not conditional; it was not dependent on human behavior. Yes, Solomon’s human heirs would not reign forever; Solomon himself would be rejected as God’s “son.” But one day, from the human line of David and Solomon would come a true Son—Jesus of Nazareth—and His kingdom would indeed last forever.

8 Here David says to the gathered assembly: “Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD.” Only by following the Lord’s commands would the Israelites be able to possess their promised land and continue to pass it on to their descendants forever.

9–10 Here David repeats to Solomon exhortations he had given him before (see 1 Kings 2:1–4; 1 Chronicles 22:11–13). But David adds here that the Lord will know if Solomon is not wholehearted in his devotion, because the Lord understands every motive of the heart. Then David tells Solomon: “If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever” (verse 9). This is both a timeless promise and a timeless warning to men and women of every age as they face the choice of whether to seek the Lord or to forsake Him.

11–19 In these verses, the writer tells us that David had been given detailed plans concerning every aspect of the temple construction, furnishings and services. David didn’t invent any of these plans; they were all given to him by God’s Holy Spirit. Just as Moses received from God the plans for the tabernacle, so David received God’s plans¹⁶ for the temple.¹⁷ This reminds us that whenever we set out to do something for the Lord on earth, we’d better be sure we have the plans from heaven!

20–21 Here David gives a final exhortation to his son Solomon. It is very much like the exhortation Moses gave to Joshua as he was passing on the leadership of Israel to the younger man (Deuteronomy 31:7–8). Indeed, there is a similarity between David and Moses: each was prevented from completing a task, which then had to be finished by a successor. In the end, it is not so important if we ourselves complete a task or not, as long as we give heart and soul to enabling our successor to complete it.