281 David called together all the leaders of Israel - tribal administrators, heads of various governmental operations, military commanders and captains, stewards in charge of the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons - everyone who held responsible positions in the kingdom. 2 King David stood tall and spoke: "Listen to me, my people: I fully intended to build a permanent structure for the Chest of the Covenant of God, God's footstool. But when I got ready to build it, 3 God said to me, 'You may not build a house to honor me - you've done too much fighting - killed too many people.' 4 God chose me out of my family to be king over Israel forever. First he chose Judah as the lead tribe, then he narrowed it down to my family, and finally he picked me from my father's sons, pleased to make me the king over all Israel. 5 And then from all my sons - and God gave me many! - he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of God's rule over Israel. 6 He went on to say, 'Your son Solomon will build my house and my courts: I have chosen him to be my royal adopted son; and I will be to him a father. 7 I will guarantee that his kingdom will last if he continues to be as strong-minded in doing what I command and carrying out my decisions as he is doing now.' 8 "And now, in this public place, all Israel looking on and God listening in, as God's people, obey and study every last one of the commandments of your God so that you can make the most of living in this good land and pass it on intact to your children, insuring a good future. 9 "And you, Solomon my son, get to know well your father's God; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek him, he'll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he'll leave you for good. 10 Look sharp now! God has chosen you to build his holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it!"
11 Then David presented his son Solomon with the plans for The Temple complex: porch, storerooms, meeting rooms, and the place for atoning sacrifice. 12 He turned over the plans for everything that God's Spirit had brought to his mind: the design of the courtyards, the arrangements of rooms, and the closets for storing all the holy things. 13 He gave him his plan for organizing the Levites and priests in their work of leading and ordering worship in the house of God, and for caring for the liturgical furnishings. 14 e provided exact specifications for how much gold and silver was needed for each article used in the serv- ices of worship: 15 the gold and silver Lampstands and lamps, 16 the gold tables for consecrated bread, the silver tables, 17 the gold forks, the bowls and the jars, 18 and the incense altar. And he gave him the plan for sculpting the cherubs with their wings outstretched over the Chest of the Covenant of God - the cherubim throne. 19 "Here are the blueprints for the whole project as God gave me to understand it," David said. 20 David continued to address Solomon: "Take charge! Take heart! Don't be anxious or get discouraged. God, my God, is with you in this; he won't walk off and leave you in the lurch. He's at your side until every last detail is completed for conducting the worship of God. 21 You have all the priests and Levites standing ready to pitch in, and skillful craftsmen and artisans of every kind ready to go to work. Both leaders and people are ready. Just say the word."
291 Then David the king addressed the congregation: "My son Solomon was singled out and chosen by God to do this. But he's young and untested and the work is huge - this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for God to meet us. 2 I've done my best to get everything together for building this house for my God, all the materials necessary: gold, silver, bronze, iron, lumber, precious and varicolored stones, and building stones - vast stockpiles. 3 Furthermore, because my heart is in this, in addition to and beyond what I have gathered, I'm turning over my personal fortune of gold and silver for making this place of worship for my God: 4 3,000 talents (about 113 tons) of gold - all from Ophir, the best - and 7,000 talents (214 tons) of silver for covering the walls of the buildings, 5 and for the gold and silver work by craftsmen and artisans. "And now, how about you? Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?" 6 Ready and willing, the heads of families, leaders of the tribes of Israel, commanders and captains in the army, stewards of the king's affairs, stepped forward and gave willingly. 7 They gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious jewels put them in the treasury for the building of The Temple of God in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 And the people were full of a sense of celebration - all that giving! And all given willingly, freely! King David was exuberant.
10 David blessed God in full view of the entire congregation: Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from of old and forever. 11 To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You've raised yourself high over all. 12 Riches and glory come from you, you're ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. 13 And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you, praising your splendid Name. 14 "But me - who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we're doing is giving back what we've been given from your generous hand. 15 As far as you're concerned, we're homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us. 16 God, our God, all these materials - these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name - it all came from you! It was all yours in the first place! 17 I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface - you want us, our true selves - and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly - what a joy! 18 O God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you. 19 And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and focused heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided." 20 David then addressed the congregation: "Bless God, your God!" And they did it, blessed God, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped reverently in the presence of God and the king. 21 The very next day they butchered the sacrificial animals and offered in the worship of Israel to God a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand sheep, and in addition drink offerings and many other sacrifices. 22 They feasted all day, eating and drinking before God, exuberant with joy.
23 Solomon sat on the throne of God as king in place of David his father. And everything went well; all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders of the people, including all the sons of King David, accepted Solomon as their king and promised their loyalty. 25 Solomon rode high on a crest of popular acclaim - it was all God's doing. God gave him position and honor beyond any king in Israel before him.
26 David son of Jesse ruled over all Israel. 27 He was king for forty years. He ruled from Hebron seven years and from Jerusalem thirty-three. 28 He died at a ripe old age, full of days, wealth, and glory. His son Solomon ruled after him. 29 The history of David the king, from start to finish, is written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer, 30 including a full account of his rule, his exploits, and the times through which he and Israel and the surrounding kingdoms passed.
24 They called the man back a second time - the man who had been blind - and told him, "Give credit to God. We know this man is an impostor." 25 He replied, "I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see." 26 They said, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 "I've told you over and over and you haven't listened. Why do you want to hear it again? Are you so eager to become his disciples?" 28 With that they jumped all over him. "You might be a disciple of that man, but we're disciples of Moses. 29 We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from." 30 The man replied, "This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! 31 It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. 32 That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of - ever. 33 If this man didn't come from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything." 34 They said, "You're nothing but dirt! How dare you take that tone with us!" Then they threw him out in the street.
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and went and found him. He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 The man said, "Point him out to me, sir, so that I can believe in him." 37 Jesus said, "You're looking right at him. Don't you recognize my voice?" 38 "Master, I believe," the man said, and worshiped him.
39 Jesus then said, "I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind." 40 Some Pharisees overheard him and said, "Does that mean you're calling us blind?" 41 Jesus said, "If you were really blind, you would be blameless, but since you claim to see everything so well, you're accountable for every fault and failure.
(Read John 9:24-34)
As Christ's mercies are most valued by those who have felt the want of them, that have been blind, and now see; so the most powerful and lasting affections to Christ, arise from actual knowledge of him. In the work of grace in the soul, though we cannot tell when, and how, and by what steps the blessed change was wrought, yet we may take the comfort, if we can say, through grace, Whereas I was blind, now I see. I did live a worldly, sensual life, but, thanks be to God, it is now otherwise with me, Ephesians 5:8. The unbelief of those who enjoy the means of knowledge and conviction, is indeed marvellous. All who have felt the power and grace of the Lord Jesus, wonder at the wilfulness of others who reject him. He argues strongly against them, not only that Jesus was not a sinner, but that he was of God. We may each of us know by this, whether we are of God or not. What do we? What do we for God? What do we for our souls? What do we more than others?
(Read John 9:35-38)
Christ owns those who own him and his truth and ways. There is particular notice taken of such a suffer in the cause of Christ, and for the testimony of a good conscience. Our Lord Jesus graciously reveals himself to the man. Now he was made sensible what an unspeakable mercy it was, to be cured of his blindness, that he might see the Son of God. None but God is to be worshipped; so that in worshipping Jesus, he owned him to be God. All who believe in him, will worship him.
(Read John 9:39-41)
Christ came into the world to give sight to those who were spiritually blind. Also, that those who see might be made blind; that those who have a high conceit of their own wisdom, might be sealed up in ignorance. The preaching of the cross was thought to be folly by such as by carnal wisdom knew not God. Nothing fortifies men's corrupt hearts against the convictions of the word, more than the high opinion which others have of them; as if all that gained applause with men, must obtain acceptance with God. Christ silenced them. But the sin of the self-conceited and self-confident remains; they reject the gospel of grace, therefore the guilt of their sin remains unpardoned, and the power of their sin remains unbroken.
