Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 17:4 (New Living Translation)

4 Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.”

God is speaking to the prophet Nathan and telling Nathan what to tell David. The topic is building a Temple in Jerusalem in which to keep the Ark of the Covenant (the container of the agreement).

David was not the one to build the Temple.

Yeah but…look at all that David has done. I mean, David did a lot of the dirty work that was necessary. The people of God wouldn’t be in Jerusalem on that hill if it weren’t for David the warrior and all that. And David was a good servant, and David had a good heart, and David did this and that and the other thing as well. And David… and David… and David… and David was not the one.

David didn’t earn the right to do something for God. None of us “earn the right” to do or be or whatever with God. It is all a gift—a wonderful and magnificent gift. God doesn’t spread out the gifts equally. God gives some gifts to some folks and other gifts to other folks. God is the owner and God is the magnificent giver.

David accepted that he wasn’t to be the builder. Instead, David gathered the building materials so whoever God picked to build would have a little head start. Good attitude and good heart followed by good actions. God, help me to be so.