Read 1 Chronicles 22

Prepare With Authority

God would not permit David to build the temple, but that did not stop David from preparing for its construction when the time was right. From manual labor to physical materials, David gathered what would be necessary for his son Solomon to erect a house of worship for the Almighty God.

David relayed to Solomon the words that God had spoken to him regarding “peace and quietness” that David supposed would be characteristic of Israel during Solomon’s reign. The problem is that David twisted the words delivered by Nathan the prophet. God was not referring to Solomon at all in 2 Samuel 7, but to the Messiah, the Son of God, who would not be born during David’s lifetime (2 Samuel 7:12). It was Jesus who built the house God intended, not Solomon.

James Burton Coffman says concerning the temple, “Allowed, tolerated, used by God Himself, yes; but it still stands as a thing David conceived, promoted, commanded, planned, prepared for and projected in its entirety. From its conception in the mind of David, and throughout its entire history, the temple, in a sense, similar to pagan temples all over the world, was the conception and project of a mortal human being, not of God.”

God can use the ill-conceived intentions of man to further His will, but that does not mean we have free reign to do whatever we want without consequence. Especially in the present day, since His Word is complete and His will has been fully revealed, we should take care to examine what He says before we set about a task.

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). This does not simply mean to praise Jesus as you do whatever activity you are doing; it means we must have the authority from Jesus to do that activity!

Do not even prepare to do something for which you have no authority. Don’t claim you are serving God while ignoring His will. Meditate seriously on Matthew 7:21-23. Even those with the best of intentions will be rejected if they refuse to obey Him.