And David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of its houses, and of its treasuries, and of its upper chambers, and of its inner chambers, and of the house of the mercy-seat;
David's last great public act was to hand his son a drawing — the full plan of the house he himself was forbidden to build. Where did that plan come from, and how much was left to the builder?
One writer sets the temple beside the tabernacle — the tent Moses built in the wilderness — and finds one origin behind both.
My aim here is not to point out the differences between the tabernacle and the temple, but their likeness in both origin and purpose. In the first case as in the second, God Himself gave the plan. David was given the honour of holding this design; and since he was not allowed to build the temple himself, as his heart longed to do, he passed it on to Solomon... Everything Solomon did and made for the work he was called to followed the instructions he had received. God Himself pointed out the site, and gave the design and the way of building. Human hands raised it, but the building was divine. Human thoughts and human ideas must not push their way into the things of God.
The list is not vague. One study matches the rooms David handed over with the side rooms described in Kings and Ezekiel.
The side rooms were on three floors, fifteen on each side on every floor, ninety in all. Each was four cubits wide and five cubits high. They seem to be hinted at in 1 Chronicles 28:11. David gave Solomon the plan of the treasuries — probably the side rooms on the first floor; of the upper rooms, that is, the second and third floors; and of the inner rooms, the innermost side rooms toward the west.
David's hand is on every arrangement in these chapters. One writer traces it further back.
We see how fully David is the source of everything here. "The plan of all that he had by the Spirit." None of it was a matter of his own will... David arranged everything down to the last detail. "All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand on me, even all the works of this plan." In truth, God was arranging it all through His servant. This was the great hope of David's last years. It was not his own house, but the LORD's house.
Solomon's name is on the finished building. One writer weighs the two men against each other, and finds Christ in the comparison.
David was not to build the house. But he, above all, prepared the material and arranged the order of it, even for the time when it was built — not Solomon, but David. Solomon carried out David's rules. So whatever the future glory of the kingdom may be, we must remember that the sufferings of Christ stand on a far higher moral level. David was more important than Solomon. Solomon was only the fruit, so to speak, of David. The glory of the kingdom was only the fruit of the One who had glorified God as the outcast and rejected One — and He was the true founder of the kingdom.
David gave his heart to a building he would never see.
He devotes himself to providing for the building of that temple his heart is set on, though his eyes were never to see one stone of it laid.
A plan exists so the workmen do not have to guess.
Before a house of any size or shape goes up, an architect draws a plan for the different workmen who will do the building. Follow the plan, and the work moves ahead in order, with no confusion. A Divine Architect, the Holy Spirit, gave David the plan that would let Solomon build the temple. The plans left nothing to the imagination of the builders... Even apart from divine revelation, it is plain that God's directions must always be better than the best the human mind can invent.
Another writer carries the same principle into the New Testament.
Later, when the permanent house was built in Jerusalem, "David gave to Solomon, his son, … the plan of all that he had by the Spirit." Again, God ordered every detail in writing. In the New Testament we have His instructions in writing for the order of His spiritual house. Are we any freer to tamper with these instructions than people were of old with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
- Pattern given. The design came down from God, not up from David. Human hands raised the house, but the building was divine.
- Pattern detailed. Vestibule, treasuries, upper rooms, inner chambers, the room for the mercy seat — the plan reached down to the side rooms.
- Pattern by the Spirit. David arranged everything, yet God was arranging it all through His servant. David's own will had no part in it.
- Pattern handed on. David prepared what he would never see built. Solomon only carried out his father's rules — the sufferer, not the glorious king, stands first.
- Pattern kept. A plan leaves the builder nothing to invent. God's instructions for His house today are in writing too.
and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of Jehovah, and of all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things;
David is at the end of his life, handing his son Solomon the drawings for a building he will never see. This verse says where those drawings came from. They were in David's mind, but the Spirit put them there — older translations read "all that he had by the Spirit" where the ESV says "in mind." So how much room does God leave for human design in what is built for Him?
The plan did not come from David's skill. One commentator sets his case beside Moses on the mountain:
The one difference is that David received all the details by inspiration (v. 12). He was not given a model set before his eyes, as Moses was on the mountain, to be copied. David received these details (they were in him, in his mind) through the Spirit. Nothing depended upon his gift of organization or upon his natural intelligence. Everything came directly from God.
The plan did not stop at an outline. It covered the courts, the side rooms and the treasuries — and then the weight of gold in every vessel:
We see how completely David is the source of everything here. "The pattern of all that he had by the Spirit." It was not any question of his own will... More than that, he weighed out the gold for the various vessels, and the silver for the ones that were to be made of silver — the tables, for instance; "also pure gold for the forks and for the bowls and the cups." David arranged everything down to the last detail... It was really God arranging all by His servant.
David never built the house, yet he prepared everything for it. The same writer weighs David against Solomon:
He was not to build the house. But it was he, above all, who prepared the material and set the order of it, even for the time when it was built — not Solomon, but David. Solomon carried out the regulations of David. So whatever the future glory of the kingdom may be, remember that the sufferings of Christ hold a far higher moral place. David was more important than Solomon. Solomon was only the fruit, so to speak, of David.
The temple began the same way the tabernacle did. God gave the plan; man only received it.
With the tabernacle, and later with the temple, God Himself gave the plan. David had the honour of keeping this design. He was not allowed to build the temple himself, as his own heart wished, so he passed it on to Solomon. Everything Solomon did and made for the work he was called to followed the instructions he had received. God had pointed out the site itself, as well as the design and the manner of the building. Human hands were trusted to put it up, but the building was divine. Human thoughts and human ideas must not push their way into the things of God.
If a house is God's dwelling, its shape is His business. One writer brings that straight to the present day:
Moses was, in effect, the architect, receiving the patterns from God. David, in the same way, was the architect of the temple. He gave Solomon the pattern of "all that he had by the Spirit." In neither case could anyone depart from it. Sadly, we in our own day have done so. We have formed churches according to our own patterns, and one of the chief reasons is that we have lost the idea of "God's house"... For it is clear that if we regard it as the dwelling-place of God, His dwelling must be according to His own mind.
Verse 19 adds that David had all this "in writing." That detail carries forward:
Later, when the permanent house was going to be built in Jerusalem, "David gave to Solomon, his son, … the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit … all this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing." Again, God set down every detail in writing. In the New Testament, we have in writing the divine instructions as to the order of God's spiritual house. Are we any freer to tamper with these instructions than people long ago were with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
- Source — The plan came by the Spirit, straight from God. David's own skill added nothing.
- Scope — It covered the courts, the chambers and the treasuries, right down to the weight of gold in each vessel.
- Steward — David could not build, yet he held the design. Solomon only carried out what David had received.
- Standard — Human hands did the work, but human ideas had no place. A house for God follows God's own mind.
- Sequel — The written pattern did not end with the temple. God's instructions for His spiritual house are in writing too, and just as untouchable.
and for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and for all the instruments of service in the house of Jehovah
David is handing Solomon far more than building plans. He also hands over who serves in the temple, what they do, and what they use. Two questions follow: where did such detail come from, and why does God care about it?
David is not simply passing on his own good ideas. One writer says the whole list came to him by the Spirit.
We see how fully David is the source of everything here. "The pattern of all that he had by the Spirit." It was not a question of his own will at all… "All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern." It was truly God arranging everything through His servant.
David was a gifted organiser. One writer says that gift played no part here, and that David received the details in a different way from Moses.
David had received all the details by inspiration (v. 12). God did not set a model in front of him on a mountain for him to copy, as He did with Moses. David received these details through the Spirit; they were in him, in his mind. Nothing depended on his gift of organisation or on his natural intelligence. Everything came straight from God… He also received by inspiration the directions about "the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the LORD" (v. 13).
The same writer adds that the new order is not simply the old one carried over: "This system is not like the order of things that Moses set up, although it does not contradict it in any way." He also marks what changed: "The vessels themselves were different from those of the tabernacle, though what they pictured did not really differ. Their number and weight differed; new vessels were added."
David would never see the building. Still, one writer sets what David received beside what Moses received, and looks ahead from these arrangements to the reign of the Messiah.
God made David understand (1 Chron. 28:19), just as He made Moses understand when He showed him the patterns for the service of the tabernacle… Surely all this care and detailed arrangement will have its answer in the peaceful glories of the Messiah's reign!
Another writer ranks the two men. David never built the house, yet he stands above Solomon who did, and the reason reaches back to the sufferings of Christ.
He was not to build the house. But he, above all, prepared the material and set the order for it, even for the time after it was built — not Solomon, but David. Solomon carried out David's regulations. So whatever the future glory of the kingdom may be, we must remember that the sufferings of Christ hold a much higher moral place. David was more important than Solomon… The glory of the kingdom was only the outcome of the one who had glorified God as the outcast and rejected one, and who was the real establisher of the kingdom.
The word behind "divisions" means the rotation David set up. He split the priests into twenty-four groups and arranged the Levites in the same way (Morrish Bible Dictionary). Later a king named Hezekiah appointed these groups again, and one writer links that act to gifts the Lord gives now.
Then Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests, and the Levites after their courses, each man according to his service. And did not the ascended Lord give gifts, each man according to his service? (Eph. 4.) The Holy Spirit gives to each one individually as He wills. (1 Cor. 12.)… Let us wait on the Lord in faith, and He will put both priests and Levites in their courses, each man according to his service.
God named the divisions and the work Himself. Swapping in our own arrangements is not a small thing.
We must keep God's order for His presence and praise. He delights in order, and He is not the author of disorder. When a man thinks he knows how to do things better than God, he creates disorder… Whenever people replace God's plain instructions with their own arrangements, they are in effect saying, "I know how to do things better than God."
- Pattern, not invention. The divisions and the work of the service were not David's own scheme. The pattern was what "he had by the Spirit."
- Pattern by inspiration. David's gift for organising added nothing. God gave him every detail by His Spirit, without the model He once showed Moses.
- Pattern passed on. David prepared the material, gave the patterns, and set the order of service. Solomon only built to the plan, so David stands as the greater of the two.
- Pattern in courses. Every man had his own place and his own service, and the same Lord still gives each believer his gift.
- Pattern still binding. God delights in order. Replace His plain instructions with our own arrangements, and disorder follows.
gold by weight for [things] of gold, for all utensils of each kind of service; for all utensils of silver, by weight, for all utensils of each kind of service;
David's plans for the temple go past the building: he weighs out the gold and the silver for every vessel, matching each weight to the job that vessel would do. So where did such detail come from, and why would God care about the weight of a bowl?
The measured gold and silver were not David's own idea. They reached him with the rest of the plan:
We see how completely David is the source of everything here. "The pattern of all that he had by the Spirit." It was not any question of his own will... More than that, he gave by weight the gold for the various vessels, and the silver for the vessels that would be made of silver — the tables, for instance; "also pure gold for the meat forks, and for the bowls, and the cups." David arranged everything down to the last detail. "All this, said David, Jehovah made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern." God was arranging it all through His servant.
Weighing out metal for each vessel is an act of authority. David's authority reached much further than the vessels:
The extent of authority which David exercised was very great and wide in its reach. The whole religious order was rebuilt. Everything, even down to the age at which the Levites served, depends on the authority and regulations of David, as it once depended on those of Moses... With the exception of the ark, even the various vessels were different from those of the tabernacle, and David fixed the precise weight in gold or in silver for each thing.
The temple vessels were not copies of the furniture in the tabernacle, the tent Israel worshipped at before the temple. New numbers and weights did not change what they pictured, and David never saw a model:
It is by inspiration (v. 12) that David had received all the details, not from a model set before his eyes, as Moses saw one on the mountain and then had to carry it out. David received these details through the Spirit; they were in him, in his mind. Nothing depended upon his gift of organization or upon his natural intelligence. Everything came directly from God... The vessels themselves were different from those of the tabernacle, but what they pictured did not differ. Their number and weight differed; new vessels were added.
David fixed the amounts in advance and in writing, so Solomon's part was to carry them out, not to improve them. Commentators press the same point into the present:
When Moses was about to make the tabernacle, God told him to "make all things according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain" (Heb. 8:5). Moses followed God's pattern exactly. Later, when the permanent house was to be built in Jerusalem, "David gave to Solomon, his son, … the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit … all this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing" (1 Chron. 28:11-19). Again, God ordered every detail in writing. In the New Testament, we have in writing the divine instructions as to the order of God's spiritual house. Are we any freer to tamper with these instructions than people of old were with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
David held all this weighed metal, and then he called the people to give. One writer asks what that should stir in us:
Are our hearts filled to overflowing with the spiritual value and preciousness that those material things picture? Deep and lasting impressions of the blessed God Himself. Impressions of the precious Christ, of the value and presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and of the beauty which God puts upon His people. Are these the moral features that control our service to God and to all? In 1 Chronicles 28 David had these precious materials in possession — gold, silver and "all utensils for every kind of service" (v. 14). Then he challenges the people: "And who is willing to offer (to consecrate) to Jehovah this day?" How wonderfully the people responded again! Their giving drew from David the truth: "All is from You, and of what comes from Your hand we have given You" (1 Chronicles 29).
- Weighed, not guessed. David fixed the weight of gold and silver for each vessel. The smallest item of temple service was settled before anyone touched it.
- Weighed by the Spirit. David was not just good at organising. The details were in his mind by the Spirit, and God was the real planner.
- Weighed for each service. Every vessel had its own job, and David matched the metal to that job. The amounts were new; the picture was the same.
- Weighed in writing. God gave the plan in writing, so the builder only had to obey it. Commentators apply the same limit to the written instructions for God's house today.
- Weighed to be given away. David held the treasure only to give it away, and he traced the whole gift back to God's own hand.
and the weight of the golden candlesticks, and of their golden lamps, by weight for every candlestick, and for its lamps; and for the silver candlesticks, by weight, for the candlestick and for its lamps, according to the use of every candlestick;
Near the end of his life, David handed Solomon the plans for the temple. Verse 15 sits inside a long list where David weighs out the gold and silver item by item. Why fix the exact weight of every lampstand and lamp, and what do these lampstands picture?
The figures in this verse were not David's estimates. One writer compares David with Moses, who saw a model on the mountain:
David had received all the details by inspiration (v. 12). He did not see a model on the mountain and then copy it, as Moses did. David received these details (they were in him, in his mind) through the Spirit. Nothing depended upon his gift of organisation or upon his natural intelligence. Everything came from God Himself… The vessels themselves were different from those of the tabernacle, though they pictured the same things. Their number and weight differed, and there were new vessels too.
So the changes from the tabernacle came from God, not from human improvement.
The detail reaches down to the smallest utensil. Another writer sees David as the hand God was using:
He gave the gold by weight for the various vessels, and the silver by weight for the vessels that were to be silver — the tables, for instance. He also gave "pure gold for the flesh-hooks and for the bowls, and the cups." David arranged everything down to the last detail… God was truly arranging it all through His servant.
One writer explains the word itself, and then what the lampstand and its parts picture:
The word is usually translated "candlestick." But the word "candle" never occurs anywhere in Scripture, neither in the Hebrew nor in the Greek. It is always "lamp" and "lampstand." The lampstand is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ as the centre, source, and subject of testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit. The centre shaft pictures His own personal ministry. The branches picture ministry in the Church by the evangelist, pastor and teacher. A candle needs nothing else and keeps itself going. You only have to light it, and it burns from start to finish. The lamp is not like that. It depends on the oil, which pictures the Holy Spirit.
Commentators differ on what the number ten means here. One reads it as enlargement:
The tabernacle had only one lampstand with seven lamps, on the left side of the outer sanctuary. Here there were five lampstands on the right and five on the left. How many lamps each of these held we are not told. But at least it means the light will be far greater in the Father's house.
Another writer links ten to responsibility, and ends with a question:
Ten is the number of responsibility, evidenced in the ten commandments of the Law. So the prominence of ten in Solomon's Temple is a reminder of two things. Everything rested on the ground of responsibility. And that wonderful system of glory and blessing would last only as long as king and people stayed faithful… The tabernacle had just one lampstand, and for the Millennial Temple Scripture mentions none at all. Would the royal house of David be true to its trust as witness for God amongst the nations? Alas, for the answer.
The verse also weighs out silver lampstands. One writer suggests where they stood and what they express:
The silver lampstands were probably for the priests to use in the side rooms of the sanctuary. They express spiritual truth held in the communion of saints, taught by the Spirit of God.
This written pattern still governs God's house today:
When Moses was about to make the tabernacle, God told him to "make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain" (Heb. 8:5). Moses strictly followed God's pattern. Later came the permanent house in Jerusalem. "David gave to Solomon, his son, … the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit … all this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing" (1 Chron. 28:11-19). Again, God ordered every detail in writing. In the New Testament, we have in writing the divine instructions as to the order of God's spiritual house. Do we have any more liberty to tamper with these instructions than God allowed of old with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
- Source — the weights were not David's own calculation. Nothing depended on his skill in organising or on his natural intelligence. Everything came from God through the Spirit.
- Written — David passed the plan on in writing. God ordered every detail and left nothing to the builders.
- Light — the lampstand pictures Christ as the centre and subject of testimony. Unlike a candle, it cannot burn on its own; it depends on the oil, a picture of the Holy Spirit.
- Multiplied — ten lampstands replaced the tabernacle's one. Commentators differ: some see far greater light, others the responsibility resting on king and people.
- Now — the same rule holds for God's house today. We have our instructions in writing, and no more liberty to change them than Solomon had with these weights.
and gold by weight for the tables of the [loaves] to be set in rows, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;
This verse sits in the middle of a long inventory. David hands Solomon a building plan, and with it the exact metal weights for each piece of furniture, table by table. Why would God record how many shekels of gold went into a bread table — and what were those tables for?
David did not hand over a rough sketch and leave the rest to the builder's taste. One commentator shows how far the detail went:
He gave by weight the gold for the various vessels, and the silver for those that were to be made of silver — the tables, for instance. He also gave pure gold for the forks, the basins, and the cups. David arranged everything with exactness… It was really God arranging everything through His servant.
David was a gifted organiser. None of that gift went into this plan:
David received all the details by inspiration. God did not set a model before his eyes on a mountain, as He did for Moses to copy. These details were in David, in his mind, through the Spirit. Nothing depended upon his gift of organization or upon his natural intelligence. Everything came directly from God. The vessels themselves were different from those of the tabernacle, without really differing in what they pictured. Their number and weight differed; new vessels were added. Inspiration fixed the very weight of each object of gold and of silver, from the candlesticks to the goblets and forks.
The tabernacle held one bread table. Here the word is plural, and Solomon's temple ended up with ten. The increase pictures a people growing under their king:
Solomon "made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north" (2 Chron. 4:8). 1 Kings 7:48 mentions only one. Is it not striking to see the loaves of showbread multiplied tenfold? Solomon is viewed as seated "on the throne of Jehovah" (1 Chron. 29:23); Israel increases under his reign; they always remain the same tribes, but infinitely increased in the eyes of God, who beholds them and governs them. The true Solomon, Christ Himself, is the author of this multiplication. In the millennium Israel will be complete, presented to God by Christ, an offering well-pleasing to God.
Yet ten is not the full number. One writer marks what that shows about the age:
For the furniture, they made only one Golden Altar, but supplied ten Golden Candlesticks and ten Tables. Ten — note this, not twelve, for that age had not reached perfection.
What sat on these tables carried the meaning:
The table bore the twelve loaves or pierced cakes (Lev. 24:5), showing Israel before God maintained by Christ.
So the gold and silver in this verse went into furniture that held Israel before God.
One writer carries the written plan forward to God's house today:
For the permanent house in Jerusalem, David gave Solomon the pattern he had by the Spirit (1 Chron. 28:11-19). Again, God ordered every detail in writing. In the New Testament, we have in writing God's instructions for the order of His spiritual house. Do we have any more freedom to tamper with these instructions than people of old had with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
- Source. The weights in this verse were not David's estimate. What he passed to Solomon came through the Spirit, not from his own skill at organising.
- Specification. From that source came exactness: gold weighed for each bread table, silver for the silver tables, gold for the forks, basins, and cups. David left nothing to the builder's preference.
- Multiplication. One table in the tabernacle becomes ten in the temple — the same tribes, multiplied before the God who watches over them.
- Limitation. Ten tables, not twelve. Even at Israel's height the number falls short; Christ, the true Solomon, will present the nation complete.
- Application. God still gives His house a written pattern. What was true of gold and silver is true of the instructions we have now — God gives them to be followed, not adjusted.
and pure gold for the forks, and the bowls, and the goblets; and for the golden basons by weight for every bason; and for the silver basons by weight for every bason;
David handed Solomon the plan for the house of God. This verse lists the small vessels of gold and silver, each with its own weight — so why does Scripture record such detail, and what do these vessels say?
The weights in this verse were not David's own calculations. One writer explains how the plan reached David, and compares it with the way God gave Moses the tabernacle:
David received all the details by inspiration (v. 12). God did not set a model before his eyes on a mountain, as He did with Moses, who then had to build it. David received these details through the Spirit; they were in him, in his mind. Nothing depended on his gift for organising or on his natural intelligence. Everything came straight from God. "All this said David, in writing, by the LORD's hand upon me" (v. 19). … The vessels themselves were different from those of the tabernacle, though what they pictured was not really different. Their number and weight differed; new vessels were added. … Inspiration settled the very weight of each object of gold and of silver, from the lampstands to the goblets and forks (vv. 16-17).
after-note: none
The temple was not a copy of the tent that came before it. Apart from the ark, the equipment was fresh — and each item's exact weight in metal was settled in advance:
All the pattern of the temple, and of its vessels, is given him by inspiration, as that of the tabernacle, and all belonging to it had been given to Moses… With the exception of the ark, even the various vessels were different from those of the tabernacle; and for each thing the precise weight in gold or in silver was determined by David.
Another writer draws out what that exactness reveals about the real source behind it:
More than that, he gave by weight the gold for the various vessels, and the silver for the ones to be made of silver… David arranged everything down to the last detail. "All this," said David, "the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern." In truth it was God arranging it all through His servant.
The two metals named here carry their own message. One speaks of a price paid, the other of what belongs to God Himself:
SILVER is the emblem of atonement, because the redemption price that pictured it was paid in silver (Ex. 30:11-16). GOLD is the most precious of metals. It seems to be the emblem of what is divine — excellent and glorious as God is. It gives a faint foreshadowing of the glory of God that the redeemed will share for ever.
Two of the names in this verse carry meaning in their Hebrew roots. The ESV calls them "forks" and "bowls"; older translations have "flesh-hooks" and "basons." Take the fork first:
The root of the Hebrew word for FLESH-HOOK is "to draw out" — suggestive of the thought of the blood-shedding of Immanuel.
The bowls, named last in the verse, carry a root of their own:
The word translated BASONS here really means "covered bowls." The root of the word is "to cover, to expiate, to make atonement." This suggests ATONEMENT fully made. What treasures for the treasuries of God! What memorials for eternity! What things for angels to look into! Those who have received redeeming grace will explain and unfold them in the ages of eternity to come.
The same writer looks at where these vessels were kept, and at who holds their meaning now:
These vessels of gold and silver were probably among the treasures of the House of God, stored in the lower side-rooms of the Temple. In the same way, God's holy priesthood are stewards of sacred mysteries — the realities these vessels pictured… Nothing is more precious to the saints on earth or to the redeemed in glory than thoughts of the sufferings of Christ, His precious blood, His complete atonement!
The plan for the stone building came in writing. One writer asks what that means for us:
Later, when the permanent house in Jerusalem was to be built, "David gave to Solomon, his son, … the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit … all this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing" (1 Chron. 28:11-19). Again God ordered every detail in writing. In the New Testament we have God's instructions in writing for the order of His spiritual house. Have we any more liberty to tamper with these instructions than Israel had with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
- Pattern — the plan and its measures came to David by the Spirit, in writing, not from his own skill at organising.
- Weight — God fixed the metal for each single vessel in advance, arranging it all through His servant.
- Pictures — silver speaks of the redemption price, gold of what is divine and glorious; the fork's root means "to draw out," the bowls' root "to make atonement."
- Stewards — God's priesthood now holds the realities those weighed vessels pictured, and will unfold them for ever.
- Obedience — God still gives His instructions in writing, and we have no more liberty to tamper with them than Israel had.
and for the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim of gold, which spread out [their wings] and cover the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.
David is at the end of his life, handing his son Solomon the plans for a house he himself will never build. This verse names the golden incense altar and the gold cherubim over the ark, and behind both stands one question: where did the design come from?
God showed Moses a model on the mountain for the tabernacle, the tent of worship used before the temple. David received his plans another way, and some of the furniture changed with the new house:
We find the same principle in verses 11 to 19, where the temple is compared with the tabernacle. Only here David had received all the details by inspiration (v. 12). God did not set a model before his eyes on the mountain, as He did for Moses, who then had to carry it out. David received these details through the Spirit; they were in him, in his mind. Nothing depended on his gift for organizing or on his natural intelligence. Everything came straight from God… The vessels themselves were different from those of the tabernacle, though what they pictured was really the same. Their number and weight differed, and new vessels were added… The ark of the covenant, which held the law, stayed the same, with its mercy seat and the cherubim overshadowing it, because neither the covenant nor the mercy seat could be changed in any way. By contrast, the cherubim that spread out their wings and touched the two walls of the sanctuary were something entirely new.
The verse does not just name gold. It gives the weight of the gold too, and that exactness runs through the whole list:
We see how fully David is the source of everything here… he gave gold by weight for the various vessels, and the silver for those that were to be made of silver — the tables, for instance; "also pure gold for the forks and for the bowls, and the cups." David arranged everything down to the last detail. "All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern." God was really arranging it all through His servant.
The incense altar was cedar wood under a covering of gold. Both materials carry meaning, and together they point to the One in whose name we worship:
David provided "for the altar of incense refined gold by weight." This gold covered the whole altar of cedar (1 Kings 6:20, 22). The altar stood in front of the veil. CEDAR is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ in resurrection. The GOLD laid over it shows the Divine glory of His person, the One in whose name we worship… He is the one Mediator between God and man in time. He is also the One through whom, for all eternity, all praise, honour, and glory will be given to God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"Chariot" is a strange word for two winged figures fixed over a golden lid. A psalm about God coming out against His enemies supplies the key:
"And He rode upon a cherub and did fly: yes, He did fly upon the wings of the wind" (Ps. 18:10). It is as though the eternal King left His place in His sanctuary for a time, and came out to judge His enemies. The words "He rode upon a cherub and did fly" seem to explain a phrase used of the mercy-seat: "the chariot of the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord." Here the throne suggests the chariot on which the Lord rides with the cherubim, who carry Him, as it were, in unstoppable power throughout His creation.
In the temple Solomon set his cherubim in a position that carried its own message:
When Solomon puts his cherubim in the temple, they stood up. The tip of one wing touched one wall, two tips met in the middle of the house, and the tip of the fourth wing touched the wall on the opposite side. They looked outwards, because all the attributes of God were going out to man.
A chariot can move away. Ezekiel saw that happen when the sins of the people drove God's glory out of His temple:
Even when God is seen riding on a cherub, it points to what Chronicles calls "the chariot of the cherubim," the mercy-seat. The book of Ezekiel takes this thought further. There God leaves His temple because of the sins of His people, and the cherubim carry His glory eastward to the Mount of Olives. It disappears until, in picture, the time of restoration comes and the cherubim bring the glory back to its place, back to its home in the temple.
- Given — the details of the temple came to David by the Spirit, not from his own skill or planning ability.
- Weighed — David set the weight of every piece of gold, because God was arranging each detail through His servant.
- Golden — gold over cedar wood marks out the One in whose name all worship reaches God.
- Riding — the cherubim over the ark form a chariot, the throne on which God moves in power through His creation.
- Returning — the glory left a temple defiled by sin, and the cherubim who carried it away will bring it back.
All this [said David,] in writing, by Jehovah's hand upon me, instructing as to all the works of the pattern.
David hands his son the plans for a temple he will not build himself, and he says plainly where those plans came from. His words settle who designed the temple and raise a question that reaches past Solomon: how much of God's house can people design for themselves?
One writer traces the detail through the chapter and lands on the point David himself makes:
We see how completely David is the source of everything here. "The pattern of all that he had by the Spirit." It was not any question of his own will... Everything was arranged by David down to the smallest detail. David said, "All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan." It was really God arranging all by His servant.
(Kelly follows an older translation of verse 12, "all that he had by the Spirit"; the ESV reads "all that he had in mind.")
David says the plans reached him in writing from God's own hand. One writer sets that claim beside what other Bible writers said about their own words:
But when we come to the Scriptures of truth how different everything is. David said, "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue" (2 Sam. 23:2). Again he testified, "All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD" (1 Chr. 28:19). The Apostle Peter wrote, "Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21). The Apostle Paul testified, "All Scripture is breathed out by God" (2 Tim. 3:16).
Solomon got the temple. David got the plan — and one writer weighs which of the two stood nearer to God:
Coming now to the temple, Solomon was the man chosen by God to build it... But God still gave the plans to David... These plans David entrusted to Solomon, "the pattern of the porch, and of the house," and so on (1 Chron. 28:11). David stood on higher ground in relation to the LORD than his distinguished son. He was as truly a vessel of divine inspiration as Moses in the wilderness. What honour will compare with conscious nearness to God?
Another writer measures the two men by their tasks:
David was not allowed to build the house. His part was to prepare all the material, to give the patterns and appoint the order of service. In giving these he was greater than Solomon, who only built according to the prepared plan.
David prepared and Solomon built. One writer sees Christ in both roles:
To prepare is not the same as to build. It was David who had prepared everything for the construction of the temple (1 Chr. 22:14). Much more, he was the one who received the plans of the building and all its contents in writing (1 Chr. 28:11-19). David had imparted these plans to Solomon. Solomon built. The Saviour "prepares"; the Lord "establishes by His hands." God prepares the materials for His dwelling with men and for carrying out all His purposes. Those materials are the fruit of the sufferings and rejection of the true David. Christ, the Son of the living God, builds, and says: "On this rock I will build my church."
God put the design of the stone house in writing. One writer asks what that means for God's house today:
When Moses was about to make the tabernacle, God told him to "make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain" (Heb. 8:5). Moses strictly followed God's pattern. Later, when the permanent house was to be built in Jerusalem, "David gave to Solomon his son... the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit... all this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD" (1 Chron. 28:11-19). Again, God ordered every detail in writing. In the New Testament, we have in writing the divine instructions as to the order of God's spiritual house. Do we have any more freedom to tamper with these instructions than anyone had of old with the instructions for the material, earthly house? Certainly not!
- Pattern given. The design was not David's will at work; God arranged everything through His servant.
- Pattern written. David's claim stands with 2 Samuel 23:2, 2 Peter 1:21 and 2 Timothy 3:16. Together they show how God's words reach us.
- Pattern received. David never built the house. Yet he was as truly inspired as Moses, and greater than the son who only followed the plan.
- Pattern fulfilled. David prepares and Solomon builds. So the sufferings of the true David provide the material, and Christ builds His church.
- Pattern kept. God put His house in writing then, and He has put it in writing now. He asks us for the same obedience.