Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be prince over my people Israel
Solomon stands before a finished temple and repeats God's own words about the long years before it. In all those centuries God had named no city and no ruler. Two questions sit inside the sentence: why did God wait so long, and why did the waiting end with one city and one man?
The clock starts at the exodus. For generations after it, God asked for nothing permanent. When David wanted to build Him a house, God's answer explained the silence:
In effect He says: I have never rested up to now. I have always wandered with My people. As long as the final order is not yet in place, I have not said a word about building a place of rest for Me.
Solomon's whole recital turns on one verb: God chose. One commentator traces that choosing from the city down to the person, and says what it secures for a believer.
He recounts how God had chosen from the beginning. As He chose Jerusalem, and not any other city, to be the capital, so also He chose David's house and no other family. And out of David's family He chose Solomon himself. Everything depends upon the election of God. There is nothing good that is not founded upon God's election — nothing. The whole blessedness and strength of the believer depends upon it, and that is what delivers a person from self... It was not his own will, or it would be weak. It is not his own choice, or he might flatter himself that it was good. It was God's grace and God's election that brought him in when he never deserved it.
The choosing was not a reward for Israel doing well. It came after they had ruined themselves.
Up to this point, God had acted towards Israel on the ground of their works. But they brought themselves to utter ruin. So He falls back on His sovereignty and acts from Himself for their blessing. So we read that He "chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loves", and again, "He chose David." This is the sovereignty of divine mercy. It is sovereign choice exercised for the blessing of man.
The reason given for choosing a city is that God's name should be there. That made the choice exclusive — and it explains why a later word from Jesus changed everything.
If an Israelite had chosen another place to keep the feasts of Jehovah and to bring his offerings, it would have been apostasy. It was the sin of presumption, for which there was no forgiveness. But Jehovah-Jesus, the One who had chosen Jerusalem, puts the fallen city on the same level as Mount Gerizim. At the same time He reveals the spiritual nature of God, and that only spiritual worship could please Him. So it is plain that the earthly system, with the city and the house at its centre, is set aside.
Another writer carries the same rule of one appointed place into the present:
God is careful to say that Israel might sacrifice at one place only: "the place which the Lord your God shall choose to place His name in." This is a very great principle, dear friends. It is as true now as in Israel's day. The Name of the Lord Jesus is the only gathering centre today. The saint who does not simply gather in that Name will lack the deep enjoyment of Christ that our God would have our souls taste.
God says He had chosen no ruler for Israel — then He chose David. One writer links that choice both to a title of Christ and to the house David was not allowed to build.
In addressing the people, Solomon speaks of David being God's chosen king. That is why Christ is called "the Son of David." Yet David wanted to build a house for the name of the Lord himself, and God did not allow him to. God still commended him for having such a desire in his heart... But God promised David that his son would build the temple. Now the completion of that great project fulfilled God's Word.
- Waiting — From the exodus onward God named no city and no ruler. He wandered with His people and asked for no place of rest until the final order came.
- Choosing — The chain narrows: one city out of all the tribes, one family out of Israel, one son out of that family.
- Grace — The choosing starts where human responsibility has failed. God stops acting on the ground of their works and acts from Himself.
- Centre — Because His name was there, God allowed no rival place. Writers carry the principle forward: the Name of Jesus is the one gathering centre today.
- Christ — The choosing outlasts Solomon's day. David's chosen line gives Christ the title "Son of David," and God kept His promise about the house to the letter.
but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.
At the temple's dedication Solomon stands before the whole assembly and repeats God's own words. For centuries after the exodus God had named no city and no man; now He names both, and the question is why.
Two choices stand side by side here. One writer traces both back to God's election, then applies that to the believer's own life.
He tells how God chose from the beginning. God chose Jerusalem, and no other city, to be the capital. He chose David's house and no other family, and out of David's family He chose Solomon himself. Everything depends on the election of God. There is nothing good that is not founded on God's election — nothing. The believer's whole blessing and strength depend on it, and that is what delivers a person from self.
The same writer then says what this means for anyone who has come to Christ:
The moment a soul receives Christ, I can tell him that he is the chosen of God. It is a huge strength and encouragement to his heart to know that this does not rest on his own will, which would be weak. Nor does it rest on his own choice, or he might flatter himself that his choice was good. It was God's grace and God's election that brought him in, and he never deserved it.
The verse marks off a long stretch in which God named nobody. One writer explains why God waited so long.
Up to this point God had dealt with Israel on the ground of their works. But when they had brought themselves to complete ruin, He falls back on His sovereignty and acts out of Himself for their blessing. So we read that He "chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loves," and again, "He chose David." This is the sovereignty of divine mercy, making a free choice for the blessing of man.
The city's own name explains the choice, and it points far beyond Solomon's day.
He had chosen Jerusalem, a name that means "the foundation of peace." It is a fitting place for God's dwelling, for the foundation of peace is righteousness. "And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever" (Isa. 32:17). In fact, this verse looks forward to the millennium, when Christ the King "will reign in righteousness" (Isa. 32:1), a wonderful contrast to all the kings who have ever reigned on earth.
Chronicles stresses one thing that the parallel account in Kings passes over.
God's free choice in grace is also emphasized more in our chapters: God chose Jerusalem, chose David, chose the house (2 Chron. 6:6; 2 Chron. 7:12).
God told Israel long beforehand that He alone would pick the place of worship. The nations around them had many shrines; Israel would have one.
Their enemies had "places" where they "served their gods," but for Israel there was to be only "the place that the Lord will choose." They were not to choose for themselves; the Lord was to choose for them. The place He chose was to be the place of "His dwelling"... In other words, His house would be there, His Name would be there, and there He would be known.
Yet the One who chose Jerusalem later put that city on the same level as a rival mountain.
For an Israelite to choose another place to keep the feasts of Jehovah and to bring his offerings would have been apostasy, the sin of presumption, for which there was no forgiveness. But Jehovah-Jesus, the One who had chosen Jerusalem, puts the fallen city on the same ground as Mount Gerizim. At the same time He reveals the spiritual nature of God, and that only spiritual worship can please Him. So it is plain that the earthly system, with the city and the house at its centre, is set aside.
- Chosen — the verse turns on one verb repeated twice: God chose the city, God chose the man. Nothing here is Israel's initiative.
- Chosen after ruin — the long silence from Egypt onward was not indecision. When Israel's own works had failed, God acted out of Himself in sovereign mercy.
- Chosen for peace — Jerusalem means "foundation of peace." Peace rests on righteousness, and it points ahead to a King who will reign in righteousness.
- Chosen and named — a city, a king, and a house, each God's free choice. His name would be there, and there He would be known.
- Chosen, then surpassed — the One who chose Jerusalem later set that centre aside. Worship became spiritual, not a matter of place.