We are spending some time under the theme “Making Plans” on the basis of 1 Chronicles 28. Yesterday I mentioned that David made plans to build a temple for the Lord, but God told him that would not be done by him, but by his son, Solomon.

28:6 He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’ 8 “So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

These verses are a promise and an admonishment. Things started out well enough for Solomon. He got His wisdom and built the Temple and Israel thrived. But in good times the people would fall away from the Lord, as though they no longer needed Him. This would lead to division of the nation and hardship and exile. But that is further down the road. Getting back to this chapter, David publicly announces the promise to Solomon and the leaders, and reminds them all to be faithful to the one true God.

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. 14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: 15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; 18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

This was the plan that David passed along to his son, plans that he said came from the Spirit of God, plans that the Spirit had put into his mind. And you may be wondering why I aked you to read all the boring tedium about the weight of gold and silver for lampstands and lamps and bowls and forks and tables. There is a lot of details in there, like you find in Exodus and Leviticus, the kind of stuff that might easily put you to sleep. But here is the reason you should read this: A good plan pays attention to detail.

 God paid attention to every detail in carrying out his plan for our redemption. When the fullness of time had come…  Everything was just right to bring Mary and Joseph to the town of David, through whom the Messiah would come. He fulfilled every prophecy made by God, did everything necessary to pay for the sins of everyone so that we could have forgiveness and salvation instead of our deserved punishment. He was pierced for our transgression, he was crushed for our sins, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed. And after he paid the price for sins, he rose in triumph and victory for us. It was all part of the plan. Every little detail was carried out.

More on 1 Chronicles 28 tomorrow.