The Glorious Hand-Off: Preparation as Piety Text: 1 Chronicles 22:1-5
Introduction: The Piety of Preparation
We live in an age that idolizes the spontaneous, the impromptu, and the "authentic" expression of the moment. Preparation is seen as stodgy, planning as a buzzkill. But the kingdom of God is not built on such flimsy foundations. God is a God of order, of foresight, of glorious and meticulous design. From the foundation of the world, He has been preparing a people for His own possession. The entire Old Testament is a story of God preparing the world for the coming of His Son. And here, in this often-overlooked chapter of Chronicles, we see this divine attribute reflected in His servant David. David, the man of war, is forbidden from building the Temple, the house of peace. But this divine "no" does not lead to sullen inaction. It leads to one of the most magnificent displays of faithful preparation in all of Scripture.
David wanted to build God a house. It was a good desire, a right desire. But God had a different plan. The man of blood would not build the house of peace. That task would fall to his son, Solomon, whose very name means peace. A lesser man might have grown resentful. A lesser man might have thrown up his hands and said, "Fine, if I can't do it, then let him figure it out." But David's heart was for the glory of God's name, not his own. If he could not be the builder, he would be the ultimate preparer. He would be the greatest general contractor in history, stockpiling the materials, organizing the labor, and setting the stage so that his son could succeed.
This passage is a profound lesson in generational faithfulness. It teaches us that true piety is not just about what we accomplish in our lifetime, but how we set up the next generation to accomplish even more. It is about the humble, often unseen, work of preparation. We are always either building on the foundation others have laid or laying a foundation for others to build upon. David models for us a father's greatest duty: to prepare the way for his son, to labor for a glory he will not see fully realized, and to do it all for the name and fame of Yahweh. This is not just about building a temple of stone and cedar; it is about building a multi-generational kingdom that honors God.
The Text
Then David said, “This is the house of Yahweh God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
So David said to gather the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, and he appointed stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God.
And David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed;
and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David.
And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for Yahweh shall be highly exalted, for a name and beauty throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.
(1 Chronicles 22:1-5 LSB)
The Designated Place (v. 1)
We begin with David's declaration, right on the heels of the plague being stayed at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
"Then David said, 'This is the house of Yahweh God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.'" (1 Chronicles 22:1)
This is a foundational statement. David, by prophetic insight, consecrates this specific piece of real estate. This isn't just a good spot; it is the spot. The place where judgment was averted by sacrifice is now designated as the place where all future sacrifices will be made. This is profoundly theological. The house of God is established on a site of atoning sacrifice. Where wrath was turned away, worship will now ascend. This is a picture of the gospel. Our access to God, our ability to dwell in His house, is only possible at the place of substitutionary atonement, which is the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is our threshing floor, where the plague of our sin was stayed.
David is acting as a king and a prophet. He is establishing sacred geography. God's presence will have an address. This counters the pagan notion of gods being tied to natural phenomena, like mountains or rivers. No, Yahweh chooses His dwelling place, and He does so at a place freighted with redemptive history. This very spot, Mount Moriah, is where Abraham was prepared to offer Isaac. And now it is where the angel of death was stopped. And it is where the Temple, the placeholder for Christ, will be built. The entire history of redemption is being layered onto this one location.
The Unlikely Workforce (v. 2)
Having designated the place, David immediately begins the practical work of gathering men and materials.
"So David said to gather the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, and he appointed stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God." (1 Chronicles 22:2)
Notice who he calls first. Not the Levites, not the men of Judah, but the "sojourners," the resident aliens. This is a striking detail. From the very beginning, the construction of God's house is an international affair. David conscripts the foreigners living in Israel to be the stonecutters. This is not a slight; it is an honor. The foundational work, the shaping of the very stones of God's house, is given to those who were not natural-born sons of the covenant. This is a clear foreshadowing of the New Covenant reality. The house of God, the church, is built not just from Jews, but from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The Gentiles, who were once "strangers and aliens," are being built into the very structure of God's dwelling place, with Christ as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22).
David is demonstrating that the kingdom of God is not an exclusive ethnic club. It is a kingdom that requisitions the skills and labor of all who dwell within its borders for the glory of its king. These sojourners are being incorporated into the central project of the nation: the worship of Yahweh. Their sweat and skill will be consecrated, built right into the holy place. This is a practical outworking of the principle that all of life, every vocation, is to be done for the glory of God.
The Lavish Provision (v. 3-4)
Next, the Chronicler gives us a glimpse of the sheer scale of David's preparations.
"And David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed; and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David." (1 Chronicles 22:3-4)
This is not a half-hearted effort. The quantities are staggering. Iron for nails and clamps, the small but essential things. Bronze "more than could be weighed." Cedar logs "beyond number." David is not just providing the minimum required. He is providing in lavish abundance. This reflects the character of our God. Our God is not a God of scarcity, but of overwhelming abundance. He doesn't just give us life; He gives it more abundantly. He doesn't just forgive; He lavishes His grace upon us.
This abundance is a form of worship. David's meticulous gathering of materials is an act of faith. He is honoring God by the sheer scale of his provision. He believes God is worthy of a house built with unweighable amounts of bronze. He believes the glory of God demands countless cedar logs. We also see again the international flavor. The cedar, the finest building material, is brought by the Sidonians and Tyrians, pagan peoples. David's good diplomacy and reputation have resulted in the nations willingly contributing to the house of Yahweh. This is a foretaste of the prophecy that the nations will bring their glory and honor into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24).
The Father's Heart (v. 5)
Finally, we are given the motivation behind all this frenetic activity. We see the heart of David as a king, but more importantly, as a father.
"And David said, 'My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for Yahweh shall be highly exalted, for a name and beauty throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.' So David made ample preparations before his death." (1 Chronicles 22:5)
Here is the logic of a godly father. He assesses two things: the weakness of his son and the greatness of the task. "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced." This is not a criticism; it is a realistic, loving assessment. David isn't blind to his son's limitations. He knows that youth lacks the wisdom and foresight that comes with age and trial. And he looks at the task: "the house that is to be built for Yahweh shall be highly exalted, for a name and beauty throughout all lands." This is not some local community center. This is a building meant to declare the glory of God to the entire world. It must be magnificent.
What is David's conclusion? "Therefore now I will make preparation for it." He bridges the gap between his son's inexperience and the task's magnificence with his own preparation. He will not leave Solomon to struggle. He will not set him up for failure. He will use his own wisdom, his own resources, his own final years, to pave the way. He will remove as many obstacles as possible so that Solomon can begin his reign with a running start. This is the essence of godly patriarchy. A father labors so that his son can stand on his shoulders. He prepares, he provides, he plans, not for his own glory, but for the success of the next generation and, ultimately, for the glory of God's name.
David's ambition was not for himself, but for the project. The goal was a house that would bring "a name and beauty" to Yahweh throughout all lands. Because his ego was not tied up in being the builder, he was free to be the preparer. This is a profound lesson for us. Are we willing to do the hard, unglamorous work of preparation so that others can receive the credit for the building? Are we willing to invest in a future we will not personally inhabit? This is the heart of covenantal faithfulness.
Conclusion: The Great Preparer
In all this, David is a type, a pointer to a greater David. Jesus Christ is the great Son of David who was also a great preparer. He told his disciples, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). His entire life, death, and resurrection were a work of preparation, laying the foundation for a house not made with hands, but a spiritual house, the church.
Like David, He knew the task was great: the building of a global kingdom. And like David, He knew His people were weak and inexperienced. So He did the work. He gathered all the materials necessary for our salvation. He secured the iron of His righteousness, the bronze of His judgment against sin, the cedar of His incorruptible life. He did it all so that we, His children, could be built into that glorious temple.
And the call to us is the same. We are to be preparers. Fathers, you are to prepare the way for your children, teaching them the faith, modeling integrity, and leaving them a spiritual inheritance that will far outlast any material wealth. Church leaders, you are to prepare the flock for the work of the ministry, equipping them to build. Every one of us is called to the humble, glorious work of preparation, setting the stage for the generations to come, so that the house of God in our time and in the time of our children and our children's children might be "highly exalted, for a name and beauty throughout all lands." We may not see the finished product, but we have the high calling of hewing the stones and stockpiling the timbers, all for the glory of the Great King.