David has just been told he will not be the one to build the temple. His son Solomon will.
It is easy to read that and think okay, that responsibility just shifted to Solomon now. But that is not really what happened.
David did almost everything but the actual building.
He had the plans. He organized it. He designated the gold for every dish. The silver for every utensil. The meat hooks. The incense. He had a plan for the chariot and the gold cherubim. The Bible says every detail of the plan was given to him by God in writing.
He just was not the one who got to build it.
So he passes all of it on to his son.
The plans. The materials. The vision. The instructions God had given him personally.
And then he says these words.
Be strong and courageous, and do the work.
I love that he does not just leave it at the positive. He flips it and says the same thing from the other side.
Don't be afraid or discouraged.
Both. Be strong. Do not be afraid. Be courageous. Do not be discouraged. He is covering it from every angle. Like he knows his son is about to step into something heavy and he wants to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
And then he tells him the reason.
Because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
My God.
He is not just preaching at his son. He is testifying. This is what I know about the God I have walked with. He will be with you the same way He has been with me.
There is something about that I keep turning over.
David is handing his son the work, the plans, the vision, and the God he has known personally. He is not just giving him a project. He is passing on a relationship.
Then there is one more line that I cannot get past.
He will see to it that all the work related to the temple is finished correctly.
He says God will see it through. Not Solomon. God.
Which is interesting because we usually credit Solomon with building the temple. But the way David says it, the credit belongs to the Lord. Solomon would do the work. God would be the one to finish it correctly.
That is a good reminder for me.
The things God has called me to are not really mine. He gives the vision. He gives the resources. He gives the strength. He gives the people who help. And when it is all said and done, He is the one who sees it through to completion.
I just have to be strong and courageous and do the work.
I just have to not be afraid and not be discouraged.
He handles the rest.