Psalm 132:4-5 "I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, (5) Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob."
David wanted very much to be able to build the temple for God. He wanted
to do something to honor the Lord Who had delivered him so many times. God
would not allow it. God told David that he was a man of battle and blood and
could not build the temple. It seems that the intention was that the
temple was not in any way attributed to David's cunning and skill. David,
you cannot build the temple. And David's response? "I will not give
sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place
for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob." Please notice
this wording. David was not saying that he was determined to go ahead and build
the temple in spite of God's refusal. David was determined to do whatever he
could to make sure the temple was built and an appropriate "habitation for
the mighty God of Jacob".
What did David ultimately do? We know God determined David's son, Solomon, to
be the builder of the temple; yet David was going to do everything that he
could in order to be certain it was accomplished. "... because I
have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good,
of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above
all that I have prepared for the holy house." (1 Chronicles 29:3) He
could not oversee the construction, but he was able to give of that which the
Lord had blessed. He was a wonderful example for the people. When they saw
David giving so graciously, their hearts were opened and they began to bring
materials for the work.
But there was one more thing that David did which cemented the work before the
people and before Solomon, his son. David began to pray for God's blessings
upon Solomon and upon the work of the builders. Here is a small portion of that
prayer. "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers,
keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy
people, and prepare their heart unto thee: And give unto Solomon my son a
perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and
to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made
provision." (1 Chronicles 29:18-19)
David made the commitment to do whatever he could do in order for there to be
"... a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of
Jacob." Should that not be the desire of our hearts as well?
Where is the temple of God located just now? According to 1 Corinthians
6:19, our bodies are the temple of the Lord God as His Holy Spirit lives within
us.