When God Closes the Door, Don’t Build a Wall in Front of It
1Chronicles 22:1-11
First, I just want to say it’s good to be back behind this pulpit. I really missed not being able to share with you a month ago, when my turn came around. It would’ve been a little hard to deliver the message from Mexico though. But it is good to be back to share with you what I believe God has laid on my heart to share this morning
My message this morning is one that actually began before I went to Mexico. I was working on it a little before we left, and now I finally get to share it with you. The subject I’m going to be speaking on this morning really comes from something that Dale said back when the King’s Heralds were here to give their program. He said that he is glad to be able to support them and have that investment in his spiritual portfolio. I’ve really thought about that a lot since then, and I kept rolling it around in my mind, and a couple other thoughts stemmed from there. I even took the thought that I think he was giving of enabling others to do great things for the kingdom, and kind of took it a little further. The title of my message this morning is When God closes the door; don’t build a wall in front of it.
Have you ever wanted to do something and been told no? Have you ever wanted to do something for God and been told no? The latter part of this week, my family and I were up in Lancaster, PA. As some of you may know Matthew is a really big Thomas the tank engine fan. And if you’ll remember from our church trip to Lancaster this spring, there’s a Thomas train that runs on the Strasburg railroad. So we were up there to ride the Thomas train for Matthew. Now if you’ve never been to an event like this, there are hundreds of kids from the ages of 1 or 2 to probably about 7 or 8 all over the place wanting to do this and that and buy this and get that. Now imagine what happened when they were told no. Temper tantrum is the first word that comes to my mind. Anything from just whining and crying to falling on the floor kicking and screaming, I heard it all. The worst case I’ve seen wasn’t this weekend, but was a girl my mother used to babysit. She would do it all. The worst that she would do though was she would make her whole body stiff and hold her arms close at her side and just fall backwards. Now many of you are parents and you’ve gone through this stage or you’re going through it and you know what I’m talking about. And we can all relate, and if we’re all honest with ourselves we can say that we act pretty much the same way when God tells us no as his children. Our human nature tends to take over and we throw a childish temper tantrum.
Just a hypothetical for you-Suppose I want to be a missionary to a far off country, and I pray and pray that God would send me to this country to spread the news about Him. But in the following months God sends His answer and doors begin to close that would’ve made it possible for me to go to that far off country. Now suppose a couple in my church gets called to go to that far off country. What is my response to that couple? My human nature’s response would be to get upset, to be jealous, and maybe even in someway hinder their mission to this far off country. But as growing Christians we need to put that sinful human nature away, and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts and actions. Instead we need to enable others to do the jobs that God calls them to do.
The dictionary defines Enable-to make possible or easy; to ready or equip. Now in my hypothetical situation that I just gave you, both the couple and I would’ve probably been trying to raise some money. We both would’ve been making plans, and getting things together. How could I enable them to go to that country I wanted to go to? What sort of things could I do to make things easier for them? Really all you have to do is go through that list of the things I would do in my human nature and reverse it. I would be happy for them. I would let them know that I will pray for them. I could take the funds that I had been raising and give it to them. Any books or knowledge about the country that I had learned, I could share with them.
This morning’s passage is a story of someone that wanted to do something for God, but God told him no. Instead of letting his human nature take over and throwing a temper tantrum, or becoming jealous or callous, he did everything he could to enable the person that God had called to do the job.
1Ch 22:7-16 And David said to Solomon his son, As for me, it was in my heart to build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God. (8) But the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. (9) Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days: (10) he shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. (11) Now, my son, Jehovah be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken concerning thee. (12) Only Jehovah give thee discretion and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel; that so thou mayest keep the law of Jehovah thy God. (13) Then shalt thou prosper, if thou observe to do the statutes and the ordinances which Jehovah charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; fear not, neither be dismayed. (14) Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver, and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. (15) Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in every manner of work: (16) of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and Jehovah be with thee.
1) David’s proposition. 2) God’s declaration. 3) David’s preparation
1) David’s proposition
David wanted to build God a temple. He tells his son Solomon in verse7 of our text this morning As for me, it was in my heart to build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God.
There are two events that have lead us up to today’s passage. Way back in chapter 15 of 1 Chronicles we read of the second attempt of David to bring the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. The first of course resulted in the death of Uzza, who, when the ark was falling and he put out his hand to steady it, was killed on the spot. In the previous chapter of our passage this morning we have the account of David falling into the temptation of Satan and numbering Israel. This brought about the choice that David had of choosing his own punishment. He had the choice between 3 years of famine, 3 months of being defeated by his enemies, or 3 days of pestilence brought about by the sword of the angel of the Lord. David, not wanting to be humiliated by his enemies, chose the 3 days of pestilence. 70,000 men died because of David’s sin. David pleaded for God to have mercy on these innocent people, and after following the Lord’s instructions to prepare a sacrifice at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, the angel of the Lord stayed his sword. Now Ornan wanted to give the threshing floor to David, but David purchased the field from him. David said” for I will not take that which is thine for Jehovah, nor offer a burnt-offering without cost. “These two events set the stage for the temple to be built. David now had the land and the Ark of the Covenant. All he needed was God’s approval.
David told the profit Nathan in 2 Samuel 7 that here he is the king of this earthly nation and he lives in a magnificent house made of cedar trees from a far off country, and the Lord, who made everything and is King of Kings lives in a tent. David’s heart seems to be in the right place. He just wants to build the Lord a temple.
2) God’s Declaration
We know of course through today’s passage that God’s answer to David’s proposition was no. But unlike a lot of the no’s that we sometimes get from God, David received a reason why God told him no. We read in verse 8 that reason.
But the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
David as we all know was definitely a warrior king. From the time of David’s rise to fame he was always fighting with someone. He fought Goliath; He fought the Philistines, the Moabites, the Syrians, the Ammonites, the Edomites, pretty much all the nations neighboring Israel David was involved in conflict with at one point in time or another. But David is called the man after God’s own heart, and all the battles that David fought the Lord was with him. So why then would God not want him to do this thing for Him? Didn’t David have every right to throw a spiritual temper tantrum, and get angry at God for not letting him do this? After all David purchased the land, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, all the things that were leading up to the temple being built were done by David.
Now with our human natured minds we can all say that David had every right to be angry. To just let the whole thing go. God had given his answer and that was final. David was not going to be the man to build a temple for the Lord.
But David’s response to God’s answer shows us how truly he was a man after God’s own heart
3) David’s Preparation
David didn’t just sit on his hands and say, “Ok, Solomon has been chosen to build the temple, let’s just see how far he gets. I bet he won’t even get the foundation in before he comes crying to me for help.” No David put the pettiness of his human nature aside and enabled God’s chosen to do his job.
Verse 5And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for Jehovah must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
David prepared the materials, the plans, the site; he did everything he could to enable Solomon to build a glorious temple to the Lord.
(14) Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver, and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. (15) Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in every manner of work: (16) of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number.
There are a lot of materials in this list, and some really wouldn’t have been possible, had it not been for David. One commentator I read said that at this point in time, the Philistines were the only nation with the capabilities of making iron. Iron would’ve been much stronger than the other metals. David’s conquest of this nation brought a new material to the nation of Israel that wouldn’t have otherwise been available.
Now I’m not going to stand here and try and tell you that all the materials that were used in the temple were from David. The fact is that Solomon in one year brought in 666 talents of gold, and no one knows how long it took David to get these 1000 talents. The point is though that he made a preparation. He didn’t sit in the stands. He wasn’t just a bystander. He might have only been the coach, but he was still in on the game.
As often happens in our lives, we ask for things that we think are the right things, but God knows what the future holds. He knows what is best for us, and many times He has something better in store for us then what we ask for. It was this way with David also.
1 Chronicles 17:11-14 And it shall come to pass, when thy days are fulfilled that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. (12) He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. (13) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee; (14) but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for ever.
God had more in store for David than he had imagined. David wouldn’t be the one to build the temple, but he would be the father of many kings to come. And eventually he would be the forefather of the Savior of the world.
So what do we take away from this? We’re not building a temple. But we are building a kingdom. We’re supposed to be growing the Kingdom of God. There are some many things we can do to enable other Christians .We all can’t be like the King’s Heralds and other groups and go around the world singing praises to the Lord, and teaching others about Him. But we can all enable them to go. We can equip them by giving money to fund their ministry. We can make it easy by praying for them. We also can’t all be like Brian and Janel King, and be missionaries to China. But we can make it possible for them to be. We can’t all be the Pastor. But we can enable and support the man who is. As Christians we can enable all these people to do what God has called them to do.
A man went to a convention where George Washington Carver was going to be speaking and giving presentations. When he arrived at the hotel, he saw a black man standing there and said, “Here, boy, help me carry my bags.”
On the elevator the man bragged about his accomplishments in science, while George Washington Carver stood there holding his bags. In the room the man handed Carver some money for a tip.
“I don’t want it.” Carver said.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t need it.”
“By the way,” the man said,” I never got your name.”
“I’m George Washington Carver.”
The man terribly embarrassed and taken back, replied, “I didn’t realize who you were. One of the reasons I came to this conference was to meet you and listen to your speech. Why did you help me?”
“Well sir,” Carver replied, “You did need help.”
Now Mr. Carver didn’t really enable this man to do anything other than get his bags up to his room, but the attitude that he had (or lack thereof) is an example of the attitude we need when we respond to the no’s in our lives. George Washington Carver could’ve gotten really upset at this man and flew off the handle at him, but instead he had the same attitude that David had in our passage today. It also shows us the attitude that we need to have so that when God closes a door in our lives, we won’t build a wall in front of it to make so no one can get through. Instead, when God closes a door we’ll put out the welcome mat for the person that God will open it to.
