I haven't included a Wiersbe summary lately because the BE series embeds I Chronicles in II Samuel, so you don't really get discrete commentary on I Chronicles until Chapter 22 when it becomes stand alone.
Introduction to Chapters 22-29
Wiersbe does a brief introduction to this stand alone section.
Wiersbe points out that, in preparation for the hand off to Solomon, not only did David collect the raw materials and labor, but he also developed musical instruments and wrote worship songs for the congregation.
The readers of I Chronicles used these chapters as inspiration. They had been charged with the daunting task of rebuilding the temple, so this part of the chronicles was very practical and meaningful to them personally.
We ARE God's Temple. So we should also have a vested interest in these words. Wiersbe makes the point that you can scavenge for materials readily available to you in the world to build your temple, or you can dig for precious metals and forge stronger materials through reading the word and practicing spiritual disciples to build your life as God Temple and your part as the body of Christ.
Solomon didn't have to design the temple, God gave the plans to David. Just as God has a plan for our lives. When God dedicated the temple, God moved in. When the people sinned, He moved out. We have to live our lives dedicated to God, as His Temple. Our goal should be the same as the original goal- Glorify God.
Chapter 22
It is thought that David wrote Psalm 30 during this time. Even though there was no temple to dedicate yet; in faith, David knew it would be because God said so. My Chronological Bible has Psalm 30 after this chapter as well.
Wiersbe says that the foreign workers weren't slaves, as the law of Moses prohibited that. I didn't read it as slavery either. these were skilled workers. Stone masonry is no joke. You don't pull a slave out of a field and have them cut the stones for you temple. Or that's what I was thinking as I read it.
It's striking to me how passionate David was about this. He wasn't going to get to do it himself; but he was going to do absolutely everything he could short of the first swing of the hammer- which he knew couldn't happen until he died. That meant he had to prepare materials and labor; but also prepare Solomon. You can't pass your life onto your kids, they are going to make their own way; so David needed to emphasize that this was suppose to be to God's Glory, not David's or even Solomon's. He needed Solomon to follow God's law and pursue God if he was going to receive God's blessing and assistance.
I wonder if God planted the longing in David's heart to accomplish this? Fighting all of those wars to bring peace; doing all of the work (trial and error) to bring the Ark; and then obsessively planning and preparing everything for Solomon to succeed in building the house for God? Was that from God? Much was given so much was required?