David and the Temple

Psalm 132: 1-5.

LORD, remember David, and all his affliction

How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

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.

There is no absolute proof as to the writer of this psalm. Some believe it was Solomon, remembering the trials of his father David, and David’s strong desire to build a temple for the Lord. God refused that privilege to David because there was innocent blood on his hands. Instead, Solomon was to build the Temple that replaced the Tabernacle, that had traveled through the desert wanderings for so many years.

I think we tend to overlook David’s suffering and see him only as the progenitor of Jesus Christ. Here’s a list that may help us to remember that David’s life was full of difficulties:

• He was despised and criticized by his family.
• He was placed in many life-and-death struggles.
• He was accused of treason and treachery.
• He was attacked by the connected, powerful, and ruthless.
• He lived many years as a fugitive, a wanted man.
• He had family, home, friends, and career taken from him.
• He experienced a significant season of backsliding.
• He accepted as the king only reluctantly.
• He faced many enemies in battle through many wars.
• He openly criticized and despised by his wife.
• He suffered because of his own sin and scandal.
• He endured great conflict and problems among his own children.
• He suffered a coup staged by his son, followed by a civil war.
• He was openly despised and criticized by some of his subjects

Guzik, BlueLetterBible

Still, through all of his suffering and his own sin, his heart always turned back to God in grief and repentance. But he was denied his strong desire to build a Temple for the Lord, which was another great grief to him.

David did bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Zion ( I Chronicles 15:43) and he did begin to collect materials for the building of the Temple. Did he have any part in its design? I could find no reference to that, but in my imagination David had many conversations with Solomon about his vision for the Temple. Perhaps Solomon, with great compassion for his father, took careful notes on David’s ideas and incorporated them into the planning. That’s only supposition on my part, but I do think it’s a possibility.

David died knowing that God had appointed the building of the Temple to Solomon, the son who had remained steadfastly loyal to his father.