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After the solemn charge to the congregation and to Solomon, David handed over to Solomon the patterns of the temple, the enumeration beginning from outside to inside, and from thence to the courts and buildings and the vessels, and they include the minutest details of all pertaining to it. Let us mark the spiritual truths connected with this portion of God's Word, and they are many. We refer only to a few. First, as to the patterns themselves. How did David get them? They came from "the Lord" (see ver. 19). Secondly, they came by a "writing." Thirdly, they came "through the Spirit," or by Divine inspiration. Fourthly, they came through God's "hand upon him." These are all important points in the narrative. This great temple of old was a type of the great spiritual temple now - the kingdom of God in this world. In a secondary sense it may be taken as the believer himself: "Ye are the temple of the living God." Mark, then, first, everything of a Divine character comes from the Lord himself. The Lord himself is the Architect of his own house, whether it be in a man's soul or the Church of Christ. Secondly, the Divine pattern of everything spiritual comes through the "writing," the Word of God written. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit is the Divine Communicator of this Word. He speaks through that Word, which is the breath of God. And, lastly, it is through the "hand of the Lord laid upon us that the Word becomes effectual and operative. As David handed the patterns to Solomon, so should these be the patterns handed down now, through the Word and the Spirit, and applied with power by the hand" of the Lord. Solomon could not lay a single stone, nor make a single beam, nor deviate one hair's breadth from this pattern thus handed to him. No more may we. There is one truth more in this narrative. It is a very precious one. It is brought before us in the fourteenth verse, and again in 1 Chronicles 29:2-5. "Gold for things of gold, and silver for things to be made of silver, brass for things of brass, iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood." In other words, whatever golden things were needed, David had the gold provided for them; or whatever things of silver, brass, iron, or wood, David had the silver, brass, iron, and wood ready for them. It is so still in the Church of Christ as well as in the individual Christian's own history. What is our need? Do we occupy a golden position, or one of iron or wood? In Christ, the true David, there is the fulness to meet it. There is all we need for every position, every duty, every want, every hour of need. These needs may be great or small, lofty or lowly, corresponding to the "gold" or the "wood;" but he has exactly what is suited to meet the emergency or the need, whatever it may be: "My God shall supply all your need out of his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." How truly the teaching of the New Testament is contained in the Old! - W.

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KJV: Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

WEB: Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch [of the temple], and of its houses, and of its treasuries, and of the upper rooms of it, and of the inner rooms of it, and of the place of the mercy seat;