NOW King David turned to his seated people and he spoke the words he had summoned them to hear.
‘Finally, Helpers of our cause, it is clear that God has chosen your King to build His temple...
‘But Solomon is quite young and inexperienced. Even so, the work to be done is huge and daunting because He must build a place for the Almighty.
‘Therefore I have handed him the masterplan to follow. Moreover, I have prepared the materials to be used in building this temple...
‘Gold and silver, bronze and iron, marble and cut stones and cedars in abundance.’
There was silence as the hugeness of the project began to dawn of minds.
‘Now because of my love for God,’ continued David, ‘I have given my own treasures—
‘Tonnes of gold and piles of silver and gem, for the construction of God’s building, for the building of His temple.
‘So today I ask of you: Who else is willing to join me and give of his treasures to God? Who among you will give anything precious for the cause of His temple?’
At this point the people were astounded. They had always known David to be a lover of the Almighty, but they never knew that he loved this much.
‘What a man!’ cried someone. ‘He wasn’t permitted by God to build His temple, yet he went ahead to provide all the materials! What a devoted man!’
But someone said it a different way:
‘This man makes serving God seem so good that even a non-religious person will be curious to know his God!
‘Like there must be so much bliss in following God! Oh, it seems to me now like there really is!’
Still, many others wondered:
If this man will go this far for God, then there must be really something we don’t know about this God!
Maybe if I follow Him, too, like David does—maybe I can also find this joy that he’s found!
Or how can a human being love the Almighty this much?
Now after all the thought and ponder, several guests signified and pledged to give; everyone towards the building of the temple.
Then King Solomon was made to kneel before the people and he was anointed the second time as the King over Israel, in place of his father David.
Thus, those who sought God found Him; those who sought to know joy knew her: everyone loved the bliss there and wanted it more.
So, all the people threw a big feast to celebrate their joys. Yet the feast, the happy feast, was the last for King David.
For he passed in his sleep a couple of days after. And even the skies knew they’d lost a star.
Israel mourned the passing of their king as lips sang of his glory and fame, the legends of his fame.
They sang the song of the champion... from those days of Goliath to the days of his final battles. They sang a dirge, they sighed and cried.
But even when the people mourned for many nights without count, they didn’t hang their head low for ever.
For there on the throne was a younger image of David, so the people found comfort in him.
Now all of Israel gazed at the new king with soaring expectations. They were eager to see the reign of Solomon the son of David.
But all Israel had called him Water—and how watery their name could get!
Still the king must to stick to being water, or else he might disappoint his people.
It was a battle, and not a game. It was a tug of war, a war of minds.
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