“And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods” (2 Chr. 2:5). That was Solomon’s pronouncement as the building of the Temple commenced. David left Solomon the plans and the material to erect this great house. This wasn’t going to be a monument built as a memorial for David. On the contrary, this was a house built to the Name of the Lord God! The Temple would a place for sacrifices, prayer, and worship.
As we read 2 Chronicles 1-5, we should note that the Temple wasn’t just built by the Israelites, though it was intended for their worship. David, before his death, had prepared priests, and organized skillful people to complete the project. Huram, the king of Tyre, and many Gentiles had a part of the Temple project (2 Chr. 2:17-18). These were not slaves, and they were not treated as such. Rather, they co-labored with the Israelites to build a great house for their great God! Though there were great differences between the Israelites and Gentiles, Solomon, David’s son, brought them together for the building of the Temple.
God has built Himself a great house. Though the Jews of the Old and New Testaments did not foresee or fully understand it, but God was building a house with both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus Christ, The Son of David, broke down the wall of division between Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:14)! God reconciled the differences between Jews and Gentiles, that He may have one unified church. The apostle Paul speaking to Gentile believers wrote, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22).