DETAILED PREPARATIONS BEFORE TRANSITION

PROCLAMATION

“When David was old and full of years, he … gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.”  1 Chronicles 23:1-2 (NIV)

“David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem …”  1 Chronicles 28:1 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Chapters twenty-three through twenty-nine of The Bible Book of First Chronicles records the details of the preparation which King David made to get his affairs, his house, the temple, the army, and all of Israel in order before he died.  In preparation for his death, before he made his son Solomon king of Israel, David organized the Levites and separated them into divisions and assigned each division duties and responsibilities within the temple. (1 Chronicles 23:6-32)  Then he divided the descendants of Aaron into divisions.  There were so many of them that they had to draw lots to see which ones would serve in the temple. (1 Chronicles 24:1-31)  David also set apart the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying and music. (1 Chronicles 25:1-31)  Then he made divisions within the sons of Kore who he assigned to be the gatekeepers. (1 Chronicles 26:1-19)  David then charged the remaining Levites with the responsibilities of the treasuries and other officer positions within and outside of the temple. (1 Chronicles 26:20-32)  In the twenty-seventh chapter of First Chronicles, David organizes the army into divisions and assigns commanders. (1 Chronicles 27:1-24)  He also organized the overseers of the royal storehouse. (1 Chronicles 27:25-34)  In chapter twenty-eight of First Chronicles, King David assembled all of the leaders of Israel, the elders, the heads of the tribes, the officers and the officials, the commanders, the overseers of the temple and the palace, and the warriors and his fighting men for his final message to the people. (1 Chronicles 28:1)

APPLICATION

David went to great lengths to get his affairs in order before his transition from labor to reward.  However, most of us do very little preparation, if we prepare at all.  All too often there is no will, revocable living trust, insurance policy, or burial plan to explain our wishes to those that we leave behind.  Our families don’t know what we want, and our church knows even less.  We have taken care of our soul by our belief in Christ Jesus, but we have done very little to point our family towards Christ and their salvation.  Don’t put off until tomorrow what we should do today, for tomorrow is not promised to us.  “Let’s get right church and let’s go home.”  I know, everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.  We need to face the fact that dying is a part of living, and each of us has an appointment with death.  So, let us make preparations for our transition from labor to reward and make things easier for those that we leave behind.

WE SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS BEFORE OUR DEATH

PROCLAMATION

“David said, ‘My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for The Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations.  Therefore I will make preparations for it.’  So David made extensive preparations before his death.”  1 Chronicles 22:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After the prophet Nathan told King David that The Lord God said that he would not build a house for Him but that his son Solomon would build it, (1 Chronicles 17:1-14) David began to prepare for the building of the temple. (1 Chronicles 22:1-5)  Then he charged Solomon to build a house for The Lord. (1 Chronicles 22:6-16)  Afterwards David ordered all of the leaders of Israel to help Solomon build the temple. (1 Chronicles 22:17-19)   

APPLICATION

Most of us will never build a temple for The Lord, but we are all going to die, and we should make preparations for our death.  This includes more than buying our gravesite and casket.  It is also more than making out our last will and testament to make our final wishes known to our heirs.  In addition to getting our affairs in order and getting right with The Lord, we need to talk to, teach, and instruct our family members regarding their salvation and their work for The Lord.  “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)  And, whatever we do or teach, we should do it to the best of our ability. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)  We should not wait to do this until we think that we are about to die.  Since we do not know the day or the hour when we will be called from labor to reward, or when Christ will return, (Matthew 25:13) we need to start this preparation now.  Let’s get ready now so that we will be ready whenever that time comes.

PRAY FOR IT AND THEN PREPARE FOR IT

Proclamation:

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."  Matthew 21:22 (KJV)  The New International Version of The Holy Bible reads: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words which Jesus spoke to His disciples after He spoke and the fig tree withered.  He told them that if they had faith, and did not doubt, they could speak to a mountain and tell it to throw itself into the sea, and it would be done.  Jesus told them that they would receive whatever they asked for in prayer, if they had faith, and believed without a doubt that they would receive it. 

Application:
As believers today, we need to increase our faith in The Lord.  When we pray and ask for something, we need to begin to prepare to receive it.  We shouldn't just pray for it, we should believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt that it will happen and then prepare to receive it.  We should act like it is already done.  If it is in His will, it is already done. (John 15:7)  We could do so much more if we sincerely prayed and believed. (James 5:16)  Pray for it, believe it, prepare for it, and receive it.