I HAVE SET MY AFFECTION
“Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.” I Chronicles 29:3
David was passionate in his dream and support for the construction of the temple. After seeing the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem, it came into his heart to build a permanent dwelling, a magnificent temple, for the ark to reside. God agreed that a temple would be built; only it would not be done in David’s lifetime. His son Solomon would see this vision become a reality. David would, however, play a major role in the planning and provision for the project. The Scripture records King David’s generous contribution to the construction of the temple, including gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and precious stones. In describing his commitment to seeing this accomplished, David used this language: “I have set my affection to the house of my God.” This explains his great zeal for this building to be built and his tremendous generosity in supporting it. He had set his affection to the Lord’s house.
David’s enthusiasm challenges us to consider our commitment to those things which represent God’s will for us. Where have we “set” our affections? We decide where our love will be invested. Some set their affections on their careers or hobbies. Where might we better set our affections? Our affections could be set toward the Lord, our families, our ministries, and as David said, “to the house of my God.” David had set his affection toward the house of God.
We know that God’s house is the New Testament church, “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15). Just as God had committed His presence to the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament, He has promised to meet in a special way in His churches. Is it not reasonable that we might also say, “I have set my affection to the house of my God”? Our generation would benefit greatly if there were more like David, who had a passion for the Lord’s church. Because of his zeal for building the house of God, David generously supported the plans and preparation of the project. When our hearts and love are committed to the New Testament church, we, too, will enthusiastically support it.