This guide gives you ready-made study questions for 1 Chronicles 28, the chapter where King David gathers Israel’s leaders in Jerusalem and hands the plans for the temple to his son Solomon. You can use these questions for a small group, a Sunday school class, or quiet personal study. Each set includes a suggested way to use it, a leader’s answer, and a few verses to read aloud.
1 Chronicles 28 at a Glance
The chapter opens with David calling together the officials of Israel in Jerusalem. He explains that he wanted to build a house for the ark of the covenant, but God had told him that his son would build it instead. David then charges Solomon before the assembly to seek the LORD faithfully and to be strong and courageous in the work.
In the second half, David hands over detailed plans for the temple, its courts, storerooms, and furnishings, saying that the pattern came from the LORD himself. He closes by reassuring Solomon that God will not fail him and that skilled workers and leaders stand ready to help.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the text itself, and let people read the verses aloud before answering. This keeps the discussion anchored in what the chapter actually says.
1 Chronicles 28:9
You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
(WEB)
Read this verse to set the heart of the chapter. It calls for wholehearted service and reminds the group that God searches the heart and can be found by those who seek him.
1 Chronicles 28:20
David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed; for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of the LORD’s house is finished.
(WEB)
This verse gives the group David’s words of encouragement to Solomon. It is especially useful when people feel overwhelmed by a responsibility they have been given.
1 Chronicles 28:6-7
6 He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues to do my commandments and my ordinances, as it is today.’
(WEB)
These verses show God’s choice of Solomon and his promise to establish the kingdom. Reading them together helps the group see how God’s purposes unfold through specific people.
1 Chronicles 28:12
And the plans of all that he had by the Spirit, for the courts of the LORD’s house, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of God’s house, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things…
(WEB)
This verse highlights that the plans came “by the Spirit,” which is a good starting point for discussing how God guides his people in their work and worship.
1 Chronicles 28:21
Behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of God’s house. Every willing man who has skill, for any kind of service, shall be with you in all kinds of work. Also the captains and all the people will be entirely at your command.”
(WEB)
Reading this verse at the end of the discussion reminds the group that the work belongs to a whole community of willing and skilled people, and that each person has a place in it.
Memory Verse for 1 Chronicles 28
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you for the way you guide your people and for the courage you gave David and Solomon to carry out your purposes. Help us to serve you with a whole heart and a willing mind, and to seek you above every other interest. When the work before us feels too large, remind us that you are with us and that you will not fail or forsake us. Give us willing hands and open hearts for the tasks you have set before us, and let our lives point others toward you. Amen.
