Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

With deepest interest the king had gathered the rich material for
building and beautifying the temple. He had composed the glorious
anthems that in future years would echo through its courts. Now his
heart rejoiced in God as the leaders and princes of Israel swelled the
offerings, giving of their own possessions into the treasury. It was
God alone who had made His people generous. He, not man, must
be glorified. His Spirit had made them willing. If His love had not
moved on the hearts of the people, the temple would never have
been built.
When he felt that death was approaching, the burden of David's
heart was still for Solomon and for Israel, whose success must so
largely depend on her king's integrity and loyalty to God. "And he
charged Solomon his son, saying, 'I go the way of all the earth; be
strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of
the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His
commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, ... that you
may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord
may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, "If
your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all
their heart and with all their soul," He said, "you shall not lack a
man on the throne of Israel."'" (1 Kings 2:1-4).
David's fall had been great, but his repentance was deep, his
love true, and his faith strong. The psalms of David range from the
depths of guilt and self-condemnation to the most exalted
communing with God. His life record declares that sin can bring
only shame and sorrow, but that God's love and mercy can reach to
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