I Chronicles
22
From the commencement of this chapter to the close of the
First Book of
the
Chronicles we again travel alone, and, with the exception of parallel
passages of a merely ordinary character, have no longer the
assistance of
comparing different descriptions of the same stretches of history.
The
present chapter relates;
o
David’s interested and
zealous preparations for the
building of the temple (vs. 1-5);
o
his exhortations and
solemn charge to his son and successor
(vs.
6-16); and afterwards
o
his injunctions to the
“princes of Israel” (vs. 17-19) to
help
Solomon.
1 “Then
David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and
this is the
altar of the burnt offering for
of
the last’ chapter, and should have had its place there. It indicates a deep
sense
of
relief that now visited David’s mind. We can imagine how he had
pondered
often and long the “place where” of the “exceeding magnificent” house
which
it
was in
his heart to build for the Lord. The place was now found, and the
more unexpected and “dreadful” (Genesis
28:17) the method by which it was
arrived at, the more convincing and satisfactory, at all events in
some
points of view. The extraordinary and impressive designating of
this spot
was
in itself a signal for an active commencement of the work, and made at
the
same time such commencement practicable. Solomon and many others
would afterwards often think, often speak, of the “threshing-floor of Ornan
the Jebusite” as the place
“which was shown to David his father,”
and
which “David had prepared”
(II Chronicles 3:1). Here, then, he builds
“the altar of burnt offering,” as,
on the neighboring “hill of Zion,” he had
reared the “tabernacle for the ark.”
2 “And
David commanded to gather together the strangers” - These are
plainly called in the Septuagint “proselytes” (tou<v proshlu<touv – tous
prosaelutous - ).
They were, of course, foreign workmen, who came in pursuit
of
their trade. The injunctions as to “strangers,”
and with regard to showing
them kindness, are very numerous, beginning with Exodus 12:19,48-49; 22:21;
23:9; Leviticus 19:10,33-34;
Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Joshua 8:33-35.
It was not David’s object merely to gain cheap or
compulsory work (II Chronicles
2:17-18), but to obtain a skill, which immigrants from
certain places would possess,
in
excess of that of his own people (Ibid. ch.2:7-8,13-14), especially considering
the
absorption of
study and practice of these the arts of peace - “that were in the
and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the
house of God.”
3 “And
David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the
gates, and for the joinings;
and brass in abundance without weight;” The
very first Bible mention of metals (Genesis 4:22) places these two together.
Whence Solomon got his “abundance”
of the latter we have read in ch.18:8;
for
the “abundance’
of the former he would not necessarily go further than
his own land. Although the expression, “the land whose
stones are iron”
(Deuteronomy 8:9), is possibly enough a poetical figure
where it stands, yet
some of the force of the figure may have sprung from its nearness to fact.
The abundant use of iron in a great variety of tools,
implements, weapons,
and
the knowledge of it in bar and sheet, might be illustrated from a large
number of quotations from Scripture (Deuteronomy 19:5; 27:5; II
Samuel
12:31; II Kings 6:5; Isaiah 10:34; Amos 1:3; and many
others). The “joinings”
were the clamps and plates of various size and shape, which held strongly
together, whether beams of wood or blocks of stone.
4 “Also
cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of
(see I Kings 5:6, 9, 13-18’; II
Chronicles 2:16-18). The interesting passages
in
Homer, Herodotus, and Strabo, which speak of Zidon,
etc., are in entire
accord with what is here said, and are well worth perusal; e.g.
‘Iliad,’ 6:289-295,
“And she descended to the vaulted chamber, where were the
garments all
embroidered, the works of women of
himself brought from
he
brought Helen of noble lineage;” ‘Iliad,’ 23. 743, 744, “And this vessel
was
of unsurpassed fame for beauty over all the land, for the men of
cunning artificers, had skilfully
wrought it, and Phoenicians had brought it
over the dark sea;” ‘Odyssey,’ 4:615-618, “And it was all silver, but the
borders were mingled with gold. It was the work of Hephaestus. The
illustrious Phademus, King of the Sidonians, gave it me when his palace
sheltered me on my return thither;” ‘Odyssey,’ 15:424, “I boast to
come
from
may
be found in Herodotus (7:44, 96) and Strabo (16:2, § 23) – “brought
much cedar wood to David.”
5 “And
David said, Solomon my son is young and tender,” - It is impossible
to
fix the exact age of Solomon as marked by these words. In a “fragment” of
Eupolemus (see Cory’s ‘Ancient Fragments of the Phoenician,’ etc.,
Writers,’ edit.
as
vaguely supposes he was fourteen at the time that he took the throne. He was
the
second son of Bathsheba, and can scarcely have exceeded the
last-mentioned age
by
mere than three or four years (yet compare I Kings 2:2; 3:1, 7). This same
language,
“young and tender,” is
repeated in ch.29:1. The reign of Solomon lasted forty years
(I Kings 11:42; II Chronicles 9:30). He is called old
(I Kings 11:4) when his strange
wives “turned away his heart after other gods.”
We are not told his age at the
time of his death. There are, in fact, no sufficient data for fixing to the year, or indeed
within the liberal margin of several years, the age now designated as young
and tender-
“and the house
that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding
magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all
countries: I will therefore now
make preparation for it. So
David prepared abundantly before his death.”
6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for
the LORD God of
7 “And David
said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind
to build an house unto the name of the LORD
my God:” (Compare ch.17:1-2;
II Samuel 7:2-3.) For my son, the Chethiv shows “his son,” the Keri substituting “my.”
8 “But the
word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed
blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou
shalt not build
an house unto my name, because thou hast shed
much blood upon
the earth in my sight.” Because thou hast
shed much blood. This is repeated
very distinctly below (ch.28:3), and appears
there again as acknowledged by the
lip
of David himself. It seems remarkable that no previous statement of this
objection, nor even allusion to it, is found. Further, there seems no very opportune
place for it in either our ch.17:1-15 or in II Samuel 7:1-17.
Yet, if it seem impossible
to resist the impression that it must have
found expression on the occasion
referred to in those two passages, we may fit it in best between
vs. 10 and 11 of
the
former reference, and between vs. 11 and 12 in Samuel. So far, however, as
our
Hebrew text goes, this is the first place in which the statement is made.
The Stain of Blood (v.8)
We distinctly read here, as also in the stricter parallel
of this place (ch.28:3), that it
was
because David had “shed blood abundantly,”
had “shed
much blood on
the earth” in the sight of God, had “made great wars,” that the word of the Lord
came to him, saying, “Thou shalt not build an house to my Name.” After the
death of David we find Solomon — so far as we may go by his language — seeming
to
put a somewhat different shade of interpretation on the matter. He does
not,
indeed, say anything different from the truth, or necessarily
inconsistent with it; but
perhaps moved by a son’s filial dutifulness, he purposes to omit
those
aspects which were the more painful aspects, and grievous to a
son’s lip to
enlarge upon. He says (I Kings 5:3), “Thou knowest how
that David
my father could not
build an house unto the Name of the Lord his God for
the wars which were
about him on every side, until the Lord put them under
the soles of his
feet.” This version is also quite
consistent with the indications of
our
compiler (ch.17:1), and with those of II
Samuel 7:1. With one fuller,
however,
and
more plain-spoken, from the honest lip of the father himself to his son, not of
the
son to the outer world, we have here to do. And we are taught:
SO SURELY WOULD HE THAT THAT WORST JUDGMENT, WAR,
AND THE SHEDDING OF FELLOW-MAN’S BLOOD SHOULD BE
THE STRANGE WORK OF HIS PEOPLE. If there be times when these
be necessary, yet are they intrinsically “strange work,” and
are emphatically
by the Divine will to be so regarded. The man who has been
but the bare
instrument of this kind of thing
among his fellow-men on earth, shall not
be the man whose hands
shall be honored to rear the
Church of love
and peace, and the perfecter of the brotherhood of
humanity.
OCCUPATION OF OUR PREVIOUS LIFE, WILL NOT
UNFREQUENTLY AT SOME CRITICAL MOMENT, AND ONE
WHICH WE MAY IMAGINE TO BE OF SUPREME IMPORT,
DECIDE THE
FOR EVER. Sin may be forgiven, the tyranny
of evil habit may be broken,
the usurper of the heart’s throne may be dethroned,
circumstance may have
been almost revolutionized;
but in hard fact, the things that have been
cannot be made as though they had not been, nor shall we be counted as
though they had not been. Some stains are very stubborn things.
And they
are not superstitiously but legitimately regarded such. The stain of blood is
notoriously of this description. Two
such contrasts as Cain and David
attest it. Contrasts violent as the savage sacrifices of
heathendom through
unnumbered ages and those of revelation illustrate it. But the
tremendous
demonstration itself may be held to come from the mark, the sprinkling,
the
efficacy of that blood of which they once cried out, let it “be on us and on
our children” (Matthew
27:25). On
these both the dreadful stain of it,
and the infinite
virtue of it, have been from time to
time, and still are, and
shall be. Yet how many important and solemn illustrations of the
same principle
there are which shall fall very far short of those that
bloodshed offers, David’s
habit in this sort, nevertheless, our typical warning all the
while! The element of
doubtfulness in your profession, your business, your tactics, your line
of
well-known conduct awhile, may prove to lie just in this, the
irresistible
suspicion which they shall inevitably engender in the better part of
human
nature, in its higher instincts — in a word, in the more human
portion of
humanity. That suspicion need be voted no freak of caprice, of
superstition,
of mock purity. It is a suspicion of the kind safe to incur
itself. And it may
be distinctly noted that it is incurred:
Ø By the
unwelcome, unsavoury nature
of the actual deeds asked
Or involved. Though haply it be necessary that
these be done, yet in
good men’s minds there shall be a veiled revulsion from the
touch of
the hand that is the
minister of them.
Ø By the
quality of character, which they are
plainly calculated
to
beget or to foster. One that may betoken disparagement of thought,
of feeling, of human
inalienable rights, which should be held ever sacred.
Ø By their
resolute owning to the endowment of an unavoidable
tenacity of life. They have a name to
live, though not an enviable name.
They will make their name to be heard when their doer would heartily
wish they had never lived at
all. They insist on reappearing, and brighten
out to vision at times the most
inopportune.
DAVID, THOUGH ACCEPTING THE PURPOSE OF HIS HEART, IS
HE SOME OF WHOSE MIGHTIEST TITLES SOUND OF BATTLE
AND VICTORY.
The force of the lessons suggested to us by this passage
certainly suffer no loss when we note an inconsistency which
justifies itself
in the very speaking of it. Vengeance, retribution, ultimate
punishment,
human blood, human life, lie all specially within the one
supreme
jurisdiction. And though doubtless God devolves the execution of these
into the hands of others, the right of them he does not
devolve. For David,
for kings, for statesmen, for every man, the danger is that he encroach a
hair’s breadth upon such a right. Now the Lord of hosts, THE GOD of
armies, the mighty Man of war, the Captain, the Avenger, the
glorious
Victor, is HE ALONE to whom could
safely attach the vast trust of human
life and destiny, and the prerogative of the unquestioned
disposition of them.
It is He who, those titles of His own
notwithstanding, pronounces the word
that David shall not be the honored builder of the temple, that
olden type
of the Church. Not because the object was not a good one, not
because the
purpose of David’s heart was an impure or mingled one, but because it had
fallen so often to David to pour on the ground the life-blood of
his fellows
WHICH THE CHURCH
COMES TO SAVE, therefore was the
prohibition
peremptory. Nor is any respite of allowance granted to the
indisputable
fact, that many of David’s wars had been under Divine sanction
and by
Divine
command. Yet is there herein no mystery
of Divine sovereignty to
be pondered, no inscrutableness of “the things hidden” to be
adored. For
human feeling, human instinct, reason’s convictions and calmest
utterances
justify and approve the verdict.
9 “Behold,
a son shall be born” -
This is not the necessary translation of the verb.
The form dl;wOn does not express here future time. Solomon was already born
when
the
word of the Lord came to David - “to
thee, who shall be a man of rest; and
I will give him rest from all his enemies
round about: for his name shall be
Solomon,” - On the other hand, we may suppose special emphasis to belong to
the
clause, His
name shall be Solomon. The name designates the man of peace,
and
the clause is an announcement, probably intended to throw further into the
shade
the alternative name Jedidiah,
which also had been divinely given (II Samuel 12:24-25).
“and I will give peace and quietness unto
10 “He
shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be
his father; and I will establish the throne of
his kingdom over
The substance of this verse is found also in Nathan’s language (ch.17:12-13;
II Samuel
7:13-14).
11 “Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and
prosper thou, and
build the house of the LORD thy God, as He hath said
of thee.”
12 “Only
the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give
thee charge concerning
LORD thy God.” The father’s
prayer for the son, and in his hearing, will have
often recurred to the memory of Solomon, and may have been the
germ of
the son’s own
prayer, which
“pleased
the Lord” (I Kings 3:5-14;
II Chronicles 1:7-12).
13 “Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest
heed to fulfil the statutes
and judgments which the LORD charged Moses
with concerning
must be regarded as emphatic. In ch.28:20 we find the additional words,
“and do it,” inserted after the animated and intensely earnest
exhortation,
“be strong, and of
good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.”
This inspiriting summons was no new one. It was probably
already hallowed
in
the name of religious language, and would be often quoted (Deuteronomy 4:1;
31:5-8; Joshua 1:5-9).
Conditions of Prosperity (vs.12-13)
Solomon was distinctly informed that continuance of prosperity depended
entirely on his continuing
faithfulness to Jehovah. The “throne of his
kingdom was to be
established for ever” (v.10), but only
then should he
prosper, if he “took heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord
charged Moses with concerning
and
promises to them, are always dependent on conditions; no Divine
promise is ever unqualified. None fail
to take into due consideration the
character and the conduct of those to whom the promise is made. Illustrate
by
the great covenant made with
(Joshua 1:7); and by such prophetic declarations as Isaiah
1:18-19;
55:1-3, 6-7. There is always an if attached to the
Lord’s promise, but
it
is always virtually the same if — “if
ye be willing and obedient.” We may
say
that there are four conditions
on which prosperity is dependent.
not being, even in any subtle ways, set upon mere
self-seeking. Full loyalty
to this supreme motive is quite consistent with giving due
place to inferior
motives. And the daily culture of
spiritual life bears directly on this
working for God; keeping
ourselves ever as in the “great Taskmaster’s eye.”
Of faith, as trust, making us
lean on Divine strength; and devotion as
keeping our souls fully
open to Divine influence. Carrying the
spirit of
prayer into daily work.
that written in the Book, and that ever freshly written by the Spirit on the
“fleshy tables of the heart.” (II Corinthians 3:3)
and skilfully combining the
human powers that guarantee success, with
THE TRUST IN GOD
ON WHICH SUCCESS MUST ULTIMATELY
DEPEND! The
man
who trusts most ALWAYS WORKS
HARDEST!.
On these conditions the true
prosperity must come; but it may be such as
men will not so name.
14 “Now,
behold, in my trouble” -
The Septuagint, Vulgate, and
Luther’s translation adopt here
our marginal reading, “poverty.” Keil,
Bertheau, and others translate, with much greater probability, “by severe
effort,” which translation may be fortified, not only by such
references as
Genesis 31:43 and Psalm 132:1 (where the same root is found
in Pual infinitive),
but
by the expression evidently answering to the present one in ch.29:2 (jwOKAlk;B),
“with all my strength.”
Moreover, David could not with
correctness speak of
poverty as characterizing
his condition during the time that he had been collecting for
the
object of his heart’s desire. And scarcely with any greater correctness
could he speak of the necessary anxieties and responsibilities
of his royal
office as at all specially marking this period - “I
have prepared for the house
of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of
gold, and a thousand
thousand talents of silver;” - Our sense of dissatisfaction in being able neither
heartily to accept nor conclusively to reject this statement of the
quantities of gold
and
silver prepared by David, may be lessened in some degree by the statement
found in v.16, that “of
the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there
is no number.” Milman, in his
‘History of the Jews’ (1. 266, 267, edit. 1830),
says upon the general subject of
this verse, “But enormous as this wealth (i.e. that of
Solomon) appears, the statement of his expenditure on the
temple, and of
his
annual revenue, so passes all credibility, that any attempt at forming a
calculation, on the uncertain data we possess, may at once be
abandoned as
a
hopeless task. No better proof can be given of the uncertainty of our
authorities, of our imperfect knowledge of the Hebrew weights of
money,
and,
above all, of our total ignorance of the relative value which the
precious metals bore to the commodities of life, than the estimate
made by
Dr. Prideaux of the treasures left
by David, amounting to eight hundred
millions, nearly the capital of our national debt.” (meaning
of
hundred years ago – CY – 2012). It must
be noted, however, that Milman
himself proceeds, when speaking of “the sources of the vast
wealth which Solomon
undoubtedly possessed,” to bring very enormous sums (whether somewhat
less or
even somewhat more than the above estimate of Dr. Prideaux)
more within the range
of
the possible, to our imagination. He justly remarks, for instance, that it is
to be
remembered that “the treasures of David were accumulated rather by
conquest than traffic, that some of the nations he subdued,
particularly the
Edomites,
were very wealthy. All the tribes
seem to have worn a great deal
of gold and silver, both in their ornaments and in their
armor; their idols
were often of gold; and the treasuries of their temples,
perhaps, contained
considerable wealth. But during the reign of Solomon, almost the whole
commerce of the
world passed
into his territories.” After
substantiating by
details these and similar positions (pp. 267-271), he sums up, “It
was from
these various sources of wealth that the precious metals and all
other
valuable commodities were in such abundance that, in the figurative
language of the sacred historian, ‘silver was in
cedar trees as sycamores.’”
Since the date of Milman’s words just quoted,
however, investigation of ancient weights and measures, and of
those of
Scripture, has made some advance, yet not sufficient to
enable us to arrive
at
any certainty as to those of our present passage. Assuming that the text
of
our present verse is not corrupt, and that the figures which it gives are
correct, the weight and
the value of the gold and silver mentioned are very
great, whatever the talent in question. This assumption, however, cannot
be
relied upon, and it seems scarcely legitimate to interpret the talent as
any
than the Hebrew talent, considering the silence observed as regards any
other. It need not be said here that the exchanges of money
value were
estimated in these times by so much weight of gold or silver.
Further, “the
shekel of the
sanctuary” (Exodus
30:13; Leviticus 27:3), possibly
the
same with “the
shekel after the king’s weight” (II Samuel
14:26),
and
which was kept in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple — was
presumably the standard. The gold talent was double the weight of
the
silver talent. It weighed 1,320,000 grains, instead of 660,000.
The silver
talent contained 50 manehs, of 60 shekels
each; but the gold talent
contained 100 manehs, of 100 shekels each.
The
modern money
equivalents of these weights
are very uncertain. Both the silver and
the
gold talent have been very variously calculated in this relation. Some of
the
best authorities put the silver talent at £342 3s. 9d.,
and the gold at £5475.
This would make the money value described by this verse
nearly nine
hundred millions of our money (200 years ago – CY – 2012). Other estimates
are
considerably in excess of this sum, and but few fall below it. Vast as the sum
is,
we
may be helped in some degree to accept it by the statement of Pliny, who
(‘Nat. Hist.,’ 32:15) tells us
that Cyrus, in his subjugation of
talents of silver as are here mentioned, and thirty-four thousand
pounds of
gold (see articles in Smith’s ‘Bible Dictionary,’ on “Money,” and on”
Weights and Measures”). Among the most valuable works on these
subjects are De Saulcy’s ‘Numismatique Judaique,’ and F.
Madden’s
‘Jewish Coinage.’ - “and of
brass and iron without weight; for
it is in abundance: timber also and stone
have I prepared; and thou
mayest add thereto.”
15 “Moreover
there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and
workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning
men for
every manner of work.” So too
ch.28:21; II Chronicles 2:7,17-18; as
well as vs. 2-4 of the present chapter.
16 “Of the
gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no
number. Arise therefore, and be doing,” - The first and
last words of Ezra
10:4 are found here, and note may be made of the similarity
of the expression -
“and the LORD be with thee.”
Be Doing (v. 16)
When David had done all that lay in his power, he commended
the rest to
his
son Solomon. The son was not to rest in indolence because the father
had
wrought with zeal and given with liberality. Nor, because assured of
the
approval and the help of Heaven, was he to remit diligence and
devotion. This David clearly impressed upon him in addressing to
Solomon
the
brief but stirring admonition of the text: “Arise,
and be doing, and the
Lord be with thee.” The summons may well be addressed to EVERY
CHRISTIAN HEART!
feel, but to do. The contemplative man, if his
contemplations have no
influence upon his life, is justly despised. “In all labor there is profit”
(Proverbs 14:23). “Whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with
thy might.” (Ecclesiastes
9:10)
The world in which we find
ourselves corresponds to the nature with which
we are endowed. In every position of life there is a loud
call for activity.
Without exertion and labor no
good can be accomplished.
sloth of men may sometimes misinterpret religion; may endeavor
to
persuade them that all they need is to believe the truth, and to
feel deeply
when religious truth is addressed to them. But the Scriptures
give no
countenance to such errors, but teach us to “show our faith by our works”
( James 2:18), and so prove the sincerity of our love.
He both did the will of His
Father and taught men to do likewise. This was
His meat and drink (John 4:34); of
this He never wearied. “He wrought
the works of Him that sent Him while it was day.” (Ibid. 9:4)
SANCTIFIED ACTIVITY. The HOLY SPIRIT
OF GOD alike
inspires, directs, and
prospers the labous of His people.
These next three verses contain David’s command,
accompanied by
urgent argument, to the princes of
17 “David
also commanded all the princes” - i.e. those who held
positions
of
authority as commanders, leaders, elders, heads of tribes, and chiefs of the
fathers
(ch.
23:2; 27:22; 28:1) - “of
18
“Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you
rest on every side? for
He hath given the inhabitants of the land into
mine hand; and the land is subdued before the
LORD, and before
His people.” The whole of this verse should have been suggestive of
memories thrilling with interest. What
David says here is equivalent to the
declaration of the perfect fulfillment of the promises of NINE HUNDRED
YEARS AGO! By faith of those
very promises how many generations had lived!
What journeyings, suspense,
punishment, and struggle, the intervening
centuries had witnessed! And now at last it is given to the lip of
the aged
David to pronounce the
termination of a nation’s prolonged conflict, its
entrance into peace, and the fulfillment of the most impassioned
wishes,
imaginings, end prayers of the patriarchs, of Moses, and of a long
line of
the faithful. It was well for David that he could not foresee and did
not
know HOW NEAR THE CULMINATING
OF A NATION’S GLORY
AND PROSPERITY MIGHT BE TO ITS WOEFUL FALL AND
PROLONGED DECAY! The analogy that
obtains in this respect between
the
history of an individual and of a nation is as remarkable as it should be
instructive and turned to the uses of warning. (See Deuteronomy 6:1-12)
Rest on Every Side (v. 18)
David had a word of encouragement, not only for his son,
but for the princes of
the
kingdom. Solomon would need their aid in achieving his great undertaking.
The king pointed out to them that the PEACE and PROSPERITY established
by
DIVINE
foreign anxieties, they should
devote themselves to the service of Jehovah at
home, in their own land, their own capital. “Hath be not given you rest on
every side?”
not rest from labor; that, except for temporary relaxation,
is, for the most
part, not desirable in this world, where so much has to be done
for God
and for man. (The idle
mind is the devil’s workshop – H.G. Bohn – CY –
2012) It was rest from their enemies, rest from war,
rest from
hindrances, disturbances, harassments; from the aboriginal
inhabitants of
the land, and from the heathen tribes and nations around. It is a blessing
for any nation to be
at peace.
SECURED. The reign
of David had been, on the whole, one of strife and
warfare. Such a condition of things was not desirable on its own
account,
for its own sake. The end of effort, counsel, even war itself,
is the rest of
peace. (I once felt all
that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against
the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one,
who kept a
tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child
in his hand,
about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking
his mind as
freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression,
“Well! give
me peace in my day.” Not a man lives on the continent but
fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally
take place,
and a generous parent should have said, “If there must be trouble,
let it be in my day,
that my child may have peace;” and this
single
reflection, well applied, is
sufficient to awaken every man to duty –
excerpt from Thomas
Paine’s THE CRISIS – CY – 2012)
INTENDED. Not for
sloth, luxury, and self-indulgence; but
in
order that the work of God may go forward unhindered, and with
growing and conspicuous prosperity. It was a noble use to which
the
peaceful reign of Solomon was put — the erection of the temple unto
the Lord. And whenever God in His providence grants a nation
rest on
every side, it is A PROBATION OF
NATIONAL FAITHFULNESS
to see whether the
precious opportunity will be used aright for the
development of national resources, for the advancement of education
and social well-being, and for the furtherance of genuine and
practical
religion. (Contrast
expression” – often IN DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD’S
HOLY WORD - CY – 2012)
19 “Now
set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God;
arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of
the LORD God, to
bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and
the holy vessels of
God,” – To settle these in a fixed home had now been of a long
time the consuming desire of David’s heart (so ch.15:1; II Chronicles
5:2-4).
Into the house that is to be built. The preposition l instead of la,, before
“the house,” is to be
noticed here (ch. 25:6; Nehemiah 10:35) - “into the
house that is to be built to the name of the
LORD.”
Also the
Niphal participle, h"n,b]Gih", here translated “that
is to be built,” is to be
noticed. The meaning of David would be better met probably thus:
“Arise,
build the sanctuary… to bring the ark… into the house (then) builded to the
Name of the Lord.”
Work for God Must
be Done with Heart and Soul (v.19)
“Now set your heart
and your soul to seek the Lord your God.” Scripture
uses several terms for the composite being, man, but it may be questioned
whether, without undue forcing, we can form, on a Scripture basis,
either a
dualistic or tripartite theory of man’s being. We find the term body,
as
indicating the physical being, set in relations with an external
world by its
five senses; the term heart, as inclusive of the mind and the
affections, set
in
relations with the world of thought, and the world of fellow human
beings; and the term soul, as the equivalent of that
spiritual being which is
set
in relation with God, and has its life only in Him. But, though these may
be
the stricter meanings and uses of these terms, they are often used in
Scripture as figures of speech; and a man is said to work
with his heart
when he likes to do what he is undertaking, and a man is said to do a
thing
with his soul when he does it with a will, with energy and
perseverance. It
will afford some effective contrasts to consider conceivable ways of
working for God, and the illustrations of each will be at once
suggested, so
that they will need no more than statement.
circumstance, or association.
illustrated in the case of Cyrus, of whom God says, “I girded thee,
though thou hast not known me” (Isaiah 45:5). God makes even
the “wrath of man praise Him” (Psalm
76:10); and bad men have,
unwillingly, done His sovereign will.
SELF; one who seeks only’ his own ends may find that, without
credit or
blessing to himself, he has really served God.
like the transplanted people of
gods.” (II Kings 17:33)
WITH CULTURED BODILY POWERS; WITH HEART-JOY IN
GOD; AND WITH THE INSPIRATION OF THE SOUL’S
DEVOTION. Of such work
for God the LORD JESUS CHRIST
PRESENTS THE
HIGHEST TYPE but the example is — as a
human example, WITHIN HUMAN REACH!
The Aged King’s Charge to His Son
and
the Princes of the
Kingdom (vs. 6-19)
The language of David to his son here, and shortly afterwards to the princes of the
kingdom, indicate well his recognition and lively memory of the fact that stone and
wood, gold and iron, will need willing hands, earnest minds, devoted hearts, and that
even the best material of doctrine and truth will lie dead without the energy of the will
and the living Spirit. The present utterances of David’s lips, though somewhat various,
go together to make what may still be correctly called one charge.
us with the conditions of all successful work done in the
Name of Christ and for
the extension of His kingdom. We may remark, preliminarily,
that our leisure time
cannot be better spent than in Christian work. Solomon was to
have time for
internal administration. His father had defeated and subdued all
the national
enemies. In the midst of protracted “peace
and quietness” (v. 9) he
would have an ample interval in which to build a house for the
Lord. The
time which the labor of others, or our own toil, has secured to
us we
spend most admirably when we give it to the direct service of
the Divine
Master. The conditions of successful work for Him are:
Ø
Securing Divine
Direction. “Only the Lord
give thee wisdom
and understanding”
(v.12). David clearly felt, as this “only” indicates,
that everything would
utterly fail if God did not grant His Divine
succor. That failing, everything must prove to be a failure.
Ø
Ensuring
Personal Fitness. (vs. 7-9.) David was
rendered
personally unfit for the work by his much fighting. It was not
fitting
that a man of war should build the temple of the God of love.
The
two things did not go well together. It was far more becoming
that
Solomon, the “man of rest,” should execute this work. Our guilty
past may have been pardoned, our occupation may not be absolutely
wrong, our surroundings may not be censurable, our position may
not
be blameworthy, and yet there may be something about one of
these
which makes it unsuitable for us and desirable for some
one else to do the work which is required to be done.
Ø
Maintaining
Personal Integrity. (vs.11-13.) “Prosper thou,
and
build the house… that thou mayest
keep the Law of the Lord thy
God. Then shalt
thou prosper, if thou takest heed,” etc. God
distinctly promised to be Solomon’s Father, and to establish his throne
(v. 10); but this prosperity must depend on loyalty and the
KEEPING OF THE
LAW! Without the maintenance of our
moral and spiritual integrity we cannot expect
to be prospered in
any work we do for God.
Ø
Making All Due
Preparation. Solomon would have found
himself overtasked and unable to do as
he did if David had not
“in his trouble prepared for the
house” (vs. 14-16). The aged
king may be said to have laid the foundation of the building by
all
the pains he took to collect material and make everything
ready for
his son to begin the work. We never strike a better stroke in
the
service of God than when we are engaged in the work of
preparation.
Moses in Horeb, Paul in
in
the seaside of after days, we
ourselves in the chamber of communion
and at the study desk,
are “working for God,” for we are doing that
which is positively essential to true, abiding issues in the
field of Christian
labor.
Ø
Acting in
Accordance with the Revealed Will of Christ.
“Build
the
house of the Lord… as he hath said of
thee” (v.11).
Ø
Cherishing the
Confidence which is Closely Allied to Strength.
“Be strong, and of good courage” (v. 13). There is a
confidence
which is presumption, and which will be dishonored; but there is a
confidence which is in the truth and in God, and which is a large
element of success. Where the diffident are defeated, the assured
and
courageous win. Let the Christian workman fee! that
behind him are
Divine promises which “cannot be broken,” and he will advance
boldly and strike successfully.
Ø
Making the Way
Plain for Our Successors. (Vs. 6-16.) Nothing
is
more hateful than the spirit of “apres
moi le deluge” (After me the
deluge). No worthy
Christian workman will be content unless, like David,
as he considers who and what are to come after him, he feels
a devout
thankfulness that he has made a plain path for his successors, in which
they may walk in peace, honor, and usefulness. We may place by itself
as a condition of success which is involved in some of the
foregoing, but
yet which deserves to be mentioned separately, cultivating
and
exhibiting the spirit of devotion. Three times in this
paternal counsel
does David invoke the presence and
blessing of Almighty God (vs.
11-12,16).
It is in the spirit of conscious dependence on God and
earnest up-looking to Him for His Divine help (Psalm 30:10)
that the workman of the Lord will render successful service to
his
Master
and mankind.
of
kingdom, or Church, or society of which they are members, those who are
responsible for the measures which are adopted, for the course which is
chosen, (What a concept for the citizens of the
World to consider “THE COURSE WHICH THEY HAVE CHOSEN”
in this, the 21st century since Jesus Christ – see
Isaiah 1:18-20 - CY – 2012)
for the principles which are professed. Thus regarding them, we may gather
from the text:
Ø
That It is the
Wisdom of the Strong go gain the favor of God
for themselves and for the community. “Set your heart and your
soul to seek the Lord your God’ (v. 19); i.e. strenuously and
perseveringly endeavor to gain God’s approval, to do His will and
win His smile. That is the “beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10)
and the end of it, IN ALL CASES now, with
ALL LEADERS
EVERYWHERE! They are to do this by:
o
taking earnest
heed to His revelation of Himself;
o
accepting Him who is
the Manifestation of His mind
and will; JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON!
o
fashioning their own
lives and directing those of others
according to His holy Word.
Ø
That the Wisdom
of the Stong is in Making the Most of
Favorable
the ground that the time had
come for action. “Is not the Lord
your God with you? and hath He not
given you rest on every
side?” (v. 18). Now that the energy of the people needed not to be
devoted to the art of war, it was most fitting that it should be
given
to the building of a house for the Lord. The time of peace is
the hour
of national industry and progress, when the useful arts and religious
institutions should
receive particular
attention. (In
last half century, these have been
prostituted by our national leaders
in their unwise funding of the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF
THE ARTS! –
CY – 2012) It is the part of
wise and conscientious
leaders, in the Church as well as in the state, to watch for the
time
of opportunity, to make the utmost of the “golden hour,” to
strike when
the blows will tell. Carefulness
or negligence in this matter may make
all the difference between national
success and failure. These are
favorable times for:
o
reorganization,
o
reconciliation,
o
evangelization.
Ø
That It is in
the Wisdom of the Strong to Build Up That Which
Holds
the Most Sacred Things. “Build
ye the
sanctuary of the
Lord God, to bring
the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the
holy vessels of God, into the house” (v 19). The princes could
do nothing better for
abide; for the Lord Himself would dwell above the mercy-seat,
and so
long as
might count on His presence and His favor. Our leaders do well
to incite
us to build
o
houses of the Lord in which He Himself will dwell, and receive
the homage of His people and teach them His truth;
o
institutions —
Churches, societies, families — in which the holy
principles Christ has taught us shall be incorporated;
o
national character, (As long as
had this character – shall there not be former citizens of the
United States rise up, like the Queen of Sheba – Matthew 12:42 –
in
the judgment and condemn this generation for their
unbelief? - CY – 2012) which shall contain and embody those
pure and righteous habits which are found in the life of the
great
Exemplar, Jesus Christ. These are of more value than all the
“holy vessels” which David’s zeal could collect.
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