View 1st Chronicles 22 in the note window.
David prepares for building the temple, ver. 1 - 5.
Instructs Solomon concerning the work, ver. 6 - 16.
Commands the princes to assist him therein, ver. 17 - 19.
1: Said - Thro' the instinct and direction of God's spirit, by which
as he is said to have had the pattern of the house, porch, altar, &c.(1Ch 28:11-12,29), so doubtless he was instructed as to the place
where the house should be built. This - This is the place appointed by
God for the building of his temple and altar.
5: Prepared, &c. - And good reason, because it was intended for the
honour of the great God, and was to be a type of Christ, in whom all
fulness dwells, and in whom are hid all treasures.
8: Shed blood - Not that wars are simply unlawful, but to teach us
that the church (whereof the temple was an illustrious type) should be
built by Christ, the prince of peace, (Isa 9:6), and that it should
be gathered and built up, not by might or power but by God's
spirit, (Zec 4:6), and by the preaching the Gospel of peace.
David therefore was less fit for that service, than one who had not been
called to such bloody work. Likewise by setting him aside for this reason,
God shewed how precious human life is to him.
14: Trouble - This he alleges as a reason why he could do no more,
because of the many wars, whereby much of his treasures were exhausted.
Talents - A talent of Gold in the first constitution was three thousand
shekels, as may be gathered from (Ex 38:24-26), and so this amounts
to a vast sum, yet not impossible for David to get, considering how many
and great conquests he made, and what vast spoils and presents he got; and
that he endeavoured by all honourable ways to get as much as he could, out
of zeal for God's house. And whereas some object, that this quantity of
gold and silver was sufficient, tho' the whole fabrick of the temple had
consisted of massy gold and silver, it is to be considered, that all this
treasure was not spent upon the materials of the temple, but a great part
of it upon the workmen, who were nigh two hundred thousand, whereof a great
number were officers, and what was not employed in the building of the
temple, was laid up in the sacred treasures.
16: Be doing - When thou shalt come to the throne. The sense of
God's presence must not slacken our endeavours; because he is with us,
we must rise and be doing. Then he will be with us even to the end.
Work out your salvation, and God will work in you.
