View 1st Chronicles 29 in the note window.
David exhorts them to contribute toward building and furnishing
the temple, ver. 1 - 5.
They do contribute accordingly, ver. 6 - 9.
He offers up solemn prayers, praises and sacrifices to God, ver. 10 - 21.
Solomon is enthroned, ver. 22 - 25.
David finishes his course, ver. 26 - 30.
2: My might - Work for God must be done with all our might, or we
shall bring nothing to pass in it.
4: Of Ophir - The best and purest gold. The walls - The walls of
the temple with God, and of the rooms adjoining to it, with silver
beaten out into plates.
5: To consecrate - To offer an offering, as I have done.
Heb. To fill his hand unto the Lord. They that engage themselves in
the service of God, will have their hands full: there is work enough
for the whole man in that service.
9: Rejoiced - Because this was both an effect of God's grace in
them, an eminent token of God's favour to them, and a pledge that this
long - desired work, would receive a certain and speedy accomplishment.
Great joy - To see the work, which his heart was so much set upon, likely
to go on. It is a great reviving to good men when they are leaving the
world, to see those they leave behind zealous for the work of God.
10: Blessed, &c. - David was now full of days, and near his end,
and it well becomes the aged children of God, to have their hearts much
enlarged in praise and thanksgiving. The nearer we come to the land of
everlasting praise, the more we should speak the language, and do the
work of that world.
14: To offer - That thou shouldest give us both riches to make such
an offering, and a willing heart to offer them, both which are the gifts
and the fruits of thy good grace and mercy to us. Of thine - We return
only what we have received, and therefore only pay a debt to thee.
The more we do for God, the more we are indebted to him; for the honour of
being employed in his service, and for grace enabling us in any measure to
serve him.
15: Strangers - For the land which we possess is thine, not ours;
we are not the proprietors but only thy tenants: and as our fathers
once were mere strangers in it, even before men, so we at this day are
no better before thee, having no absolute right in it, but only to travel
through it, and sojourn in it for the short time that we live in the world.
None abiding - We only give thee what we must shortly leave, and what we
cannot keep to ourselves: and therefore it is a great favour that thou
wilt accept such offerings. David's days had as much of substance in
them as most men: for he was upon the whole a good man, an useful man,
and now an old man. And yet he puts himself in the front of those who
must acknowledge, that their days on the earth are as a shadow: which
speaks of our life as a vain life, a dark life, a transient life, and a
life that will have its period, either in perfect light or perfect darkness.
16: All thine own - In like manner we ought to acknowledge God in
all spiritual things: referring every good thought, good desire, and
good work to his grace.
18: Of Abraham, &c. - A God in covenant with them, and with us for
their sakes. Keep forever - Since it is from thy grace that thy people
have such willing minds, continue that grace to them, that they may
persist in the same generous disposition towards thee and thy worship.
Prepare - Or, rather, confirm, thou who hast begun a good work,
confirm and carry it on by thy grace.
20: Worshipped - The Lord with religious, and the king with civil
worship.
22: The second time - The first time, was when he was made king
during Adonijah's conspiracy. And Zadok - It must be remembered that
the high - priest had his viceregent who might officiate in his stead.
So that this action of theirs, the anointing Zadok, did not, actually
constitute him high - priest, but only settled the reversion of it upon
him and his line after Abiathar's death; even as David's making
Solomon king, and their anointing Solomon to be the chief governor
here, did not put him into actual possession of the kingdom, but
only gave him a right to it after the present king's death: hence,
notwithstanding this anointing, Abiathar continued to exercise his
office 'till Solomon thrust him out, (1Ki 2:27).
24: Of the Lord - On the throne of Israel, which is called the
throne of the Lord, because the Lord himself was in a peculiar manner
the king and governor of Israel. He had the founding, he had the
filling of their throne, by immediate direction.
26: Thus, &c. - This sacred writer having mentioned the anointing
of Solomon and upon that occasion proceeded to give a farther account
of Solomon's actual settlement in his kingdom, returns to his main
business, to give an account of the close of David's reign and life.
He here brings him to the end of his day, leaves him asleep, and draws
the curtains about him.
28: Riches and honour - That is, he had enough of this world, and of
the riches of and honour of it; and he knew when he had enough. He was
satisfied with it, and very willing to go to a better place.
29: The book - In the chronicles of the kingdom, which were written
by Nathan and Gad, who were not only prophets, but historiographers
out of which either they or some other prophets took by the direction of
God's spirit such passages, as were most important and useful for the
church in succeeding ages.
30: The times - The changes which befel him; both his troubles,
and his successes, the word time or times being often put for things
done or happening in them. The countries - Bordering upon the land of
Canaan.
