1 Chronicles 29

PLUS
The Book of 1 Chronicles
Chapter 29

Chapter Overview:


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.

Verses:

29:2My might - Work for God must be done with all our might, or we shall bring nothing to pass in it.
29:4Of Ophir - The best and purest gold. The walls - The walls of the temple with God, and of the rooms adjoining to it, with silverbeaten out into plates.
29:5To consecrate - To offer an offering, as I have done.Heb. To fill his hand unto the Lord. They that engage themselves inthe service of God, will have their hands full: there is work enoughfor the whole man in that service.
29:9Rejoiced - 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 thislong - desired work, would receive a certain and speedy accomplishment.Great joy - To see the work, which his heart was so much set upon, likelyto go on. It is a great reviving to good men when they are leaving theworld, to see those they leave behind zealous for the work of God.
29:10Blessed, &c. - David was now full of days, and near his end, and it well becomes the aged children of God, to have their hearts muchenlarged in praise and thanksgiving. The nearer we come to the land ofeverlasting praise, the more we should speak the language, and do thework of that world.
29:14To offer - That thou shouldest give us both riches to make such an offering, and a willing heart to offer them, both which are the giftsand the fruits of thy good grace and mercy to us. Of thine - We returnonly 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 ofbeing employed in his service, and for grace enabling us in any measure toserve him.
29:15Strangers - For the land which we possess is thine, not ours; we are not the proprietors but only thy tenants: and as our fathersonce were mere strangers in it, even before men, so we at this day areno better before thee, having no absolute right in it, but only to travelthrough 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 wecannot keep to ourselves: and therefore it is a great favour that thouwilt accept such offerings. David's days had as much of substance inthem 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 whomust acknowledge, that their days on the earth are as a shadow: whichspeaks of our life as a vain life, a dark life, a transient life, and alife that will have its period, either in perfect light or perfect darkness.
29:16All thine own - In like manner we ought to acknowledge God in all spiritual things: referring every good thought, good desire, andgood work to his grace.
29:18Of Abraham, &c. - A God in covenant with them, and with us for their sakes. Keep forever - Since it is from thy grace that thy peoplehave such willing minds, continue that grace to them, that they maypersist 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.
29:20Worshipped - The Lord with religious, and the king with civil worship.
29:22The second time - The first time, was when he was made king during Adonijah's conspiracy. And Zadok - It must be remembered thatthe high - priest had his viceregent who might officiate in his stead.So that this action of theirs, the anointing Zadok, did not, actuallyconstitute him high - priest, but only settled the reversion of it uponhim and his line after Abiathar's death; even as David's makingSolomon king, and their anointing Solomon to be the chief governorhere, did not put him into actual possession of the kingdom, butonly gave him a right to it after the present king's death: hence,notwithstanding this anointing, Abiathar continued to exercise hisoffice 'till Solomon thrust him out, 2:27 .
29:24Of the Lord - On the throne of Israel, which is called the throne of the Lord, because the Lord himself was in a peculiar mannerthe king and governor of Israel. He had the founding, he had thefilling of their throne, by immediate direction.
29:26Thus, &c. - This sacred writer having mentioned the anointing of Solomon and upon that occasion proceeded to give a farther accountof Solomon's actual settlement in his kingdom, returns to his mainbusiness, 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 drawsthe curtains about him.
29:28Riches 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 wassatisfied with it, and very willing to go to a better place.
29:29The book - In the chronicles of the kingdom, which were written by Nathan and Gad, who were not only prophets, but historiographersout of which either they or some other prophets took by the direction ofGod's spirit such passages, as were most important and useful for thechurch in succeeding ages.
29:30The times - The changes which befel him; both his troubles, and his successes, the word time or times being often put for thingsdone or happening in them. The countries - Bordering upon the land ofCanaan.