Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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1 Chronicles
Book: 1 Chronicles
Chapter: 28
Overview:
David exhorts the people to the fear of the
Lord.
(1-10) He
gives instructions for the
Temple.
(11-21)
1-10 During
David's last sickness, many chief priests and
Levites were at
Jerusalem. Finding himself able,
David spoke of
his purpose to build a
Temple for
God, and of
God's disallowing
that purpose. He opened to them
God's gracious purposes
concerning
Solomon.
David charged them to cleave stedfastly to
God and their duty. We cannot do our work as we should, unless
we
Put On resolution, and fetch in strength from Divine
Grace.
Religion or
Piety has two distinct parts. The first is knowledge
of
God, the second is
Worship of
God.
David says, Know thou the
God of thy
Father, and serve him with a perfect
Heart and a
willing mind.
God is made known
By his
Works and
Word.
Revelation alone shows the whole character of
God, in his
Providence, his holy
Law, his condemnation of sinners, his
blessed
Gospel, and the ministration of the
Spirit to all true
believers. The natural
Man cannot receive this knowledge of
God.
But thus we learn the value of the
Saviour's
Atonement, and of
the
Sanctification of the Holy
Spirit, and are influenced to
walk in all his
Commandments. It brings a sinner to his proper
place at the foot of the
Cross, as a
Poor, guilty, helpless
Worm, deserving wrath, yet expecting every thing needful from
the free
Mercy and
Grace of
God our
Father, and the
Lord Jesus
Christ. Having been forgiven much, the pardoned sinner learns to
Love much.
11-21 The
Temple must be a sacred thing, and a
Type of
Christ;
it must be framed
By Divine teaching.
Christ is the true
Temple,
the
Church is the
Gospel Temple, and
Heaven the
Everlasting
Temple; all are framed according to the Divine counsels, and the
plan laid in the Divine
Wisdom, ordained before the world, for
God's
Glory and our good.
David gave this pattern to
Solomon,
that he might go
By rule. Materials were provided for the most
costly utensils of the
Temple. Directions were given which way
to look for help in this great undertaking. Be not dismayed;
God
will help thee, and thou must look up to him in the first place.
We may be sure that
God, who owned our fathers, and carried them
through the services of their
Day, will, in like manner, never
leave us, while he has any work to do in us, or
By us. Good work
is likely to go
On, when all concerned are hearty in furthering
it. Let us
Hope in
God's
Mercy; if we seek him, he will be found
of us.