The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 235

DO circle drawn round within which alone prayel can be accepta'ole.Nothin" interests us that does not interest our God. "In everyti\ing, by prayer and supplic;tion, . . . we may make known our requests unto him." This may be further enforced. I. WHAT IS THE GoD-SPHERE? The difficulties into which men get, :rnd the subtle self-seeking they manifest, when they try to make the God-sphere limited and narrow. The awakened and sincere heart is prepared to say before God- " Take my body, spirit, soul: Only thou posse88 the whole." The God-sphere is a man's whole life, his whole thought, his every interest. Nothing is too great for God to compass; nothing too small for him to use and glorify. The things we count most common-air and sunshine and rain-are his. And the things in our lives that seem most trivial fit into his grea1i plan and should be referred to him. Illustrate from the teachings of the Apostle James, that our very "journey- ings," our very "buyings and sellings," must be made dependent on the Lord's will (Jas. iv. 13-15). Modern sentiment tends to limit the sphere within which prayer is appropriate; it is assumed that it should not deal with the material world, which is under fixed law. But law is not something out beyond the control of God-or we misname him; for there is something greater than he. All laws are within the God- sphere, so we may "inquire of God" about them. II. WHAT IS GoD's CLA.lll WITHIN HIS SPHERE? That everything shall be re(erred to him, and in everything his counsel and direction shall be taken. Illustrate from David's feeling of the claims of the theocracy. 'l'he entire life of the lsraelitish nation being the God-sphere, absolutely everything had to be referred to him, and he recognized and punished all failures to meet his claim. By the mouth of his prophet the claim is distinctly expressed: "For all these things will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them." This claim may be shown in detailed application to the circumstances of our lives. The kind of reference to God takes different forms for different kinds of things. Ill. 'l'HE OBEDIENCE OF MEN IS BETTER TESTED BY THE LITTLE THAN BY THE GREAT. Practical observation of life proves that it is harder to do little things in a right spirit than to do great ones. Many a man stands well before mighty swords and spears, and falls before a pebble slung by a youth. Few of us can stand the serious testing of the commoner scenes and relations of our lives. Yet the Divine testings come most frequently in connection with them; and sometimes God even makes us do nothing-wait; and he watches to see whether, even concerning this, we will" inquire of him."-R. T. Ver. 12.-Loyalty to the one God. It is noted that, in the excitement of their defeat the Philistines left behind them their idol-im11ges, and that, as a wise and prudent act as well as a truly religious one, David had them all destroyed by fire, This at once made a public testimony of their vanity and helplessness, and prevented their exerting any evil influence on David's own people, whose history shows that they were very sensitive to the attractions of idolatry. "The practice of carrying imuges of the gods to battle was common among the nations of antiquity, and arose from the belief that there was virtue in the images themselves, and that military success would be obtained by means of them. .A. similar belief seems to have induced the Israelites to carry the ark of the covenant with them to battle in the days of Eli." Comparing this passage with the answering one in 2 Sam. v. 21, margin, we may assume that the images were carried as trophies to Jerusalem, and, after being exhibited there, were destroyed by fire. David's loyalty to the one God was shown in the vigorous destruction of these rivul gods. This, however, must not be confounded with religious persecution. David had a recognized right to deal as he pleased with the spoils of battle; and he was in no way bound to recognize the sanctity which the Philistines might be pleased to attach to their idol-figures. Distinguish between tho destruction of idol-figures and the per- secution of idol-worshippers. Man is not alone. He has often to act for others, for the family, the class, or the nation. In this way David acted on this occasion. Show what idol-gods may be about now, within reach of our children, etc. We do not call 230 THE FIRST BOOK OF 'l'HE CHRONICLES. [cu. XIV. 1-17.