The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 342

condemning their ingratitude and disobedience, rewarding the one and punishing the other. II. THAT IT WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE KING'S INTERCESSION. (Vers.16,17.) Thouo-h it is not positively stated that fhe withdrawal of the angel's hand was owing to the attitude and action of the king and the elders, yet we may safely assume that in large measure it was so (ver. 27). There was everything in David's spiritual pos- ture to draw down a Divine response. 1. He was penetrated with a spirit of peni- tence; Le freely and frankly owned that the sin was his: "It is I that have sinned and done evil." 2. He was filled with a pure compassion for his people : " These sheep, what have they done? . . . not on thy people," etc. (ver. 17). 3. He was animated by a spirit of noble self-renunciation. No doubt the desire of founding a royal dynasty had grown strong and intense with years of sovereignty, and must have struck very deep root in David's heart; yet ho offers to resign all his hopes if the people may be spared. " Let thine hand ... be on me and on my father's house." When intercession is thus humble, compassionate, and self-renouncing, it is likely to prevail with God. III. THAT IT WAS SUITABLY ATTENDED WITH SACRIFICE. (Vers. 18-26.) David was instructed by Gad to" set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Ornan" (ver. 18). After the usual Oriental ceremonies, the king purchased the site and reared the altar: there he offered sacrifices of propitiation, dedication, and gratitude; there he presented burnt offerings and peace offerings (ver. 26); and Jehovah signified his accept- ance of the penitential and sacrificial spirit of his servants by "answering from heaven by fire upon the altar" (ver. 26). There are times when we renew our return unto the Lord, and he renews his acceptance of us. Such a time is the hour when we have sinned and have suffered. Then it becomes us to return once again unto the Lord, (1) in penitence; (2) in the exercise of faith in the one atoning sacrifice of the Divine Redeemer; (3) in rededication of ourselves; (4) in gratitude for his saving mercy.-C. Ver. 28---ch. xxii. 5.-Divine overruling and hum0/11, service. In the concluding verses of one chapter and the opening verses of tbe other, we lea • some lessons as to the way in which Divine wisdom made the past, which was one of error, prepare for ihe future, which was one of honour a.nd even of glory. We also learn two things respecting human service. We see- I. How Gon CAN CONSTRAIN AN EVIL TO FURNISH INCIDENTAL OOD. The sin of David led to the pestilence; the pestilence spread to Jerusalem. At Jerusalem David and the elders came forth to intercede with God ; and, so doing, they sacrificed on the threshing-floor of Oman. The fear of the angel of destruction impelled David to begin and (probably) to continue to sacrifice there (ver. 30). At any rate, the offering on this one occasion led naturally, if not necessarily, to the continuance of the act in the same place. This led to the determination to choose the spot as the site for the future temple; and this to the king's energetic and successful preparation for the erection of that noble edifice. Thus from evil came incidental good; and thus, continually, human error, faultiness, and transgression are made, under the far-reRching a.nd overruling hand of the Supreme, to contribute in some way to good. Thus he "maketh the wrath of man to praise him" (see Acts viii. 3, 4; l'hil. i. 12). II. How SUITADLE WAB THE SITE FOR THE TEMPLE OF THE Lonn. 1. Taken from a Canaanite, it suggested and predicted the ultimate triumph of the truth of God over all human error. '!'he kingdom of God would rise and stand in every heathen land, as the kmple of Jehovah rose and stood on Gentile soil. 2. It was suitable that a threshing-floor should become the base of a temple. Where God gives to us all nourish- ment for our necessities, there we, in glad response, may well give back to him all worship of the soul, all thanksgiving of heart and tongue, all offerings of the treasury. III. How GODLY ZEAL WILL FrnD A REASON AND A SPHERE FOB ITS ACTIVITY. David's desire to build the temple had been positively disallowed. Any man in his position who had not that work very much at heart would have abandoned all further CO[lcern on the subj~ct, and left the mf\tter to his successor. But David's heart was so foll of holy zeal for the" house of the Lord," that he caught with eagerness at tbe idea of making preparation for it, though he waB not permitted to erect it. "'!'his is the house of the Lord God," etc. (vcr, 1), and forthwith he prcs£cd into the service masons oJJ. :u:.1. 1-30.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 3-13