The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 352

Ver. 28.-.Answer to prayer consecrating the place of prayer. It is notoo that David felt the threshing-floor to have become a sacred place, precisely becausa there he had gained the answer to his prayer. A similar feeling is illustrated in the case of the patriarchs. Abraham erected his altars where the signs of the Divine favour came to him; and Jacob raised his pillow-stone a.s a pillar, and consecrated his place of vision, Bethel, the house of God. We may recognize instances of the same kind in our own religious experiences. Certain places a.re, to our feeling, peculiarly sacred, and we know that they have gained their sacredness out of prayer-times, wrestling scenes, and gracious Divine responses. It appears that David had received answer to his prayer under two symbols. (1) By the descending of heavenly fire for the consuming of hie Ra.crifice, and (2) by the signt of the angel reverently and obediently putting the great plague-sword back into its scabbard (vers. 26, 27). These outward signs did but assure the fact of God's gracious answer, and should not be thought of as necessary to the answer, or we may find difficulty in realizing that nowadays God answers our prayers, and gives us of the answer an inward witness and not an outward sign. I. THE FREEDOM OF SPIRITUAL WORSHIP FROM ALL LIMITATIONS OF PLACE. Every place is holy ground. God's temple-dome is the " arch of yon unmeasured sky ; " God's temple-area is the floor of the whole earth. This point may be illustrated from the larae variety of places which the holy men of Scripture ma.de prayer-places: e.g. the inside of an ark, a cave in a mountain, the belly of a fish, etc. Or from the strik- ing language of the Prophet ~s'liah (!xvi. 1): "'l'he. heaven is my throne, an~ the earth is my footstool : where 18 the house that ye build unto me? and where 1s the place of my rest?" Or from the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, in John iv. 21- 23 : "The hour cometh when neither in this moun ta.in, nor in J erusa.lem, shall ye worship the Father .. .' The true worshippers shall worship t~e Father in spirit and in truth." This point being well established and efficiently illustrated, there may be ~hown- II. THE HELPFULNESS THAT :MAY LIE IN LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS OF WORSHIP. There is a riaht and reasonable attachment to particular churches, places, and ordinances. Build- ings and rooms gain a sacredness by their devotement to prayer and religiouij use~. And this feeling is to be eiicoura.ged, though we p.ecd to be reminded how easily it may OH, lll, 1-30.J THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 353