The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 398

Ver. 7.- Consecrated song. "Instructed in the son11:s of the Lord, even all that were cunning." The general subject of the consecration of song to the Lord's service ha@ been dealt with in previous homilies. Here two points gain prominence. Men who serve with song must be (1) men with a gift; and (2) men with the gift cultured. I. MEN WITH A GIFT. "Cunning," clever, skilled, having this as a natural endow- ment. Dwell en the importance of fully recognizing the Divine distribution of gifts in our times, as truly as in the age of the apostles; and then the practical importance of looking out the men and women among us who have a Divine endowment. Each one of us should be anxious to find his or her own gift, and each one should be quick to observe his brother's gift. The thing which lifts a man above commonplace i11 his gift, and in honouring it we honour God in him. IL MEN WITH THE GIFT CULTURED. In this matter our responsibility comes to view. In our service to God we are bound to see to it that the men and women of gifts among us have their chance of due instruction and culture. Worldly men are keen to discover talent, and train it. But this needs to be more fully done within Christ's Church, and in respect especially of the gifts of preaching, music, and song. Dealing with the song-gift, it may be shown how dependent it is upon culture; how it responds to instruction and practice, and what a power it exerts on men, as hymn• power, anthem-power, chorus-power, song-power. The ancient legend of Eurydice did but declare the wondrous spell that ever goes with beauteous song- " Percha.nee at last, Zeus willing, this dumb lyre and whispered voioe Shall wake, by love inspired, to such clear note As soars above the stars, and swelling, lifts Our aoula to highest heaven." B.T. EXPOSITION. porters are given us in the first nine verses. CHAPTER XXVI. The first mentioned is Meahelemie.h, who, though ea.lied the same in vers. 2, 9, ap• This chapter is occupied in its first nine- pears e.s Shelemiah in ver. 14, and in eh. ix. teen verses with an enumeration of the 19 as Shallum. Asaph, given here as one porters and then of their arrangement. The of the ancestors, must be replaced by Ebi- porters were those who were to have charge e.saph (eh. vi. 23, 37; ix. 19; also Exod. vi. of the entrances of the sanctuary. For o.t 24), who was a Kore.hite, whereas Asaph was a Gershonite (eh. vi. 39, 43). present, all was in plan otly, thus set out Vers. 2, 3.-These verses contain the by David beforehand. enumeration of seven sons of Sbelemie.h, Ver. 1.-The subject of the porters has of the firstborn of whom, viz. Zeohariah, beer. before us in eh. ix.17--27; xv. 23, 24; express mention was me.de in eh. ix. 21. xvi. 38 ; xxiii. 5, in which le.et passage we Vere. 4, 5.-Here we have the enumeration a.re told that there were four thousand of of eight t10ns of Obed-edom (eh. xv. 21, 24; the Levites who were porters. The divisions xvi. 38). That in this 19.l!t reference Obed- of tbe porters spoken of in the present chap- edom seems to be called "son of J cduthun" ter were from the sons of Korab or Kore, is owing probably to the omission of a name. and Mere.ri (ver11. 10, 19). The Korahite For former occurrences of the senteuce, err. XXVI, 1-32.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 401