The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 92

before him their supplications. 1. With ,-everent humility, "Bowing themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement," as they did in the wilderness when, on Aaron's first offerings being preseuted, "a fire came out from before the Lord, and con- Bumed upon tbe altar the burnt offering and the fa.t" (Lev, ix. 24), a.nd as Moses and Aaron did when the former interceded for the people (Numb. xiv. 6), a.a the Israelites on Carmel (1 Kings xviii. 39), Christ's disciples on the holy mount (Matt. xvii. 6), and the four and twenty elders of the Apocalyptic vision did (Rev. xi. 16). Humility a fore~ost characteristic of all who would approach God in prayer (Gen, xviii. 30), or with whom Goel would dwell (Isa. lvii.16). 2. Withfervent acclamation, "Praisina the Lord and saying; " for though prayer and praise without audible speech are not impossible (1 Sam. i. 13; Eph. v. 19), when the heart is hot the tongue cannot well be silent (Ps. xxxix. 3). Men that are in earnest, like David, cry and weep in their prayers (Ps. vi. 8; xviii. 6), while in their praises they dance and sing (2 Sam. vi. 14; Ps. lxxi. 22). 3. With true faith, recognizing his Divine goodness and believing in the unchangeableness of his mercy (see on vers. 13, 14). III. THE THANKSGIVING KING. (Vers. 4, 6.) Besides the people, Solomon was specially affected by the !?Teat sight. His heart swelled with ~ratitude, which he expressed: 1. By sacrifices. Gratitude which overflows merely in lip-service may well be suspected. The true index of a heart's feeling of indebtedness is its willingness to part with some- thing belouging to itself for the sake of him towards whom the feeling is cherished. Hence the emphasis laid by Old Testament Scripture on the duty of offerina the sacrifices of thanksgiving (Ps. 1. 14; cvii. 22), 2. By repeated sacrifices. Solomo~ and his subjects had already offered victims on the altar (ver, 6); but these were presented in addition because new mercies had evoked new occasions of thanksgiving. As the saint's gratitude should not be a momentary feeling, cherished for a little season and then dismissed till some more convenient opportunity shall arrive, but a perennial emotion continually welling up within the breast; so should the saint's sacrifices not be occasional acts, but deeds that are constantly being repeated and renewed. 3. By large sacrifices. Solomon offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep-indeed, so abundant were the ,·ictims that the brazen altar was not spacious enough, large as it was (eh. iv. 1), to receive the burnt offerings and the meat offerings and the fat ; yet, rather than that any of them should not be presented to the Lord, the pavement in the middle of the court was "hallowed," i.e. extemporized into an altar (ver. 7), and the victims slaughtered and burnt thereupon. Solomon had no notion of being stinted in his "givings "to Jehovah. Neither should Christians in their offerings to the God of the Christian Church. The Lord still loveth a cheerful giver (2 Cor. ix. 7), and never fails to reward a liberal giver (2 Cor. ix. 6). 4. By timely sacrifices. The king chose the right moment for his offerings-" then" (ver. 4), when his eye was arrested and his heart affected by the sight of the fire and the glory, and by the contemplation of J ehovah's goodness and grace. Had be delayed, the offerings might not nave been so numerous as they were, if iudeed they had not been omitted altogether. "Strike while the iron is hot" is a proverb applicable to all good resclutions. Bis dat qui cito dat, Evil purposes should be delayed till the passions exciting them have cooled; good intentions should be carried through while the spirit glows with the holy enthus!..asm that has given them birth. IV. THE ASSISTING PBIESTB. (Ver. 6.) In addition to the king and commons, the ministers of the sanctuary bore their part in the great act of worship. 1. The priests toaited on their offices, or stood, in their stations-not according to their divisions (Bertheau), but in their offices (Vulgate); i.e. they preserved the ranks and functions which had been assigned them by David (1 Chron. xxiv. 7). They o.lso sounded trumpets before them. 2. The Levites acted as instrumentalists and singers, 'fhey used the instruments of the song of Jehovah which David had invented anrl appointed, and with which David himself had praised God by their service, i.e. by making use of their playing, as he did when fetching up the ark out of Obed-edom's house (1 Chron. xv. 16-28). Learn: 1. The certainty that God can answer prayer. 2. The duty of Divine worship. 3. The joyous character of true religion. 4. The necessity of practising Christian liberality.-W. on. vn.1-22.] THE SECOND BOOK 011' THE CHRONICLES. 93