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Crónicas 3

por Américo

"So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. And

he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites." 1 hr. !#1, !. And a remarka$le act of David%s appears here, &uite in consistency with what we

have seen $efore. 'e first num$ers the Levites( and he num$ers them according to

)oses, from thirty years old and upward. *ut even )oses himself gives us amodification of this( namely, from twenty+five years. David goes further. 'e is the king,

and all now depends upon the king. 'ence v. !-, "/hese were the sons of Levi after the

house of their fathers( even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted $y num$er of

names $y their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of 0ehovah, from the

age of twenty years and upward."

/hus David showed sovereign right to act for 0ehovah. 'e only did so $ecause he is the

type of hrist. /here was ne greater than )oses that was in the view of the Spirit of

2od, and David typifies 'im. It is said, "3or, $y the last words of David, the Levites werenum$ered from twenty years old and a$ove# $ecause their office was to wait on the sons

of Aaron for the service of the house of 0ehovah." 4o dou$t their duties were greatly

enlarged( and, great as their num$ers might $e new, the magnificence of the templewould call for every man from twenty years. And, $esides, David would give them all a

place in it. It was an honour as well as a duty, and so one can conceive grace acting in

calling in the younger men.

In 1 hronicles !- we have the divisions of the sons of Aaron, and they are now dividedinto twenty+four courses. 5adok takes his place as the high priest, and this we know will

$e the line when the Lord 0esus comes to reign $y+and+$y. It is not only that the house of

David will en6oy its right and glory according to the word of 0ehovah, $ut the family of5adok will $e actually in the administration of the priesthood in that future day of

$lessedness on the earth. /his we know from the $ook of 78ekiel, who e9pressly lets us

see that so it will $e 78ekiel --# 1:. "*ut the priests, the Levites, the sons of 5adok, thatkept the charge of )y sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from )e, they

shall come near to )e to minister unto )e, and they shall stand $efore )e to offer unto

)e the fat and the $lood, saith the Lord 0ehovah." ;e can see the reason of this. /hey

were faithful. *ut there is another reason, too, that does not appear in the prophecy. /heywere the proper descendants. /hey were the lineal descendants of <hinehas( and 2od had

sworn in the wilderness so far did it go $ack $eyond David that there should $e an

everlasting covenant with the priesthood and the family of <hinehas. If 2od remem$ers'is promises, so does 'e not forget 'is covenant with man. It is not, therefore, the

promise to the fathers only( $ut even what may come in $ecause of the fidelity of 'is

people in any great time of trou$le is never forgotten of the Lord.

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In 1 hronicles !: we have the service of song. ")oreover, David and the captains of the

host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of 'eman, and of 0eduthun, who

should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cym$als." It is called "prophesying" $ecause it so directly $rought in 2od, which is the emphatic meaning of prophesying.

"And the num$er of the workmen according to their service was" + so and so. /here were

twenty+four courses of the singers. 4ow, this was another remarka$le change. In theta$ernacle, song was not the characteristic feature, $ut sacrifice( $ut in the temple in the

day of glory, the song of triumph is the new and suita$le feature. It is not $ut what the

sacrifices a$ide, as we find( and so they will $e on the earth + no longer, as they were,mere legal offerings, $ut commemorations + commemorations of the great sacrifice, no

dou$t. 2od will condescend to use for an earthly people an earthly sign. /he heavenly

people need none. /hat is the reason why we have no sacrifices new + $ecause we see

what the sacrifice of hrist is in the mind of heaven. ;e en6oy heaven%s estimate ofhrist. 'ence, as there is no sacrifice in heaven, we have none( $ut, when the earth comes

in, the earthly people will have earthly sacrifices.

In 1 hronicles != we have the porters, for it is a part of ma6esty to think of what is least./he Spirit of 2od condescends to arrange $y David for the porters, 6ust as truly as 'e did

for the high priest, or for the different courses of priesthood. All has its place, and

whatever has to do with the service of 2od is great in 2od%s eyes. Indeed, it is only we

who make so much of the differences $etween great and small. /o 2od, the smallest thinghas a value.

In 1 hronicles !> we have more the kingdom in its outward regulations. "4ow the

children of Israel, after their num$er, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands

and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, whichcame in and went out month $y month through out all the months of the year, of every

course were twenty and four thousand." ;e find the num$er twenty+four whether it $eactual, or in its thousands, very prominent here. /welve is the num$er devoted to perfection in human government + in government $y man. In the hurch, seven, $ecause

it is spiritual administration. In Israel, twelve + twelve tri$es, not seven. So here in the

kingdom $y+and+$y( only there is a dou$le witness of it. It is twenty+four. 4othing wasesta$lished when it was only twelve. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word

shall $e esta$lished." /he )illennium will $e the great esta$lishment of the kingdom.

And so we have not perfection. <erfection will $e in eternity, $ut still there will $eesta$lishment.

/he end of the chapter shows us the various ministers of the king + the rulers of his

su$stance + those that were over the king%s treasures + those that were over the work of the

field, his agriculture, his vineyards, his domains as we would call them, the sycamoretrees, and so on, the olive yards, the herds, the camels, flocks, asses, and the other chief

ministers of the king.

In 1 hronicles !? we have the assem$ly of the princes, where David stands and

addresses them, although he was now drawing near the close. "As for me," he says, "I hadin my heart to $uild a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of 0ehovah, and for the

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footstool of our 2od." /his was a great word which it is well to dwell upon for a moment.

"A house of rest for the ark." It was not so in the wilderness. It was either "@ise up,

0ehovah," or "@eturn." It was always motion + motion actually, or motion in prospect. *utthe $lessed feature of the day that is coming will $e rest + rest after toil + rest after sorrow.

And this will $e the fruit of the suffering of the true Son of David. ;e see it $eautifully in

<salm 1!, where David, who has $een afflicted, prays for Solomon. And Solomon will $ring in the rest, $ut only as a sign. /rue rest is yet to come. "/here remaineth a rest for

the people of 2od." /his is not yet accomplished( it will $e in due time.

David, then, here looks forward to the ark of the covenant of 0ehovah having a house of

rest. "*ut," says he, "2od said unto me, /hou shalt not $uild an house for )y name, $ecause thou hast $een a man of war, and hast shed $lood. 'ow$eit 0ehovah, 2od of

Israel, chose me $efore all the house of my father to $e king over Israel for ever# for 'e

hath chosen 0udah to $e the ruler( and of the house of 0udah, the house of my father( andamong the sons of my father 'e liked me to make me king over all Israel." 'e had given

him a good work. 'e was not to $uild the house( $ut he, a$ove all, had the preparation of

the material and the ordering of it, even when it was $uilt + not Solomon, $ut David.Solomon carried out the regulations of David. /herefore, whatever may $e the future

glory of the kingdom, we must remem$er that the sufferings of hrist morally take an

incompara$ly higher place. David was more important than Solomon. Solomon was only

the fruit, so to speak, of David. /he glory of the kingdom was only the result of the onewho had glorified 2od as the outcast and re6ected one, $ut the real esta$lisher, of the

kingdom. /hen he says, "And 'e said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall $uild )y

house and )y courts# for I have chosen him." David therefore gives to Solomon his sonthe pattern of the porch and of the houses.

;e see how completely David is the source of everything here. "/he pattern of all that he

had $y the Spirit." It was not any &uestion of his own will. "And the pattern of all that hehad $y the Spirit, of the courts of the house of 0ehovah, and of all the cham$ers rounda$out, of the treasuries of the house of 2od, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things.

Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of

the house of 0ehovah, and for all the vessels of service in the house of 0ehovah." 4ay,more than that, he gave $y weight of the gold for the various vessels, and the silver for

those that were to $e made of silver + the ta$les, for instance( "also pure gold for the

flesh+hooks and for the $owls, and the cups." 7verything was to a nicety arranged $yDavid. "All this, said David, 0ehovah made me understand in writing $y 'is hand upon

me, even all the works of this pattern." It was really 2od arranging all $y 'is servant. n

this ground David charges Solomon. "*e strong and of good courage, and do it# fear not,

nor $e dismayed# for 0ehovah 2od, even my 2od, will $e with thee( 'e will not fail thee,nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of

0ehovah." It was the great prospect of David%s declining years. It was not his own house,

$ut 0ehovah%s house. 'e had no dou$t a$out his own( he was not trou$led a$out it( he didnot think a$out it. 'e prays 2od for it( he could rest upon 2od%s word. 2od would surely

esta$lish the house of David, $ut David locked for the $uilding of the house of 0ehovah.

David could not rest without 2od $eing glorified, and he desired at any rate to have his

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own part. And 2od gave him a good part + not the $uilding, $ut all things gathered in

view of it, and ordered too.

/he last chapter 1 hronicles ! gives us the final charge of David. In this he fullystates how he had prepared with all his might for the house of his 2od. "4ow I have

prepared with all my might for the house of my 2od, the gold for things to $e made ofgold, and the silver for things of silver, and the $rass for things of $rass, the iron for

things of iron, and wood for things of wood( ony9 stones, and stones to $e set, glisteringstones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and mar$le stones in

a$undance. )oreover, $ecause I have set my affection to the house of my 2od, I have of

mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my 2od,over and a$ove all that I have prepared for the holy house" + that is, it was not only what

he drew from the kingdom, $ut what he gave of his own personal property and estate +

"even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of phir, and seven thousand talents ofrefined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal."

And now, in the face of this, he asks, ";ho is willing to consecrate his service this dayunto 0ehovahB" /he no$le generosity of the king acts powerfully upon the people. "/hen

the chief of the fathers and princes of the tri$es of Israel, and the captains of thousandsand of hundreds, with the rulers of the king%s work, offered willingly, and gave for the

service of the house of 2od, of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of

silver ten thousand talents, and of $rass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundredthousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found, gave them to

the treasure of the house of 0ehovah, $y the hand of 0ehiel the 2ershonite." All this is

enumerated with the greatest care. "/hen the people re6oiced, for that they offered

willingly, $ecause with perfect heart they offered willingly to 0ehovah# and David theking also re6oiced with great 6oy."

/hus we see how grace draws out grace, and how much deeper the 6oy of David was over

2od%s glory than over anything of his own. ;e never hear of anything like such ane9pression of 6oy for what $efell himself. ";herefore David $lessed 0ehovah $efore all

the congregation." It is the king, not the priest% now, $ut the king. "And David said,

*lessed $e /hou, 0ehovah 2od of Israel our father, for ever and ever. /hine, 0ehovah,

is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the ma6esty# for all thatis in the heaven and in the earth is /hine( /hine is the kingdom, 0ehovah, and /hou art

e9alted as head a$ove all. *oth riches and honour come of /hee, and /hou reignest over

all( and in /hine hand is power and might( and in /hine hand it is to make great, and togive strength unto all. 4ow therefore, our 2od, we thank /hee and praise /hy glorious

name." "*ut who am IB" says he, for there is nothing that produces so much humility,

such true sense of nothingness, as the rich $lessing of 0ehovah. "*ut who am I, and whatis my people, that we should $e a$le to offer so willingly after this sortB 3or all things

come of /hee, and of /hine own have we given /hee. 3or we are strangers $efore /hee,

and so6ourners, as were all our fathers# our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is

none a$iding." So he prays for Solomon. " 0ehovah 2od of A$raham, Isaac, and ofIsrael, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of

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/hy people, and prepare their heart unto /hee# and give unto Solomon my son a perfect

heart, to keep /hy commandments, /hy testimonies, and /hy statutes."

/hen he calls the congregation to $less 0ehovah( and so they all do, $owing down theirheads in worshipping 0ehovah and the king. /he king, you see, is now the proper

representative of 0ehovah. And they sacrifice according to the greatness of the day. "7vena thousand $ullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lam$s, with their drink offerings,

and sacrifices in a$undance for all Israel# and did eat and drink $efore 0ehovah on thatday with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time."

"/he second time." 4ot a word is here introduced a$out Adoni6ah%s attempt to get the

kingdom. It was all left out. /he trou$les and sins of the house of David are left out,unless they are $ound up with some purpose of 2od. /hat is the key to it( $ut here is

given simply the result( namely, that Solomon is anointed the second time. /he first time

was after the house was determined upon. Solomon was $ound up with the glory of the

house. "/hen Solomon sat on the throne of 0ehovah" + a remarka$le e9pression + "sat on

the throne of 0ehovah as king, instead of David his father, and prospered( and all Israelo$eyed him. And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king

David, su$mitted themselves unto Solomon the king. And 0ehovah magnified Solomone9ceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and $estowed upon him such royal ma6esty as had

not $een on any king $efore him in Israel."

"/hus David the son of 0esse reigned over all Israel. And the time that he reigned over

Israel was forty years( seven years reigned he in 'e$ron, and thirty and three yearsreigned he in 0erusalem. And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour#

and Solomon his son reigned in his stead."

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