1 Chronicles Chapter 28  (Original 1611 KJV Bible)

28:1 And David assembled, &c. - A great deal of business David haddone in his day. And the nearer he comes to his end, the more busy he is,still endeavouring to do his work with all his might. He is now recoveredfrom the weakness mentioned #1Kings 1:1|. He therefore improves hisrecovery, as giving him an opportunity of doing God and his country alittle more service.

28:2 Stood - Out of reverence to God and respect to this great andhonourable assembly. Brethren - So he calls the princes and chiefrulers, both because they had a share with him, though under him in thegovernment; and in compliance with the Divine command, that the kingshould not be lifted up above his brethren; #Deut 17:20|.Of rest - A place where it might be fixed, and no more removed from placeto place, as it had been. Foot - stool - An house for the ark is herestyled an house for the foot - stool of our God. Heaven is his throne:the earth and the most magnificent temples thereon are but his foot - stool.So much difference is there between the manifestations of his glory, in theupper and in the lower world!

28:6 My house, &c. - So was he a figure of him that was to come,who is both the founder and the foundation of the gospel - temple.

28:7 At this day - As he hath begun. This promise is absolute withregard to the Messiah, but conditional, with regard to Solomon.If we are constant in our duty, then and not otherwise, we may expectthe continuance of his favour.

28:8 Of our God - I exhort and charge you every one, calling God who ishere present, and this congregation wherein all Israel are present bytheir representatives, or witness against you, if you do not follow mycounsel. Keep and seek - Keep those commands which you know, andseek for, or search into what you are yet ignorant of, that you maydistinctly understand the whole will of God, and seriously give yourselvesto the practice of it. God's commandments cannot be kept without great care.

28:9 Know - So as to love and serve him. Words of knowledge inscripture - use commonly imply affection and practice. Or, acknowledgehim, as thy God, by loving and obeying him. Searcheth - If thou dost onlyput on a profession of religion to please me, or if thy obedience to Godbe unsincere, thou mayest indeed deceive me, but thou canst not deceivehim, for he searcheth the motions of thy heart.Cast thee off - Notwithstanding all his promises to me and to my seed,and that great honour and favour which he hath shewed thee.

28:10 The sanctuary - For the ark to dwell in. Be strong - Takecourage to break through all difficulties. Without this, we cando no work of God as we ought.

28:11 The porch - Of the temple. The houses - The houses of thetemple, namely, the holy place, and the holy of holies.Parlours - Those rooms which were made against the wall of the houseround about, #1Kings 6:5|.The place - In what particular part of the holy of holies it wasto be placed.

28:12 By the spirit - All the particulars of the tabernacle built byMoses were suggested to him by God's spirit, and it is not crediblethat God would use less care and exactness in the building of this farmore glorious and durable work. All this, it seems, was given him inwriting, probably by the ministry of an angel. The temple was to be asacred thing, a type of Christ, of his church, and of heaven. Thereforeit was not to be contrived by man's invention, but to be framed by divineinstitution. So Christ, the true temple, the church, the gospel - temple,and heaven, the everlasting temple, are all framed according to the divinecounsels, and the plan laid before the world began. It is supposed, thetabernacle of Moses, with all its utensils, being wanted no more, was laidup here.

28:15 According, &c. - Whether they were fixed in one place, whereofthere were ten in the holy place, or to be carried from place to place.

28:16 The tables - There were divers tables to be used about theshew - bread; but one of them seems to have been of more eminency than therest, and therefore it is commonly called the table of the shew - breadin the singular number.

28:18 Refined gold - Purer than any of the rest. For that was typicalof the intercession of Christ, than which nothing can be more pure andperfect. The cherubim - Which Solomon was to make, (for those whichwere fastened to the mercy - seat were made by Moses long before) whichhe fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is said tosit and to dwell. And because a chariot is made to carry aperson from place to place, this expression may be used to intimate thatGod was not so fixed to them by the building of this temple, but that hewould remove from them if they forsook him. Covered - Not above it, forthat was done by Moses's cherubim, but before it, to keep it from theeyes of the high - priest, when he entered into the most holy place.

28:19 In writing - God revealed this to some man of God, who put itinto writing, and by him to David. Or, God did, as it were, by hisown hand, (where - with he wrote the Ten Commandments) write these thingsupon the table of his mind.

28:20 My God - Whom I have chosen and served, who has all along beenwith me and prospered me, I recommend thee to him; he will be with thee,to strengthen, direct and prosper thee. The God that owned our fathers,and carried them thro' the services of their day, will, in like manner,if we are faithful to him, go along with us in our day, and will neverfail us. God never leaves any, unless they first leave him.