1 Chronicles 17

NOw it came to pass This whole Chapter is explained, 2 Sam. 7. where the same things are recorded with very little variation of the Words; which also has been considered in my Notes upon that Chapter; to which I refer the Reader, taking notice here but of some very few things. as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains.

Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart, for God is with thee.

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in.

For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel, unto this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel (whom I commanded to feed my people) saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheep-cote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more, neither shall the children of wickedness Such as are devoted and wholly given up to Wickedness, elsewhere called Children of B... lial. wast them any more: (as at the beginning,

And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel) moreover, I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore, I tell thee, that the LORD will build thee an house.

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired, that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build me an house, and I will establish his throne for ever.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son, and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee.

But I will settle him in mine house In my Dwelling-place, either 1. in Ierusalem, the place where God had put his Name for ever, 2 King. 21. 4, 7. 2 Chron. 6. 5, 6. Compare 1 King. 11. 36. & 15. 4. Or, 2. In the Temple, which is more properly and constantly called Gods House; and so this Expression agrees but very imperfectly with Solomon, or his Successors, who might be said to be settled in Gods House, because they were settled near it, and in some sort set over it, because they were to take care that the Prie... ts and others should perform their Offices and Gods Service in it; but strictly and properly agrees only to Christ, to whom alone that Promise also of an Everlasting Establishment in this Kingdom belongs, as was noted on 2 Sam. 7. And this Expression seems to be most emphatically added to signifie that that person in whom all those Promises should be fully and perfectly accomplished, to wit, the Messias, should be settled not only in the Kings Throne, as others of Davids Successors were, but also in Gods House or Temple; and consequently that he should be a Priest as well as a King; which Mystery was more clearly revealed to David, Psal. 110. 1, 2, 4. and may be intimated though obscurely (as was fit and usual in that State of the Church) in these words., and in my Kingdom Either 1. In the Kingdom of Israel, which God calls his Kingdom, because he was in a special manner their King and Governour, having raised them up and formed them into a Kingdom, and given them that Protection and Assistance which Kings owe to their Kingdoms; and because he expected and required from them, what Kings do from their people, that they should be wholly governed by his Laws and devoted to his Service. Or 2. In Gods Kingdom in a more large and general Sense. And this as well as the former Phrase may seem singularly to belong to the Messiah, who was not only to be the King of Israel, but also of all Nations, as was foretold even in the Old Testament, as Psal. 2. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. & 22. 27, 28. & 72. 11. Isa. 2. 4. Hagg. 2, 7. And so this may be an Intimation of that great Mystery which is more fully revealed in the New Testament, to wit, that Christ is the Head, or King, or Governour of all Gods Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles, and of all Nations, and indeed of all Creatures, the Angels not excepted; all which is Gods Kingdom and by him given to his Son our Blessed Lord Christ. And for the signification of these great things there is so great and remarkable an alteration of the Phrase here from what it is in 2. Sam. 7. where speaking to David he constantly calls it his (i. e. Davids) Kingdom, and his House v. 12, 13, 16, 19, 25, 27. for which he here says my House, and my Kingdom, which also he distinguisheth from his Throne, which is mentioned in the next Clause of this Verse, and in v. 11, 12. But these things I submit to the Judicious Reader. for ever, and his throne shall be established for evermore.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

And David the king came, and sat Which may note either his Gesture; or his Continuance there till he had finished this following Prayer. before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God, for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come, and hast regarded m... according to the estate or a man of high degree, O LORD God i. e. Thou hast treated me as if I had been born the Son Great Monarch, and not a poor Shepheard, as indeed I was, Lord God. Oth. Thus, Thou hast regarded or Type or Figure, or according to the Rank or Man, or Man of high Degree who is also God, i. e. Messiah, who is God-man. i. e. Thou hast given to me and my House an Everlasting Kingdom, which is the peculiar Priviledge of that Great Person the Messiah, Dan. 2. 44. & 7. 13, 14..

What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

O LORD for thy servants sake In 2 Sam. 7. 21. it is for thy words, i. e. for the sake of thy Word and Promise made to thy Servant; as that Phrase, for Davids sake, is oft thus understood, for Gods Covenants sake made with David., and according to thine own heart hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there... ny God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever, and thou LORD, becamest their God.

Therefore now LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do, as thou hast said.

Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel Or, The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, is a God to Israel, i. e. He is really to his People that which he has stiled himself, their God, having taken such Care of them and showed such Mercy and Truth to them, as did fully answer that Title., and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant, that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray before thee.

And now, LORD, (thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant.)

Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever, for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.