Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Verſ. 1. ANd David aſſembled all the Princes of Iſrael.] Here is repeated what was ſaid before, chap. 23.2. for both that and this are meant of the ſame aſſembling of the princes.
Verſ. 2. Then David the king ſtood up upon his feet, and ſaid, &c.] This phraſe here uſed for Davids ſtanding up upon his feet, may ſeem to imply, that though he were now in the generall aſſembly of the princes and people, yet even now he began to be ſo farre infeebled with age, that he uſed to lie along upon a bed or couch; onelyonly being now to be ſpeaker in the aſſembly, to make known the will of God concerning Solomon his ſonne, he ſtrengthened himſelf (being happely aſſiſted therein by his nobles or ſervants) to ſtand up upon his feet. And indeed within a while after this, we ſee he lay bedrid in great extremity of weakneſſe. 1. Kings 1.1.
I had in my heart to build an houſe of reſt for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God.] That is, the ark, or the propitiatory, or mercy-ſeat wherewith the ark was covered: for elſewhere alſo we find the ark termed Gods footſtool, as Pſal. 99.5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worſhip at his footstool: and Pſal. 132.7. We will go into his tabernacle, we will worſhip at his footſtool. And the reaſons why the ark is ſo called, may be firſt, becauſe the Lord being repreſented as ſitting between the wings of the Cherubims as in a throne, the body of the ark was in that reſpect in ſtead of a footſtool to him: and ſecondly, to intimate how they ought to judge of Gods preſence there in a ſpirituall manner; that the people might not entertain any carnall and earthly conceits of Gods preſence there, not conſonant to the infinite glory and majeſty of God: the ark is called Gods footſtool, ſo to raiſe their thoughts of God above the world, and to teach them ſo to conceive of Gods preſence in the ark, as withall to acknowledge that he dwelleth on high, and filleth heaven and earth with his glory; yea, that the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him, 1. Kings 8.27.
Verſ. 4. Howbeit, the Lord God of Iſrael choſe me before all the houſe of my father, to be king over Iſrael for ever.] To wit, in my poſterity: and this was accompliſhed in Chriſt. See Luke 1.32, 33.
Verſ. 14. He gave of gold by weight, for things of gold, for all inſtruments of all manner of ſervice, ſilver alſo for all inſtruments of ſilver, &c.] To wit, the golden veſſels for the ſervice of the holy place, the ſilver veſſels for the Prieſts court.
Verſ. 15. Even the weight for the candleſticks of gold.] For the holy place were theſe candleſticks made: for though there was but one candleſtick in the tabernacle of Moſes, yet in the Temple there were ten candleſticks of pure gold for the holy place, 1. Kings 7.49. As for the candleſticks of ſilver here alſo mentioned, they were doubtleſſe for the porch of the courts, and happely alſo for the chambers that were about the courts.
Verſ. 16. And by weight he gave gold for the tables of ſhew-bread, &c.] For in the temple there were ſeverall tables of ſhew-bread, 2. Chron. 4.19. As for the ſilver tables here mentioned alſo, they were for the chambers of the Prieſts, and other places of the temple.
Verſ. 18. And gold for the pattern of the chariot of the Cherubims, &c.] This muſt needs be meant, not of the two Cherubims that were upon the Mercy-ſeat, one at each end (for they were made in Moſes time, and now carried by Solomon into the Temple▪) but of thoſe two greater Cherubims made by Solomons appointment of Olive wood, and covered over with plates of gold, and that to ſtand before the ark, to hide and cover it even from the eyes of the high Prieſt, when he came into the moſt holy place, 1. Kings 6.23. And it is called the chariot of the Cherubims, not onelyonly becauſe it was the repreſentation of Gods preſence there attended with his holy Angels, who are called the Lords chariots: Pſal. 68.17. The chariots of God are twenty thouſand, even thouſands of Angels: but alſo happely becauſe there was in theſe Cherubims thus ſtanding before the ark, ſome reſemblance of the chariots uſed in thoſe times; yea and ſome adde, that hereby was ſignified alſo that Gods preſence in the ark was not ſo fixed amongſt them, but that he would leave them if his people ſhould too farre provoke him by their ſinnes.