Bible Commentaries

"Handfuls of Purpose,"

For All Gleaners

"So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel."— 1 Chronicles 23:1.

We are not to carry our kingships too far, and thus keep out other and stronger men.—Kings should abdicate before they become imbecile; pastors should not wear out the love of their people by continuing unduly in office.—It is always well to take the opinion of others when it will be given frankly and lovingly as to our ability to continue with vigour and happy effect the work in which we have been long engaged.—Old age overtakes even David, of whom we once read as a youth "ruddy and of a fair countenance."—Time conquers all.—The silent days and nights eat up our strength, and leave us weak; consume our inheritance, and leave us poor; and are all the while, in every action of deprivation, teaching us mournful but pithy and useful lessons.—Blessed is the man who can bring his son to the throne, not only because he is his 1 Chronicles 23:1).

We are to remember that we are now in the hands of a mere chronicler who is entitled to be brief in his statements, but we have a full account of what is here indicated in the first chapter of the first Book of Kings. David might be technically entitled to elect Solomon as his successor, but it would be unjust to his memory to suppose that he availed himself of a mere technicality. In the instruction and exhortation which he addressed to his son we find the larger reason of Solomon's elevation to the throne. David prepared for the temple as we have had ample opportunity of observing, but we are in danger of neglecting to note that he prepared his son Solomon with still more assiduous solicitude. Both the preparations should be taken as one. It would have been a poor preparation had it been merely a direction as to stone and gold and cedar; the true preparation was in the enlightenment and direction of Solomon's mind and heart. Parents cannot always "prepare" a fortune for their children, but it lies within the power of the poorest to enrich the opening mind with solid instruction, and to comfort the tender heart with exhortations and promises against the weakening influence of fear and disbelief.

"Now the Levites were numbered [The tribe of Levi had not been numbered at the general census of the people recently taken (ch. 1 Chronicles 21:6); but in preparation for the arrangements now contemplated, a special census was made of them] from the age of thirty [The pattern of the Mosaic census was followed, and those only were reckoned who had attained the age of thirty. We may assume that the other limit mentioned in the Pentateuch ( Numbers 4:3, Numbers 4:23) was also observed, and that none were counted who exceeded fifty] years and upward; and their number by their polls, man by 1 Chronicles 23:3).

In the realm of Israel there may be said to have been three estates, namely, the princes and the priests and the Levites. David, therefore, in consulting the council, showed himself to be what, in modern language, is called a constitutional monarch. The details given of numbers and of ages indicate the military discipline which great leaders of men have never failed to exercise: financiers count their gold and statesmen count the people; before a man goes to war he should realise the exact amount of his resources, lest he begin with a great flourish of boasting and end with the muttering of humiliation. There should be nothing haphazard in the arrangements of the Christian army; we should know how many we are when all told, and a distinct estimate should be formed of the faculty, the genius, the flexibility, and the endurance of every soldier. Classification is an element of strength. The prince could not change places with the Levite, and the priest might make a poor figure if he claimed to be prince. Mark the individuality of David's enumeration—the Levites were numbered by their polls [literally, "as to their skulls"]. Every man should have a skull; every skull should represent a 1 Chronicles 23:4).

The word that is rendered "to set forward" means "to lead, or superintend." When prisoners were taken in war the Levites were entitled to claim their share of the number, and employ the captives in the menial work of the sanctuary.

The Levites were much more numerous than the priests, hence it was ordered in the division of the prey, in the instance given in the Book of 1 Chronicles 23:14.

A beautiful description of any man.—A possible description of every man.—A needful description of each man if he is to abide in his Father's house for ever.—Some men have attained eminence in godliness.—No renown is to be compared with this, no influence is equal to that which arises from such recognition.—When is a man a "man of God"?—When he believes in God's existence, when he is assured of God's providence, when he has sunk his will in the divine purpose, when he lives and moves and has his being in God.—"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."—Is there not something suggestive in this continuity of terms?—Moses was the man of God, Jesus was the Son of God, and every believer in Christ may claim his own degree of that same sonship.—Moses was faithful as a servant, Christ was faithful as a Son.—Jesus Christ advances us in nomenclature; once he called us disciples, then he called us servants, then he called us friends: what he will call us when we meet him in heaven, life's conflict over, who can tell? He will then find some new and dearer name for us, and by the bestowal of a new designation he will awaken still warmer love, and bring us to some higher estate of life.—When God gives a name he expresses by it some growth in character.—God's names are not mere appellations, signs by which men are known one from another; they are characters, they are credentials, they are approbations.—There is no higher title than to be a man of God, a slave of Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost.—At the time of the writing of this Book of Chronicles, Moses had long been dead, yet still he was remembered by his piety; he might have been called the legislator of Israel, the statesman of Israel, the greatest mind ever known in Israel: yet by none of these designations is he recorded, but by the simple yet grand indication that he was "the man of God."

"Handfuls of Purpose,"

For All Gleaners

"... their office was to wait on..."— 1 Chronicles 23:28.

That is enough, if it be accepted in the right spirit.—The men themselves might have complained, saying, We are as good as the sons of Aaron: why should they not wait upon us?—But they recognised a divine appointment and not a human arrangement in all this ministry of the house of God.—The man who opens the door might complain that he is not in the highest places in the church, but in so far as he is a wise man he will say that he too is indispensable to the happy execution of the offices of the sanctuary.—To wait may be an office.—Who shall say that those who wait on us are not necessary to the completeness of our ministry?—Thus the servant in the household may have an indirect place even in the pulpit; thus the wife may be the true co-pastor of her husband; by patience, by sympathy, by foresight, by dealing with many cases as she only can deal with them, the wife may double the pastor's usefulness.—We think of a man being great who is at the front or on the highest seat, but he himself will be the first to acknowledge that he could not have been where he is, and could not do the work that is expected of him, but for many minor people, assistances, co-operations at home, little attentions and sweet benedictions which find no place in public record.—"They also serve who only stand and wait."—Our character is tested by the way in which we accept office.—If we are petulant and resentful, ungrateful and negligent, we show that we do not deserve any status in the house of the Lord; if we are faithful over a few things we shall be made ruler over many things.—Let us prove our fitness for the highest office by doing well the things which pertain to the lowest.