1 Chronicles 16.

13 O ye seed of Israel his servant,

Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the LORD our God:

His judgements are in all the earth.

15 Remember his covenant for ever,

The word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

16 The covenant which he made with Abraham,

And his oath unto Isaac;

e

26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols:

But the LORD made the heavens.

27 Honour and majesty are before him:

Strength and gladness are in his place.

28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the peoples,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.

29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name:
Bring an offering, and come before him:

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

30 Tremble before him, all the earth:

The world also is stablished that it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

And let them say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;

Let the field exult, and all that is therein;

33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before the LORD,
For he cometh to judge the earth.

34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:

For his mercy endureth for ever.

35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation,

And gather us together and deliver us from the nations,

To give thanks unto thy holy name,

And to triumph in thy praise.

a Heb, "cord," or, "line." 106: 1.

Cf. Psalm 106: 47, 48.

b Cf. Psalm 96: 1. Or, “things of nought." dOr, "in holy array."

e Cf. Psalm

I Chronicles 16.

36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.

And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

(4) CONCLUDING STATEMENTS.

See $107, (2), E, 133, (6), and 173, (4.)

95. THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL DOMINION TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID. (1) DAVID'S PURPOSE TO BUILD A TEMPLE TO JEHOVAH.

2 Samuel 7:1-3.

I And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies round about, 2 that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. 3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

1 Chronicles 17:1, 2.

I And it came to pass, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD dwelleth under curtains. 2 And Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.

(2) THE LORD'S ANSWER THROUGH NATHAN. 2 Samuel 7:4-17.

d

1 Chronicles 17:3-15.

3 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: 5 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. 6In all places wherein I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedar? 7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over my people Israel: 8 and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first, 10 and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will subdue all thine enemies. Moreover I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house. II And it shall come to pass, when thy days be fulfilled that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build me

4 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedar? 8 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be 'prince over my people, over Israel: 9 and I have been with thee withersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and he moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first, 11 and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover the LORD telleth thee that the LORD will make thee an house. 12 When thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. a Or," pasture." ¿ Or, "leader." Or, "have caused."

2 Samuel 7.

I Chronicles 17.

13 He shall build an house for my name, and I an house, and I will establish his throne for will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 13 I will be his father, and he shall be my ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him him, as I took it from him that was before thee: with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the 14 but I will settle him in mine house and in my children of men; 15 but my mercy shall not de-kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be part from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I established for ever. 15 According to all these put away before thee. 16 And thine house and words, and according to all this vision, so did thy kingdom shall be made sure forever before Nathan speak unto David. thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

(3) DAVID'S PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING. 2 Samuel 7:18-29.

a

1 Chronicles 17:16–27.

18 Then David the king went in, and sat be- 16 Then David the king went in, and sat before the LORD; and he said, Who am I, O Lord fore the LORD; and he said, Who am I, O LORD GOD, and what is my house, that thou hast God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far? 19 And this was yet a brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small small thing in thine eyes, Ó Lord GOD; but thou thing in thine eyes, O God ; but thou hast spoken hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a of thy servant's house for a great while to come, great while to come; and this too after the and hast regarded me according to the estate of manner of men, O Lord GOD! 20 And what a man of high degree, O LORD God. 18 What can David say more unto thee? for thou know-can David say yet more unto thee concerning est thy servant, O Lord GOD. 21 For thy the honour which is done to thy servant? for word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. 22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 'And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and terrible things for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 24 And thou didst establish to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. 25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm thou it for ever, and do as thou hast spoken. 26 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is God over Israel: and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. 27 For thou, O LORD of hosts, the

thou knowest thy servant. 19 O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things. 20 O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, to make thee a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before thy people, which thou redeemedst out of Egypt? 22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. 23 And now, O LORD, let the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast spoken. 24 dAnd let thy name be established and magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and the house of David thy servant is established before thee. 25 For thou, O my God, hast revealed to thy servant

a Or," and is this the law of man, O Lord GOD?" b Or, "And who is like thy people, like Israel, a nation that is alone in the earth," etc. cOr, "And who is like thy people Israel, a nation that is alone in the earth," etc."

be established, and let thy name be magnified," etc.

dOr, 'Yea, let it

2 Samuel 7. God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant a found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. 28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art God, and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this good thing unto thy servant: 29 now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

I Chronicles 17.

that thou wilt build him an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray before thee. 26 And now, O LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this good thing unto thy servant: 27 and now it hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O LORD, hast blessed, and it is blessed for ever.

96. DAVID'S KINDNESS TOWARDS JONATHAN'S SON, MEPHIBOSHETH.•

2 Samuel 9:1-13.

1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 8 And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son. 10 And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. II Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem : for he did eat continually at the king's table; and he was lame on both his feet.

97. THE BIRTH OF SOLOMON.

2 Samuel 12:246, 25.

246 And she [i. e., Bath-sheba] bare a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him; 25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah, for the LORD's sake.

a Or," been bold." b Or, "begin and bless." c Mephibosheth was five years old at David's accession. Cf. 2 Samuel 4:4. See $63, (2). 2 Samuel 9:1-13, could not have occurred, therefore, until this period. d Heb. "field." . Or, "But Mephibosheth eateth," etc. Another reading is, "she called." g I. e., "Beloved of Jah."