I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You. I know, my GodThis phrase begins with a personal acknowledgment of God's omniscience and intimate relationship with the speaker, King David. The Hebrew word for "know" is "yada," which implies a deep, experiential knowledge. David's use of "my God" signifies a personal and covenantal relationship, emphasizing the closeness and trust he has in God. This reflects a foundational aspect of conservative Christian belief: a personal relationship with God through faith. that You test the heart
The Hebrew word for "test" is "bachan," meaning to examine or prove. This suggests that God examines the innermost thoughts and intentions of individuals. The "heart" in Hebrew, "lev," is often seen as the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. This testing is not for God's knowledge, as He is omniscient, but for the individual's growth and purification, aligning with the Christian understanding of sanctification. and delight in uprightness
"Delight" translates from the Hebrew "chaphets," indicating pleasure or desire. God finds joy in "uprightness," or "yosher," which means integrity or straightness. This reflects God's nature as holy and just, and His desire for His people to reflect His character. In conservative Christianity, this aligns with the call to live a life of holiness and integrity, pleasing to God. All these things I have given willingly
David speaks of his offerings for the temple, emphasizing "willingly," from the Hebrew "nadab," meaning to volunteer or offer freely. This highlights the importance of free will in worship and giving, a principle that resonates with the Christian teaching of cheerful giving as seen in 2 Corinthians 9:7. and with an upright heart
The phrase underscores the sincerity and purity of David's intentions. "Upright" again refers to integrity, while "heart" signifies the core of his being. This reflects the biblical principle that God values the heart's condition over external actions, a theme echoed in Jesus' teachings in the New Testament. And now I have seen Your people who are present here
David acknowledges the collective participation of the Israelites. The phrase "who are present here" indicates a communal act of worship and dedication. This communal aspect is significant in conservative Christianity, emphasizing the importance of the church body and collective worship. giving joyfully and willingly to You
The act of giving is described as "joyfully," from the Hebrew "simchah," meaning gladness or joy, and "willingly," reinforcing the voluntary nature of their offerings. This reflects the biblical principle that God loves a cheerful giver, as seen in 2 Corinthians 9:7. It underscores the joy found in serving and giving to God, a core tenet of Christian stewardship and discipleship. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe King of Israel who is speaking in this verse. He is acknowledging God's role in testing the heart and expressing his own willingness in giving. 2. GodThe central figure to whom David is speaking. God is portrayed as one who tests the heart and delights in uprightness. 3. IsraelitesThe people of Israel who are present and are also giving willingly and joyfully to God. 4. Temple PreparationThe context of this verse is David's preparation for the building of the Temple, which his son Solomon would construct. 5. JerusalemThe city where these events are taking place, and where the Temple would be built. Teaching Points God's Delight in UprightnessGod finds joy in our integrity and sincerity. Our actions should stem from a pure heart, not just external compliance. Willingness in GivingTrue generosity is marked by willingness and joy. Our giving should not be out of compulsion but from a heart that desires to honor God. Heart ExaminationRegularly examine your heart to ensure your motives align with God's desires. Seek to cultivate a heart that is upright and pleasing to Him. Community EncouragementJust as the Israelites gave joyfully together, we should encourage one another in our communities to give and serve with joy. God's TestingUnderstand that God tests our hearts to refine us and bring us closer to His will. Embrace these tests as opportunities for growth. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding that God tests the heart influence your daily decisions and actions? 2. In what ways can you cultivate a more willing and joyful attitude in your giving, both financially and in service? 3. Reflect on a time when you gave or served with an upright heart. How did it impact your relationship with God and others? 4. How can you encourage your community or church to give joyfully and willingly, as the Israelites did? 5. What practical steps can you take to ensure your motives align with God's delight in uprightness, as seen in 1 Chronicles 29:17? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Samuel 16:7This verse highlights that God looks at the heart rather than outward appearances, connecting to the idea of God testing the heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7This New Testament verse emphasizes giving willingly and cheerfully, paralleling the joyful and willing giving of the Israelites. Proverbs 21:2This verse speaks to the Lord weighing the heart, reinforcing the theme of God testing the heart. People David, Gad, Isaac, Jehiel, Jesse, Nathan, Ophir, Samuel, Solomon, ZadokPlaces Hebron, Jerusalem, OphirTopics Conscious, Delight, Desire, Freely, Hast, Heart, Hearts, Honest, Integrity, Intent, Joy, Joyously, O, Offer, Offered, Offering, Offerings, Pleased, Pleasure, Present, Righteousness, Searcher, Taking, Triest, Try, Trying, Upright, Uprightness, WillinglyDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Chronicles 29:17 1070 God, joy of
5473 proof, through testing
8275 honesty
8288 joy, of Israel
8436 giving, of possessions
8460 pleasing God 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 5686 fathers, examples 1 Chronicles 29:14-19 8332 reputation 1 Chronicles 29:17-19 8225 devotion Library The Waves of Time
'The times that went over him.'--1 CHRON. xxix. 30. This is a fragment from the chronicler's close of his life of King David. He is referring in it to other written authorities in which there are fuller particulars concerning his hero; and he says, 'the acts of David the King, first and last, behold they are written in the book of Samuel the seer ... with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over all Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.' Now I have ventured …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThat we Ought to Offer Ourselves and all that is Ours to God, and to Pray for All
The Voice of the Disciple Lord, all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine.(1) I desire to offer myself up unto thee as a freewill offering, and to continue Thine for ever. Lord, in the uprightness of mine heart I willingly offer(2) myself to Thee to-day to be Thy servant for ever, in humble submission and for a sacrifice of perpetual praise. Receive me with this holy Communion of Thy precious Body, which I celebrate before Thee this day in the presence of the Angels invisibly surrounding, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ The History Books
[Illustration: (drop cap T) Assyrian idol-god] Thus little by little the Book of God grew, and the people He had chosen to be its guardians took their place among the nations. A small place it was from one point of view! A narrow strip of land, but unique in its position as one of the highways of the world, on which a few tribes were banded together. All around great empires watched them with eager eyes; the powerful kings of Assyria, Egypt, and Babylonia, the learned Greeks, and, in later times, …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C.
Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &c. [1273] Seeing the chief end of all religion is to redeem men from the spirit and vain conversation of this world and to lead into inward communion with God, before whom if we fear always we are accounted happy; therefore all the vain customs and habits thereof, both in word and deed, are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this fear; such as taking off the hat to a man, the bowings and cringings of the body, and such other salutations of that …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity Enoch, the Deathless
BY REV. W. J. TOWNSEND, D.D. Enoch was the bright particular star of the patriarchal epoch. His record is short, but eloquent. It is crowded into a few words, but every word, when placed under examination, expands indefinitely. Every virtue may be read into them; every eulogium possible to a human character shines from them. He was a devout man, a fearless preacher of righteousness, an intimate friend of God, and the only man of his dispensation who did not see death. He sheds a lustre on the …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known The Exile --Continued.
We have one psalm which the title connects with the beginning of David's stay at Adullam,--the thirty-fourth. The supposition that it dates from that period throws great force into many parts of it, and gives a unity to what is else apparently fragmentary and disconnected. Unlike those already considered, which were pure soliloquies, this is full of exhortation and counsel, as would naturally be the case if it were written when friends and followers began to gather to his standard. It reads like …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David Covenanting a Duty.
The exercise of Covenanting with God is enjoined by Him as the Supreme Moral Governor of all. That his Covenant should be acceded to, by men in every age and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his high authority,--recorded in his law of perpetual moral obligation on men, as a statute decreed by him, and in virtue of his underived sovereignty, promulgated by his command. "He hath commanded his covenant for ever."[171] The exercise is inculcated according to the will of God, as King and …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Chronicles 29:17 NIV1 Chronicles 29:17 NLT1 Chronicles 29:17 ESV1 Chronicles 29:17 NASB1 Chronicles 29:17 KJV
1 Chronicles 29:17 Commentaries
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