1 Chronicles 18:11-17 Them also king David dedicated to the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom… The key-note of this chapter is the passage, "Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went" (vers. 6, 13). We may let the other verses of the text take their tone from this. I. GOD'S PRESERVING KINDNESS TO DAVID. This was manifested in various ways: God preserved him from: 1. Injury in battle. He was neither slain nor wounded by the darts that must have been levelled at him by many a foe. 2. Defeat in war. He was never beaten by any enemy he encountered, and, finally, all his foes submitted to his rule. 3. Serious mistakes in public policy. Solomon, his brilliant son, committed a most serious error in overtaxing his people; and Rehoboam, his grandson, started on his royal career with a fatal blunder (2 Chronicles 10.). But David had been thus far preserved from taking any step which endangered his own position or enfeebled his kingdom; hence he was delivered from: 4. Disloyalty on the part of his subjects. "Executing judgment and justice among all his people" (ver. 14), placing competent men at the head of the different departments of the state (vers. 15-17), he was secure of the attachment of his people, and "reigned over all Israel" without (at this time) any danger of rivalry or disturbance. 5. Special spiritual perils. David was exposed to the peculiar danger of kings, and very particularly to the peril of complacency and self-glorification. He had risen from the sheepcote to the throne, had enlarged and magnified the Hebrew kingdom, had attained to considerable distinction in the world (so far as it was known to him), and he must, as a fallible man, have been under a strong temptation to glorify himself and take great credit for enterprise and sagacity. From this "the Lord preserved David." The human sovereign laid his victorious position at the feet of the Divine King. He did not apply the spoils of war to the embellishment of his own house, but "dedicated them unto the Lord" (ver. 11). But he did something more and better than this: he ascribed his successful career - witness his psalms of thanksgiving - to the good hand of his God upon him. He gave God the glory. Thus "the Lord preserved him whithersoever he went," even when he went far along that "slippery place" - prominence, power, success in battle. II. GOD'S PRESERVING KINDNESS TO US. We have to bless God as our Creator, Provider, Father, Redeemer; we have also to magnify him as our continual Preserver. He preserves us. 1. In life; both in the retention of our being (Job 10:12), and in the continuance of our existence on earth. 2. In health; in freedom from disease, in deliverance from mental failure, in the possession of "heart and hope." 3. In favourable circumstance; saving from overwhelming loss and from crushing disappointment, and (often for very long periods together) from saddening bereavement. 4. In spiritual integrity. When other things had gone, David could find unspeakable consolation in the thought, "As for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity" (Psalm 41:12). And whatever may betide; though God should remove health, treasure, kindred, friends, from the path on which we walk, yet if he is maintaining us in his fear and in the love of our Redeemer, if he is delivering us from the shipwreck of the soul (1 Timothy 1:19), and sustaining us by the upholding power of his Holy Spirit (Psalm 51:12), then may we exclaim, not in the accents of despondency like the broken patriarch (Job 7:20), but in the joyous and thankful tones of a successful spiritual warrior," What shall I do unto thee, O thou Preserver of men?" - C. Parallel Verses KJV: Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek. |
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