1 Chronicles 17:16 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house… Precisely the position and the attitude of David we cannot with certainty explain. The expression came indicates that he left his palace and crossed over within the tabernacle precincts. But we have no means of knowing whether he sat in the court facing the sacred tent, or whether he was permitted to go within the sacred curtains, and face the entrance to the holy of holies, where the ark was. It is possible that the king may have claimed priestly rights so far as to enter the holy place. His attitude is explained by some knowledge of Oriental customs. "One of the postures by which a person testifies his respect for a superior is by sitting upon his heels, which is considered as a token of great humility." The sitting was really half-sitting and half-kneeling, so as to rest the body upon the heels. The Talmudists say (but apparently only on the authority of this passage) that none may pray sitting except only the kings of the house of David. But we fix attention on the spirit in which David responded to the very gracious message which God sent to him, and in his spirit we find an example well worthy of our imitation. God's goodness brought home to him a sense of his own unworthiness, and filled him with wonder that he should be made such a monument of mercy. The goodness of God humbles true hearts much more than does his frown. Its right work is to "lead us to repentance." The following points are suggested by this example: - I. WITH GOD FAR OFF, MAN MAY GROW PROUD. He can then see nothing but his own doings. II. WITH GOD NEAR, MAN BOWS IN REVERENT AWE, as is seen in Abraham, Moses, Job, Isaiah, and St. John. III. GOD SPEAKING WORDS OF GRACE HUMBLES MAN INTO PENITENCE AND HUMILITY. Gifts are always humbling, because they awaken the sense of desert. So Divine gifts are ever most humbling. - R.T. Parallel Verses KJV: And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? |
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