◄ 1 Chronicles 29:18 ►
O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You.
Study Bible
O LORD
This phrase acknowledges the sovereignty and majesty of Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel. The Hebrew word used here is "YHWH," the sacred tetragrammaton, which signifies God's eternal and unchanging nature. It is a reminder of God's personal relationship with His people, as He revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as "I AM WHO I AM."

the God of our fathers
This phrase emphasizes the continuity of faith and the covenantal relationship that God established with the patriarchs. It highlights the historical faithfulness of God to His promises, as seen in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). This continuity is crucial for understanding the identity and mission of the people of Israel.

Abraham, Isaac, and Israel
These patriarchs are central figures in the narrative of God's covenant with His people. Abraham is the father of faith, Isaac is the child of promise, and Israel (Jacob) is the one who wrestled with God and was transformed. Their accounts are foundational to the understanding of God's redemptive plan and His faithfulness across generations.

keep this desire forever
The Hebrew word for "keep" is "shamar," which means to guard, protect, or preserve. This is a prayer for God to sustain the spiritual fervor and commitment of the people. It reflects a deep understanding that human resolve is fragile and needs divine support to endure.

in the thoughts of the hearts of Your people
This phrase underscores the importance of internal devotion and sincerity in worship. The "heart" in Hebrew thought is the center of will, emotion, and intellect. The prayer is for a transformation that begins internally, affecting the very core of the people's being.

and establish their hearts toward You
The word "establish" comes from the Hebrew "kun," meaning to make firm or stable. This is a plea for God to direct and stabilize the people's hearts, ensuring that their devotion is unwavering. It reflects a desire for a steadfast relationship with God, rooted in His truth and righteousness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature.

2. Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob)
The patriarchs of Israel, representing God's covenantal promises and faithfulness through generations.

3. David
The speaker of this prayer, King of Israel, who is preparing for the building of the temple.

4. Israel (the people)
The nation chosen by God, whom David is addressing in his prayer.

5. Temple Preparation
The context of this verse is David's preparation for the building of the temple, a significant event in Israel's history.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Legacy
David's prayer reflects a desire for a spiritual legacy that transcends generations. We should consider how our faith impacts future generations.

Heart Orientation
The Hebrew word for "heart" (lev) signifies the inner person. Our hearts should be oriented toward God, influencing our thoughts and actions.

God's Faithfulness
By invoking the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, David reminds us of God's faithfulness through history. We can trust in His promises today.

Prayer for Others
Like David, we should pray for others to have hearts that are steadfast and oriented toward God, recognizing the power of intercessory prayer.

Desire for God's Will
The desire David speaks of is not just a fleeting wish but a deep-seated longing for God's will to be done. We should cultivate such desires in our own lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does David's invocation of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Israel) in his prayer influence your understanding of God's faithfulness?

2. In what ways can you ensure that your heart is established toward God in your daily life?

3. How can you contribute to creating a spiritual legacy for future generations in your family or community?

4. Reflect on a time when you prayed for someone else's spiritual growth. How did that experience impact your faith?

5. How can you cultivate a deeper desire for God's will in your life, and what practical steps can you take to align your heart with His purposes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:5-6
This passage emphasizes the importance of loving God with all one's heart, soul, and strength, which aligns with David's prayer for the people's hearts to be established toward God.

Psalm 51:10
David's plea for a pure heart and steadfast spirit connects to his desire for the people to have hearts established toward God.

Proverbs 4:23
The call to guard one's heart, as it is the wellspring of life, relates to the prayer for God to keep the desire in the hearts of His people.

Hebrews 12:2
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, parallels the call for hearts to be established toward God.
Sermons
What Must Christians DoDavid Clarkson, B. D.1 Chronicles 29:18
David's BlessingJ.R. Thomson 1 Chronicles 29:10-19
All Strength is from GodD. Macleod.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
David's ThanksgivingJ. Wolfendale.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
David's ThanksgivingD. Clarkson.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
Divine OwnershipHomilist1 Chronicles 29:10-20
God's Supreme Dominion and Universal AuthorityR. Shittler.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Agency of God in Human GreatnessJ. Erskine, D. D.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Divine Greatness and BeneficenceJ. Johnson Cort, M. A.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Kingdom of GodW. Jay, M. A.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Last ThanksgivingJ. Wolfendale.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Lord is the Owner of All Things1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Nature of True GreatnessJohn Proudfit, D. D.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
The Reciprocal Influence of Mind Upon Mind in WorshipAnon.1 Chronicles 29:10-20
Rejoicing Before GodW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 29:10-22
David's Prayer and BlessingF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 29:10-24
People
David, Gad, Isaac, Jehiel, Jesse, Nathan, Ophir, Samuel, Solomon, Zadok
Places
Hebron, Jerusalem, Ophir
Topics
TRUE, Deepest, Desire, Direct, Fathers, Fixed, Forever, Heart, Hearts, Imagination, Intentions, Isaac, Loyal, O, Prepare, Preserve, Purposes, Thoughts
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 29:18

     1245   God of the fathers
     5014   heart, human
     5015   heart, and Holy Spirit
     6185   imagination, desires
     8304   loyalty

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 Scripture

That 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

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