Footstool of Our God
1 Chronicles 28:2
King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.
Six chapters later. Most of the six chapters are lists of names, the Levites, the priests, the army. The importance of this section is David's work on behalf of his son Solomon. David had many sons--he points this out--but this son of Bathsheba was chosen by him and by God for the throne.
In chapter 28 he assembles everyone important, all the power of Israel outside himself, including the mighty men and all the brave warriors. I'll bet some of them were as grizzled and as old as David himself. He needed every one of them to support Solomon against the other sons and upstarts that could threaten him, and he doesn't hesitate to call on their considerable personal loyalty to himself and to his God.
Interesting that he begins his address with the same words he used to Solomon earlier. From there he proceeds to recount the God-given beginnings of his own rule, and God's choosing of Solomon.
Then he gives them a project, coming back to the subject of God's house, which he now calls "a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God."
It is inspirational, it turns them to God, it gives them common cause.
God, give me such a cause!
King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.
Six chapters later. Most of the six chapters are lists of names, the Levites, the priests, the army. The importance of this section is David's work on behalf of his son Solomon. David had many sons--he points this out--but this son of Bathsheba was chosen by him and by God for the throne.
In chapter 28 he assembles everyone important, all the power of Israel outside himself, including the mighty men and all the brave warriors. I'll bet some of them were as grizzled and as old as David himself. He needed every one of them to support Solomon against the other sons and upstarts that could threaten him, and he doesn't hesitate to call on their considerable personal loyalty to himself and to his God.
Interesting that he begins his address with the same words he used to Solomon earlier. From there he proceeds to recount the God-given beginnings of his own rule, and God's choosing of Solomon.
Then he gives them a project, coming back to the subject of God's house, which he now calls "a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God."
It is inspirational, it turns them to God, it gives them common cause.
God, give me such a cause!
posted by ruthees @ 2:37 PM
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