221 And David saith, 'This is the house of Jehovah God, and this the altar for burnt-offering for Israel.'
2 And David saith to gather the sojourners who 'are' in the land of Israel, and appointeth hewers to hew hewn-stones to build a house of God. 3 And iron in abundance for nails for leaves of the gates, and for couplings, hath David prepared, and brass in abundance—there is no weighing. 4 And cedar-trees even without number, for the Zidonians and the Tyrians brought in cedar-trees in abundance to David. 5 And David saith, 'Solomon my son 'is' a youth and tender, and the house to be built to Jehovah 'is' to be made exceedingly great, for name and for beauty to all the lands; let me prepare, I pray Thee, for it;' and David prepareth in abundance before his death.
6 And he calleth for Solomon his son, and chargeth him to build a house to Jehovah, God of Israel, 7 and David saith to Solomon his son, 'As for me, it hath been with my heart to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God, 8 and the word of Jehovah 'is' against me, saying, Blood in abundance thou hast shed, and great wars thou hast made: thou dost not build a house to My name, for much blood thou hast shed to the earth before Me. 9 'Lo, a son is born to thee; he is a man of rest, and I have given rest to him from all his enemies round about, for Solomon is his name, and peace and quietness I give unto Israel in his days; 10 he doth build a house to My name, and he is to Me for a son, and I 'am' to him for a father, and I have established the throne of his kingdom over Israel unto the age. 11 'Now, my son, Jehovah is with thee, and thou hast prospered, and hast built the house of Jehovah thy God, as He spake concerning thee. 12 Only, Jehovah give to thee wisdom and understanding, and charge thee concerning Israel, even to keep the law of Jehovah thy God; 13 then thou dost prosper, if thou dost observe to do the statutes and the judgments that Jehovah charged Moses with concerning Israel; be strong and courageous; do not fear, nor be cast down. 14 'And lo, in mine affliction, I have prepared for the house of Jehovah of gold talents a hundred thousand, and of silver a thousand thousand talents; and of brass and of iron there is no weighing, for in abundance it hath been, and wood and stones I have prepared, and to them thou dost add. 15 'And with thee in abundance 'are' workmen, hewers and artificers of stone and of wood, and every skilful man for every work. 16 To the gold, to the silver, and to the brass, and to the iron, there is no number; arise and do, and Jehovah is with thee.'
17 And David giveth charge to all heads of Israel to give help to Solomon his son, 18 'Is not Jehovah your God with you? yea, He hath given rest to you round about, for He hath given into my hand the inhabitants of the land, and subdued hath been the land before His people. 19 'Now, give your heart and your soul to seek to Jehovah your God, and rise and build the sanctuary of Jehovah God, to bring in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and the holy vessels of God, to the house that is built to the name of Jehovah.'
231 And David is old, and satisfied with days, and causeth his son Solomon to reign over Israel,
2 and gathereth all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites; 3 and the Levites are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, by their polls, is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand. 4 Of these to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah 'are' twenty and four thousand, and officers and judges six thousand, 5 and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah, 'with instruments that I made for praising,' 'saith David.' 6 And David distributeth them into courses: Of the sons of Levi: of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 7 Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei. 8 Sons of Laadan: the head 'is' Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9 Sons of Shimei 'are' Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three; these 'are' heads of the fathers of Laadan. 10 And sons of Shimei 'are' Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah; these 'are' sons of Shimei, four. 11 And Jahath is the head, and Zizah the second, and Jeush and Beriah have not multiplied sons, and they become the house of a father by one numbering. 12 Sons of Kohath 'are' Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron is separated for his sanctifying the holy of holies, he and his sons—unto the age, to make perfume before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name—unto the age. 14 As to Moses, the man of God, his sons are called after the tribe of Levi. 15 Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 Sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head. 17 And sons of Eliezer are Rehabiah the head, and Eliezer had no other sons, and the sons of Rehabiah have multiplied exceedingly. 18 Sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head. 19 Sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 Sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Ishshiah, the second. 21 Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22 And Eleazar dieth, and he had no sons, but daughters, and sons of Kish their brethren take them. 23 Sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.
24 These 'are' sons of Levi, by the house of their fathers, heads of the fathers, by their appointments, in the number of names, by their polls, doing the work for the service of the house of Jehovah, from a son of twenty years and upward, 25 for David said, 'Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given rest to His people, and He doth tabernacle in Jerusalem unto the age;' 26 and also of the Levites, 'None 'are' to bear the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service;' 27 for by the last words of David they 'took' the number of the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years and upward, 28 for their station 'is' at the side of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of Jehovah, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the cleansing of every holy thing, and the work of the service of the house of God, 29 and for the bread of the arrangement, and for fine flour for present, and for the thin unleavened cakes, and for 'the work of' the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all 'liquid' measure and 'solid' measure; 30 and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks, and to give praise to Jehovah, and so at evening; 31 and for all the burnt-offerings—burnt-offerings to Jehovah for sabbaths, for new moons, and for appointed seasons, by number, according to the ordinance upon them continually, before Jehovah. 32 And they have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, for the service of the house of Jehovah.
241 And to the sons of Aaron 'are' their courses: sons of Aaron 'are' Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, 2 and Nadab dieth, and Abihu, in the presence of their father, and they had no sons, and Eleazar and Ithamar act as priests. 3 And David distributeth them, and Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their office in their service; 4 and there are found of the sons of Eleazar more for heads of the mighty men than of the sons of Ithamar; and they distribute them: Of the sons of Eleazar, heads for a house of fathers, sixteen; and of the sons of Ithamar, for a house of their fathers, eight. 5 And they distribute them, by lots, one with another, for princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, have been of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. 6 And Shemaiah son of Nethaneel the scribe, of the Levites, writeth them before the king and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and heads of the fathers, for priests and for Levites: one house of a father being taken possession of for Eleazar, and one being taken possession of for Ithamar. 7 And the first lot goeth out for Jehoiarib, for Jedaiah the second, 8 for Harim the third, for Seorim the fourth, 9 for Malchijah the fifth, for Mijamin the sixth, 10 for Hakkoz the seventh, for Abijah the eighth, 11 for Jeshuah the ninth, for Shecaniah the tenth, 12 for Eliashib the eleventh, for Jakim the twelfth, 13 for Huppah the thirteenth, for Jeshebeab the fourteenth, 14 for Bilgah the fifteenth, for Immer the sixteenth, 15 for Hezir the seventeenth, for Aphses the eighteenth, 16 for Pethahiah the nineteenth, for Jehezekel the twentieth, 17 for Jachin the one and twentieth, for Gamul the two and twentieth, 18 for Delaiah the three and twentieth, for Maaziah the four and twentieth. 19 These 'are' their appointments for their service, to come in to the house of Jehovah, according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as Jehovah God of Israel, commanded them.
20 And for the sons of Levi who are left: for sons of Amram, Shubael; for sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. 21 For Rehabiah: for sons of Rehabiah, the head Ishshiah. 22 For the Izharite: Shelomoth; for sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. 23 And sons of Jeriah: Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. 24 Sons of Uzziel: Michah; for sons of Michah: Shamir. 25 A brother of Michah 'is' Ishshiah; for sons of Ishshiah: Zechariah; 26 sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Jaaziah: Beno; 27 sons of Merari: of Jaaziah: Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri. 28 For Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons; 29 for Kish: sons of Kish: Jerahmeel. 30 And sons of Mushi 'are' Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth; these 'are' sons of the Levites, for the house of their fathers, 31 and they cast, they also, lots over-against their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and heads of the fathers, for priests and for Levites; the chief father over-against his younger brother.
28 Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'When ye may lift up the Son of Man then ye will know that I am 'he'; and of myself I do nothing, but according as my Father did teach me, these things I speak; 29 and He who sent me is with me; the Father did not leave me alone, because I, the things pleasing to Him, do always.' 30 As he is speaking these things, many believed in him;
31 Jesus, therefore, said unto the Jews who believed in him, 'If ye may remain in my word, truly my disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth, 32 and the truth shall make you free.' 33 They answered him, 'Seed of Abraham we are; and to no one have we been servants at any time; how dost thou say—Ye shall become free?' 34 Jesus answered them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you—Every one who is committing sin, is a servant of the sin, 35 and the servant doth not remain in the house—to the age, the son doth remain—to the age; 36 if then the son may make you free, in reality ye shall be free. 37 'I have known that ye are seed of Abraham, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you;
38 I—that which I have seen with my Father do speak, and ye, therefore, that which ye have seen with your father—ye do.'
39 They answered and said to him, 'Our father is Abraham;' Jesus saith to them, 'If children of Abraham ye were, the works of Abraham ye were doing; 40 and now, ye seek to kill me—a man who hath spoken to you the truth I heard from God; this Abraham did not; 41 ye do the works of your father.' They said, therefore, to him, 'We of whoredom have not been born; one Father we have—God;' 42 Jesus then said to them, 'If God were your father, ye were loving me, for I came forth from God, and am come; for neither have I come of myself, but He sent me; 43 wherefore do ye not know my speech? because ye are not able to hear my word. 44 'Ye are of a father—the devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do; he was a man-slayer from the beginning, and in the truth he hath not stood, because there is no truth in him; when one may speak the falsehood, of his own he speaketh, because he is a liar—also his father. 45 'And because I say the truth, ye do not believe me.
46 Who of you doth convict me of sin? and if I speak truth, wherefore do ye not believe me? 47 he who is of God, the sayings of God he doth hear; because of this ye do not hear, because of God ye are not.'
48 The Jews, therefore, answered and said to him, 'Do we not say well, that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon?' 49 Jesus answered, 'I have not a demon, but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me; 50 and I do not seek my own glory; there is who is seeking and is judging;
51 verily, verily, I say to you, If any one may keep my word, death he may not see—to the age.' 52 The Jews, therefore, said to him, 'Now we have known that thou hast a demon; Abraham did die, and the prophets, and thou dost say, If any one may keep my word, he shall not taste of death—to the age! 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?' 54 Jesus answered, 'If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who is glorifying me, of whom ye say that He is your God; 55 and ye have not known Him, and I have known Him, and if I say that I have not known Him, I shall be like you—speaking falsely; but I have known Him, and His word I keep; 56 Abraham, your father, was glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice.' 57 The Jews, therefore, said unto him, 'Thou art not yet fifty years old, and Abraham hast thou seen?' 58 Jesus said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham's coming—I am;' 59 they took up, therefore, stones that they may cast at him, but Jesus hid himself, and went forth out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
(Read John 8:21-29)
Those that live in unbelief, are for ever undone, if they die in unbelief. The Jews belonged to this present evil world, but Jesus was of a heavenly and Divine nature, so that his doctrine, kingdom, and blessings, would not suit their taste. But the curse of the law is done away to all that submit to the grace of the gospel. Nothing but the doctrine of Christ's grace will be an argument powerful enough, and none but the Spirit of Christ's grace will be an agent powerful enough, to turn us from sin to God; and that Spirit is given, and that doctrine is given, to work upon those only who believe in Christ. Some say, Who is this Jesus? They allow him to have been a Prophet, an excellent Teacher, and even more than a creature; but cannot acknowledge him as over all, God blessed for evermore. Will not this suffice? Jesus here answers the question. Is this to honour him as the Father? Does this admit his being the Light of the world, and the Life of men, one with the Father? All shall know by their conversion, or in their condemnation, that he always spake and did what pleased the Father, even when he claimed the highest honours to himself.
(Read John 8:30-36)
Such power attended our Lord's words, that many were convinced, and professed to believe in him. He encouraged them to attend his teaching, rely on his promises, and obey his commands, notwithstanding all temptations to evil. Thus doing, they would be his disciples truly; and by the teaching of his word and Spirit, they would learn where their hope and strength lay. Christ spoke of spiritual liberty; but carnal hearts feel no other grievances than those that molest the body, and distress their worldly affairs. Talk to them of their liberty and property, tell them of waste committed upon their lands, or damage done to their houses, and they understand you very well; but speak of the bondage of sin, captivity to Satan, and liberty by Christ; tell of wrong done to their precious souls, and the hazard of their eternal welfare, then you bring strange things to their ears. Jesus plainly reminded them, that the man who practised any sin, was, in fact, a slave to that sin, which was the case with most of them. Christ in the gospel offers us freedom, he has power to do this, and those whom Christ makes free are really so. But often we see persons disputing about liberty of every kind, while they are slaves to some sinful lust.
(Read John 8:37-40)
Our Lord opposed the proud and vain confidence of these Jews, showing that their descent from Abraham could not profit those of a contrary spirit to him. Where the word of God has no place, no good is to be expected; room is left there for all wickedness. A sick person who turns from his physician, and will take neither remedies nor food, is past hope of recovery. The truth both heals and nourishes the hearts of those who receive it. The truth taught by philosophers has not this power and effect, but only the truth of God. Those who claim the privileges of Abraham, must do Abraham's works; must be strangers and sojourners in this world; keep up the worship of God in their families, and always walk before God.
(Read John 8:41-47)
Satan prompts men to excesses by which they murder themselves and others, while what he puts into the mind tends to ruin men's souls. He is the great promoter of falsehood of every kind. He is a liar, all his temptations are carried on by his calling evil good, and good evil, and promising freedom in sin. He is the author of all lies; whom liars resemble and obey, with whom all liars shall have their portion for ever. The special lusts of the devil are spiritual wickedness, the lusts of the mind, and corrupt reasonings, pride and envy, wrath and malice, enmity to good, and enticing others to evil. By the truth, here understand the revealed will of God as to the salvation of men by Jesus Christ, the truth Christ was now preaching, and which the Jews opposed.
(Read John 8:48-53)
Observe Christ's disregard of the applause of men. those who are dead to the praises of men can bear their contempt. God will seek the honour of all who do not seek their own. In these verses we have the doctrine of the everlasting happiness of believers. We have the character of a believer; he is one that keeps the sayings of the Lord Jesus. And the privilege of a believer; he shall by no means see death for ever. Though now they cannot avoid seeing death, and tasting it also, yet they shall shortly be where it will be no more forever, Exodus 14:13.
(Read John 8:54-59)
Christ and all that are his, depend upon God for honour. Men may be able to dispute about God, yet may not know him. Such as know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, are put together, Revelation 13:8. The Lord Jesus was made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and all that lived and died by faith in him, before Abraham. The Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he withdrew; by his miraculous power he passed through them unhurt. Let us stedfastly profess what we know and believe concerning God; and if heirs of Abraham's faith, we shall rejoice in looking forward to that day when the Saviour shall appear in glory, to the confusion of his enemies, and to complete the salvation of all who believe in him.
