1 Chronicles 29:10-20
“10 Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16 O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king.”
Some say this is the last public appearance of king David before the people of Israel. But notice a few things here.
Notice in the first verse and the last verse the word “congregation”. When this word is used in reference to the people of Israel in the Old Testament it is speaking of God's people within the Nation of Israel. Not all of Israel was saved by God's grace. Not all of the Nation of Israel were God's elect unto salvation.
Notice king David commands the congregation to pray to God and to give unto God thanksgivings. Since those who are spiritually dead can not pray then certainly David was talking to only those who were saved by God's grace.
Notice the humbleness of giving thanks to God started with the king of the Nation. King David used himself as the example of how the people of God were to humbly pray before God for all the blessings God had bestowed upon the Nation as a whole.
When is the last time we have witnessed a national leader so humble to lead God's people in his nation in prayer of thanksgiving?
Praise ye the Lord!!!
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