And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;
It describes God's people wandering from one nation and kingdom to another while He kept them under His care, allowing no one to wrong them and forbidding rulers to touch His anointed or harm His prophets. It therefore calls for obeying God rather than men and refusing to submit to governments in matters of conscience, with the assurance that God protects and delivers those who disobey human laws to stay faithful to Him, as seen with Daniel in the lions' den, the three Hebrews in the furnace, and Peter and John and Paul and Silas in prison, since no government can shield its citizens from His wrath or contend against Him by force. It stands in a call to declare His glory among the nations so that Gentiles might be converted, for His truth and law were given to Israel and afterward to the Christian church not for themselves alone but to live as His priests to win the world, with one law for both Israel and those from the nations who gave themselves to Him. It belongs to the psalm given to be sung when the ark was brought to Jerusalem, repeating the opening of Psalm 105 and part of Psalm 96, and being Hebrew poetry its figurative language is not to be pressed with the strictness of prose.
Setting and Literary Form
The verse belongs to the inspiring psalm in chapter 16 connected with bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem. It was the psalm David gave to be sung when the ark was brought to Jerusalem.
It stands within the section of Chronicles from chapter 4 to 19 that largely deals with chronology and long records of names. That section is often considered dry and uninteresting, yet it contains beautiful gems that illuminate the record. It shows the preservation of the records of God's children and the integrity of the tribes. This is seen especially in how carefully the genealogy of the tribe of Judah is preserved through whom Christ came.
The section of verses 8-22 repeats almost word for word the first fifteen verses of Psalm 105, and verses 23-33 repeat Psalm 96. Those who held that 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 contains the same words as Psalm 105:1-6 placed the parallel within that shorter compass. The verse is Hebrew poetry, not prose. Its figurative poetic diction must not be construed literally with the strictness of prose.
Protection and Conscientious Obedience
When God's people went from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another people, He kept them under His care, suffering no man to do them wrong and forbidding rulers to touch His anointed or do His prophets harm. For that reason His children must obey God rather than men, and must not submit to governments in matters of conscience when they command disobedience to Him. God protects and defends those who refuse and disobey human enactments in order to remain faithful to Him.
That protection was shown when He kept Daniel safe in the lions' den, kept the three Hebrews safe in the fiery furnace, and delivered Peter and John and Paul and Silas from the prison cells where they were placed for disobedience. No government can shield its citizens from the wrath of an offended God or successfully contend by force against the King of kings.
Mission to the Nations
Israel's duty set forth in the psalm surrounding this verse was to declare Jehovah's glory among the nations, that is among the Gentiles, in order that the Gentiles might be converted. God gave His truth and His law to Israel not for themselves alone but for the whole nation to serve as His priest to the world. That priesthood was to be exercised by living the law, so that by their life other nations might be won. The Christian church was afterward given truth for the same purpose, and when people from the nations gave themselves to God one law stood for both Israel and them.
The mention of a thousand generations in the discussion to which this verse belongs does not prove that the end of the world is far in the future. The promise of the land is not for the Jews by natural descent, but for those who belong to Christ.
It describes God's people wandering from one nation and kingdom to another while He kept them under His care, allowing no one to wrong them and forbidding rulers to touch His anointed or harm His prophets. It therefore calls for obeying God rather than men and refusing to submit to governments in matters of conscience, with the assurance that God protects and delivers those who disobey human laws to stay faithful to Him, as seen with Daniel in the lions' den, the three Hebrews in the furnace, and Peter and John and Paul and Silas in prison, since no government can shield its citizens from His wrath or contend against Him by force. It stands in a call to declare His glory among the nations so that Gentiles might be converted, for His truth and law were given to Israel and afterward to the Christian church not for themselves alone but to live as His priests to win the world, with one law for both Israel and those from the nations who gave themselves to Him. It belongs to the psalm given to be sung when the ark was brought to Jerusalem, repeating the opening of Psalm 105 and part of Psalm 96, and being Hebrew poetry its figurative language is not to be pressed with the strictness of prose.
Setting and Literary Form
The verse belongs to the inspiring psalm in chapter 16 connected with bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem. It was the psalm David gave to be sung when the ark was brought to Jerusalem.
It stands within the section of Chronicles from chapter 4 to 19 that largely deals with chronology and long records of names. That section is often considered dry and uninteresting, yet it contains beautiful gems that illuminate the record. It shows the preservation of the records of God's children and the integrity of the tribes. This is seen especially in how carefully the genealogy of the tribe of Judah is preserved through whom Christ came.
The section of verses 8-22 repeats almost word for word the first fifteen verses of Psalm 105, and verses 23-33 repeat Psalm 96. Those who held that 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 contains the same words as Psalm 105:1-6 placed the parallel within that shorter compass. The verse is Hebrew poetry, not prose. Its figurative poetic diction must not be construed literally with the strictness of prose.
Protection and Conscientious Obedience
When God's people went from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another people, He kept them under His care, suffering no man to do them wrong and forbidding rulers to touch His anointed or do His prophets harm. For that reason His children must obey God rather than men, and must not submit to governments in matters of conscience when they command disobedience to Him. God protects and defends those who refuse and disobey human enactments in order to remain faithful to Him.
That protection was shown when He kept Daniel safe in the lions' den, kept the three Hebrews safe in the fiery furnace, and delivered Peter and John and Paul and Silas from the prison cells where they were placed for disobedience. No government can shield its citizens from the wrath of an offended God or successfully contend by force against the King of kings.
Mission to the Nations
Israel's duty set forth in the psalm surrounding this verse was to declare Jehovah's glory among the nations, that is among the Gentiles, in order that the Gentiles might be converted. God gave His truth and His law to Israel not for themselves alone but for the whole nation to serve as His priest to the world. That priesthood was to be exercised by living the law, so that by their life other nations might be won. The Christian church was afterward given truth for the same purpose, and when people from the nations gave themselves to God one law stood for both Israel and them.
The mention of a thousand generations in the discussion to which this verse belongs does not prove that the end of the world is far in the future. The promise of the land is not for the Jews by natural descent, but for those who belong to Christ.