Receiving

1 Chronicles 29:14, Acts
"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.



What is so amazing about this human act that David choose to say this at the end of his days (Chr 29:28)? It seems that God receiving from humans what he (God) formerly gave is the root of the beauty. Why should this be so beautiful that David included this words in a relatively short praise statement? Is there a clue from the context? Consider what some of the following verses state: "1Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
1Ch 29:18 O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.
1Ch 29:19 Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision."
David loved that the Lord took pleasure in the uprightness of his heart and the heart of the other righteous. Nevertheless the context surrounding David's statement will not allow for humans to be given the ultimate credit for their actions. As seen from the verses above David did not view his own uprightness in a vacuum. His trust was firmly founded in the creative God, "[who commanded], let light shine out of darkness (2 Cor 4:6). Or as Augustine said it, "command what you will, and grant what you command." We find this to be true even in the case of light in the Genesis accound. This is easily seen because Paul uses the analogy of light in how a person becomes one of God's children in 2 Cor 4:6. Light was not waiting out there somewhere to respond, rather what God commanded He also created. David says, "direct our hearts towards you [God]...", and "grant...my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments...". God's granting happens prior to Solomon's keeping (the commandments, etc).
Now back to the beauty of David's statement, it seems that the beauty involves the volition of the human will and its freedom to serve God. Not only is it amazing and beautiful that we can be free from sin but it is further amazing that the depth to which God works in us--sometimes ever so meek (Matt 11:30) and sometimes ever so dominating (Jer 20:8-20). For it is not that we hate to follow Him when He induces (to steal the verb from Jer 20) us, but that He circumcises our very heart (Deut 30:6) so that delight is caught up in the very volition of our will to serve Him.

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