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There is something in this verse which, at first reading, painfully suggests the smallness of the effort made by David in the cause of God as compared with those which he made for his own convenience; he "made him houses " - solid buildings more than one, for himself; he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent - one frail tabernacle for Jehovah. Doubtless, under examination, all damaging reflection on the royal conduct will disappear. David was probably justified in doing as much for himself; he was certainly justified in doing no more, at that time, for the manifested presence of God. But the fact of his building houses for himself and one tent for the Lord may well suggest to us

I. HOW LITTLE, COMPARATIVELY, WE DO FOR GOD. There are those who complain, freely and sadly enough, that there are "so many claims" on their liberality. But it would do us all good to estimate how small and trifling a proportion of all we have to spend we devote directly to God and to his cause. It may seem large, sometimes, when we look at it by itself; but when compared with all we have to give - all at our command - it seems small and poor indeed. Let us reckon up and put down the proportion we give to Christ, consciously and directly, of

(1) the hours of all our time;

(2) the thoughts of all our care and reflection;

(3) the strength of all our energy;

(4) the money of all our funds; -

and we shall, in most cases, find that it is the bulk we reserve for ourselves, and only the "small dust of the balance" that we dedicate to God. We build ourselves houses and pitch a tent for the Lord. On the other hand, we may consider -

II. HOW MUCH, IN FACT AND TRUTH, WE MAY DO FOR HIM. For that which we give directly to Christ should be but a very small part of all that we present to him. We should lay at his feet everything we have and are.

1. We dedicate ourselves and lives to him when, by a sacred and living faith, we accept him for our Saviour.

2. We endeavour to live, at every conscious moment, under his observant eye; regulating all our thoughts, controlling all our feelings, ordering all our words, choosing all our courses, executing all our work, according to his will, and in the hope of giving him pleasure.

3. We hold ourselves ready to lay down our life and surrender all our dearest treasures at his Divine bidding. - C.

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KJV: And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

WEB: [David] made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.