Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Chronicles 28

And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

David, in his old age, and soon to die, summoned a great representative assembly of the notables of his kingdom.

Then David the king stood up upon his feet,

He was ill and required to keep his bed, but he left his couch for this solemn occasion. He did not even remain seated, although extremely weak; but he stood up upon his feet.

And said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people:

Those who read carefully will notice the sweetness of David's style now that he is about to die. It was after the great sin of his life, and after he and his subjects had suffered because of his numbering the people, that he calls the men before him "my brethren." He had sometimes spoken of them as his servants; but now he adopts a very humble style, and putting himself on a level with them, he says to them, Hear me, my brethren, and my people.

As for me, I had in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: but God said to me, You shall not build a house for my name, because you have been a man of war, and have shed blood.

Admire the frankness of David in telling the people what God had said to him. There is no other biography in the world like the Bible, for it tells the faults and follies of those whose history it records.

David was a man after God's own heart; yet, as he had been used as a sword for the defense of God's people and the destruction of their enemies, he could not be permitted to build the temple. He frankly tells the people all that God had said; it would not reflect any honor upon himself, but it was true, and therefore he kept nothing back. One falls in love with David for the frankness of his utterance. When a king, an aged man, and just about to die, he tells the people all this story.

He delights to dwell upon the election of God. It was not by the right of primogeniture that he was chosen king; it was by the will and good pleasure of God. Judah was one of the younger tribes, and yet it was made the royal tribe. In Judah, the house of Jesse was of no great importance; yet God chose it as the royal family; and in the household of Jesse, David was the youngest, yet the Lord liked him, and chose him to be king over all Israel.

David seems to harp upon this sweet string of the divine choice.

I am surprised that so many good people are afraid of this blessed doctrine. They fight shy of it; they seem to run away at the very sound of the word "election." Yet it is the very joy of saints. God has chosen them, and ordained them to be his servants.