God the Searcher of Hearts, and Found of Them that Seek Him
1 Chronicles 28:9-21
And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind…




God the searcher of hearts, and found of them that seek Him: —

1. When God is said to search the heart, the meaning is He perfectly understands it.

2. The knowledge which God has of the human heart is universal: "Searcheth all hearts."

3. The hearts of men and the imaginations of the thoughts are mentioned here as distinct objects of the Divine knowledge, and the difference between them is — by the former we are to understand the passions and purposes of the mind; and by the latter, the paintings of fancy, or the mere casual rovings of thought. I proceed now —

I. Briefly to PROVE THIS PROPOSITION, the Lord searcheth or knoweth all hearts.

1. This is evident from the reason of things. He that gave to man an understanding heart must understand the heart He gave (Psalm 94:9-11).

2. This may be further argued from His omniscience.

3. This is expressly ascribed to Him in the Scriptures (Jeremiah 17:9, 10; Jeremiah 20:12; Acts 1:24).

II. TO SHOW HOW FITLY THIS CONSIDERATION IS URGED TO ENFORCE THE DUTY ENJOINED, or how proper it is to induce us to guard and govern our thoughts at all times, especially in the service of God.

1. A total neglect of our thoughts and the frame of our spirits in the service of God shows a great contempt of His authority.

2. God, who knows our thoughts now, will call us to an account of them hereafter.

3. It is the turn and temper of the heart which forms the character of every one in the sight of God.

4. To keep a strict and constant guard over our hearts at all times, and especially in His worship, is the best evidence we can have of our sincerity.

III. MOTIVES TO ATTEND TO THE EXHORTATION GIVEN. "If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee," etc. These words contain the most valuable promise and the most awful threatening that are to be found in the whole book of God. Notice particularly the promise. To seek the Lord is usually applied to the duty of prayer, but in the Bible it is often put to denote the whole of practical religion (Psalm 34:10; Isaiah 45:6; Isaiah 9:13; Isaiah 6:5). If we seek we shall obtain —

1. His favour. It is a much easier thing to please God than some men. There is no such thing as pleasing these sometimes without the most servile compliance with their caprice, a conformity to their manners, and a connivance at their follies.

2. His help (Luke 13:24; Hosea 5:15; Jeremiah 2:27; 2 Chronicles 33:11, 12).

3. His direction (James 1:5; Proverbs 2:6; Proverbs 3:5, 6).

4. His Holy Spirit (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13).The Holy Spirit is comprehensive of all the good things we can desire.

1. There are His renewing, sanctifying, supporting influences.

2. His preventing, quickening, assisting grace. He is our guide, teacher — earnest of the heavenly inheritance.

(J. Mason.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

WEB: You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.




Genuine Piety a Search for God
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