1 Chronicles 16:19-22

He suffered no man to do them wrong.

Evil-doing restrained

I. Here is the nearness and dearness of the saints unto God.

II. Here is the great dancer to kings and states to deal with His saints otherwise than well.

III. Here is the care and protection which God had over them, set and amplified.

1. By the number and condition of the persons whom He defended.

2. By what He did for them. (Thomas Goodwin.)

Touch not Mine anointed:--

Touch not Mine anointed

I. The person whose the speech is. “He is the Lord our God” (1 Chronicles 16:14).

II. The persons to whom. In general to all; specially to some.

III. The persons concerning whom. His anointed.

1. The patriarchs, who were the rulers of their people. The name implies fatherhood and government. They were anointed before there was any material anointing at all.

2. The kings who were the successors of the patriarchs.

(1) The Holy Ghost applies this term to Saul, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Cyrus (1 Samuel 12:3; 2Sa 19:21; 2 Chronicles 6:42; Lamentations 4:20; Isaiah 45:1).

(2) This is affirmed by

(a) The third general Council of Ephesus.

(b) The great Council of Toledo the Fourth.

(c) The great Western Council of Francford.

3. The fathers use the term in the same way.

4. After the patriarchs, this term is appropriate to kings, and kings only, all the Bible through. It is used--

(1) Four times by God, “Mine anointed.”

(2) Six times to God, “Thine anointed.”

(3) Ten times of God, “His anointed.”

(4) Twelve times it is “God’s anointed.”

In the text and in Psalms 105:1. it is applied to the patriarchs; all the other instances refer either to Christ or to kings. (Bp. Andrewes.)