Archives for May 2012

TODAY’S READING: II CHRONICLES 17-21

 

OVERVIEW: Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa; Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab, king of Israel; the death of Ahab; Jehoshaphat’s rebuke by Jehu the seer (prophet); Jehoshaphat’s national reform; Jehoshaphat’s victory over the children of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir; the death of Jehoshaphat; the reign of Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram; Jehoram’s bitter death.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

What a breath of fresh air Jehoshaphat is!  As we will see, he’s not perfect (oh, surprise, surprise!), but despite some stupid alliances he made with the wrong people, he was a good man and a good king. Verse 3 of chapter 17 says, “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David.”  It’s interesting to note that David is constantly used as the standard by which the kings were measured.  If they followed David’s example, they were blessed.  If they didn’t, their lives and their kingdoms ran amuck.   David had his share of problems, but God was pretty “taken” with this heart!  Don’t ever forget, “The heart of the matter, is the matter of the heart!”  So, “keep (guard) your heart”! (Prov. 4:23)

 

Verses 4-7 of chapter 17 give at least five reasons the Lord was “WITH”(17:3) Jehoshaphat:

 

1. He sought the Lord (17:4a). (Don’t forget that that’s the goal of the365 Days of Pursuit(Deut.4:29)!)
2. He walked in the commandments of the Lord (17:4b).
3. His HEART was lifted up in the ways of the Lord (17:6a). (As opposed to his heart being lifted up, like Lucifer, toward himself!)
4. He removed all of the sick ways people were worshipping Baal and Ashteroth (17:6b), along with removing all of the homosexuals (I Kings22:46).
5. Recognizing that the key to spiritual renewal and revival in the lives of the people was the power of the Word of God in their lives, he establishes a nation wide “Bible study program,” being taught by princes, Levites, and priests.  Who knows, maybe they even called it “365 Days of Pursuit”!

 

Because of these incredible reforms in the kingdom, “the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war with against Jehoshaphat” (17:10).  As Proverbs 16:7 says, “even his enemies [were] at peace with him.”

 

Having your enemies at peace with you is a good thing.  Making alliances with them because of it is not!  In chapter 18, verse 1, it says that Jehoshaphat “joined affinity with Ahab.”  Ahab was the wicked, Baal-worshipping king of Israel.  This “affinity” with Ahab causes Jehoshaphat to join him in a battle to help him regain the city of Ramothgilead, which was very displeasing to the Lord, and almost cost him his life!  Ultimately, this “affinity” will even lead to the marriage of Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, to Ahab’s (and Jezebel’s!!!) daughter (21:1, 6).

 

Because of Jehoshaphat’s unholy alliance with Ahab, God sent the prophet Jehu to rebuke him, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?  Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord” (19:2).  Jehoshaphat responded well to the Lord’s rebuke through Jehu, and moved immediately to restore justice (19:5-7), and priestly order in Jerusalem (19:8-11).  Do note, however, that even though Jehoshaphat responded correctly and was forgiven, there were still consequences to his sin.  The marriage of his son to Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter will open the door to Baal worship in Judah, and will result in the murder of every single one of Jehoshaphat’s sons and grandsons except for one-year-old Joash, who was hidden by Jehoida the high priest(22:10-12).  If it hadn’t been said 100 times already in the365 Days of Pursuit(slight exaggeration), this might be a place to say once again, “There is always a pricetag for sin.”  Since it has been said so often, I’ll refrain from saying it here! :>

 

Chapter 20 is one of the most practical and significant chapters we have come to thus far in our reading.  There is more to talk about here than we have space in simply trying to “highlight” things in each chapter.  Read it slowly and carefully, noting a few key phrases along the way as God describes this very strange battle that takes place in this chapter.  As the combined forces of Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir plan to converge upon Jehoshaphat and the armies of Judah note:

 

1. “The battle is not yours, but God’s” (20:15)
2. “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle” (20:17a)
3. “Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you” (20:17b)
4. “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established”(20:20).
5. “When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against…Ammon,Moab, andMountSeir” (20:22).
6. “The LORD… made them to rejoice over their enemies” (20:27).
7. “And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against [their] enemies.” (20:29).

 

The reason these statements are so significant is that they coincide so perfectly with the New Testament teaching concerning spiritual warfare!  The battle we face is not ours, but God’s!  Therefore, we must “be strong in the Lord and the power of his might” (Eph. 6:10).  The battle plan in this battle is not for us to “fight,” but to “STAND” in the victory Christ has already won on our behalf!  (Note in Eph. 6:11-14 the repetition of the word “STAND”!)  Our battle, (as the battle in II Chronicles 20(verse 20) is a battle whereby the Lord causes us to rejoice over our enemies (verse 27) by faith (Eph.6:16), as we stand against the enemy singing the praises of our God (Eph.5:19).

 

After Jehoshaphat’s death (20:35-21:1), his son Jehoram takes the throne.  In his first public act, he kills all of his brothers, and everyone else he thought might have the potential for usurping his authority (21:4).  God judges him in many ways in chapter 21, not the least of which was afflicting him with an excruciating disease where ultimately his intestines exploded out of his body (21:18-19).  Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through MICAIAH, who spoke the words that God told him to speak – I Chron. 18:13 (John 8:26-28; 3:34; 8:40).

TODAY’S READING: II CHRONICLES 13-16

 

OVERVIEW:

Abijah’s battle and victory over Jeroboam, King of Israel; King Asa’s reforms in Judah; his covenant with God; his pact with Benhadad, King of Syria; Asa’s rebuke by Hanani; Asa’s diseased feet and death.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As chapter 13 opens, God uses Abijah, the newly appointed King of Judah to discipline Jeroboam, King of Israel.  The battle involves 1.2 million soldiers, and by the time it is finished,Israellost exactly one half million men (13:17).  An extremely high price to pay for simply refusing to obey God!  The defeat was so devastating, Jeroboam never fully recovered.  Note Abijah’s appeal to Jeroboam in 13:4-12 to consider his ways and walk with God. 

 

Chapter 14 begins with the death of Abijah, and the beginning of his son’s reign.  What Abijah accomplished inJudahmilitarily, Asa, his son, sought to do spiritually.  He removed all of the foreign influence of worship and “commandedJudahto seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and commandment” (14:4).  As a result, God blessed the kingdom with 10 years of “quiet” (14:1, 5) and “rest” (14:6-7), while he fortified an army full of “mighty men of valour” (14:8). Judah’s peace ended, however, when an Ethiopian army of one million men came against them.  Asa’s prayer of faith and dependence upon God in verse 11 is well worth noting, since we all face situations almost weekly where the odds are stacked against us.  “Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee” (II Chron.14:11).  Judah’s smaller army was victorious because of their dependence and trust in the Lord (14:12-15).

 

In chapter 15, Azariah the prophet challenges Asa to keep up the good work of spiritual reformation in the nation, and Asa responds with great enthusiasm, destroying even more idols (15:8), and decreeing that you either seek the Lord with all of your heart and soul, or die (15:12-13)!  His grandmother, the queen made an obscene idol and he even removed her from being queen, and crushed and burned the despicable idol. It’s a sad reality, but sometimes following the Lord requires tough decisions concerning members of our own families!

 

Chapter 16 is just sad.  As Asa’s wealth and power increased, his dependence and trust in God decreased.  When toward the end of his reign, Baasha, King of Israel, came up to battle against Asa, rather than cry out to God in faith as he had done previously (14:11), he takes God’s money to pay Benhadad, the King of Syria, to help him.  Baasha was unsuccessful in coming against Asa, but Asa had displeased the Lord in the process.  Note the rebuke of God’s prophet in 16:7-8, and the great statement of verse 9, “Don’t you realize that the Lord is just constantly on the lookout for those He can bless by showing Himself strong on their behalf?”  (obvious paraphrase)  Rather than acknowledge his wrongdoing and repent, Asa has the prophet thrown into jail.  (People who receive God’s message are still getting upset with His messengers in the 21st century, too!)  This attitude became a pattern as Asa’s life comes to a close.  Even when disease had struck his feet, he looks to man for help rather than God.  Keep in mind last week’s memory verse, “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man” (Ps. 118:8).

 

Many 21st century believers are much like Asa.  They start off so wonderfully, but before it’s all said and done, their spiritual feet have become diseased, and they are no longer able to “WALK in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16), nor “WALK worthy of the vocation wherewith [they have been] called”!  Be very careful as you grow older in the Lord, of diseased feet!

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the REST God gave JUDAH – II Chron. 14:7 (Matt. 11:29; Heb. 4:1, 8-11).

TODAY’S READING: II CHRONICLES 9-12

 

OVERVIEW:

The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon; the extent of Solomon’s riches and fame; Solomon’s death; Rehoboam succeeds Solomon as Israel’s king; Jeroboam leads a revolt of 10 of the tribes; Rehoboam forsakes the law of God; God brings judgment against Rehoboam through Shishak, king of Egypt.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In II Chronicles 9, there is perhaps no more glorious Old Testament picture of the Lord Jesus Christ ruling and reigning in wisdom in His millennial kingdom from His throne inJerusalem, when every knee is bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Chris is Lord to the glory of God the Father, hallelujah! (Phil 2:9-11)  The parallel passage is found in I Kings 10, where it likewise presents this most glorious picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I Kings 11, however, continues with details of the remainder of Solomon’s life, and strangely enough, there is perhaps no greater Old Testament picture of the Antichrist!  I Chronicles 9, in the midst of all of the splendor of the record of Solomon’s kingdom, does drop a few subtle hints, however. Notice in verse 13, the amount of gold that came to Solomon in one year: “Six hundred and threescore and six.”  I believe you spell that 6 – 6 – 6! And notice also, the three-sided configuration upon which his throne was set, with six steps leading up from the front and the two sides.  Again, I think you might call that 6 – 6 – 6! (Check out Rev. 13:18 if you’re new to all this.  By the way, 18 is 6 + 6 + 6, but who’s counting!)  🙂

 

Chapter 9 ends with the death and burial of Solomon, and chapter 10 begins with the reign of his son, Rehoboam.  You can bring his reign to the bottom line by two little phrases in chapter 12.  Chapter 12 and verse 1 says that when he “had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and allIsraelwith him.” Chapter 12 and verse 14 says, “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.”  We get ourselves into spiritual trouble when we do the same things.  We must remember that our strength is not in ourselves, but in the Lord, and the power of His might and His Word.  As soon as we forsake the Word of God, thinking we’re strong, we’re on a collision course with disaster!  And notice, Rehoboam did all the evil, idiotic, sinful things he did because he “did not prepare his heart to SEEK the Lord.”  Once again, we’re reminded of the purpose of the365 Days of Pursuit(Deut.4:29).

 

Rehoboam’s first decision as king was a major fiasco, as he heeded the wrong counsel.  (Be careful about whose counsel you seek and/or take!)  His harshness caused 10 of the tribes to secede from the “union” to go form what we refer to as the Southern Kingdom.

 

This is where theKingdomofIsraelis divided.  The 10 Southern Tribes are referred to as Judah and the two Northern Tribes asIsrael.  Jeroboham is installed as the King of Israel (See I Kings11:28-31).  When you compare I Kings 11:28-31 with II Chron. 10:15, don’t miss how God somehow takes even poor, heartless, and even flat-out wrong decisions of earthly rulers, and uses those very decisions to perform His will and fulfill His Word!  God is big, y’all!  Really big!

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the GLORY OF SOLOMON’S KINGDOM – II Chron. 9:1-28 (Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 20:5)

 

TODAY’S READING: II CHRONICLES 5-8

 

OVERVIEW:

TheArkis brought into theTemple; the glory of the Lord fills the temple; Solomon’s prayer of dedication; Solomon’s sacrifices; the glory of the Lord fills theTempleagain; God appears to warn Solomon.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

It had taken 153,000 skilled workers seven years to complete, (just imagine!) but theTemplewas now ready to receive all of the furnishings David had accumulated and dedicated to be housed in this magnificent (magnifical) structure he so longed to build.  Once they were put in their place, along with theArk, Solomon led the people in offering sacrifices and heart felt praise to God.  The music must have been incredible!  The passage doesn’t say how many singers there were, but it says there were 120 priests playing the trumpet (5:12), and that when they played with the singers, the mix was absolutely perfect (“as one” –5:13)!  Quite the worship experience!  Even God got a little carried away. The glory of God so filled theTemplethat the priests had to run for the exits! (5:14)

 

As you read about theTemplein the Old Testament, don’t ever lose sight of the fact that it is a picture of YOU!  God no longer dwells in temples made with hands (Acts7:48), but says very specifically, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own.  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor.6:19-20).  The glory that we just read about in II Chron. 5:14 is the glory God wants to receive and manifest through our lives!

 

In chapter six, Solomon leads the people inIsraelin dedicating theTemple.  He addresses the people in 6:1-11, and in verses 12-42, he ascends onto a scaffold made of brass, and made for this specific purpose, and addresses the Lord Himself!  It is the longest prayer recorded in the Bible, and is perhaps the most majestic, and moving!  It is so powerful, and wonderful, and when spoken, so incredibly sincere, that you hate to bring into it any negativity.  However, though Solomon asks God in verses 24 and 25, that if His people sin against Him, but return to Him and confess His name, to please hear them, and forgive them, the pitiful thing is, there is never any biblical record of Solomon ever repenting of any of his own sins!  It really makes you wonder how it is that so many who start so strong, can end up so overthrown (I Cor. 10:5-6,11!).  Once again, God help us!

 

When Solomon finishes his prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God for His unequalled attributes and unfailing promises, the glory of the Lord was, once again, so overpowering that the priests couldn’t even make their way into theTemple!  When the people saw it, “…they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever” (7:3).

 

But even in the midst of all of this incredible worship, God comes to Solomon in the night warning him that if the nation didn’t remain true to Him, He would uproot them out of their wonderful homeland and would destroy their magnificent Temple (7:20).

 

Chapter 8 moves the timeline along 20 years, and records various accomplishments and successes in Solomon’s reign.  Of particular note is verse 11.  It says that Solomon wouldn’t allow his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, to live in the royal palace.  The reason he gave (which was a legitimate one!), was that the palace was holy!  It is a great illustration of how prone we are to be blinded to think that there are somehow areas of our personal lives that can remain disconnected from our spiritual lives.  Call it a “double-life,” or a “double-standard,” hypocrisy, or just plain stupidity, it never ultimately remains separate!  Though Solomon restricted her to a separate residence, it did not restrict her from leading him into idolatry! (See I Kings 11:1-8)

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through SOLOMON’S PRAYER – II Chron.6:14(Jesus is that God!  I Tim. 2:5 – “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”)

 

TODAY’S READING: II CHRONICLES 1-4

 

OVERVIEW:

Solomon’s sacrifices; God’s appearance to Solomon in a dream; Solomon’s choice of wisdom & knowledge; Solomon’s accumulation of chariots, horses, horsemen, silver and gold; Solomon builds the Temple; the Temple furnishings.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin the Book of II Chronicles today, keep in mind that this Book spans 427 years.  To help us get that in perspective, it would be the equivalent of chronicling the high points of history from the year 1583 to 2010!  Quite a long period of time!  The period covers 19 kings – 10 of which were bad, 7 of which were good, and 2 that were good but became bad (i.e. Solomon and Joash). As is always the case, as go the leaders, so go the people, until finally the nation has so apostacized that they are carried off into captivity.  The Book does end, however, with a ray of hope.

 

As chapter one begins, the reign of Solomon is established, and he sets a priority on worship (1:6).  God appears to Solomon in a dream (1:7 c.f.  I Kings 3:5), and says, “Ask what I shall give thee.” In other words, “Ask me for anything you want, and it’s as good as yours!” Solomon asks for something that brought great pleasure to the Lord.  Understanding the enormity of the task of leading the people, he asks for the wisdom and knowledge to rule them properly.  Because he wasn’t selfish in asking for “riches, wealth, or honour,” God said, “I will give thee riches, and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like” (1:12). We might call this, however, the curse of God’s blessing.  Because God had already made clear that the kings ofIsraelwere not to multiply to themselves silver and gold; not to do business withEgyptto multiply horses, or for any other reason, and not to multiply wives (Deut. 17:16-17).  Verses 14-17 of   II Chronicles 1 reveals that he violated those first three commands, and I Kings 3:1 reveals that he violated the fourth by going down to make an “affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter,” and made her his wife.  All of those things were tragic (as we will soon see), but don’t fail to see why it happened.  He violated all four of those commands, because he violated a fifth command concerningIsrael’s kings in Deuteronomy 17. He was to write a copy of the law for himself!  He was to make his own handwritten copy of the entire Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  Had he not neglected the Word of God, he would have known that God had forbidden him to involve himself in the very things he was doing at the outset of his reign!  May we learn a lesson from the life of Solomon:  never neglect the Word of God!  As the old saying goes, “This Book will keep you from sin; and sin will keep you from this Book!”

 

 

 

As chapter 2 begins, Solomon determines to build the Lord’s house.  He also determines that he is going to built for himself a house.  There is certainly nothing wrong with that, but in light of David’s strong words to Solomon about how “MAGNIFICAL” (I’m still totally taken by that word!)  the Lord’s house was to be in comparison to anything else in existence (I Chron. 22:5), it seems quite unusual that it took almost twice as long to build Solomon’s house as it did the Lord’s house (7 years compared to 13 years – See I Kings 6:38 and I Kings 7:1); and if you compare the size of Solomon’s house (I Kings 7:1-12),with the size of the Lord’s house (I Chron. 3), Solomon’s house is almost exactly twice as big as God’s “MAGNIFICAL” house.  Wouldn’t you love to have heard Solomon’s rationalization and justification on that one?!  Never underestimate the tremendous ability we have as humans to justify and rationalize just about anything and everything WE want to do.  God help us! 

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

By the THOUSAND BURNT OFFERINGS OF SOLOMON – II Chron. 1:6 (Through Christ’s one offering of sin, He removed the need for the many and continual individual offerings required in the Law – Heb.10:10-12, 14; Rom.6:10)

 

 

TODAY’S READING: I CHRONICLES 26-29

 

OVERVIEW: The divisions of the porters (gate keepers); the treasurers and other officers; the divisions of Israel’s military; David’s challenge to the leaders of Israel to the work of the Temple; David’s charge to Solomon to build the Temple; David’s gifts for the Temple; David’s offering of praise to the Lord; the people’s offering of praise of the Lord; Solomon’s official installation as Israel’s king; the death of David.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapters 26 and 27 today, the major portion of these two chapters is consumed with the listing of names.  In the midst of a genealogy, or lists of names such as this, when not studying the names to determine biblical time-lines and/or family connections, its quite interesting to just observe the brief comments God inspired the writers of Scripture to interject.  For example, 26:4 begins, “Moreover the sons of Obededom were….” And the remainder of verse 4 and 5 lists their names.  However, at the end of verse 5, God just drops in, “for God blessed him.”  And that’s that.  But do you remember why God blessed Obededom?  Remember, he was the one who sheltered theArkafter the death of Uzza back in I Chronicles 13.  He was blessed because the presence of God was manifest in his life and in his home (13:14).  We, too, will be blessed like Obededom when God’s presence is manifest in and through our lives and in our homes.

 

Notice also God’s commentary on Obededom’s sons and grandsons.  In verse 6, “…they were mighty men of valour;” in verse 7, “…[they] were strong men”; in verse 8, “they…[were] able men for strength and for service.”  Most pastors all over the world would tell you that what is lacking in the church in the Laodicean Period, but so desperately needed is “strong men.”  That doesn’t mean men who are outgoing people, intimidating men, cocky men, dominating men or men who are “successful” by the world’s standards.  Remember, we have been called to be strong!  BUT!!! Not in our own strength!  Ephesians6:10says, “Be strong IN THE LORD”! And remember, HIS “STRENGTH is made perfect in WEAKNESS” (II Cor. 12:9)!  Real biblical “strength” and biblically “strong” men is ironic.  Be very discerning!

 

Compare 26:31, “…they were sought for, and there were found,” with Ezekiel22:30, where God says, “And I SOUGHT FOR A MAN among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it:  BUT I FOUND NONE”!  As God is seeking servants as in 26:31, may He find you and me!

 

Chapter 27 lays out the military and governmental leaders and structure of the nation.  Note that the army was comprised of over a quarter of a million soldiers, 288,000 to be exact, with 24,000 on duty each month.  As we make our way through chapter 27 and on in to chapter 28 and verse 1, it is more than apparent that this was not a rag-tag band of soldiers, but a highly organized and regimented military operation.  In chapter 28, verse 1-8, David addresses all of the leaders about how the whole thing had actually unfolded concerning the building of theTemple, and enlists their support of Solomon and the incredible project at hand.  In verses 9 and 10, David addresses Solomon himself.  In doing so, David presents four things: a command, a promise, a warning, and an exhortation:

 

1. The COMMAND:  “Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart” (28:9a). Note that Solomon could know ABOUT God from his father David, but to KNOW HIM would require that Solomon be acquainted with God on a personal basis himself!  Understanding who Solomon’s mother was, you understand why David would tell his son, “serve [the Lord] with a PERFECT heart” (Matt. 1:6). I’m quite certain David wished he had!

 

2. The PROMISE: “If thou seek him, he will be found of thee,” (28:96).  It’s a reminder of the theme verse of our365 Days of Pursuit, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deut.4:29).

 

3. The WARNING:  “But if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever” (28:9c).

 

4. The EXHORTATION:  “Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong and do it” (28:10).  It almost sounds like a Nike commercial: “Just do it!” That was David’s admonition to his son to fulfill his commission.  It fits perfectly with the commission we have received from the Lord:  “Be strong and do it”!

 

As we come into chapter 29, it is the record of the end of David’s life.  David’s life ends just as it had begun — he is a humble man, with an incredible heart for God! In verses 1-5 he tells the people that he not only had been setting aside money from the national budget for the great work of theTemple, but from his own personal finances, and he challenged all the people to do the same.  This is one of the reasons that I have an open policy to all members of our church, that at any time they can see my tithing record by asking Cheryl for a copy. I believe as a pastor I must lead people to give not command they do so.    Notice their response in verse 6-10.  They “offered willingly” (29:6)!  “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly to the Lord:  and David the king also rejoiced with great joy” (29:9).

 

In verses 10-19, David blessed the Lord his God, and then in verse 20, challenged the people to do the same. Note their response in verses 21-22.  Solomon is then formally installed as the new king, and I Chronicles ends with a brief summary of David’s reign:  “And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour” (29:28).

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through theTEMPLETREASURES– I Chron. 26:20-28 (Col. 2:2-3 says of “Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”)

TODAY’S READING: I CHRONICLES 22-25

 

OVERVIEW: 

David’s preparation for the construction of the Temple; David’s instructions and charge to Solomon; David’s enlisting of the leaders of Israel to support Solomon in the project; the duties of the Levites; the duties assigned to the priests, and to the musicians and singers.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As yesterday’s reading came to a conclusion in II Chronicles 21, David had just acquired the threshingfloor of Ornan and had built an altar to offer sacrifices.  As chapter 22 begins, David recognizes that this threshingfloor would be the site forTemplethat he had longed to be able to build for the Lord.  Though he was not permitted by the Lord to oversee its actual construction, he was given the incredibly wonderful and joyful privilege of planning and preparing for the building of it.

 

David realized that at Solomon’s young age (he was approximately 20 at the time), he would need some help in preparing for something of this magnitude and magnificence (22:5).  David said, “The house that is to be builded for the Lord must (not “should,” but “must”!) be exceeding (and you gotta love this word…) MAGNIFICAL”!  Notice again, not just MAGNIFICAL, but “EXCEEDING MAGNIFICAL, of fame and of glory throughout all countries” (22:5).  In other words, “there must not be any structure anywhere in any country on the entire planet that has the magnificence of the Lord’s house!”  And David continues in verse 5, “I will therefore now make preparation for it.” David says, “I may not be able to build it, but I can certainly plan for its magnificence!”  And verse 5 concludes with the statement, “So David prepared abundantly before his death.”  Verse 5 teaches us a great principle of life:  There may be dreams we have in our hearts that God never actually allows us to accomplish, and yet we may be mightily used of the Lord to make preparations for someone else (maybe as in David’s case, one of our children, or perhaps, one of our spiritual children!) to accomplish through their life!

 

In chapter 22, verses 6-13, David explained to Solomon his vision for building theTemple, and how that God had reshaped and redirected the vision to be fulfilled through his son.  He walks Solomon through what we now refer to as “The Davidic Covenant,” and charges Solomon with the vision and responsibility for the project, and pronounces his blessing upon him.  In 22:14-16, David informs Solomon of all of the materials he had already accumulated for the project, and then in,22:17-19, David commands all of the leaders ofIsraelto get behind Solomon in this glorious and monumental task.  The chapter ends with David’s challenge and charge to his son, Solomon, and all of the leaders of Israel, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.”

 

It’s hard to imagine, but in great “Laodicean” fashion, rather than making the admonition of his father to build theTemplehis first priority, he put his personal interests first, and didn’t even begin the project until the fourth year of his reign!  During those four years, however, he began to accumulate quite a barrage of chariots, horses, not to mention wives!  (See II Chron. 1:14; 3:1-2; I Kings 10:26-11:4) God had clearly prohibited these very things forIsrael’s kings in Deut. 17:16-18.

 

In the list of David’s lifetime accomplishments, something that is often overlooked is his efforts to organize the tribe of Levi for effective ministry in theTemple(Chapters 23-25).  This was of tremendous spiritual significance!

 

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID, ISRAEL’S KING – I Chron. 23:

TODAY’S READING: I CHRONICLES 18-21

 

OVERVIEW: 

The extension of David’s kingdom through his victories in battle; David’s sin in numbering the people; God’s judgment uponIsraelfor David’s sin.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

It will be helpful to understand that the events that God summarizes for us in chapters 18, 19 and 20 took place historically AFTER David was made king (chapter 12), but BEFORE the Ark had been brought to Jerusalem (chapters 13-17).  David’s life in these three chapters reads more like the campaigns of a World War II general than “the man after God’s own heart.”  They provide ample understanding of why God refused to allow David to build theTemple, saying, “Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight” (I Chron. 22:8).

 

Whereas in yesterday’s reading we saw that David had made a horrific blunder in multiplying WIVES for himself (14:3), chapter 18 and verse 4 records another failure of David to obey the laws God had laid down for Israel’s kings in Deut. 17:15-17.  This time he multiplied HORSES.  God’s prohibition for not multiplying wives is obvious; however, the prohibition for not multiplying horses is unclear. Apparently, God knows that it is somehow associated with the development of a spirit of pride within human leaders.  David’s pride will blossom in chapter 21.

 

Note in chapter 18, that while David’s enemies were the recipients of the execution of David’s wrath (18:1-15), God’s people enjoyed the execution of David’s righteousness and justice (18:14).

 

The first part of chapter 19 is a great example of the 21st century proverb:  “No good deed goes unpunished.” What David fully intended to be a blessing to the son of king Nahash at the death of his father, is turned into an incredible fiasco by the newly installed king’s “cabinet of advisors” called “princes” (19:3).  Through their “profound insight” and ability to “discern the motives of David’s heart” they counsel the king concerning David’s “ill-intentioned motives,” and by the time it’s all said and done, what could have been the beginning of a great relationship, ended with the death of 47,000 soldiers (19:18-19)!  A great lesson for us about thinking we have the ability to discern people’s motives and/or hearts, and a great warning about listening to people who think they can!

 

From a chronological standpoint, I Chronicles 20 coincides with II Samuel 12, and is that time when David became involved with Bathsheba.  Whereas II Samuel 12 records David’s sin and restoration, in keeping with the rest of I and II Chronicles, the sin is not recorded here.  In chapter 21, the usually humble David is lifted up with pride of the Devil.  He instructs Joab, the commander of his army to number the people.  Joab recognizes that David is battling his pride and that taking this census would bring sin into the kingdom and appeals to David saying (in effect), “Listen, if the motive here is to find out how many subjects are in your kingdom, let it be enough to know that ALL of them love you and are your servants!  You don’t need to know how many there are.  All finding out is going to do is lead to a bunch of problems!”  David, however, had made up his mind.  He was going to do what HE wanted to do!  And he did.

 

Numbering the people displeased the Lord, and brought His immediate judgment uponIsrael(21:7).  Though David had “sinned greatly,” the good news is, he was quick to humble himself and take ownership of his sin (21:8).  The bad news is, his sin was not just the death of one man, as in Uzza’s case, but the death of 70,000 men!!!  Imagine the devastation felt by 70,000 families inIsrael!  Though God graciously forgave David of his sin, imagine how hard it would have been for 70,000 families to forgive their king because of his insistence upon exalting his foolish pride.

 

Through the “seer” (i.e. “prophet” – I Sam. 9:9), the Lord instructed David to acquire the threshingfloor of Ornan (21:18), upon which to build an altar and to offer sacrifices.  Through the sacrifices, the judgment of God uponIsraelwas stayed.  This threshingfloor would later become the site of theTemple(II Chron. 3:1).

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the ALTAR David build to sacrifice unto the Lord, so thatIsraelmight be restored to a right relationship with God – I Chron.21:18, 26 (Only through Christ can we be restored to a right relationship with God – Rom.3:24).

 

TODAY’S READING: I CHRONICLES 14-17

 

OVERVIEW: 

King Hiram’s blessing upon David; the Philistines defeated; theArkis brought toJerusalem, David’s psalm of thanksgiving; David’s desire to build theTemple; David is forbidden to build theTemple; God makes a covenant with David (the Davidic Covenant).

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

At the end of yesterday’s reading in I Chronicles 13, David was a discouraged, dejected, defeated, and disillusioned man.  The excitement that was in his heart to see God’s presence, represented in the Ark, restored to its rightful place in Jerusalem had caused a great positive ground-swell of spiritual excitement amongst the people, yet it had all come to a screeching halt with the tragic death of Uzza.  David had even changed his mind about wanting theArkreturned toJerusalem, and had it stored in the house of Obededom.  The Ark remained there for three months, and upon seeing the blessing of God that had come upon the house of Obededom and “all that he had” (13:14), it was enough to convince David that regardless of the cost, the Ark in Israel’s capital was non-negotiable.

 

The narrative concerning bringing theArkintoJerusalemwill pick up again in chapter 15, but first, chapter 14 provides some parenthetical information to help us to understand more about David and his reign.

 

Without any commentary, 14:3 states, “And David took more wives atJerusalem,” This practice was common among ancient kings, and, in fact, had come to be not only accepted by the people, but almost expected, as a sign of their ruler’s royalty and prestige.  It was, however, against the law of God!  At times it may seem that God is somewhat lenient in the Old Testament concerning this practice, but a closer look into the harvest of sorrows David reaped in his family proves different, teaching us once again, there are always consequences to sin!  We must be certain that the world’s acceptability of sin in the 21st century does not influence us to violate God’s holy Word, or his holy calling upon our lives!

 

Upon hearing that David was nowIsrael’s king, the Philistines thought they might try their hand against David’s army.  David defeated them; even to the point that the gods they were carrying and trusting to give them the victory were dropped on the ground so they could run away more quickly (14:12).  Call me crazy, but I certainly don’t want any “god” that can be left hanging around on a field of battle and can be burned!

 

Note, however, that David “enquired of God” before leading the troops into battle (14:10).  He wanted to make certain that it was completely the will of God.  Note also, that when the Philistines returned to do battle (14:13), “David enquired again of God” (14:14).  God’s previous “go ahead” was no guarantee of a “go ahead” today!  We must learn to pray about everything, asking for God’s specific guidance for every decision.  God did give David the “go ahead,” but revealed a very particular battle plan to achieve the victory.  The plan would not have been revealed to David had he not “enquired of God.”

 

As chapter 15 begins, David is once again moving to get theArkin its proper place.  It’s the same exact thing he sought to do in chapter 13, but this time it was being done, what we like to call the “BIBLICAL” way.  David realized that they had received God’s judgment upon them (at Uzza’s expense), because they “sought him not after the due order,” (i.e.  “We didn’t ask God how He wanted us to do it!”)  This time, David made sure that the right people were carrying theArk(15:2), that they were properly prepared for the task (15:12), and that it was being carried the right way (15:15). Once theArkwas in its proper place (16:1), the priority of worship was once again restored toIsrael(16:1-6).  David then offered a psalm of thanks to the Lord.  It is a composite of Psalms 105:1-15; 96:1-13; 106:1, 47, 48.

 

Chapter 17 is divided into three basic sections:

1. David’s desire to build God a house (17:1-2).
2. God’s determination to build David’s house (17:3-15).
3. David’s humble prayer of response (17:16-27).

 

 

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the EXALTATION AND FAME OF ISRAEL’S KING (DAVID) – I Chron.14:17(Phil. 2:9-11; Rom.14:11)

Through DAVID, THE SHEPHERD-KING – I Chron. 17:7 (Matt. 1:1-2; Rom. 1:3; John10:11; Rev. 19:16)

 

TODAY’S READING: I CHRONICLES 10-13

 

OVERVIEW: 

The death of Saul and his sons; David made king overJudah;Israelanoints David king; David takes Jebus (Jerusalem) as the capital city of the kingdom; David’s first attempt to bring theArkintoJerusalem.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The seemingly endless genealogy ended in chapter 9, and now God wants to bring us to the Reign of David.  To do so, however, He must make the transition from the Reign of Saul.  Chapter 10 makes that transition, as it gives us the record of Saul’s death.  The parallel account of the death of Saul and his sons is found in I Samuel 31:1-13.  The reason for Saul’s death is found in verses 13 and 14 of I Chronicles 10:

 

1. He was not obedient to the Word of God (I Samuel 13 and 15 provide the details).
2. He consulted a medium (I Sam. 28 provides the details).

 

In chapter 11, David is anointed asIsrael’s king inHebron.  This is a classic case of, “the third time is the charm,” as this is now the third time David has been anointed.  The first anointing was done privately by Samuel (I Sam.16:13), and the second was done publicly as king over Judah (II Sam. 2:4).

 

Note David’s key responsibilities given to him by God asIsrael’s leader in chapter 11 and verse 2:  “Thou shalt FEED my peopleIsrael, and thou shalt be RULER over my peopleIsrael.”  In simple terms, David’s responsibilities are much like those given to those who are called to provide oversight of God’s people in the church:  FEED and LEAD!  (See Acts20:28; I Peter 5:1-3)

 

The first item on David’s agenda after being anointed king was to secure a capital for the kingdom. Chapter 11 verses 4-9 explain howJerusalemwas taken, and how that in accordance with David’s promise for whoever was instrumental in removing the Jebusites out ofJerusalemwould be promoted to the captain of David’s army, Joab was installed as the commander.  Verse 10 of chapter 11 begins a long list of the “mighty men” in David’s army.  It is interesting to note the accomplishments of the various men who comprise this list. 

 

Whereas chapter 11 identifies the INDIVIDUALS who were key in David’s army, chapter 12 identifies the number of mighty men from each of the TRIBES.  Chapter 12 and verse 38 lets us know why all of these men were so “mighty” and so mightily used in David’s army: “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel.”  The four qualities provide a great list for what every church should be looking for when filling the positions of leadership within the church:

 

1. Men who understand SPIRITUAL WARFARE (“all these men of war” – 12:38a).

 

2. Men who understand SPIRITUAL TEAMWORK (“that could keep rank” – 12:38b).

 

3. Men who manifest SPIRITUAL MATURITY (“came with a perfect heart” – 12:38c).

 

4. Men who manifest SPIRITUAL SUBMISSION TO LEADERSHIP (“to make David king over allIsrael” –12:38d).

 

Chapter 13 records David’s first attempt to bring theArkback into his newly acquired capital,Jerusalem. TheArkhad been completely neglected during the reign of Saul.  TheArkrepresented God’s presence.  What is sad is that for 20 years, nobody seemed to miss it!  David is zealous to see God’s presence, represented in theArk, restored to its rightful place inIsrael’s camp.  It is, however, a great lesson on how doing the right thing with the right motives, but done in the wrong way will always be disastrous, and in many cases, as in this one, deadly!

 

TheArkwas placed on a “new cart.”  Apparently, David wanted it to be “special” because of what it represented. But the cart hit an uneven place in the road, theArkbegan to tip, and when well-meaning Uzza reached out to steady theArk, he was immediately zapped, just as Num. 4:15 said he would.  God had specifically givenIsraelinstruction concerning transporting theArkso that this very thing would not happen!  What began as a glorious celebration at the beginning of this chapter, ends like a funeral procession, with David very discouraged, disappointed, and even somewhat disillusioned.  Again, a great reminder that God says what He means, and means what He says, and no amount of good intentions override obedience to what He has specifically spoken in His Word!

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In DAVID, the ANOINTED KING – I Chron. 11:3 – (Christ is the “Anointed of God who will sit on the Throne of David as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS – Rev. 19:16; Luke 1:32)