Archives for May 2018

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’s finished, Israel lost exactly a half million men. (13:17) What 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, Asa’s, reign. What Abijah accomplished in Judah MILITARILY, Asa sought to do SPIRITUALLY. He removed all of the foreign influence of worship and “commanded Judah to 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. Notice, “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.” (2^nd Chronicles 14:11) Judah’s smaller army was victorious because of their simple 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 the people either seek the Lord with all of their heart and soul, or die! (15:12-13) His grandmother, who also happened to be the reigning queen at the time, made an obscene idol, and Asa not only crushed and burned the despicable thing, he even removed her from being queen! It’s a sad reality, but following the Lord sometimes requires making tough decisions concerning members of our own families!

Chapter 16 is just sad. Like so many Christians through the centuries, even up to the present hour, 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 previously done (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 greatly 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. Isn’t it interesting how that even in the 21^st century, when people receive God’s message, they still have a propensity to get upset with God’s messengers?! Sadly, 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, Psalm 118:8 says: “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.”

Note also, that many 21^st 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” (Galatians 5:16), and no longer able to “WALK worthy of the vocation wherewith [they have been] called”! (Ephesians 4:1) We must be very careful as we grow older in the Lord, not to allow our spiritual feet to become diseased!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through the REST God gave JUDAH — 2^nd Chronicles 14:7 (Matthew 11:29; Hebrews 4:1, 8–11)

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 tribes; Rehoboam forsakes the law of God; God brings judgment against Rehoboam through Shishak, king of Egypt.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In 2^nd 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 in Jerusalem, when every knee is bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father! (Philippians 2:9–11) Hallelujah! The parallel passage is found in 1^st Kings 10, where it likewise presents this most glorious picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, 1^st Kings 11, continues with details of the remainder of Solomon’s life, and strangely enough, there is perhaps no greater Old Testament picture of the antichrist! In the midst of all of the splendor of the record of Solomon’s kingdom in 2^nd Chronicles 9, it does, however, drop a few subtle hints. 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! 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 Revelation 13:18 if you’re unfamiliar with the 6–6–6 connection to the antichrist: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast (antichrist): for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”)

Chapter 9 ends with the death and burial of Solomon, and chapter 10 begins with the reign of his son, Rehoboam. You can bring Rehoboam’s reign to the bottom line by two simple 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 all Israel with him.” Chapter 12 and verse 14 says, “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.”  May these horrific blunders in Rehoboam’s life teach all of us that we get ourselves into spiritual trouble when we begin to think that our strength is in ourselves, rather than 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 in and of ourselves, we’re on a collision course with disaster! Notice, Rehoboam did all of the evil, idiotic, and sinful things he did because he failed to do one simple, but monumental thing: He “did not prepare his heart to SEEK the Lord.” Once again, we’re reminded of the purpose of the 365 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.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Rehoboam’s first decision as king was a major fiasco, as he heeded the wrong counsel. May it be a vivid reminder to us that we must be careful about whose counsel we seek and/or take! (Psalm 1:1) His harshness caused 10 of the tribes to secede from the “union”, as it were, to go form what we now refer to as the Northern Kingdom.

Note that this is where the kingdom of Israel is divided in the Old Testament. The 10 Northern Tribes are hereafter referred to as ISRAEL and the two Southern Tribes as JUDAH. Jeroboham is installed as the king of Israel (See 1^st Kings 11:28–31), while Rehoboam remains king in Judah. When you compare 1^st Kings 11:28–31 with 2^nd Chronicles 10:15, don’t miss how God is somehow able to take the poor, idiotic, and even flat-out WRONG decisions of earthly rulers and use those very decisions to perform His will and fulfill His word!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• In the GLORY OF SOLOMON’S KINGDOM – 2^nd Chronicles 9:1–28 (Philippians 2:9–11; Revelation 20:5)

OVERVIEW:

The ark is brought into the temple; the glory of the Lord fills the temple; Solomon’s prayer of dedication; Solomon’s sacrifices; the glory of the Lord fills the temple again; God appears to warn Solomon.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

It had taken 153,000 skilled workers seven years to complete (just imagine!), but the temple was now ready to receive all the furnishings David had accumulated and dedicated to showcase in this “magnifical” structure he so longed to build. Once they were put in their place, along with the hallowed ark, of course, Solomon led the people in offering sacrifices and heartfelt praise to God. By the description in the passage, the music must have been overwhelmingly incredible! The passage doesn’t say how many singers there actually 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)! For the singers to contend with the likes of 120 trumpeters, there must have been a whole slew of them! It certainly must have been an unbelievable worship experience! Even God got a little carried away! The glory of God so filled the temple that the priests had to run for the exits! (5:14)

As you read about the temple in the Old Testament, don’t ever lose sight of the fact that it is a picture of YOU and ME! God no longer dwells in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48), 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.” (1^st Corinthians 6:19–20) Don’t miss that the glory we just read about in 2^nd Chronicles 5:14 is the glory God wants to receive and manifest through each of our lives!

In chapter six, Solomon leads the people in Israel in dedicating the temple. He addresses the people in 6:1–11, and in verses 12–42, he ascends onto a scaffold made of brass that had been made for this specific purpose, and he 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 spoken with such incredible sincerity, that you hate to bring any negative comments into it. But we must “keep it real”. 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. It is such a beautiful and humble request! The unbelievably tragic thing is Solomon himself became an incredible sinner, and yet 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! Once again, God help us! (1^st Corinthians 10:5–6, 11)

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 the temple! 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 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, which 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 allow ourselves to be deceived into thinking that there are 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”, the fact is, our personal lives can never remain separate from our spiritual lives! Though Solomon restricted the daughter of Pharaoh to a separate residence, it did not restrict her from leading him into idolatry! (See 1^st Kings 11:1–8) We all would do well to consider: Is there any area of my personal life that I am trying to convince myself that I am keeping separate from my spiritual life? May our honest introspection prevail over any of our self-deception.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through SOLOMON’S PRAYER — 2^nd Chronicles 6:14 (Jesus is that supreme God to which Solomon was referring! 1^st Timothy 2:5 – “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”)

OVERVIEW:

Solomon’s sacrifices; God’s appearance to Solomon in a dream; Solomon’s choice of wisdom and 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 2^nd Chronicles, keep in mind that this book spans a whopping 427 years! To help us get that in perspective, it would be the equivalent of chronicling the high points of history since around the beginning of the 17^th century! That’s quite a long period of time! The period covers 19 kings: 10 of which were bad; seven that were good; and two 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 had so apostatized 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 as he sets a priority on worship. (1:6) God appears to Solomon in a dream (1:7 c.f. 1^st 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 humbly asks for something that brought great pleasure to the Lord. Understanding the enormity of the task of leading God’s people, he simply asks for the wisdom and knowledge to rule them properly. Because he wasn’t selfish in asking for personal gain, God tells him, “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 quite simply, Solomon wasn’t prepared spiritually to handle the stewardship of God’s incredible material blessing upon his life. God had made abundantly clear in Deuteronomy 17 that the kings of Israel were not to multiply to themselves silver and gold; they were not to do business with Egypt to multiply horses, (or for any other reason!) and they were not to multiply wives. (Deuteronomy 17:16–17) Verses 13–17 of 2^nd Chronicles 1 reveals that he violated all three of those commands, and 1^st Kings 3:1 reveals that he violated another of God’s commands by going down to make an “affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter,” and made her his wife.

Obviously, all of these things were tragic mistakes (as we will soon see), but make sure you don’t miss seeing why they all happened! He violated all four of those commands, because he violated another key command concerning Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17. God had made abundantly clear that as a king in Israel, he was to write his own copy of the law, and that was the real issue! He was to make his own handwritten copy of the entire books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy forcing him to personally interact with every word of God! (Proverbs 30:5) Had the word of God been his first priority, 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! Oh, may we learn from the life of Solomon to always make the word of God our first priority, and to always personally interact with “every word of God”, not just in times of trial, but in times of blessing! Perhaps we should add, especially in times of blessing! 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. That sounds wonderful until you realize that he included one “minor little priority” as well. He also determines that he is going to have a house built for himself! There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but in light of David’s strong words to Solomon about how “MAGNIFICAL” the Lord’s house was to be in comparison to anything else in existence (1^st Chronicles), it seems quite inconceivable 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 1^st Kings 6:38 and 1^st Kings 7:1); and if you compare the size of Solomon’s house (1^st Kings 7:1–12) with the size of the Lord’s house (1^st Chronicles 3), Solomon’s house is almost exactly twice as big as God’s “MAGNIFICAL” house! What?! Wouldn’t you have loved to hear Solomon’s rationalization and justification for that?! Never underestimate the tremendous ability we have as humans to justify and rationalize just about anything and everything we want to do. May God help us!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• By the THOUSAND BURNT OFFERINGS OF SOLOMON — 2^nd Chronicles 1:6 (Through Christ’s one offering of sin, He removed the need for the many and continual individual offerings required in the Law — Hebrews 10:10–12, 14; Romans 6:10)

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 to 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, it is quite interesting to just observe the brief comments God inspired the writers of scripture to interject. For example, chapter 26 and verse 4 begins, “Moreover the sons of Obed-edom were…,” and the remainder of verse 4 and 5 lists their names.  However, at the end of verse 5, God just drops in this little statement, “for God blessed him.” And that’s that. But do you remember why God blessed Obed-edom? Remember, he was the one who sheltered the ark after the death of Uzza back in 1^st Chronicles 13. He was blessed because the presence of God (represented in the ark) was manifest in his life and in his home. (13:14) We, too, will be blessed like Obed-edom when God’s presence is manifest in and through our lives, and in our homes.

Notice also God’s commentary on Obed-edom’s sons and grandsons. Verse 6 says, “…they were mighty men of valour.” Verse 7 says, “…[they] were strong men.” Verse 8 adds, “…they [were] …able men for strength for the service.” Most pastors all over the world would tell you that what is lacking, but so desperately needed in the church in the Laodicean Period, is “strong MEN for the service”! That doesn’t mean men who are extroverts, or intimidating, cocky, 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!  Ephesians 6:10 commands us to “…be strong IN THE LORD…”! Remember, HIS “STRENGTH is made perfect in WEAKNESS.” (2^nd Corinthians 12:9) Real biblical “strength,” and biblically “strong” men are paradoxical. Their “strength” is manifested through their “weakness”. We must be very discerning!

As the search was being made for “mighty men of valour”, compare the statement in 1^st Chronicles 26:31, “…they were sought for, and there were found…”, with the statement made in Ezekiel 22:30, 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 “mighty men (and women) of valour” as He did in 26:31, may He find you and me!

Chapter 27 lays out the military leaders and governmental 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 into 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, verses 1–8, David addresses all of the leaders about how the whole thing had actually unfolded concerning the building of the temple, 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”. (Matthew 1:6) I’m quite certain David wished he had!
2. The PROMISE: “…if thou seek him, he will be found of thee…” (28:9b) This is a reminder of the theme verse of our 365 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.” (Deuteronomy 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) That was David’s admonition to his son concerning his commission. It fits perfectly with the commission we have received from the Lord (Matthew 28:18– 20): “Be strong, in the Lord, 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 the temple, but also from his own personal finances. He challenged all the people to do likewise. Notice their response in verses 6–9: Verse 6 says, they “offered willingly”! Verse 9 says, “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.” May that willingness to joyfully give to the Lord’s work be found in each of us.

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 20–22: “…And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king. And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel: And did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness…” Solomon is then formally installed as the new king, and 1^st 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 the TEMPLE TREASURES – 1^st Chronicles 26:20–28 (Colossians 2:2–3 says of Christ: “…and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”)

 

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 concluded, in 1^st 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 for temple that 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. David said, “…the house that is to be builded for the Lord must (notice, not “should” but “must”!) be exceeding (and you’ve 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!” David continues in verse 5, “…I will therefore now make preparation for it…”
It’s as if David is saying, “I may not be able to build it, but I can certainly plan for its magnificence!” Verse 5 concludes with the statement, “…So David prepared abundantly before his death.” Note that this verse 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 joyfully 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 the temple, 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 the materials he had already accumulated for the project, and then in 22:17–19, David commands all of the leaders of Israel to get behind Solomon in this glorious and monumental task. The chapter ends with David’s challenge and charge to his son, Solomon, and 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 the temple his first priority, Solomon 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, and wives! (See 2^nd Chronicles 1:14; 3:1–2; 1^st Kings 10:26–11:4) God had clearly prohibited these very things for Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17:16–18.

In the list of David’s lifetime accomplishments, something that is often overlooked are his efforts to organize the tribe of Levi for effective ministry in the temple. (Chapters 23–25) Though seldom mentioned, this work was of tremendous spiritual significance!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID, ISRAEL’S KING – 1^st Chronicles 23:1 (Luke 1:32; Matthew 21:9)

OVERVIEW:

The extension of David’s kingdom through his victories in battle; David’s sin in numbering the people; God’s judgment upon Israel for 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 the temple, 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.” (1^st Chronicles 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 yet another failure of David to obey the laws God had laid down for Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 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 somewhat 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 21^st century tongue-in-cheek 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 is 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 to us about listening to people who think they can!

From a chronological standpoint, 1^st Chronicles 20 coincides with 2^nd Samuel 12, and is that time when David became involved with Bathsheba. Whereas 2^nd Samuel 12 records David’s sin and restoration, in keeping with the rest of 1^st and 2^nd Chronicles, the sin is not recorded here.

In chapter 21, the usually humble David is lifted up with the 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, so he appeals to David, saying (in effect), “Listen, boss, if the motive here is to find out how many subjects are in your kingdom, let it be enough to know that there are a whole lot of ’em, and that they ALL 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 upon Israel. (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 did not just result in 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 in Israel! 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. It is yet another tragic and graphic reminder that the consequences of sin often have devastating effects on many innocent people.

Through the “seer” (i.e. “prophet”–1^st Samuel 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 upon Israel was stayed. This threshingfloor would later become the site of the temple. (2^nd Chronicles 3:1)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through the ALTAR David built to sacrifice unto the Lord so that Israel might be restored to a right relationship with God — 1^st Chronicles 21:18, 26 (Only through Christ can we be restored to a right relationship with God — Romans 3:24).

OVERVIEW:

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

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

At the end of yesterday’s reading, in 1^st 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 the ark returned to Jerusalem, and had it stored in the house of Obededom. That’s how disillusioned he had actually become. The ark remained there for three months, but upon seeing the blessing of God that had come upon the house of Obededom and “all that he had”  because the ark was in his home (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 the ark into Jerusalem will 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 providing any commentary, 14:3 very straightforwardly states, “And David took more wives at Jerusalem”. This practice was common among ancient kings, and, in fact, had come, not only to be ACCEPTED by the people but almost EXPECTED as a sign of their ruler’s royalty and prestige. Regardless of how the people viewed it or regarded it, it was clearly 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 at the harvest of sorrows David, and others like him, reaped in their families proves different, teaching us the principle, once again, that there are always consequences to sin! We must be certain that the world’s acceptability of sin in the 21^st century does not influence us to violate God’s holy Word, or His holy calling upon our lives!

Upon hearing that David was now Israel’s king, the Philistines thought they might try their hand against David’s army. David “spanked” 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 in more haste. (14:12) Call us crazy, but would we really want to put our trust in any “god” that can be dropped like a hot potato on a battle field, 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 this 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 in and for every decision. God did give David the “go ahead” but revealed a very particular battle plan to achieve the victory. It is interesting to note that this battle plan would not have been revealed to David had he not “enquired again of God”! What clear direction from the Lord might we be forfeiting, simply because we fail to enquire of Him? (James 4:2b)

As chapter 15 begins, David is once again moving to get the ark in 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.” Or, in other words, “because we didn’t ask God how He wanted us to do it!” This time, David made sure that the right people were carrying the ark (15:2), that they were properly prepared for the task (15:12), and that it was being carried the right way (15:15). Once the ark was in its proper place (16:1), the priority of worship was once again restored to Israel (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 a 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) – 1^st Chronicles 14:17 (Philippians 2:9–11; Romans 14:11)
• Through DAVID, THE SHEPHERD-KING – 1^st Chronicles 17:7 (Matthew 1:1–2; Romans 1:3; John 10:11; Revelation 19:16)

OVERVIEW:

The death of Saul and his sons; David made king over Judah; Israel anoints David king; David takes Jebus (Jerusalem) as the capital city of the kingdom; David’s first attempt to bring the ark into Jerusalem.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The seemingly endless genealogy ended in chapter 9, and now God is wanting to bring us into the reign of David as Israel’s king. 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 1^st Samuel 31:1–13. The reasons for Saul’s death are found in verses 13 and 14 of 1^st Chronicles 10:

1. He was not obedient to the word of God. (1^st Samuel 13 and 15 provide the details)
2. He consulted a medium, or witch. (1^st Samuel 28 provides the details)

In chapter 11, David is anointed as Israel’s king in Hebron. This is a classic case of “the third time being the charm”, as this is now the third-time David has been anointed. The first anointing was done privately by Samuel (1^st Samuel 16:13), and the second was done publicly as king over Judah (2^nd Samuel 2:4).

Note the key responsibilities God gave to David as Israel’s leader in chapter 11 and verse 2: “Thou shalt FEED my people Israel, and thou shalt be RULER over my people Israel.” 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 Acts 20:28; 1^st 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 how Jerusalem was taken and how that, in accordance with David’s promise for whoever was instrumental in removing the Jebusites out of Jerusalem being 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 why they were 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.” These four qualities provide a great list for what every church should be looking for when filling 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 all Israel” – 12:38d)

Chapter 13 records David’s first attempt to bring the ark back into his newly acquired capital, Jerusalem. Remember, the ark had been completely neglected during the reign of Saul; and keep in mind that the ark represented God’s presence. What is sad, is that for 20 years, nobody seemed to miss it! David, however, is zealous to see God’s presence, as it was represented in the ark, restored to its rightful place in Israel’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!

Notice that the ark was placed on a “new cart”. (13:7) Apparently, David wanted it to be “special” because of what it represented. But the cart hit an uneven place in the road, the ark began to fall, and when well-meaning Uzza reached out to steady it to keep it from hitting the ground, he was immediately zapped; just as Numbers 4:15 said would happen! God had specifically given Israel instruction concerning transporting the ark so that this very thing would not happen! (Exodus 25:12–14; Numbers 7:9) What began as a glorious celebration at the beginning of this chapter, ends like a funeral procession; with David very discouraged, disappointed, and somewhat, disillusioned. Again, a great reminder that God says what He means, 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 — 1^st Chronicles 11:3 (Christ is the “Anointed of God” who will sit on the throne of David as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” – Luke 1:32; Revelation 19:16)

OVERVIEW:

A continuation of Israel’s descendants: Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, Ephraim, Asher, Benjamin; those who returned from captivity; the genealogy of Saul.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The genealogy continues today bringing us through the remainder of the descendants of Israel: Issachar (7:1–5), Benjamin (7:6–12), Naphtali (7:13), the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan (7:14–19), Ephraim (7:20–29), Asher (7:30–40), Benjamin (Chapter 8). Chapter 9, then, gives us the record of those who returned from captivity (9:1–34), and then, the descendants of Saul. (9:35–44)

A particular phrase that is mentioned twice in chapter 7 is well worth noting: Chapter 7 and verse 11 talks about the number of the “…soldiers FIT to go out for war and battle;” and chapter 7 and verse 40 talks about the number of the “mighty men of valour…that were apt to the WAR and to battle.” You might want to note that the word “apt” is also translated in the Bible as “prepared;” “ready;” and “willing.” You might also want to note that the New Testament is very specific in letting us know that as believers in Jesus Christ, we, too, are SOLDIERS (2 Tim. 2:3) who are engaged in an incredible “WAR” or “BATTLE.” (2 Tim. 2:4; 2 Cor. 10:3). With that reality in mind, we would do well to consider: If God were making a list today of the number of New Testament “soldiers” and “mighty men and women of valour” who are “fit” and “apt to the war and to battle” like He did here in 1 Chronicles 7, would our name be included in that number? Ephesians 6:10–17 lets us know that the number includes only those who “STAND” in the victory Christ has already won, having on “THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.” Are you “FIT” and “APT” for the “WAR” we call the Christian life?

Chapter 9 and verse 2 says, “Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.” The “Nethinims” were very simply the “temple servants.” Their job was simply to do whatever needed to be done. Because of their love for the Lord, they didn’t need the limelight. They were willing to work behind the scenes so that the work of the Lord could go forward! Oh, may God use us to be as the Nethinims! Verse 28 says of the Levites, “and certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale (or, count).” Again, from an earthly standpoint, the job God entrusted to them doesn’t really seem to be all that significant. Others, according to verse 29 and 30 “were appointed to oversee the vessels and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices. And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.” Again, from the mind of a natural man, these responsibilities are hardly worth mentioning. But to God, each individual fulfilling their role and completing their personal assignment was well worth mentioning, because God knew that every individual was key for what He intended for the service of the tabernacle!

May we learn from these Old Testament servants that whatever God has called us to do in His service, however insignificant it may appear to others, and however insignificant it may sometimes even feel to us, it is extremely significant to Him! He is simply looking for us to faithfully carry out the assignment to which we have been entrusted. The way Paul said it in Philippians 3:12 is: “…but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which
also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” In other words, “I’m going to live my life in constant pursuit of taking into my possession the purpose God had in taking me into His possession!” The New Testament teaches that God has given all of us a MINISTRY to fulfill in the CHURCH and a MISSION to fulfill in the WORLD. To fulfill these
responsibilities according to God’s design, He has entrusted each of us with a composite of key resources to utilize in fulfilling our intended purpose. He has given each of us spiritual gifts, along with our natural, and yet, God-given talents and abilities. He has given to us our individual personality, and within our personality, has made us passionate about certain things. All along the way through the course of our life, God has allowed us to
encounter many different people and experience many different things. All of these various components are not random. These are all the specific things God has orchestrated, and is orchestrating in our lives to direct us into an understanding of the specific kingdom assignment He intends us to fulfill.

Regardless of how insignificant we may think our value to His kingdom may be, God views our responsibility as a sacred trust, and vital to His will and work in and through the body of Christ! We all must play our position! We all must fulfill our role! God has called each of us to embrace the stewardship of these incredible resources, and do one thing with them: be FAITHFUL! (1 Cor. 4:1–2) Always keep in mind that you are as vital to the body of Christ in your local church, as any member of your physical body is to you! There are no insignificant individuals and there are no insignificant responsibilities.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• In JERUSALEM (which means, “Foundation of peace”) — 1 Chronicles 9:3. (Christ is the only foundation of peace upon which man can stand before God – 1 Cor. 3:11; John 14:27; 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 2:14)