Distracted by Earthly Things

1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

4 And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. – 1 Chronicles 20:1-8 ESV

First Chronicles 20 parallels 2 Samuel 11, where the story of David's sin with Bathsheba is recorded in great detail. Interestingly, both chapters start out the same way, "The following spring, the time of year when kings go to war…," but then they each take a slightly different path. The 2 Samuel passage goes on to say, "…David sent Joab and the Israelite army to destroy the Ammonites. In the process they laid siege to the city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem" (2 Samuel 11:1 ESV).

Chapter 20 of 1 Chronicles states that "…Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the towns and villages of the Ammonites." But in both cases, the authors clarify that David didn't go into battle, but remained in Jerusalem. At a time of the year when kings would normally be waging war, David chose to send his troops into battle while he stayed safely ensconced in his capital city. He sent Joab to do his dirty business, while he stayed behind in Jerusalem. This decision led to his sin with Bathsheba and, ultimately, his murder of her husband Uriah.

But in 1 Chronicles, the author leaves out what happened while David was back in the capital and concentrates his attention on the victory over the Ammonites. If you just read this chapter alone, and not in association with chapter 11 of Second Samuel, you would be led to believe that this was just business as usual for David. He was sending out his troops and then going to meet them after the battle was over like all good kings do. But when you know what David was up to while Joab and his men were busy fighting for David and the kingdom, this story takes on a whole new light. And when you read that "David and his army returned to Jerusalem," it should kind of turn your stomach a little bit. Here is David, who has just committed adultery with Bathsheba, attempted to cover it up, and in desperation, had her husband killed by abandoning him in battle, leading his troops triumphantly back into town to the cheers of the people, as if he had been there all along. He is enjoying the accolades and attention that come with victory when his life was actually marred by his moral lapse with Bathsheba. It is the height of hypocrisy.

What stands out in this passage if that there is no mention of David fighting the enemy. Joab, Sibbecai, Elhannon, and Jonathan are all listed as men who led, fought, and gained victory over the Ammonites. But David seems to take all the credit and more. "Then David went to Rabbah and removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and he found that it weighed seventy-five pounds" (1 Chronicles, 20:2 NLT). When taken in conjunction with 2 Samuel 11, this paints an even grimmer picture of David. Not only has he committed adultery and murder, but he comes across as someone desperate for attention. He wants to stay at home in the safety and luxury of his palace in Jerusalem, but bask in the glory of the victory that others have brought about. He covets the benefits and blessings of victory without the risk.

In the second half of chapter 20, the chronicler goes on to describe the Israelite victory over the Philistines, but David is noticeably absent from the story until the closing verse.

…they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. – 1 Chronicles 20:8 ESV

David gets the glory without doing any of the work. But why does the Chronicler seem to stress David’s victories but leave out the entire story about David and his illicit affair with Bathsheba? It’s unlikely that the chronicler was attempting to cover up David's infamous sin because it would have been well-known to all of his readers. More than likely, he omitted the details of this less-than-flattering event in David's life because his purpose for the chapter was to highlight David's victories over his enemies at the beginning of his reign. But that one phrase, “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle” stands out. It tells us that Joab, the commander of David's army, led the troops into battle while “David remained at Jerusalem” (1 Chronicles 20:1 ESV). While David should have been busy defeating the enemies of God, he was falling victim to “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness” (Colossians 3:5 ESV). David had been God-ordained to be the king of Israel and lead the people of Israel.

“You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.” – 2 Samuel 5:2 ESV

But in the story of his affair with Bathsheba, we have a case of David losing sight of his real objective. He became distracted from God's intended purpose for his life. While David would experience great victories in the years ahead, he would also suffer tremendous losses within his own household as a consequence of his sin.

The chronicler obviously knew well the sin of David with Bathsheba, but his real objective was to write of God's activity among His people through the kingship of David. Despite David, God was still at work, providing the nation of Israel with victories over their enemies. He was still giving them His divine assistance in conquering the nations that occupied the land of Canaan. His efforts would be so effective that by the time David's son Solomon took over the throne, his kingdom would experience a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. But even with all his wisdom, riches, and obvious blessings from God, Solomon would prove to be unfaithful, allowing his love of women to lead to his worship of false gods. He would lose sight of the fact that God had given him wisdom so that he might lead the nation of Israel wisely. God blessed him with abundant resources that he might provide for the people of God.

Both of these men had been chosen by God to lead His people and they were not to be like all the other kings of the world. They were never to forget that they had the God of the universe on their side and that their actions and attitudes were to reflect their unique relationship with Him. God wanted to bless their reigns and provide them with victories over their enemies and peace and prosperity for their people. God would provide both men with the assurance of His abiding presence and power.

David and Solomon both illustrate man's unique capacity to focus on that which is earthly and temporal. In Colossians 3, Paul provides a short, but relatively comprehensive list of what constitutes an earthly, rather than a heavenly mindset: “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness” (Colossians 3:5 ESV).

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul provided an even longer list of what he calls the “works of the flesh”: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, division, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV).

Together, these two lists serve as a compendium of a life lived with an earthly, rather than a heavenly focus. Paul goes on to tell his readers to put to death what is earthly in them. These are internal issues that emanate from within. Jesus Himself said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19 ESV).

David's sin with Bathsheba was an outflow of an internal problem in David's heart. Solomon's idolatry and unfaithfulness were the direct result of his own heart condition. James points out the danger of this internal source of temptation and distraction.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. - James 1:14 ESV

But Paul gives the antidote to the problem. 

…set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. – Colossians 3:1 NLT

Our focus, interest, and primary concern is to be on eternal, rather than temporal things. We are to desire the things of God instead of the things of this world. Paul reminds us that, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are equipped to live differently and distinctively.

…you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. – Colossians 3:9 NLT

The tense he uses in this sentence suggests that this is a past event; it has already taken place. We have been given a new life in Christ. We are new creations.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Paul's emphasis seems to be that we are to recognize our new identity as redeemed, renewed creations and live accordingly. In other words, our conduct should begin to reflect our new status as children of God. We are “being renewed” daily – an ongoing process by which we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. Paul would have us remember that our job is to live in keeping with who we are in Christ.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgiving each other. – Colossians 3:12-13 ESV

My relationship with Christ should transform every area of my life.

In whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. – Colossians 3:17 ESV

I am to live with a heavenly mindset, not an earthly one. I am to live a life that reflects my new identity in Christ and my new Spirit-empowered capacity to reflect His holiness and righteousness. I don't have to live according to my old sinful nature. Yes, it is still there and is alive and well but God has given me a new nature that can effectively counteract my old nature. Paul puts it this way:

…walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16 ESV

I can live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit. I can bear the fruit of the Spirit. But I must set my mind on the things above. I must seek God's will and saturate my mind with His Word. I cannot live like Christ if I attempt to exist on a steady diet of earthly things. If I fill my mind with the things of this world, I will bear the fruit of this world. So Paul encourages us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Danger of Distraction from Duty

1 Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; 5 and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. 9 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

10 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 11 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. 12 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. 15 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab's brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army. 19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore. – 1 Chronicles 19:1-19 ESV

Chapter 19 provides a glimpse into King David’s role as the defender and protector of his kingdom. One of his primary responsibilities as king was to finish what Joshua and the people of Israel had begun when they first entered the Land of Promise. God had given David victories against the Philistines, Moabites, Amalekites, Edomites, Ammonites, and Syrians. But chapter 19 describes David as having to go to war yet again because the newly crowned king of the Ammonites chose to reject David’s offer of peace.

David sent emissaries to Hanun, the new king of the Ammonites, offering his condolences over the death of Hanun’s father. But Hanun’s princes and advisors suspected that David’s representatives were spies who had been sent to gather intel about the city’s defenses. Having listened to the counsel of his skeptical advisors, Hanun chose to send King David a very different message. He ordered that the men be arrested and publicly humiliated.

So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame. – 1 Chronicles 19:4 NLT

Upon discovering the fate of his loyal servants, David was infuriated and declared war on the Amonites. In response, Hanun sought out the services of Syrian mercenaries to assist them in their coming battle with Israel.

What is noteworthy about this entire scenario is what it reveals about David’s actions as commander-in-chief of Israel’s military forces. Most likely, this event took place early on in David’s reign. He spent the formative years of his rule dealing with the enemies that surrounded Israel and found himself constantly having to go to battle with one nation or another. David was a warrior-king who recognized that military conflict was a big part of his job description. He took to it naturally and managed Israel’s forces successfully.

But in this case, David set a dangerous precedent. In response to Hanun’s treatment of his men, David chose to send Joab to do battle with the Ammonites, while he remained behind. It is also notable that David did not seem to seek the counsel of God before implementing his payback strategy. It appears that he took Hanun’s debasing treatment of his men as a personal affront and determined to protect his own personal honor by declaring war. David did not seek the counsel of his advisors or turn to God for divine guidance. Instead, he ordered Joab to lead the Israelite forces into battle against the combined armies of the Ammonites and Syrians.

Upon his arrival on the battlefield, Job discovered that he was not only out-manned but facing a battle on two fronts. It would only be through his skillful leadership that the enemy was defeated. But even Joab recognized that any hopes of victory were up to God. Just before the battle, he told his men, “Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done. (1 Chronicles 19:13 NLT).

Joab faithfully followed David’s order and led his men into battle, but he displayed a remarkable awareness that their success was completely dependent upon God. Amazingly, all during this intense confrontation between Israel and the Ammonites, David remained safely ensconced in his royal palace in Jerusalem. He would only enter the fight after the Ammonites and Syrians were routed by Joab and the forces of Israel. When he received word that the Syrians had mustered their own army against Israel, he personally led his troops into battle, ultimately defeating the Syrians.

What is the significance of this particular military campaign? Why is it even recorded in the Scriptures? To discover the answer, one must turn to 2 Samuel 10-11. In these two chapters, the very same story about David and the Ammonites is recorded. But in chapter 11, Samuel adds the infamous story of David’s affair with Bathsheba. For some undisclosed reason, the chronicler chose not to include that dark day in David’s life. But for Samuel, the story of David and the Ammonites served as a fitting preface for the sordid tale of David and Bathsheba. According to 2 Samuel 11, David, the warrior-kin once again found himself facing armed conflict with one of Israel’s many enemies, but rather than leading his troops into battle, he chose to stay behind in Jerusalem. It seems that after his successful routing of the Ammonites and Syrians, David established a very unwise habit.

Chapter 11 will open with the seemingly innocuous words, “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1 ESV). Yet again, David will send Joab and his troops into battle while he remains safe behind in Jerusalem. Due to favorable weather conditions, Spring was the prime season of the year for military operations. It was in the Spring that kings led their troops into battle – but not David. He would stay behind and delegate his duties to Joab.

David’s primary responsibility as king was to secure the land and eradicate the threat posed by the pagan nations that surrounded Israel. As God’s designated sovereign, David was charged with the duty to carry out the command given to Moses and then passed on to Joshua.

“…but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded, that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the Lord your God.” – Deuteronomy 20:17-18 ESV

As long as nations were threatening the physical and spiritual well-being of Israel, David had one job to do. He was to lead Israel’s armies into battle against the enemies of God and he wasn’t to delegate that responsibility to anyone else. But David appears to have had a problem with shirking responsibility, and not just when it came to military matters. You can see it in his role as a father. Time and time again, David failed to lead his growing family well. His obsession with women had resulted in a growing household filled with countless sons and daughters. But it is one thing to bring children into the world and another thing to father and lead them well. David appears to have delegated the upbringing of his children to his many wives. But this abdication of his God-given responsibility as the head of his home would come back to haunt him.

David enjoyed victories over the Ammonites and the Syrians, in large part due to the leadership and faith of Joab. But David’s decision to remain at home while his armies went into battle was going to prove to be a bad habit that produced even worse results. When we fail to do what God has called us to do because we are distracted by the cares of this world, we may experience success in life, but the time will come when our victories turn into defeats.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds them that their salvation had been for a purpose. They had been saved by God, not because they were good people who deserved to be saved, but because God had something for them to do.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

David had been hand-selected by God and given a one-of-a-kind opportunity to serve as His appointed representative. David was to be a unifier of the 12 tribes and the undisputed champion of Israel’s future success.

“I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.” – 2 Samuel 7:8-9 NLT

But somewhere along the way, David had become distracted with the cares of this world. He had lost sight of his priorities and allowed other, more pressing matters to interfere with his primary responsibilities.

As followers of Christ, we can be guilty of the same thing. Like David, we are here for a reason. We have a God-given job to do, and we can’t afford to shirk our responsibilities or decide to delegate our job to someone else. When we fail to do what God has called us to do, we risk His discipline. He won’t fall out of love with us, but He will allow us to experience the painful lessons that come with disobedience. The author of Hebrews reminds us to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).

We have a mission to accomplish. We have a race to run. And the author of Hebrews would have us remember that any attempt to avoid our calling with result in the loving discipline of God; a lesson that David would eventually have to learn.

…don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. – Hebrews 12:5-7 NLT

The apostle Paul understood the need for believers to embrace their God-given commission. He knew that salvation was a calling to something far greater than an escape from sin and condemnation. It was a divine enlistment into the Host of Heaven and a lifelong commitment to the cause of Christ.

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. – 2 Timothy 2:3-6 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Never-Ending Battle With Sin

1 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

3 David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah-Hamath, as he went to set up his monument at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze. With it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze.

9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze. 11 These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

12 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

14 So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people. 15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and Shavsha was secretary; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were the chief officials in the service of the king. – 1 Chronicles 18:1-17 ESV

Chapter 14 ends with the words: “And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.” (1 Chronicles 14:16 ESV). Chapter 18 begins with the words: “After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines” (1 Chronicles 18:1 ESV). Many commentators believe that chapters 15 and 16 are parenthetical and not chronological in nature. They deal with more religious-oriented aspects of David’s reign, while chapters 14 and 18 deal with his military conquests.

Chapter 15 describes David’s efforts to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem. Chapter 17 covers God’s giving of His covenant to David. This chapter opens with the words: “Now when David lived in his house…” (1 Chronicles 17:1 ESV). The companion passage in 2 Samuel adds an interesting detail.

Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies…” – 2 Samuel 7:1 ESV

It is that second half of the sentence that leads most Old Testament scholars to believe the covenant was given to David late in his reign after he had ceased from war with the enemies of Israel. Therefore, like chapters 15 and 16, chapter 17 is out of chronological order. These chapters were placed where they are in the story because they provide a spiritual context to David’s reign. They reveal his zeal for and dedication to the Lord, a key motivating force in his military efforts. They also shed light on the real source behind David’s military success: God. That point is made clear in chapter 18.

And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. – 1 Chronicles 18:13 ESV

Chapter 18 picks up where chapter 14 left off. David, as God’s hand-picked king, was finishing what Joshua and the people of Israel should have done when they entered the Promised Land years earlier. God had given them very specific commands regarding their conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan.

“Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. – Joshua 1:2-5 NLT

God had told Moses what the people were to do when they entered the land He had promised to Abraham and his descendants, and Moses had passed the words of God on to the people.

“In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God.” – Deuteronomy 20:16-18 NLT

But the people of God had disobeyed and failed to purge the land of its inhabitants. They had been half-hearted in their efforts and allowed the majority of the nations that occupied the land of Canaan to remain. And, just as God had predicted, the people of the land ended up infecting the people of God with their idolatry, immorality, and “detestable customs.” This is what led to the period of the judges. In fact, the opening chapters of the book of Judges reveal exactly what had happened.

 The Lord was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. – Judges 1:19 ESV

The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin. – Judges 1:21 ESV

The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlements…  – Judges 1:27 ESV

The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them. – Judges 1:29 ESV

The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. – Judges 1:30 ESV

This pattern of repeated nonfeasance got so bad that God ended up sending an angel to deliver some extremely bad news:

“I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.” – Judges 2:1-3 NLT

Because they refused to do as He commanded, God removed His divine protection. By the time David became king, the situation had grown far worse. Without God’s divine assistance, the Israelites found themselves unable to “weed out” the thorns that surrounded them. These remnant nations proved to be a real threat to Israel’s future as a nation, not just physically but spiritually. Their armies constantly harassed the people of Israel but it was their false gods that did the greatest damage. Idolatry ended up being Israel’s Achilles heal.

So, as the king and commander-in-chief of Israel's armies, David determined to finish what Joshua had begun. He was going to carry out God’s command and purge the land of these nations and their false gods.

David defeated the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Edomites, Amalekites, Ammonites, and the armies of Zobah. However, the author makes it clear that David’s military successes were not his own doing. God was giving David victories over his enemies. The very fact that David was forced to fight so many battles reflects just how unsuccessful the Israelites had been in their efforts to rid the land of its inhabitants. Their disobedience had allowed these nations to not only survive but to thrive. They had grown in numbers and strength and were no longer merely an irritant to the people of Israel, but a real threat to their existence. But David was doing everything in his power and with God’s help to subdue and destroy them.

To our modern, more enlightened sensibilities, the content of this chapter can be shocking, even appalling. God’s order for the complete annihilation of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan seems to portray Him as callous and blood-thirsty, with a seemingly capricious outlook on human life. How can the loving, creator-God call for the destruction of entire people groups, including men, women, and innocent children? This question has caused many to doubt the veracity of the Old Testament. It has led others to reject the very idea of God Himself. Richard Dawkins, a proudly professing atheist and staunch opponent of Christianity has described the God of the Bible as, “a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully” (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion).  He goes on to state, “The tragi-farce of God’s maniacal jealousy against alternative gods recurs continually through the Old Testament.”

For someone like Dawkins, the issue has less to do with the destruction of the people of Canaan, than it does with his desire for proof that the God of the Bible is the fanciful creation of man’s imagination. He simply uses the Old Testament record of God’s call for the destruction of the inhabitants of Canaan as proof that this so-called “God” of the Israelites, even if He did exist, would not be worth following. But he misses the whole point of the story and the true nature of mankind’s tragic situation.

The Bible makes it painfully clear that all men (women and children included) are sinners and stand before God as guilty and worthy of death. Their sins are not viewed as innocent mistakes or simply character flaws but as acts of open rebellion against a holy God. Humanity rejected the rule and reign of God, choosing the path of autonomy and self-rule. This anarchy had to be dealt with and, because God’s holiness consists of justice, He was obligated by His own nature to deal righteously with the sins of men. He could not simply overlook mankind’s rebellion because He recognized that sin, like an infectious disease, is contagious and capable of spreading from one person to another. Like cancer cells in the human body, sin metastasizes and spreads, destroying everything in its path. Sin is non-discriminatory and merciless.

God’s call for the destruction of the inhabitants of the land was based on His understanding of the true danger of indwelling sin. Left unchecked, the sinful dispositions of the unbelieving Canaanites would gradually infect and influence the people of God. According to the Old Testament record, that is exactly what happened. Over time, the people of Israel found themselves abandoning their set-apart status as God’s chosen people and blending in with the surrounding culture. They became just like the nations around them as the cancer of sin spread among them and destroyed their once-healthy relationship with God.

The same thing happens to believers today as we allow the sins of the world to contaminate our lives. Rather than doing radical surgery and removing the sin that so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1), we embrace it, welcoming it with open arms. We end up loving the world and the things of the world (1 John 12:15). We become friends with the world, failing to recognize that the world hates us and is out to destroy us (John 15:18-19).

The removal of the sinful influences in our lives is difficult and oftentimes painful. It may require us to abandon those longstanding relationships that are a negative influence on our lives and a threat to our spiritual health. As God’s chosen people, we are expected to live set-apart lives that clearly differentiate our status as His children. This demands that we pull away from those individuals whose influence in our lives is unhealthy and potentially destructive. This may sound radical and even unloving, but it is for our own good.

God doesn’t forbid our association with the world. He doesn’t expect us to live in seclusion, isolating ourselves from the surrounding culture. We are called to be salt and light, agents of influence and change in a sin-darkened world. But we must take sin seriously. We must never compromise our convictions or grow complacent about our calling. David knew just how dangerous sin could be, both externally and internally, and he was willing to do whatever it took to remove both. In Psalm 139, he offers a compelling and heartfelt prayer to God.

O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
    Get out of my life, you murderers!
They blaspheme you;
    your enemies misuse your name.
O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
    Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
    for your enemies are my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life. – Psalm 139:19-24 NLT

But as those living on this side of the cross, we must balance the words of David with those of Jesus. He came to offer a better way. He provided a new weapon in the war against sin: The gospel. That is why He could tell His followers that the key to conquering sin is love.

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you…Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” – Luke 6:27-28, 35-36 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Do As You Have Spoken

16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19 For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.” – 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 ESV

One of the keys to understanding David’s lasting legacy as Israel’s greatest king is found in this marvelous prayer he offers to God. As the Scriptures make painfully clear, David was far from perfect. Yes, according to God’s own estimation, David was a man after His own heart, but he also had a heart that was strongly attracted to the opposite sex and led him to violate God’s command against multiplying wives for himself. David had an impulsive streak that continually got him into trouble and an equal predisposition toward inaction that caused him great difficulty. But when all is said and done, and the evaluation of David’s life is complete, it is difficult not to conclude that he was a man who loved God and understood the unique nature of their relationship.

In this prayer, David repeatedly refers to himself as the servant of God and another eight times he calls God his master. This speaks volumes regarding David’s comprehension of his role and God’s rule. David may have been the king of Israel but God was the King of the universe. David understood that he served at the behest of the sovereign Lord and he had been the unworthy recipient of God’s grace and mercy. His rise from a lowly shepherd boy to the most powerful position in the land had been totally undeserved and David acknowledged that fact. His humility shines through as he expresses his amazement that God had chosen to use him.

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” – 1 Chronicles 17:16 NLT

As David reflected on the charmed nature of his current life and considered the implications of God’s promise of an everlasting dynasty, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the fact that none of it had been his own doing. He was not responsible for his own success.

“For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.” – 1 Chronicles 17:19 NLT

David didn’t see his elevation to the throne as something he deserved or had earned. It had been in fulfillment of God’s promise and was an outward demonstration of God’s faithfulness and sovereign power. He had been the recipient of God’s unmerited love and favor, and David’s past experience confirmed that the Almighty always fulfills what He promises because He is the faithful, covenant-keeping God.

As king, David enjoyed all the benefits that came with the job. He was a man who wielded great power and influence. He was revered by his own people and feared by the enemies of Israel. He possessed great wealth and a reputation as a mighty warrior. But David was far more impressed with the greatness of God.

“O Lord, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!” – 1 Chronicles 17:21 NLT

This man who helped put Israel on the map militarily and politically knew that God was ultimately responsible for its existence. It had all been according to His sovereign will. David understood that the only reason he had a nation over which to rule and reign was because God had ordained it. There would have been no Israel had God not chosen an obscure pagan named Abraham to whom He promised to form a great nation. There would have been no exodus unless God had chosen to step in and rescue His people from their slavery in Egypt.

“What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt.” – 1 Chronicles 17:21 NLT

David knew that God had been the one to lead the people of Israel out of bondage, across the wilderness, and into the land of Canaan. It was God who had performed miracles along the way and provided victories over the inhabitants of Canaan.

“You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way.” – 1 Chronicles 17:21 NLT

It is easy to understand why the chronicler included this prayer in his message to the returned remnant of Israel. He wanted them to hear the words of David himself as he praised the greatness and goodness of God. Growing up in Babylon, they had heard the stories of David’s exploits. They were familiar with his feats of greatness and longed for the day when they too would have a king as powerful and successful as David. But as they heard the humble and reverent words of David reflected in this prayer, they would have been encouraged to trust the God who made his reign and their existence as a people possible.

“You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.” – 1 Chronicles 17:22 NLT

It did not escape David that there would have been no land for him to rule over had God not made it possible, and he was blown away by it all. To top it all off, God promised to “build a house” for him. This wasn’t about a residential upgrade; God wasn’t guaranteeing David the promise of a grand palace made with great stones, massive wooden beams, precious metals, and rare jewels. No, God was promising to expand David’s kingdom and extend his dynasty for generations to come. His would not be a one-and-done reign like that of Saul, whose dynasty died with him. David would see his kingdom thrive and flourish under the leadership of his own son, Solomon. And while David’s reign would eventually come to an end, God promised that his fame and renown would long outlast him.

“Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!” – 1 Chronicles 17:8 NLT

“I declare that the Lord will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.” – 1 Chronicles 17:10-11 NLT

What an amazing promise. The staggering significance of those words did not escape David because he knew just how fleeting a king’s reign could be. He had personally watched his predecessor’s reign whither and die and knew that kingdoms could end just as easily as they began. David understood that the key to his kingdom’s longevity was tied directly to God’s sovereignty. So David asked God to graciously extend his kingdom forever. 

“…now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” – 1 Chronicles 17:27 NLT

God made the promise and now David was humbly asking Him to graciously fulfill it. This was not an expression of doubt on David’s part. He was not questioning the faithfulness of God but was simply acknowledging his fear of doing anything that might jeopardize its outcome.  He knew that the length of his legacy was tied directly to the depth of his dependency upon God. As long as he recognized God as the ultimate King of Israel, his kingdom would flourish and his legacy would last. David knew that the blessings of God were bound to his own obedience as king. He stood as the representative for God’s people, serving as their proxy or stand-in. His faithfulness was to reflect the hearts of the people; his leadership would inform and influence the entire nation.

And this message would not have been lost on the audience to whom the chronicler addressed his letter. Centuries after the reign of David ended, this small rag-tag group of Israelites had returned to the land of promise and to the city of Jerusalem where David had prayed these words. By including David’s prayer in his record, the chronicler was recalling their rich heritage while, at the same time, reminding them of God’s faithful promises.

“For you are God, O Lord. And you have promised these good things to your servant.” – 1 Chronicles 17:26 NLT

There is an old proverb that says, “As the king, so are the subjects.” The truth of this statement is reflected in the lives of Israel’s kings. The record of their reigns is recorded in the books of First and Second Kings. In these ancient texts, a repeated pattern emerges that chronicles the disobedience and unfaithfulness of Israel’s kings. Time and time again, these men chose to worship false gods and, in so doing, they led their subjects away from the one true God. They sacrificed their dependence upon God in exchange for the false assurances of idols and unreliable alliances with foreign nations. They turned their backs on God and, eventually, God was forced to turn His back on them. Despite His repeated calls to repent, the kings refused to obey. Their stubborn resistance to His will resulted in the northern kingdom of Judah being conquered and enslaved by the Assyrians. Hundreds of years later, the southern kingdom of Judah suffered a similar fate, falling to the Babylonians and having to endure seven decades of enslavement and subjugation.

The readers of 1 Chronicles were very familiar with the last part of this story because they had lived it. They were the generation that had been born in exile in Babylon. But they had recently returned to the land of promise and needed to be reminded that, despite all the unfaithfulness of their forefathers, their God was faithful to keep His covenant promise to David. The throne of David may have been unoccupied and they were longing for a king to rule over them. But they needed to know that they still had the King of the universe on their side and operating on their behalf. He had not forgotten them.

This same message applies to all of us living millennia after this book was written. At this moment, Israel still has no king sitting on the throne of David. But God is not done. Every promise He made to David will be fulfilled and the King who will reign has come and will come again. One day, Jesus Christ, the Messiah and descendant of David will return to claim His rightful place as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will establish His throne in Jerusalem, ruling as the rightful heir of David the King, and His reign will be an everlasting one. Not only that, but His rule will be marked by righteousness, justice, and holiness. When that day comes, there will be no other kings and no other kingdoms to stand against His because there is no God beside Him. Jesus Christ will be the final fulfillment of God’s promise to David.

“I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you. I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.” – 1 Chronicles 17:13-14 NLT

The greatest news is that David’s kingdom did not end with his death or that of his son Solomon. It didn’t end with the captivities of Judah or Israel. It didn’t end with the fall of Jerusalem or the destruction of the Temple. There is a day coming when God will fulfill His covenant with David. He will send His Son back to earth to take His rightful position as the heir to David’s throne, where He will rule and reign in righteousness. And it is to the promise of that day God’s people look and hope.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Well Worth the Wait

7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. – 1 Chronicles 17:7-15 ESV

Once again, the chronicler borrows from the writings of the prophet Samuel, copying virtually verbatim, the words found in 2 Samuel 7:4-17. In verse 1 of that same chapter, Samuel provides an important detail that sheds light on where this event takes place on the timeline of David’s life.

Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies… – 2 Samuel 7:1 ESV

The chronicler chose to place this watershed moment at this point in the narrative, not because it fits in chronologically, but because it laid the foundation for the rest of the book. It helps explain the future reign of Solomon and explains why God remained committed to the kingdom of Israel, even though the majority of their kings failed to remain faithful to Him.

The covenant outlined in this chapter, known as the Davidic Covenant, was actually a type of treaty, commonly referred to as a grant treaty. In this form of treaty, the sovereign makes a commitment to his servant that is typically unconditional. In the case of chapter 17 of 1 Chronicles, God the King is making a promise or covenant with His servant, David, and it is not contingent upon David’s actions or require him to hold up his end of the bargain. It is what is known as a unilateral covenant, not a bilateral one. God is promising to do something for David that has no basis in David’s obedience or faithfulness. A close examination of God’s words reveals the one-sided aspect of this treaty. Eleven different times God states His intention to act unilaterally and with no expectation of reciprocation on David’s part.

“I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth…”  – vs 8

“I will appoint a place for my people Israel…” – vs 9

“[I] will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more.” – vs 9

“I will subdue all your enemies” – vs 10

“I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house…” – vs 10

“I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons” – vs 11

“I will establish his kingdom” – vs 11

“I will establish his throne forever.” – vs 12

“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son… – vs 13

“I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you…” – vs 13

“I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever…” – vs 14

This covenant was dependent solely on God and required nothing of David. It provides a vivid picture of God’s faithfulness and love but says nothing of David’s worthiness or obedience. David had done nothing to earn or deserve this covenant from God. Even his desire to build a house for God had been flatly rejected. God never asked David to build Him a Temple because He didn’t need one. While David’s heart was in the right place, his intentions were misguided. He desired to make God’s name great by constructing a Temple worthy of His glory. But why had David waited so long to come up with a plan to upgrade God’s dwelling place? He had enjoyed years living in the luxury of his royal palace while the Ark of the Covenant sat in a tent.

Again, verse 1 of 1 Samuel 7 sheds some light on this situation. Samuel indicates that “the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies” (2 Samuel 7:1 ESV). This would seem to indicate that Israel was enjoying an extended period of national peace. This would not have been the case early in David’s reign because he faced constant threats from the Philistines. So, it would seem that the ratification of this covenant came much later in David’s life. That would mean his decision to build a house for God came near the end of his reign.

It seems David’s change of heart was motivated more by embarrassment than a divinely inspired epiphany. He came to the sudden realization that he had prioritized his own needs over those of God. This led him to confess, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” (2 Samuel 7:2 NLT).

But God had other plans of which David and Nathan the prophet were both ignorant. When David first ran his idea by Nathan, the prophet had given him the go-ahead. It sounded like a great idea to him and he gave his hearty approval, even suggesting that God was fully behind the project. But Nathan soon discovered that God had something else in mind. His plans for David did not include the construction of a temple. In fact, God turned the tables and informed David that it was He who would do the house-building.

“I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house.” – 1 Chronicles 17:10 ESV

God didn’t need David to build Him a house. But David needed God’s help in building a kingdom. Basking in the peace and prosperity that marked the latter days of his reign, David decided it was time to shift his focus from warfare to worship. He was convicted over his neglect of the ark and wanted to do something to remedy the problem. He dreamed of erecting a magnificent building that would reflect the glory of God. But God had never commissioned David to be a construction manager. He reminds David of his primary role as king: “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel” (1 Chronicles 17:7 ESV). He was to lead and care for the people of God.

It was God who would do the building and it was not a temple or a palace He had in mind. God promised to give David a legacy that would last long after his death. His son, Solomon, would follow him as king, and his reign would be marked by unprecedented peace and prosperity. It would be Solomon who would build a magnificent temple for God. The son would fulfill the father’s dream.

Yet, the sad reality is that Solomon’s reign would not end well. He would prove to be disobedient to God, having married hundreds of foreign wives and worshiping their false gods. As a result, God would split the kingdom in half. While descendants of David would continue to rule over Judah from his throne in Jerusalem, another line of kings would reign over the northern kingdom of Israel. Then the time would come when both kingdoms would end up in captivity, the direct result of their stubborn disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. From that point forward, no kings would rule over Israel or Judah.

The chronicler recorded this covenant agreement so that the remnant of Israelites who had returned from captivity in Babylon would be reminded of their history but, more importantly, that they would trust the promise of God. As they heard the words of this covenant, they must have wondered when it would be fulfilled. What did God mean when He told David, “I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever” (1 Chronicles 17:14 NLT)? There was no throne in Jerusalem and, even if there was, there was no king to sit on it. There was no descendant of David to rule and reign over God’s chosen people.

From their perspective, it appeared as if God had broken His end of the agreement. The line of David had ended. The dynasty had come to an abrupt and ignominious end. But what they failed to understand was that God had a plan that included the fulfillment of His covenant promises. Every “I will” statement that God made to David would come about just as He said. A descendant of David would sit on the throne in Jerusalem. The dynasty of David did not end with the Babylonian captivity.

This passage points to Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who will one day return to earth and reclaim the throne of David. Centuries after David received this covenant commitment from God, an angel would appear to a young virgin, telling her, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33 NLT).

The prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming of this King when he wrote, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity” (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT).

Daniel also told of a kingdom to come: “…the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever” (Daniel 2:44 NLT).

The apostle John, in the vision given to him while exiled on the island of Patmos, saw this coming King in all His glory.

“…and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads…the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, ‘You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.’” – Revelation 4:2-4, 10-11 ESV

The Davidic covenant is a watershed moment in the story of David’s life. God was letting David know that his kingdom would be far greater and far more impactful than anything he could ever imagine. God’s plans for David went well beyond his reign or that of his son, and while the descendants of David proved unfaithful and unreliable, God remained committed to His covenant and faithful to fulfill what He has promised. The apostle John concludes his great book of Revelation with the stirring image of Christ’s reign on the throne of David:

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:2-4 ESV

The remnant wanted an immediate solution to their problem. Their expectations were for a king who would lead them to victory and prosperity. They wanted a short-term solution to a long-term problem. But God had bigger plans that involved far more than their finite minds could grasp. They had been set free from captivity, but they were still slaves to sin. They had returned to the land of promise but little did they know that they were waiting for the child of the promise. God was playing the long game. He had King in mind who would fulfill every promise He had made to David and, while the years would pass before His arrival, the wait would be well worth it.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Petty Plans of Man

37 So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required, 38 and also Obed-edom and his sixty-eight brothers, while Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord that he commanded Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.

43 Then all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to bless his household.

1 Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” 2 And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’” – 1 Chronicles 16:37-17:7 ESV

The day of celebration and sacrifice came to an end with the Ark of the Covenant safely ensconced in its new home within the walls of the city of Jerusalem. This entire scenario raises some interesting questions regarding David’s actions. Why did he remove the Ark of the Covenant from its place within the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle at Gibeon? Had God instructed him to do so? What did he hope to gain from separating the ark from the Tabernacle and the other sacred furnishings that were instrumental in the sacrificial system God had established?

When David moved the ark into Jerusalem, he placed it within a tent he had erected (1 Chronicles 16:1), but God had ordained that the ark be kept within the Holy of Holies.

“For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. Hang this curtain on gold hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood. Overlay the posts with gold, and set them in four silver bases. Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

“Then put the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Most Holy Place.” – Exodus 26:31-34 NLT

The entire Tabernacle complex was designed as a holistic, interdependent structure in which every piece of furniture and architectural element served a purpose. Elaborately designed and painstakingly constructed, the Tabernacle served as the central worship center for the people of Israel. It was there that they gathered once a year on the Day of Atonement so that the high priest could offer the prescribed sacrifices that purify the people of their sins and restore them to a right relationship with God.

“Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. There in the Lord’s presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die. Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.

“Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites. No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron enters it for the purification ceremony in the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after purifying himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with the Lord.” – Leviticus 16:11-17 NLT

For this sanctifying ceremony to take place, the ark needed to be in close proximity to the bronze altar and the rest of the furnishings of the Tabernacle. By removing the ark from its place within the Holy of Holies, David complicated the process of atonement for the people. As the annual Day of Atonement approached, was his plan to move the ark back to the Tabernacle in Gibeon? Did he somehow expect the high priest to offer the atoning sacrifices in Gibeon and then transport the blood of the animals to Jerusalem where he could sprinkle it on the ark? None of these details are provided in the narrative but we do know that David had plans for the ark as long as it remained in Jerusalem, and it would appear that those plans were permanent in nature.

David arranged for Asaph and his fellow Levites to serve regularly before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, doing whatever needed to be done each day. – 1 Chronicles 16:37 NLT

David established a permanent team of Levitical priests to care for the ark and to offer regular sacrifices within the new temporary “tabernacle” he had established in Jerusalem. David didn’t attempt to abandon or replace the Tabernacle in Gibeon, but instead, he established another set of priests to maintain the various daily sacrifices ordained by God.

David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the Lord. They sacrificed the regular burnt offerings to the Lord each morning and evening on the altar set aside for that purpose, obeying everything written in the Law of the Lord, as he had commanded Israel. – 1 Chronicles 16;39-40 NLT

The chronicler doesn’t reveal how long this bifurcated arrangement was in place, but he does state that David soon realized the need for a permanent structure to replace the Tabernacle in Gibeon. David began dreaming of a day when he could build a temple worthy of his God.

When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant is out there under a tent!” – 1 Chronicles 17:1 NLT

Chapter 15 opens with the report that “David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it” (1 Chronicles 15:1 NLT). One of those “houses” was “a beautiful cedar palace” that was made possible through the generosity of a neighboring king.

Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber, and stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. – 1 Chronicles 14:1 NLT

But as David enjoyed the splendor of his new, cost-free palace, he realized that the ark was still housed in a far-from-luxurious structure made of animal skins. David was living in regal splendor while the Ark of the Covenant, upon which the shekinah glory of God was supposed to reside, was relegated to a bedouin tent.

Burdened by the disparity between his housing and that of God, David came up with a plan to rectify the problem. When he ran his idea by Nathan, the prophet gave his hearty seal of approval.

“Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you.” – 1 Chronicles 17:2 NLT

It seems that Nathan spoke too soon. He obviously didn’t check with God before giving his response to David because, that night, he received a message from the Lord that revealed a completely different plan.

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in. I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another in a Tabernacle. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s leaders, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’” – 1 Chronicles 17:4-6 NLT

David’s heart was in the right place, but he was operating outside the will of God. He had not approached Nathan the prophet in the hopes of getting a word from the Lord. He had already made a decision and was only seeking the prophet’s approval. But as God makes clear, He had not asked David to build Him a house. In fact, it had been God’s idea to dwell in a temporary Tabernacle of His own design.

The prophet Isaiah provides a powerful message from the Lord that exposes the folly of trying to construct an earthly house that would live up to His holy and righteous standards.

This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
    Could you build me such a resting place?
My hands have made both heaven and earth;
    they and everything in them are mine.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
    who tremble at my word.” – Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT

But David had not read these words and he had a desire to honor God by constructing a house worthy of His glory. His heart was in the right place, but his will was not in line with the Lord’s. The Proverbs make it clear that man’s plan, even though well-intended, can never trump the will of God.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. – Proverbs 19:21 ESV

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 ESV

David’s dream of building a palace for God was put on hold because God had other plans. God wasn’t fully rejecting David’s idea; He simply wanted David to understand that He didn’t need David’s help or advice. God was not dependent upon David to build Him a house. He didn’t need David to accomplish great feats on His behalf or to increase the borders of the nation of Israel. As David would soon discover, he was a vessel in the hands of God Almighty and ordained to play an important role in God’s grand scheme of redemption. David could reunite the tribes of Israel, establish a royal capital, build palaces, sire heirs, and even relocate the Ark of the Covenant, but none of it mattered if God was not behind it. He had plans that David and even Nathan the prophet knew nothing about. David dreamed of building a grand temple for the Lord that would be the envy of the nations. But God had plans to build a “house” for David that would have would bring salvation to the world.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Lord Reigns

1 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.

4 Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

14 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

19 When you were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
    Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
30     tremble before him, all the earth;
    yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
    and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

35 Say also:

“Save us, O God of our salvation,
    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!”

Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. – 1 Chronicles 16:1-36 ESV

This passage provides evidence for why God considered David to be a man after His own heart. Despite his flaws, David was deeply committed to God and fully aware of his dependence upon the Lord’s love, mercy, and grace. Since his anointing by Samuel as a young boy, David had learned to rely upon the presence and power of God in his life. His journey from the sheepfold to the palace had not been an easy one, but God had been with him all along the way. He had experienced periods of extreme difficulty and moments of exhilarating victory. He had been able to survive the former and rejoice in the latter because of the sovereign hand of God.

As he celebrated his consolidated kingship and the successful placement of the Ark of the Covenant within the walls of Jerusalem, David expressed his immense gratitude to God for all He had done. By transferring the ark to his newly established capital city, David was reminding the people of Israel that God was going to be at the center of his reign. In fact, he wanted every Israelite to understand that it was God who was their true King.

"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, 'The Lord reigns!'" ­– 1 Chronicles 16:31 NLT

This entire ceremony was intended to elevate Yahweh among the people by making Him the center of attention. The ark was nothing more than a symbol of God’s abiding presence. It possessed no magical powers and, on its own, could provide no benefits to the people of Israel. But it had been designed by God and deemed the seat on which His glory would descend and rest. When God gave Moses the plans for constructing the Tabernacle, He included the specifications for the ark and the Mercy Seat that served as its cover or lid.  

“Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.” – Exodus 25:17-22 NLT

In essence, the Mercy Seat served as God’s earthly throne. It was from there that He ruled and reigned over His chosen people during their days of wandering in the wilderness. David wanted his new subjects to understand that their allegiance was to be to God Almighty, not him. David served as a vice-regent under the one true King. It was God who was worthy of worship and reverence. Despite his crowning as king, David knew that his role was still that of a shepherd tasked with shepherding the flock of God. David had been chosen to care for sheep of God’s pasture, but they had proved to be particularly wayward and stubborn.

…he [God] led his own people like a flock of sheep,
    guiding them safely through the wilderness.
He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
    but the sea covered their enemies.
He brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to this land of hills he had won for them.
He drove out the nations before them;
    he gave them their inheritance by lot.
    He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
    They did not obey his laws. – Psalm 78:52-56 NLT

Over the years, the Israelites displayed a stubborn rebellious streak that repeatedly tested God’s patience. Their demand for a king had resulted in the appointment of Saul, who proved to be a bitter disappointment. But God graciously provided a replacement who would shepherd His flock well.

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NLT

The chronicler knew that his audience of returned exiles longed for the day when God would give them a king like David. They suffered from the-good-old-days syndrome, dreaming of the moment when they would have their own king who would shepherd them with a true heart and lead them with skillful hands. But the chronicler wanted them to understand that God was their King and he still ruled and reigned among them.

By including David’s song of thanksgiving, the chronicler drove home the message that Yahweh sits on His throne ruling over all mankind and accomplishing His divine will as He sees fit. As David began his long-awaited reign as the king of Israel, he reminded his subjects that God was the ultimate king of their nation. David set up the ark in the capital city of Jerusalem to assure his subjects that this kingdom was a theocracy first and a monarchy second. David reigned on God's behalf and at His bequest. God had put him on the throne and God could just as easily remove him. Both David and the people were obligated to treat God with the dignity, honor, and reverence He deserved.

David led the people in a celebration of God's goodness and grace. The arrival of the Ark in the city of Jerusalem was a reminder that God was intimately involved in their lives. For that reason, He deserved their praise, worship, allegiance, and thanksgiving. David reminded them of all that God has done on their behalf. He recalled God's faithfulness and redemptive work in their lives over the years.

Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given… – 1 Chronicles 16:12 NLT

He wanted them to know that their God was good and worthy of praise.

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! – 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 NLT

It was the Israelites’ relationship with God that set them apart from all the other nations. He was the difference maker. It was their status as God’s chosen people that made them unique among all the other people groups that populated the planet at that time. God was real and not an idol. He was powerful and not just a figment of someone's fertile imagination, and He had been intimately involved in every aspect of their daily lives for generations.

They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.” – 1 Chronicles 16:20-22 NLT

For all that, He is to be worshiped, praised and obeyed.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
   Let all the earth tremble before him.
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. – 1 Chronicles 16:29-30 NLT

The chronicler used these powerful words of David to remind the remnant of returned exiles that their God was still powerful and fully capable of meeting their needs. He knew that they were demoralized and doubting the goodness and greatness of God. As they surveyed the state of the city of Jerusalem, they saw its broken-down walls, its dilapidated houses, and the hastily restored Temple that was a sad shadow of the grand house that Solomon had built. To make matters worse, the Holy of Holies of this Temple was missing the Ark of the Covenant. The chronicler knew that they were questioning the presence and power of God, so he used this historical moment from the life of David to restore their confidence and trust in their ever-present, all-powerful God.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
    Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.”

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting! – 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NLT

This passage also serves as a timely reminder to all those who call themselves the people of God. The words of David should convict us of the many times we doubt and become disillusioned with God’s seeming absence or apathy toward our circumstances. Both David and the chronicler would have us recall that our God is just as powerful today as He was then. He is timeless and tireless when it comes to His providential care for His people. He deserves our praise as much as He did theirs. He is worthy of our thanks, praise, honor, and obedience – because He alone is God and it is He alone who is to reign in the lives of His people.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. – 1 Chronicles 16:29 NLT

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT

God is worthy of worship, deserving of praise, and fully owed our thanksgiving and honor for all that He has done for us.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

David: A King of Contrasts

1 David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. 3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his brothers; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his brothers; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his brothers. 11 Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.

16 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; 21 but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.

25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.

29 And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart. – 1 Chronicles 15:1-29 ESV

Having settled in his new capital city of Jerusalem, David began the process of constructing a house in which to live. Few details are provided about this new palace, but due to the generosity of a neighboring ruler, David’s home was likely fit for a king.

Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. – 1 Chronicles 14:1 ESV

But David wasn’t satisfied with one home; according to the chronicler, he “built houses for himself in the city of David” (1 Chronicles 15:1 ESV). David’s ambitious home-building effort mostly likely reflects his understanding of his status as God’s chosen leader.

David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had greatly blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. – 1 Chronicles 14:2 NLT

The number of homes he constructed probably had more to do with the size of his household than anything else. At this point in his reign, he had at least seven wives and a growing household of children. The various homes were intended to house his large and ever-expanding family.

But having completed his personal projects, David endeavored to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem a second time. His earlier attempt to bring the ark into the city had ended with the untimely death of Uzzah. This tragedy had taken place because David had disobeyed God’s commands concerning the transportation of the ark. Rather than having the ark carried by the Levites, David had ordered it to be placed on an ox-drawn cart. When the oxen stumbled and the ark began to fall, Uzzah reached out to steady it and was instantaneously killed. While Uzzah’s effort had been well-intended, it violated God’s command and resulted in his death. Angered by the death of Uzzah, David ordered the ark to be left in the care of Obed-edom. But three months later, he had second thoughts when he received word that the house of Obed-edom had been blessed because of the presence of the ark. He immediately ordered a second attempt to move the ark into his new capital, and this time he did it God’s way.

The prophet Samuel records, “…when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps” (2 Samuel 6:12 ESV). This time, there was no cart, no oxen, and no alternative method of transport used. David ensured that the ark was moved using God’s prescribed method.

Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. – 1 Chronicles 15:2 ESV

David had learned a painful but valuable lesson from his first attempt to move the Ark and, on this occasion, he made sure to enlist the aid of the Levites.

“You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.” – 1 Chronicles 15:12-13 NLT

The death of Uzzah had been tragic and unnecessary but it forced David to reflect on the error of his ways and the need for total obedience to the will of God. On this occasion, David not only ensured that the ark was carried properly but that the Levites observed all the prescribed ritual purification rites that God had commanded. He was taking no chances. He even “ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals” (1 Chronicles 15:16).

As the procession of priests and musicians made its way from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem, a great crowd of celebrants joined it, with David leading the way. Along the way, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. It was a joyful and worshipful event, accompanied by celebratory music, sacrifices of thanksgiving, and the sight of the king dancing at the head of the procession. But not everyone shared in David’s joyful exuberance. The chronicler states that David’s wife, Michal, was less than enthused by what she saw.

When she saw King David skipping about and laughing with joy, she was filled with contempt for him. – 1 Chronicles 15:29 NLT

David had many wives, but Michal had the distinction of being his first. During his years of exile, David was forced to leave Michal behind and she ended up marrying another man. When David became king over the 11 tribes of Israel, he demanded that she be returned to him. Nothing is said of Michal’s feelings about being reunited with David, but her response to his very public display of unkingly behavior speaks volumes. The text states that “she was filled with contempt for him” (1 Chronicles 15:29 NLT). No reason is given for her deep disdain for David. Was it his choice of attire? Did his dancing embarrass her? Perhaps she was angry that he was bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. It’s clear from 1 Samuel 19:11-16 that Michal kept an idol of a false god in their home. So, it could be that she viewed the ark as an idol of David’s God and she resented him bringing it into the city.

While the motivation behind her anger is unstated, the Book of 2 Samuel makes her dissatisfaction crystal clear.

“How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” – 2 Samuel 6:20 NLT

She was disgusted with David’s embarrassing lack of decorum, but there was far more behind her anger and resentment toward David than just his choice of attire and dancing skills. Michal was a conflicted woman who was dealing with a great deal of emotional and psychological baggage. She had fallen in love with David when he was a young man serving in her father’s court. But when her father turned on David and he was forced to run for his life, she became an abandoned woman. During David’s years of exile, she was given to another man and started a new life. But when David ascended to the throne, she was forcibly taken from her husband and returned to David – only to find out that he had acquired many other wives.

Michal found herself living with her former husband and his growing harem of wives and their many children. This too may have added to Michal’s anger because it appears she was childless. which was not an attractive proposition for any woman in those days, especially the wife of the king. And Michal would remain childless. Because of her hostile reaction to David, it appears he lost any affection he still held for her. Their marriage was essentially over at that point. She would remain one of his queens but she would no longer enjoy his favor or ever bear him a son.

It is impossible to read this story and not see the stark contrast between celebration and disintegration. David was building his kingdom while at the same time watching his relationship with Michal fall apart. He was constructing a house in which he would rule and reign, but he was also multiplying a household in direct violation of God’s commands. His many wives and their multitude of children would eventually bring disorder and destruction to his kingdom.

His worship of God is contrasted with his propensity to flaunt the will of God. This man after God’s own heart exhibits a strange mix of humility and pride. He was obsessed with establishing his image as a king, but also willing to humble himself before the God who had placed him on the throne. In David’s response to Michal, you get a subtle sense of his pride mixed with humility.

“I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” – 2 Samuel 6:21-22 NLT

David knew that it was God who had made him king but he also enjoyed the fact that he was the king. He displays a subtle sense of superiority and pride in his statement. He had been chosen by God. He was the king. And while he was willing to humble himself before God, he was also counting on the fact that God was going to distinguish him as a king. Dancing and disdain. Pride and humility. Celebration and disintegration. Palaces and tents. Worship and wives. Blessings and barrenness. Burnt offerings and burned relationships.

But the other interesting insight gleaned from this chapter is that while David built a brick-and-mortar house for himself, he simply “pitched a tent” for the Ark of the Covenant. He would later regret this oversight and voice his desire to build a great house for God (2 Samuel 7). But at this point in his reign, it appears that David was busy establishing and solidifying his rule with all the trappings of kingly success; at least, according to the worldly standards of his day.

This is a passage of contrasts, and David’s reign would be one of contradictions and conflicts. There would be times of great blessing and significance, but there would also be times of pain, sorrow, and disobedience. David was going to continue to learn the truth found in the words of Samuel, spoken to David’s predecessor.

"What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Battle in the Lord's

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. 10 And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 11 And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. 12 And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

13 And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. 14 And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 15 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 16 And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. – 1 Chronicles 14:8-17 ESV

Upon hearing word that David had been crowned king of Israel, the Philistines determined to attack him before he could establish his reign and gather strength. During the seven-year span that David ruled over the single tribe of Judah, the Philistines viewed him as no threat. But now that David was king over all 12 tribes of Israel, the Philistines determined to finish what Saul began but failed to finish; they set out to end David’s reign before it could get started.

No timeline is given for this event, but it would appear that the Philistines acted quickly so they could attack David while his new kingdom was in its infancy. At this point in time, Israel was still a loose collective of 12 tribes that operated independently of one another. David had not had time to set up a standing army and had only recently taken possession of Jerusalem from the Jebusites. While David had plans to make Jerusalem his new capital, he had not yet had time to fortify the city.

So, as the Philistine forces gathered in the Valley of Rephaim just west of Jerusalem, David and his men made their way to their stronghold in the land of Judah. We’re not told where this stronghold was but it could have been in the vicinity of the cave of Adullam near Hebron. Some scholars believe David remained in Jerusalem, which is referred to as “the stronghold of Zion” in 1 Chronicles 11:5. While David would eventually make Jerusalem his permanent capital, it is unlikely that it was ready to stand a long and drawn-out siege by the Philistines.

It seems more logical and strategic that David returned to his original stronghold in the wilderness. It would have made sense for him to return to familiar ground and draw the Philistines away from Jerusalem. The Valley of Rephaim was southwest of Jerusalem and closer to Hebron and the border between Israel and the Philistines. But regardless of where David’s stronghold was located, the more pressing matter was his reaction to the Philistine threat. His long-awaited reign over the 12 tribes of Israel had just begun and he was already facing his first test.

The Philistines were a formidable foe and were not to be taken lightly. David was well acquainted with their ways, not only from his previous battles against them but because of the years he and his men had spent living among them. David knew he was in for a fight and was ready to engage the enemy but before a single arrow was shot or a spear was thrown, David sought the counsel of God.

He wanted to know two things: Should he do battle with the Philistines and, if he did, would be successful. David could have easily assumed that war with the Philistines was inevitable and simply marched into battle without seeking any word from God. He could have rationalized that, as the king, doing battle with the enemies of Israel was his duty; it came with the job description. But instead of acting rashly or presumptuously,  David turned to God. He wanted God’s blessing and approval. But more than anything, He wanted God’s help.

David was taking nothing for granted. He knew his ascension to the throne of Israel had been God’s doing, but he had no assurances that a victory over the Philistines was part of the plan. He could have acted presumptuously and assumed that, as king, he had the right to act on God’s behalf without seeking God’s permission. But David was unwilling to take that risk.

This was not a new perspective for David. He had a long-held confidence in the Lord’s ability to provide victory in battle. As a young shepherd boy, David had his very first encounter with the Philistines and declared with confidence that God would give over Goliath, the Philistine champion.

“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” – 1 Samuel 17:47-47 ESV

It was David who later expressed in one of his psalms his firm confidence in the Lord.

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. – Psalm 20:6-7 ESV

In the chronicles account, God answers David’s request in the affirmative, providing David with permission to engage the enemy and a guarantee of success. With God’s blessing, David took the battle to the Philistines and won his first major victory as the king of Israel. Having routed the enemy and captured their abandoned idols, David could have reveled in his success but, instead, he gave all the credit to God. He named the place of battle Baal-perazim, which literally means, “the Lord of breaking through.” David explains the meaning of the name when he says, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood” (2 Samuel 5:20 ESV).

David could sense God’s role in the victory because it had been so quick and decisive. The God of Israel had not only defeated the Philistine army but had proven His superiority over their false gods. In the aftermath of the battle, David and his men found the discarded idols littering the battlefield. The Philistines’ gods had been worthless because they were lifeless. So, David and his men gathered them up and burned them (1 Chronicles 14:12).

But while the Philistines lost the battle, they refused to give up the war. They regrouped and regathered in the Valley of Rephaim and when David was informed, he sought the counsel of God again. He was unwilling to assume that God’s first directive was still in effect, and his decision to seek God’s will a second time proved to be timely and well worth the effort. This time, God gave David different instructions.

“You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” – 2 Samuel 5:23-24 ESV

As a well-seasoned commander, David could have viewed this plan with incredulity. He could have questioned God’s wisdom and debated the benefits of such a strategy. After all, God’s plan sounds a bit strange. What did God mean by “the sound of marching of the tops of the balsam tree?” What kind of sign was that? How would David know when to attack? What if the plan failed?

But David never raised those questions. He didn’t balk or bicker with God, instead, he simply obeyed and, once again, he handily defeated the Philistines.

So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. – 2 Samuel 5:25 NLT

These two victories were God’s doing. Yes, David and his men had to fight, but it was God who gave them success. David’s naming of the first battleground, “the Lord of breaking through” provides us with insight into his perception of the events of that day. It had been God who had broken through his enemies like a flood. David didn’t boast in the actions of his “mighty men of valor” or attempt to take personal credit for the victory. He gave God the glory, and this pattern would continue throughout David’s life. He would experience other victories just like this one, and with each win over his enemies, his faith and confidence in God increased. His dependence upon God for aid in his battles is reflected in his psalms.

God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
    he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory.
    Your right hand supports me;
    your help has made me great. – Psalm 18:30-35 NLT

Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
    He trains my hands for war
    and gives my fingers skill for battle.
He is my loving ally and my fortress,
    my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
    He makes the nations submit to me. – Psalm 144:1-2 NLT

David’s breakthroughs were God’s doing and his victories were the direct results of his reliance upon God. But God didn’t win the battles without David; He won them by using David as His preferred agent, His divinely chosen instrument to accomplish His will.

In the same way, God has chosen us as believers in Jesus Christ to act as His agents of change and His spiritual army to bring about His victories on this earth. As Paul reminds us, we are not fighting against flesh and blood.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. – Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT

God has provided us with spiritual armor and equipped us with spiritual power in the form of the Holy Spirit. He has assured us of victory over our enemy but we must fight and do so according to His terms while utilizing His strategies. We must seek God’s will in the battles we face.

As Paul reminds us, we must “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT). David was victorious because He sought the will of God. He won because God gave him a breakthrough against his enemy. The same thing can be true for us, as long as we turn to God, rely upon Him, and do what He commands us to do.

Attempting to do battle for God, but without permission from God is doomed to failure, no matter how well-intentioned we might be. Fighting the enemies of God in our own strength and according to our own terms will end in loss and disappointment every time.

Centuries later, another king found himself facing a formidable foe on the battlefield. The odds were against him and the outcome seemed certain. But despite the dire circumstances, King Jehoshaphat received a message that would contradict his worst assumptions and guarantee an unexpected outcome.

“Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” – 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 NLT

And all these lessons from history were meant to encourage the returned exiles as they faced the formidable task of rebuilding and repopulating Judah.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Non-Negotiable Call to Obedience

1 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. 2 And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

3 And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. – 1 Chronicles 14:1-7 ESV

The chronicler appears to borrow freely from the text of 2 Samuel 5, using much of the same language to convey the early days of David’s reign. But verses 1-2 function as a parenthetical statement that is intended to give further proof of David’s increasing control and power over Israel. Hiram, the king of Tyre, reigned from 980-947 B.C., so that would mean that his gift of cedar trees, carpenters, and masons would have been much later in David’s reign, long after he had established Jerusalem as his capital. But the chronicler includes these verses as evidence that David’s reign was not a flash-in-the-pan event. News of his crowning as king over all of Israel had spread all the way to Tyre. Even the dreaded Philistines heard of David’s unification of the kingdom and planned an appropriate response. But they would not come bearing gifts or offering to construct David a palace.

One statement stands out in these verses: “David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.” (1 Chronicles 15:2 ESV). David fully recognized that this momentous occasion in his life had been God’s doing from beginning to end. Every phase of his life, from his days serving as a shepherd in his father’s house to his anointing by Samuel, had been part of God’s plan. Even the years he spent in exile, attempting to escape the wrath of King Saul, were all part of God’s sovereign will for his life.

David also understood that his ascension to the throne of Israel had not been for his own glory but for the good of the people of Israel. His reign had been ordained by God so that he might rule the people of God justly and righteously. He was God’s hand-picked agent, His earthly representative, chosen to care for and protect His people. David’s comprehension of his divine role is reflected in one of his many psalms. Take note of the many references to God and His role in the affairs of David’s life.

How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!
    He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
For you have given him his heart’s desire;
    you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude

You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
    You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
He asked you to preserve his life,
    and you granted his request.
    The days of his life stretch on forever.
Your victory brings him great honor,
    and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
You have endowed him with eternal blessings
    and given him the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord.
    The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling. – Psalm 21:1-7 NLT

Yet, even with David’s awareness of his God-ordained role and his complete dependence upon God’s good favor for his reign to be successful, David was still capable of disobeying the very One who made his kingship possible. Verse 3 provides a stark reminder that David had a dark side, and it is not something to overlook or ignore. The author could have left it out but, under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this unattractive aspect of David’s life was included.

It simply states, “And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.” (1 Chronicles 15:3 ESVS). It would be easy to read this as just another indication of David’s growing power and significance. If it were any other king of any other nation, that would be an accurate interpretation. But David was NOT just another king and Israel was far from just another nation. David was God’s hand-picked ruler over His chosen people and, as such, He answered to a higher authority and was held to a higher standard. When the people of Israel first demanded a king like all the other nations, God agreed to their demand but warned them. 

“The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. ”– Deuteronomy 17:17-20 NLT

God’s king was not to be like all the other kings; he was to operate according to a different set of standards. What was acceptable and appropriate for the kings of other nations was off-limits for God’s sovereign ruler. Other kings might be able to use their power and authority to justify all kinds of self-satisfying, self-promoting actions, but not the King of Israel. Yet, David continued to multiply wives for himself, in direct violation of God’s command.

David wasn’t free to approach God’s commands cafeteria-style, choosing those that seemed most attractive and ignoring the ones he didn’t like. He was to obey them ALL. That included God’s commands regarding polygamy because God knew that the king’s failure to observe that command would produce unfaithfulness and result in idolatry. God expected His king to be law-abiding and an example of faithfulness to the rest of the nation.

One of the things David failed to recognize was that his reign was setting the standard for his successors. What he did, they would do. Future generations of Israelite kings would follow his lead and many would take his small acts of disobedience and magnify them. What David did in moderation, his heirs would do to excess.

Even David’s construction of a royal palace, with the aid of King Hiram, would set a precedence for future kings of Israel. Years later, God would have strong words for one of David’s successors who placed greater value on his royal residence than he did on his God-given responsibility to rule with justice and righteousness.

And the Lord says, “What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim,
    who builds his palace with forced labor.
He builds injustice into its walls,
    for he makes his neighbors work for nothing.
    He does not pay them for their labor.
He says, ‘I will build a magnificent palace
    with huge rooms and many windows.
I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar
    and paint it a lovely red.’
But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king!
    Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink.
But he was just and right in all his dealings.
    That is why God blessed him.
He gave justice and help to the poor and needy,
    and everything went well for him.
Isn’t that what it means to know me?”
    says the Lord.
“But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty!
    You murder the innocent,
    oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly.” – Jeremiah 22:13-17 NLT

David’s reign was in its early stages, and every step he took and each decision he made would prove to be critical. His choices would have long-term ramifications. Even reading the list of sons born to him by his growing harem of wives indicates that David’s actions had future implications. There, nestled discretely in the list of sons is the name of Solomon, the very one who would follow David as king of Israel. Born to Bathsheba, Solomon would prove to be his father’s son in more ways than one. A glimpse at the latter days of Solomon’s reign provides sobering proof of sin’s long-term effects.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. – 1 Kings 11:1-4 ESV

As the old saying goes, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Solomon inherited many of his father’s characteristics, both good and bad. But it was his father’s love of women and blatant disregard for God’s prohibition against polygamy that would bring his reign to an abrupt and ignominious end.

David was God’s king but he didn’t always rule God’s way. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am God’s son and heir, but that doesn’t mean I always live up to my position. Obedience is the true mark of sonship. Fearing God begins with obeying God. Even Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15 NLT). The apostle John took it a step further, writing, “And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments” (1 John 2:3 NLT). The greatest proof of David’s love for God would be found in his obedience to the commands of God. The same thing holds true for us today. Love without obedience is hypocrisy. Claiming to love God while continuing to disobey God reflects a love of self, not a love of God.

Now that David had the throne, he would discover that his greatest battles were ahead of him. He would learn the truth behind the maxim, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Ruling and reigning is an attractive proposition but it comes with weighty responsibilities, and David would soon learn just how heavy the crown could be.

The chronicler is using these historical anecdotes from David’s life to encourage his readers to value and obey God’s commands. If David, the man after God’s own heart, was held accountable by God, how much more would they be? Disobedience to God’s laws always has consequences and sin has a way of taking on a life of its own, producing long-term ramifications that can linger for generations.

David wasn’t free to approach God’s commands cafeteria-style, choosing those that seemed most attractive and ignoring the ones he didn’t like. He was to obey them ALL. That included God’s commands regarding polygamy because God knew that the king’s failure to observe that command would produce unfaithfulness and result in idolatry. God expected His king to be law-abiding and an example of faithfulness to the rest of the nation. That is why God ordered His king to keep a copy of the law close at hand.

“This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way.” – Deuteronomy 17:20 NLT

David was God’s divinely appointed leader. He had access to the law of God. He was widely recognized as the king of Israel, with a new capital, a good reputation, and a unified nation. But he would still need to be obedient, and so would the returned exiles.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Whe Good Intentions Produce Bad Outcomes

1 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. 3 Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” 4 All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

5 So David assembled all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6 And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim. 7 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. 8 And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

9 And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. 11 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza to this day. 12 And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” 13 So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had. – 1 Chronicles 13:1-14 ESV

In chapter 11, the chronicler covered the momentous day when the 11 other tribes accepted David as their king. This took place in Hebron, where David had taken up residence with his “mighty men of valor.” Chapter 11 also contains the story of David’s capture of the city Jebus from the Jebusites, which he renamed Jerusalem and made the capital city of Israel. Now, in chapter 13, the chronicler picks up the story of David’s attempt to move the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-jearim to his new capital. The retelling of this seminal event in David’s life mirrors 2 Samuel 6 and is intended to remind his audience of the importance of the ark and to teach them a valuable lesson on the holiness of God.

David had a heart for God and was anxious to serve God well and rule according to His will. As he began to plan and prepare for his future kingdom, including the creation of his new capital in Jerusalem, he was motivated by a strong desire to honor God in all that he did. One of the first decisions he made as king was to relocate the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Jerusalem. For David, the ark represented the abiding presence of God and he was anxious to keep Yahweh as close as possible. This symbol of God’s presence had been transported by Moses and the people of Israel from Mount Sinai all the way to the promised land and was a permanent fixture in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. The Book of Hebrews provides some important details regarding this holy and revered object.

…the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. – Hebrews 9:4 ESV

The cover of the ark was called the Mercy Seat and it was there that God’s presence dwelt. Exodus records God’s commands concerning the Mercy Seat.

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony…” – Exodus 25:17-22 ESV

The Mercy Seat was especially significant to the Jewish people because it was there, once a year on the Day of Atonement, that the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of a bull and a goat as an offering to God for the sins of the people. This national treasure was more than an icon or symbol of their religion, it was a key to their atonement and the means of their justification before God. This explains why David was anxious to have the ark relocated into his newly chosen capital. But in his zeal to do the right thing, David ended up making the wrong decision. He got in a hurry and failed to do his homework, and his actions resulted in the unnecessary death of Uzzah.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul discusses the problem of zeal without knowledge.

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. – Romans 10:1-3 ESV

Paul was talking about his fellow Jews who had refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah. In their zeal for God, they had failed to recognize the very one sent to them by God. Instead, they continued to seek a right standing with God through adherence to the Mosaic Law. They were zealous for God but refused to do things God’s way. That was David’s problem. God had given the Israelites very clear instructions regarding the ark, including the means for transporting it from one place to another.

“Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them.” – Exodus 25:10-15 NLT

The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred articles. The Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. But they must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. So these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry. – Numbers 4:15 NLT

God’s design for the ark included two long poles with which it was to be carried and only by the sons of Kohath. Because of the holiness of the ark, it was forbidden for anyone to touch it; to do so would result in death. According to 1 Samuel 6:19, if anyone dared to look inside the Ark, they too would suffer the penalty of death. These divine prohibitions were not suggestions that could be arbitrarily obeyed or altered. They were not up for debate or human interpretation. Yet, when David got ready to move the Ark to his new capital, he made a major mistake.

Rather than adhere to God’s commands, David decided to employ a more expeditious and time-saving means for accomplishing his objective. Whether he realized it or not, David took a page out of the Philistine playbook and that decision would come back to haunt him.

Years earlier, before Samuel had become a prophet of God and Israel had a king, the Israelites found themselves in battle with the Philistines. After suffering a devastating loss to their mortal enemies, the Israelites were confused and concerned. In desperation, the elders of Israel ordered that the ark be brought to the battle site. Their reasoning was simple: “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies” (1 Samuel 4:3 NLT).

The Israelites were desperate. They had just lost 4,000 men in battle and the war was far from over. So, they determined to bring the ark to the battle site, treating it as a good luck charm or magic talisman. The elders made no mention of God in their instructions to retrieve the ark; they believed this gold-encrusted box would provide them with victory over their enemies. But their plan backfired. Rather than bringing the Israelites victory, the ark was captured by the Philistines.

The pagan and idolatrous Philistines viewed the ark as an Israelite idol and put it on display in the temple of their god, Dagon. But their capture of the ark proved to be deadly and they decided to return it to the Israelites. Unaware of God’s instructions for the proper transporting of the ark, they came up with their own plan.

“Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen. Put the Ark of the Lord on the cart, and beside it place a chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors you are sending as a guilt offering. Then let the cows go wherever they want.” – 1 Samuel 6:7-8 NLT

Sadly, when it came time for David to transport the ark to Jerusalem, he chose to follow the example of the Philistines. Rather than adhering to God’s detailed instructions, David took a more worldly and expeditious approach.

They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. – 1 Chronicles 13:7 NLT

David was in a hurry to have the Ark moved into his new capital. In a sense, he was treating the ark like a talisman or lucky charm, hoping that its close proximity would assure him of God’s constant presence. But things did not turn out as expected. As the ox-drawn cart made its way to Jerusalem, David and the people celebrated the happy occasion but their cries of joy soon turned to gasps of shock and surprise.

Somewhere along the way, the oxen stumbled, causing the cart to careen precariously and unsettle its precious cargo. In an attempt to protect the ark, one of the sons of the high priest instinctively reached out and tried to steady it with his hand. It all happened in a split second. One minute the people were singing and dancing and, the next, they were gazing on in horror as the young priest dropped lifeless to the ground. The text leaves nothing to the imagination when it states the cause of death.

Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God. – 1 Chronicles 13:10 NLT

It might be tempting to view this as a gross overreaction on God’s part. How could He kill a man for attempting to protect this holy relic? What Uzzah did was not malicious or intended as a show of disrespect for God. He had tried to do the right thing and died for his efforts.

But it’s important to remember that God’s anger is always righteous and just; it is never capricious or undeserved. Uzzah had broken the law of God and, as a result, the righteous anger of God was poured out. But Uzzah never should have been put in that position. The ark was never intended to be transported by an ox-drawn cart. David had employed worldly means to accomplish God’s will and Uzzah ended up paying the price.

Had God not punished Uzzah for his sin, He would have acted unjustly. Had He not responded as He did, He would have been in violation of His own just and righteous law. That is why God gave clear conditions and commands regarding his people and their interactions with Him. Had David done things according to God’s plan, Uzzah would not have died. While David’s sin was not motivated by a heart of rebellion, it was rebellion nonetheless, and the outcome was death.

It’s interesting to note that David was not the one who died that day. The decision to transport the ark with a cart had been his, so he was responsible. Yet, he was not the one who paid the ultimate price. But instead of repenting for his sin, David expressed his anger with God.

David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today. – 1 Chronicles 13:11 NLT

David knew that Uzzah’s death had been God’s doing and it made him livid. Then his anger turned to fear that paralyzed him into inaction. Rather than taking the time to determine what he had done wrong and how he might be responsible, David had the ark moved to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. He gave up his quest to relocate the ark and returned to Jerusalem empty-handed and despondent.

His intentions had been proper and right. Bringing the ark into Jerusalem had never been the problem; it was how he attempted to do it. When he suffered for doing God’s will in the wrong way, David just gave up. So the ark sat in the house of Obed-edom for three months. David returned to Jerusalem angry at God and without the presence of the ark in his new capital. But while David pouted, God was busy blessing Obed-edom, and, eventually, news of this would reach David, motivating him into action.

The problem was not David’s zeal; it was his methodology. It was also his lack of knowledge regarding the will of God. He had attempted to do the right thing in the wrong way. He acted with sincerity but in ignorance. He had been enthusiastic and excited about having the ark in his new capital but he had left out one important part: Obedience.

This man after God’s own heart was learning just how difficult it can be to live in keeping with God’s will. David’s desire to do the right thing was commendable but his failure to do it according to God’s will had proved costly. Yet, he would learn. His faith would grow and his desire to live in obedience to God would increase over time. David was learning the truth of the Proverb: “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” (Proverbs 19:2 NLT).

The chronicler intended this fateful story to serve as a wake-up call to the returned exiles. He wanted them to understand the importance of obedience to God’s will. But, more importantly, he wanted them to revere and respect the holiness of God. Hundreds of years earlier, God had delivered a message to the disobedient Saul, who had also attempted to do the right thing in the wrong way.

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
    and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
    and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.” – 1 Samuel 15:22-23 NLT

Even David, the man after God’s own heart, had displeased God because he failed to obey God. For the chronicler, obedience was to be a byproduct of reverence for the holiness of God, and this sad moment from David’s life served as a living lesson for the people of Israel.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Army of God

1 Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. 2 They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen. 3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth, 4 Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

8 From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains: 9 Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, 10 Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, 11 Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, 12 Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, 13 Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh. 14 These Gadites were officers of the army; the least was a match for a hundred men and the greatest for a thousand. 15 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

16 And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be joined to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you.” 18 Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said,

“We are yours, O David,
    and with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
    and peace to your helpers!
    For your God helps you.”

Then David received them and made them officers of his troops.

19 Some of the men of Manasseh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, “At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.”) 20 As he went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and were commanders in the army. 22 For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.

23 These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. 24 The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops. 25 Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. 26 Of the Levites 4,600. 27 The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700. 28 Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own father's house. 29 Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. 30 Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. 31 Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were expressly named to come and make David king. 32 Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. 33 Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose. 34 Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. 35 Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. 36 Of Asher 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle. 37 Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.

38 All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. 39 And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them. 40 And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. – 1 Chronicles 12:1-40 ESV

The chronicler used chapter 11 to introduce his readers to the “mighty men” of David. In this chapter, he provides further details concerning their lineage and the role they played during David’s years of personal exile from King Saul. These men proved to be valuable assets to David as he continued his battles with the enemies of Israel even while living with a bounty on his head.

With these two chapters, the chronicler is building a case for the validity of the reign of David. He is attempting to convince the returned exiles that David's reign as king, even though long-ended, was the work of God. His emphasis on King David is meant to remind his readers of the promise that God made concerning David’s heir. The prophet Samuel recorded this prophetic promise

“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes.’” – 2 Samuel 7:8-9 NLT

God had fulfilled that part of His promise. With the help of his “mighty men,” David had enjoyed great success over the enemies of Israel. Eventually, David ascended the throne of Israel and continued to pile up victories over his adversaries. This too, was in fulfillment of God’s promise.

”’Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.’” – 2 Samuel 7:10-11 NLT

But the part of God’s promise multifaceted promise that the chronicler wanted to emphasize had to do with David’s dynasty.

“‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.

‘Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’” – 2 Samuel 7:11-12, 16 NLT

The chronicler wanted his readers to understand and believe that God's promise of a future king to sit on the throne of David would happen. They were currently living without the benefit of a king who could provide guidance and protection from their enemies. But God was not done; He would keep promises.

To prove his point, the chronicler recounts the story of David's flight to the land of the Philistines to escape the mercenaries Saul had sent to kill him. This story is recorded in 1 Samuel 27.

Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” – 1 Samuel 27:1 ESV

Things had gotten so bad for David that he decided the only thing for him to do was to seek refuge among the Philistines so that Saul would think he had defected. This was not exactly a stellar plan, and it would end up causing David problems in the long run. There is no indication that this plan was authorized by God. Yet, in one of David's greatest moments of despondency and desperation, God showed up. David was on the run and feeling as if his world was coming to an end. Feeling alone and abandoned by God, “David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath” (1 Samuel 27:2 ESV). What makes this decision all the more questionable is that Gath was the hometown of Goliath, the Philistine champion whom David defeated in battle (1 Samuel 17:50-53).

It made no sense for David to expect Goliath’s clan members to welcome him with open arms. Yet, as First Samuel makes clear, David and his men were allowed to settle in the land of Gath and lived there for almost a year and a half. During that time, he and his "mighty men of valor" made clandestine raids against the enemies of Israel. During his stay in Gath, David enjoyed a much-needed respite from Saul’s seemingly endless attempts to take his life. Not only that, his army grew in size and strength.

This chapter provides a detailed accounting of the tens of thousands of Israelite warriors from every tribe of Israel who defected to David's side even while he was living with the Philistines. This speaks volumes about their respect for David and indicates that God was a part of this plan. Here was David, living in enemy territory, as far from the throne of Israel as he could possibly get, and yet God was expanding the size of his army. And this was not just any army. God was surrounding David with the best and the brightest, the strongest and the bravest.

Every day a new batch of battle-hardened soldiers showed up on David's doorstep. The arrival of these unsolicited recruits must have surprised David. In fact, when the first group showed up, David thought they had come to capture him. He sensed betrayal, and for good reason because it had happened to him before.

“If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you.” – 1 Chronicles 12:17 NLT

But these men pledged their allegiance to David and indicated that they knew that God was with him and not Saul.

“We are yours, David!
    We are on your side, son of Jesse.
Peace and prosperity be with you,
    and success to all who help you,
    for your God is the one who helps you.” – 1 Samuel 12:18 NLT

With each passing day, David's army grew.

Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help – it wasn't long before his band seemed as large as God's own army! – 1 Chronicles 12:22 MSG

Even while David lived among the Philistines, God was confirming his future and preparing him for his eventual ascension to the throne. God was working in ways that David could never have imagined. His desperate attempt to hide among the Philistines could not hide him from the will of God. God was going to finish what He had begun and in a spectacular fashion. With this many men having defected to David, it’s no wonder that Saul was so easily defeated in battle against the Philistines and took his own life. God had removed the greatest warriors from Saul and given them to David. God's hand was on David because he was the divinely ordained successor to Saul and nothing was going to prevent the promise of God from being fulfilled; not even David’s questionable decision to live among the Philistines.

Years later, after Saul’s death, David found himself living in Hebron and receiving a contingent of leaders from the other 11 tribes of Israel. These men had come to pledge their allegiance to David and crown him as their king. On that same fateful day, David was joined by his "mighty men of valor,” those same men who joined his ranks while he was a fugitive in the land of the Philistines.

All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival. – 1 Chronicles 12:38-39 NLT

A celebration was held to commemorate David’s kingship. Food and wine were in abundance, but so were “the mighty men who helped him in war” (1 Chronicles 12:1 ESV). They had come to join their leader as he celebrated his rise to the throne of Israel. The presence of these men at David’s coronation provides a powerful reminder of God’s sovereignty and uncanny ability to turn seeming defeat into victory. God used one of the darkest moments of David’s life to prepare him for his role as king, and He did it by providing him with the army he would need to rule a fractured nation. God provided David with his royal troops long before he held the title or wore the crown. 

…they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army. Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God. – 1 Samuel 12:21-22 NLT

In your worst moments do you tend to see the hand of God or do you simply see darkness and despair? God’s people must never forget that He is always working behind the scenes and in ways that we might not be able to comprehend. Whether we realize it or not, He is raising up "mighty men of valor” to come to our aid in our greatest times of need. It could be in the form of an encouraging word from a friend. It might be a surprising answer to prayer. It could take the form of a passage that you have read a thousand times before but that suddenly speaks to you in a fresh and exciting way. He might provide you with insight into an area of your life that He wants to work on. God is always at work in the lives of those He has chosen and loves, even in our darkest days.

If God could provide David with an army long before he needed it, then he could provide a rag-tag band of Israelites living in the land of promise with everything they needed to thrive in their less-than-deal circumstances. His promises had not been voided by their stay in Babylon. His faithfulness had not diminished because they had failed to live in obedience to His commands. He had promised to return them to the land and it had happened just as He had said. Now, He was ready to implement the next phase of His plan for their reoccupation of the land of promise.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Impeccable Timing of God

1 Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.

4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 6 David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. 7 And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. 8 And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

10 Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This is an account of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord 19 and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 21 He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

22 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23 And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.’ 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

26 The mighty men were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. – 1 Chronicles 11:1-47 ESV

Chapters 11 and 12 recount the rise of David to the throne of Israel but they appear in reverse chronological order. Chapter 11 tells of the events that took place immediately after Saul’s death. Since Saul son Jonathan had also died in battle against the Philistines, the people of Israel turned to David as his replacement. His years as a fugitive had not diminished his reputation among the people. Ever since his defeat of the Philistine giant, Goliath, David had enjoyed rockstar status in Israel. There was even a song celebrating his exploits.

As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. And as the women danced, they sang out: 

“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” – 1 Samuel 18:6-7 BSB

Chapter 11 records David’s inauguration as king over all Israel. This rather truncated retelling of the story leaves out a lot of pertinent details. In the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David was directed by God to return to Hebron, located in the land of Judah about 20 miles south of Jerusalem. 

Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, “To Hebron.” So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities of Hebron. The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people of Judah. – 2 Samuuel 2:1-4 NLT

At this point, the nation was divided. Saul, who was a Benjamite, was dead. The tribe of Judah chose to replace him with David, one of their own. In the meantime, Saul’s former military commander, Abner, came up with a plan to place Saul’s son Ish-bosheth on the throne.

He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. Ish Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people of Judah followed David. David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven-and-a-half years. – 2 Samuel 2:9-11 NLT

David’s rise to power over all of Israel did not come quickly or easily.

…the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker. – 2 Samuel 3:1 NLT

Eventually, Abner saw that the odds were stacked against him and he chose to betray Ish-bosheth and defect to David’s side. Through a series of underhanded and immoral acts, Abner convinced the people of Israel to abandon their allegiance to the house of Saul and anoint David as their king.

Abner advised the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king. Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies.’” – 2 Samuel 3:17-18 NLT

That is where chapter 11 picks up the story. But before David was crowned king over all Israel, Abner was killed and Ish-bosheth was assassinated, making David’s ascent to the throne a rocky and somewhat bloody one. Eventually, a contingent of leaders from the other 11 tribes made their way to Hebron to pledge their allegiance and make David their king.

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel. The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”

When all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord. They designated David as king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. – 2 Samuel 5:1-5 NLT

David had been through a lot over the years but now his circumstances were taking a decidedly positive turn. Rather than running for his life, he was being crowned king of Israel. Instead of living the life of a renegade and outlaw, he was being recognized as the legitimate ruler of the kingdom. Suddenly, all his past deeds on behalf of the nation were recalled and the people gladly put him on the throne. He had always been God's choice, but now he was the people's choice. All thoughts of Saul disappeared as they overwhelmingly supported David as their king.

From this point forward, the chronicler begins to focus his attention on the glory years of David's reign. He recounts David's rise to power and his establishment of Jerusalem as his capital. The capture of Jerusalem was going to be critical to Israel's future. It was there that the Temple would be built by David’s son, Solomon. Jerusalem would play a vital role in the history of Israel from this time forward – and continues to do so today. In this chapter, the chronicler also recounts the rise of David's “mighty men” (1 Chronicles 11:26).

This group of valiant warriors had been attracted to David by his courage, military process, and character. They recognized a good leader when they saw one. Most of these men gave their allegiance to David while he was still on the run from Saul. They had rather risk their lives living on the run with David, than serving a less-than-godly leader like Saul. The bravery of these men is clearly outlined for us and it shows the kind of men that David attracted. His leadership and character were magnets attracting men of strength and integrity.

One of the fascinating aspects about the men listed in this chapter is that they were likely the same individuals who showed up at David’s hideout when he began his life as a fugitive. Having faced assassination attempts at the hand of King Saul, David ran for his life and settled in a cave in the wilderness of Adullam.  The book of 1 Samuel describes the arrival of the not-so-mighty men who chose to align themselves with David.

So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family learned about it, they went down there to him. All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. He had about 400 men with him. – 1 Samuel 22:1-2 NLT

It was this contingent of debtors, doubters, miscreants, and misfits who later became the mighty men of David. Over time and as a result of the difficult circumstances surrounding David’s life as a fugitive, these men were transformed by God into a fierce and faithful fighting force. The chronicler recounts many of their exploits to illustrate that these were far from ordinary, run-of-the-mill soldiers. They were loyal, brave, trustworthy, and divinely empowered to serve the future king of Israel.

Throughout these verses, the chronicler makes several not-so-subtle references to God's presence. David was who he was, not because of his exploits, not because of his capture of Jerusalem, and not because of the kind of men with whom he associated. David’s identity was directly tied to God’s presence. The Almighty accompanied David throughout his life because, unlike Saul, David shared God's heart. He loved the things God loved. He had a passion for the same things that God held near and dear. David was a man after God’s own heart. Was he perfect? Obviously not. Did he make mistakes? Yes, he made many of them. But he never lost his heart for God, his love for the people of God, and his hatred for the enemies of God.

David loved God and all that God loved, so God remained with Him and prospered Him. What was true of David is true for us today. God longs to bless those who share His heart, who love what He loves, and who pursue what He desires. David's interests were in line with the will of God – not perfectly or constantly – but persistently. He had his moments of failure and faithlessness but when he recognized his sins, he repented and returned to the Lord, and God recognized and rewarded David’s heart of contrition. Psalm 78 summarizes the life of David in just a few verses.

He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
from tending the ewes He brought him
to be shepherd of His people Jacob,
of Israel His inheritance.
So David shepherded them with integrity of heart
and guided them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 BSB

As long as David put the things of God first, God put David first. God prospered and protected him and, eventually, God promoted him to the highest office in the land. But David occupied this august position with integrity of heart and led his people with skillful hands. He wasn’t in it for himself. He wasn’t out for glory. He truly served as the faithful shepherd over the sheep of God’s pasture. And he couldn't have done it without the presence of God and the help of his mighty men.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Non-Negotiable Nature of Faithfulness

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. 6 Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army[a] had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. – 1 Chronicles 10:1-14 ESV

For nine chapters the chronicler has painstakingly presented the genealogies of the 12 tribes of Israel. His intent was to remind his readers of their unique and rich heritage as God's chosen people. They may have felt like aliens and strangers in the land of promise, but he wanted them to understand their one-of-a-kind status as the people of God. But they also needed to grasp the reality that their return from exile was due to the grace and mercy of God. The Almighty had kept His word and done exactly as He had promised through Jeremiah the prophet.

“For the Lord says, ‘Only when the seventy years of Babylonian rule are over will I again take up consideration for you. Then I will fulfill my gracious promise to you and restore you to your homeland. For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” – Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT

Jeremiah wrote the letter containing this promise from God while living in the wasteland that was once the capital city of Jerusalem. The people of Judah who had been left behind after the Babylonian invasion had gone on with their lives. They had a puppet king who had been placed on the throne of David by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. While many of their cities had been destroyed and a large portion of their population had been exiled to Babylon, they went on with life as usual.

Jeremiah’s letter was hand-delivered to “the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the other people who were exiled in Babylon” (Jeremiah 29:1 NLT). Jeremiah informed these exiled Judahites that God had a plan for them but he also warned them not to listen to the “prophets of good news” who were filling their heads with lies.

“You say, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets of good news for us here in Babylon.’ But just listen to what the Lord has to say about the king who occupies David’s throne and all your fellow countrymen who are still living in this city of Jerusalem and were not carried off into exile with you. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘I will bring war, starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. I will chase after them with war, starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them. For they have not paid attention to what I said to them through my servants the prophets whom I sent to them over and over again,’ says the Lord. ‘And you exiles have not paid any attention to them either,’ says the Lord.  ‘So pay attention to the Lord’s message, all you exiles whom I have sent to Babylon from Jerusalem.’” – Jeremiah 29:15-20 NLT)

One of those false prophets was a man named Shemaiah, who responded to Jeremiah’s letter with a letter of his own, addressed to Zephaniah, a priest living in Jerusalem. In his missive, Shemaiah accuses Jeremiah of being the false prophet and demands that Zephaniah carry out his duties as a priest and have Jeremiah put “in the stocks with an iron collar around his neck” (Jeremiah 29:26 NLT).

Zephaniah and his fellow false prophets had been trying to convince the exiled people of Judah that their time in Babylon would be short-lived. They refuted Jeremiah’s claim that God was going to leave His people in captivity for 70 years. For them, this was unthinkable and unacceptable. So they delivered a much more user-friendly message that promised a quick deliverance and restoration. 

All of this is vital to understanding what is going on in chapter 10. The 70 years had passed and the remnant had returned to the land. In chapter 9, the chronicler describes a reinstituted priesthood and a revitalized sacrificial system at the Temple in Jerusalem. This mention of the holy city reminds the people of their duty to worship God and Him alone. Jerusalem is also the city where the king resides. It is the place where David and Solomon had their palaces and conducted their reigns as the kings of Israel. After seven decades, Zedekiah, the puppet king who served at the behest of Nebuchadnezzar, was long gone. In fact, the Babylonians were no longer in control of Judah at this point in the story; they had been defeated by the Persian Empire. So, when the exiles returned to the land, there was no king ruling in Judah.

In chapter 10, the chronicler gives his audience a refresher course in their own history, reminding them how they got to this less-than-promising point. He starts out by revisiting the unflattering demise of Saul. He juxtaposes the reign of Saul with that of David and he does so by concentrating on Saul's death. Chapter ten is a virtually word-for-word account of 1 Samuel 31. Both passages provide a stark contrast between the life of Saul and that of David, the man after God's own heart. Saul had been appointed Israel’s first king as a result of the people's demand to be ruled by a leader like all the other nations had. They were tired of God’s plan of using judges as temporary deliverers and rulers. They demanded to have a king and God obliged them. He gave them someone who had all the outward characteristics of a leader but who lacked the integrity and character that true godly leadership requires.

Solomon was the king after the people's heart. His name means "he who was requested." But Saul had a problem; he refused to obey God and His prophet Samuel. Unlike David, Saul was not a man after God's own heart. In fact, he really didn't have a heart for God at all. He refused to listen to God and was prone to do things his own way. This led to God refusing to listen to Saul. God even chose David as Saul's successor long before his life and his kingdom had come to an end.

The writer makes it clear that Saul died because of his own trespasses. He sinned against God by refusing to obey His commands. In recounting Saul's story, the chronicler is telling the story of the people of Israel. Their nearly 70 years in exile had been for similar reasons. They had also failed to listen to God and obey His commands. In fact, the very fact that Saul was ever on the throne, to begin with, was due to their stubborn demand for a king. Rather than being satisfied with God as their sovereign ruler, they insisted that they be given a human king.

The following chapters will contrast the faithfulness of David with the unfaithfulness of Saul. David was God's choice for Israel and he proved to be a flawed, yet faithful leader. Despite his own sinfulness, David remained committed to God and, as a result, his reign was blessed. The book of First Chronicles makes a repeated tie between blessing and faithfulness and judgment and disobedience. His message is timeless and applicable to all generations of God’s people. God is a holy God who demands that His followers live holy lives. But the good news is that He is not expecting us to manufacture this holiness on our own. He supplies all we need through the presence of His Holy Spirit and the guidance of His written Word. Like David, we can live faithful lives and enjoy the blessings of God. We can live in obedience. We can be a people after God's own heart because He has equipped us to do just that.

The chronicler’s recounting of Saul’s disobedience and subsequent death is intended to be a wake-up call. Israel’s first king “died because he was unfaithful to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 10:13 NLT). Saul had been allowed to lead the people of God according to the will of God, but he had chosen to do things his own way. This sad tale was meant to encourage the returning exiles to avoid the same fate that Saul suffered. They had been given a unique opportunity to restart their relationship with Yahweh. He had graciously returned them to the land and allowed them to rebuild the Temple, reinstitute the sacrificial system, and begin their lives again – in the land of promise. But to experience the full extent of God’s blessings, they would need to be obedient and remain faithful at all costs. They could not afford to make the same mistake their ancestors had made.

Nearly 70 years earlier, Jeremiah had sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon, proclaiming God’s promise to restore them to the land. In that very same letter, he provided them with another message from God that called for faithfulness, obedience, worship, and reliance. 

“When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you.” – Jeremiah 29:13-14 NLT

Saul was the poster boy for unfaithfulness. His life was a sad and sobering reminder of what happens when God’s anointed becomes self-absorbed and self-reliant. The people of Judah had a choice to make and God had made that choice perfectly clear.

“…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

They were back in the land but the work of restoration was far from done. They were still the chosen people of God but they needed to live out that identity through acts of faithfulness and obedience. God had plans to prosper them, not harm them; He had plans to give them a future filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11). But their faithfulness was a non-optional requirement.    

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sons and Daughters of God

1 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their generations, their number in the days of David being 22,600. 3 The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all five of them were chief men. 4 And along with them, by their generations, according to their fathers’ houses, were units of the army for war, 36,000, for they had many wives and sons. 5 Their kinsmen belonging to all the clans of Issachar were in all 87,000 mighty warriors, enrolled by genealogy.

6 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of fathers’ houses, mighty warriors. And their enrollment by genealogies was 22,034. 8 The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher. 9 And their enrollment by genealogies, according to their generations, as heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty warriors, was 20,200. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these were the sons of Jediael according to the heads of their fathers' houses, mighty warriors, 17,200, able to go to war. 12 And Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, Hushim the son of Aher.

13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shallum, the descendants of Bilhah.

14 The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. 15 And Machir took a wife for Huppim and for Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters. 16 And Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. 17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh. 18 And his sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

20 The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to raid their livestock. 22 And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 23 And Ephraim went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son. And he called his name Beriah, because disaster had befallen his house. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun his son, Joshua his son. 28 Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer and its towns, Shechem and its towns, and Ayyah and its towns; 29 also in possession of the Manassites, Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel.

30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who fathered Birzaith. 32 Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the sons of Japhlet. 34 The sons of Shemer his brother: Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah. 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. 40 All of these were men of Asher, heads of fathers' houses, approved, mighty warriors, chiefs of the princes. Their number enrolled by genealogies, for service in war, was 26,000 men. – 1 Chronicles 7:1-40 ESV

As the chronicler nears the end of his lengthy genealogical record, he provides details concerning some of the remaining tribes of Israel. For his original audience, the various lists of names served an important purpose; it was their link to the past to remind them of their heritage as sons and daughters of God. They were the chosen ones, descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and each of them could trace their roots back to one of the sons of Jacob. Surrounded by the uncertainty of their new life in Judah, these recently transplanted exiles would desperately cling to this lifeline to the past to give them hope. In a way, they must have felt like strangers in a strange land but, in reading these genealogical records, they were reminded that they belonged. This was their home. They were God’s people. And the inheritance promised to Abraham was rightfully theirs.

In this chapter, the author covers the lines of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher, but he leaves out the tribes of Dan and Zebulun. No reason is given for their absence, but because the author has already included the tribe of Levi and dealt with the two halves of the tribe of Manasseh separately, it appears that he wanted to keep the number of tribes at 12. Including Dan and Zebulun would have given the impression that there were 14 tribes. It seems that it was more important to the writer to maintain a total of 12 tribes than to worry about which ones were left out or included.

But the chronicler gave special emphasis to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin is covered in verses 6-12 of chapter 7 and all of chapter 8. Judah is also given more extensive coverage. His focus on these two tribes is most likely linked to their role in providing Israel with its first two kings. Saul, who served as the first king of Israel, was Benjamite, while David hailed from the tribe of Judah.

There was a time when the people of Israel had been ruled by judges whom God appointed over them. The last of these was a man named Samuel, who was also a prophet of God. When he grew old, the people of Israel feared that he would appoint one of his wicked sons to serve in his place. So, they declared their demands for a king.

“Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” – 1 Samuel 8:5 ESV

While this request angered Samuel, God decided to give them exactly what they wanted. He even warned them how things would turn out if they got a king like all the other nations (1 Samuel 5:10-18). But the people ignored God’s warning and Saul became their first king. In time, the people discovered that God had been right. Saul proved to be a bad king and was eventually replaced by David, whom God declared to be a man after His own heart. So, for their role in giving Israel its first two kings, the tribes of Benjamin and Judah were given more significant coverage.

But it seems that the chronicler is going out of his way to emphasize that God is the God of all the tribes of Israel. They had all been returned by God from exile in Babylon to the land of promise. Every person who read this account could trace back his lineage to one of these tribes. They could relate to the history of Saul and David. They all shared the same covenant-keeping God. God had a plan for all of Israel, not just Judah, but He was going to use Judah to establish His kingdom – in the future. From the tribe of Judah would come the Messiah.

By providing the lengthy genealogies, the writer is reminding the people of Israel of their significance in the world. They have a rich heritage and are each descendants of Abraham, and, as such, are the chosen people of God. This fact could have easily been forgotten after spending 70 years in exile. So God reminds them of who they are and from whence they have come. He has returned them to the land, and while things might not look so good at the moment, He is far from done.

As Christ-followers we too can easily forget our rich heritage. We are sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. But, like the Israelites, we find ourselves living like strangers in a strange land. When we lose our identity as God’s people, we can end up compromising our convictions and growing complacent and far too comfortable with the world. Rather than maintaining our God-given distinctiveness, we adopt and adapt the ways of this world. But the apostle John warns us to avoid this love affair with the world.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Paul provides us with a similar admonition.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2 NLT

Not to be outdone, James adds his own warning against growing comfortable with the world.

Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. – James 4:4 NLT

The 12 tribes of Israel were expected to recall their ancestry and remember their calling as God’s chosen people. Seventy years of exile had done nothing to diminish their unique status as children of God. Their bloodline determined their heritage and their inheritance. Many of those who returned from exile had been born in Babylon, but God wanted them to know that they were still sons and daughters of Abraham, and as such, they were heirs of the promise.

We too are heirs of a rich heritage and bear the distinction of being God’s chosen people. But we must constantly remind ourselves what Jesus said: “You are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world” (John 15:19 NLT). We are God’s sons and daughters and are citizens of a different Kingdom.

…our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. – Philippians 3:20 ESV

We may find these lengthy genealogical lists difficult to read and even harder to apply, but they should remind us of our unique status as God’s people and His desire that we live out our new identity with confidence and hope in His eternal promises. Peter provides us with a powerful reminder of our one-of-a-kind status as Kingdom citizens.

…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.”

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. – 1 Peter 2:9-12 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Some Things Never Change

33 These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer the son of Joel, son of Samuel, 34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, 36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 37 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, 38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel; 39 and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, 41 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, 43 son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi. 44 On the left hand were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 45 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 46 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 47 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi. 48 And their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

49 But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. – 1 Chronicles 6:33-53 ESV

The sons of Levi were responsible for the Tabernacle and the sacrificial system that accompanied it. These same duties were transferred to the Temple upon its completion by Solomon and were based on God’s detailed instructions regarding the various Levitical clans and their roles in the care of His earthly dwelling place. There were three clans within the tribe of Levi that shared the responsibility for the Temple complex and the sacrificial system: The Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites. Each clan was assigned a different role to play and they could not work outside their God-ordained duties, under penalty of death.

Aaron and his sons, who were Kohathites, were given responsibility for the holy objects within God's house and for overseeing the sacrificial system. During the days when Israel was wandering through the wilderness on their way to the promised land, the Kohathites were responsible for two kinds of service related to the Tabernacle. In Numbers 4, God refers to “the work” to be conducted in the Tabernacle. The Hebrew word is מְלָאכָה (mᵊlā’ḵâ), and it refers to the “business” or “occupation” of these men concerning God’s house. God goes on to describe the actual duties they were instructed to carry out that would require them to enter the inner recesses of the Tabernacle and interface with the holy objects contained within. Their responsibilities would require them to touch “the most holy things” (Numbers 4:4 ESV) to prepare them for transport from one place to another when the Israelites were commanded by God to break camp.

All of the Kohathites from 30 to 50 years old were required to care for “the most holy things” within the Tabernacle. While Kohath was not the eldest son of Levi, he is mentioned first because the role assigned to his family and clan was the most important of all. They were responsible for all of the items located within the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and these sacred objects required special attention and handling.

Any time that the Israelites were ordered by God to break camp, the first order of business was to disassemble the Tabernacle, but this required careful planning and laser-focused attention to detail. Any failure to follow God’s instructions could be devastating, even deadly. It all began with the removal of the inner curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This task was assigned to Aaron, the high priest, and his sons. Only the priests were allowed to enter the sacred spaces and prepare the holy furniture for transport. Once Aaron and his sons had finished the preparatory phase of the operation, the Kohathites could enter the Tabernacle and begin the removal of the sacred objects.

God had designed the Tabernacle to be portable because He knew that it would have to accompany the Israelites all the way from Mount Sinai to Canaan. Because of His omnipotence, He also knew that there would be a 40-year period in which the Israelites wandered through the wilderness because they refused to enter the land the first time they arrived at its borders. For four decades they would be required to transport God’s house from one location to another. His presence was directly tied to the Tabernacle and the maintenance of the Tabernacle’s holiness was essential if He was to remain among His people. So, God provided Moses and the Israelites with strict instructions for protecting the sacredness of His house and preserving the promise of His abiding presence, and the Kohathites would play an integral and irreplaceable role in the entire process.

The two remaining clans had their roles to play as well. Since the Kohathites had been given responsibility for the holy objects that were located in the Tabernacle proper, it was up to the Gershonites and Merarites to deal with the rest of the structure. Under the direction of Aaron and his sons, these two groups of families and clans were to assist in the disassembly of the structure and then they were to carry the pieces to the next destination. For the Gershonites, their primary responsibility covered the structure of the Tabernacle itself.

“They must carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle itself with its coverings, the outer covering of fine goatskin leather, and the curtain for the Tabernacle entrance. They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. The Gershonites are responsible for all these items.” – Numbers 4:25-26 NLT

In a sense, the Gershonites were little more than professional movers, tasked with taking down the Tabernacle structure and carefully transporting the pieces. But what made their task more than a bit stressful was that the “owner” of this house was none other than God Almighty. While they were not responsible for the sacred objects, such as the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense, they could not take their role any less seriously. The various curtains, partitions, cords, and clasps that comprised the walls of the Tabernacle were to be treated with reverence and protected from contamination or damage.

The Gershonites were responsible for the “guts” of the Tabernacle. It was their task to ensure that its massive woven curtains were carefully folded and protected from the hot desert sun and the grit and grime associated with travel through the wilderness terrain. Without these items, there would be no Tabernacle in which to place the holy objects and therefore, no place for the glory of God to dwell. The ark of the covenant and the mercy seat that sat on top of it could not be unpacked and uncovered until the walls of the Tabernacle were fully assembled and the Holy of Holies was properly prepared. Until then, the ark would remain hidden under its protective coverings, and the glory of God could not come to rest on the mercy seat.

So, the Gershonites could not afford to view their role as inferior or less important than that of their Kohathite brothers. Each group had its role to play and everyone needed to fulfill their particular part faithfully and in strict compliance with God’s will.

This included the Merarites, who were assigned what appears to be the lowest and least important task of all.

“Their only duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry loads. They will carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases; also the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, and ropes; and all the accessories and everything else related to their use. Assign the various loads to each man by name.” – Numbers 4:31-32 NLT

One might say that the Merarites were tasked with doing the “grunt work” of the project. To accomplish their part, all they needed was a strong back and a willing heart. But their role was essential because they were caring for the literal foundation of the Tabernacle. The intricate, interlocking timber framework of the Tabernacle served as the skeleton upon which the fabric “skin” that comprised the walls was placed. This entire design had been ordained by God and was intended to serve as the infrastructure of the Tabernacle.

The massive wooden beams that formed the Tabernacle’s “skeleton” were just as integral to its holiness as the sacred objects that sat within the walls they formed. Without the beams, there would be no place to hang the curtains, and without the curtains, there would be no walls to form the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. That would result in no inner sanctum in which to place the ark of the covenant and, therefore, no mercy seat over which the glory of God could dwell.

This picture of interdependence and cooperation is vital to understanding how God views His chosen people. He designed them to serve in a spirit of unity that accentuated their differences but enhanced their overall spiritual success as a nation. There were 12 tribes, but God viewed them as one people. Moses was the designated leader, but Aaron had his role to play. All of the Israelites were considered children of God, but the Levites had been set apart to serve in a special capacity as intermediaries between the people and God. Even within the tribe of Levi, various families and clans had been assigned different tasks to ensure that God’s house was protected so God’s presence could be preserved.

This same division of responsibilities held true under the reigns of David and Solomon. Later in 1 Chronicles, the author provides some details regarding David’s preparation for the eventual construction of the Temple. While it had been his dream to provide God with a proper dwelling place, God had passed that honor on to Solomon. But as David neared the end of his reign and life, he did everything he could to ensure that the Temple would be built. This included providing assignments to the Levitical clans for their future roles in God’s new house.

When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites. All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000. Then David said, “From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the Lord. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges. Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have made.” Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. – 1 Chronicles 23:1-6 NLT

Nothing was left to chance. As this chapter makes clear, David even assigned a specific group of Levites with the responsibility of serving as musicians in God’s house.

These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. – 1 Chronicles 6:31-32 NLT

The Israelites who had returned to Judah from their captivity in Babylon were expected to honor God by restoring the roles of the Levitical priesthood. Under the direction of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Temple had been rebuilt, but it would be useless without the sons of Aaron to serve as priests. The sacrificial system could not be implemented without a high priest to make atonement for the sins of the people. Without the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites, the Temple itself would be nothing more than just another building. God had returned the Israelites to the land, but it was up to them to reestablish their commitment to living according to God’s will and ways.

Seventy years of exile had not diminished God’s holiness or nullified His laws. The Israelites may have been starting over but they had a well-defined set of regulations to follow, provided for them by God. There was a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. God expected the Temple to be rebuilt but He also expected His laws to be obeyed. We have no way of knowing what the descendants of Levi did while they were living in exile. Without the Temple, their entire purpose for being was missing. But when they returned to the land, their roles were to be reinstated and the will of God was to be followed to the letter. 

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Relentless Will of God

1 These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, 2 the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; 3 the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; 4 six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 5 These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; 6 then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. 9 All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

10 The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. 16 The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; 17 and the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; 19 and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. 21 The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. 22 The son of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 23 The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. 24 The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven. – 1 Chronicles 3:1-24 ESV

At this point, the chronicler picks up his genealogical record with the line of David and takes it all through way through the post-exilic period. This chapter provides important details concerning God’s miraculous preservation of the Davidic line despite the nation’s seven-decades-long exile in Babylon. God had made a covenant promise to David and nothing, including the fall of the kingdom of Judah and the deportation of its people to Babylon, would prevent Him from keeping His word.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’” – 2 Samuel 7:11-16 NLT

After the people of Israel returned to Judah under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, they had to wonder whether God was going to be able to keep David’s line alive. As they assessed their situation, it was not difficult to see that they had no king, Davidic or otherwise. God’s promise to secure David’s throne forever seems to have come to an abrupt and ignominious end when Zedekiah was dethroned and blinded by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The Book of 2 Kings provides the sordid details.

So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls. Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign. – 2 Kings 25:1-12 NLT

They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. – 2 Kings 25:6-7 NLT

Yet, the chronicler wanted his readers to know that God had not forgotten His promise and had preserved the line of David all throughout their years in exile. Verses 17-24 of 1 Chronicles contain the David line as traced through Jehoiachin. His reign preceded that of Zedekiah and was short-lived. Ascending the throne of David at the age of 18, Jehoiachin reigned for only three months and “did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his father had done” (2 Kings 24:9 NLT). It was during Jehoiachin’s reign that Nebuchadnezzar began his siege of Jerusalem and it didn’t take long for the young king to lose hope and surrender.

Nebuchadnezzar led King Jehoiachin away as a captive to Babylon, along with the queen mother, his wives and officials, and all Jerusalem’s elite. He also exiled 7,000 of the best troops and 1,000 craftsmen and artisans, all of whom were strong and fit for war. Then the king of Babylon installed Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, as the next king, and he changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. – 2 Kings 24:15-17 NLT

It’s interesting to note that Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah and Coniah) had received a prophecy from Jeremiah that detailed his eventual capture by Nebuchadnezzar.

“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off. I will hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you so desperately fear—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the mighty Babylonian army. I will expel you and your mother from this land, and you will die in a foreign country, not in your native land. You will never again return to the land you yearn for.

“Why is this man Jehoiachin like a discarded, broken jar?
    Why are he and his children to be exiled to a foreign land?
O earth, earth, earth!
    Listen to this message from the Lord!
This is what the Lord says:
‘Let the record show that this man Jehoiachin was childless.
    He is a failure,
for none of his children will succeed him on the throne of David
    to rule over Judah.’” – Jeremiah 22:24-30 NLT

According to Jeremiah, God decreed that Jehoiachin would be childless, yet the chronicler states that seven sons were born to him during his exile in Babylon.

The sons of Jehoiachin, who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians, were Shealtiel, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. – 1 Chronicles 3:17-18 NLT

This isn’t a typo or a so-called contradiction in Scripture, it was God’s way of saying that none of Jehoiachin’s sons would become heirs to his throne. Jeremiah makes that point quite clear when he writes that “none of his children will succeed him on the throne of David to rule over Judah” (Jeremiah 22:30 NLT). Yet, the chronicler states that Pedaiah, one of Jehoiachin’s sons, fathered two boys named Zerubbabel and Shimei. The first of these sons would end up playing an important role in the return of the exiles to Judah.

Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. - Ezra 2:1-2 NLT

According to the prophet Haggai, Zerubbabel went on to become the governor of Judah (Haggai 2:21). So, while he did not inherit his grandfather’s throne, he did play an important role in providing leadership within the restored kingdom of Judah. More importantly, Zerubbabel’s name appears in the lineage of Jesus.

After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. – Matthew 1:12-16 NLT 

Of course, this passage presents another seeming contradiction. It lists Zerubbabel as the son of Shealtiel, while the chronicler states that Pedaiah was his father. The books of Haggai, Nehemiah, Ezra, Matthew, and Luke also list Shealtiel as the father. So, was the chronicler mistaken? While it would be easy to write this off as a scribal error, it makes more sense to consider the possibility that Zerubbabel was the byproduct of levirate marriage. If Shealtiel died without having a son, his brother Pedaiah would have been obligated by law to take Shealtiel’s widow as his wife so that she could bear an heir to her deceased husband’s line. Shealthiel would have been Zerubbabel’s legal father, while Pedaiah was his biological father. During their exile in Babylon, Shealtiel served as the second Exilarch (or king-in-exile). With the return to Judah, Zerubbabel assumed his father’s leadership role, serving as governor.

But the most important detail to consider is that Zerubbabel is included in the line of Jesus, the Messiah. God would use this descendant of David and the grandson of the discredited Jehoiachin to bring about the birth of the Messiah. Not only that, Zerubbabel would be used by God to rebuild the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem.

“This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” – Zechariah 4:6-7 NLT

Zechariah went on to say, “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (Zechariah 4:9-10 NLT).

The Temple would be rebuilt and the sacrificial system would be reinstituted. God had taken His rebellious people and restored them to the land and graciously allowed them to renew their relationship with Him. But He was far from done. From those small beginnings, God would accomplish greater things than they could ever imagine. Even while they were in exile, God spoke to His people through the prophet Jeremiah, assuring them of His unwavering love and unstoppable plans for them.

“You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” – Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT

Little did the returned exiles know the extent of the plans God had in store for them. They had no way of knowing that their temporary governor, who happened to be the grandson of the evil and discredited Jehoiachin, would be used by God to bring about their long-awaited Messiah. Zerubbabel would be instrumental in rebuilding the Temple so that the people of Israel could enjoy a restored relationship with God. But it would be Zerubbabel’s descendant, Jesus, who would become the living Temple and provide the final sacrifice needed to restore sinful men to a right relationship with the Father. Jesus alluded to this in His message to the religious leaders of His day.

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. – John 2:18-22 NLT

From this lengthy and somewhat boring list of names comes a stunning reminder that God is sovereign over all things. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and in complete control over the affairs of men. Wicked kings cannot thwart His plans. The deportation of an entire nation cannot alter His will or derail His intentions. His will will be done. And as the Book of Revelation reminds us, the Messiah, the descendant of Zerubbabel, will one day become the true and everlasting Temple of God on earth.

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. – Revelation 21:22-27 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Inexplicable Ways of God

1 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 3 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; these three Bath-shua the Canaanite bore to him. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death. 4 His daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

5 The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 6 The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, five in all. 7 The son of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing; 8 and Ethan’s son was Azariah.

9 The sons of Hezron that were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. 10 Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah. 11 Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, 12 Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse. 13 Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, 14 Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. 16 And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. 17 Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

18 Caleb the son of Hezron fathered children by his wife Azubah, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20 Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel.

21 Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old, and she bore him Segub. 22 And Segub fathered Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 23 But Geshur and Aram took from them Havvoth-jair, Kenath, and its villages, sixty towns. All these were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead. 24 After the death of Hezron, Caleb went in to Ephrathah, the wife of Hezron his father, and she bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.

25 The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron: Ram, his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel also had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27 The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 28 The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. 29 The name of Abishur’s wife was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. 30 The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; and Seled died childless. 31 The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. 32 The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died childless. 33 The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. 34 Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but Sheshan had an Egyptian slave whose name was Jarha. 35 So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha his slave, and she bore him Attai. 36 Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad. 37 Zabad fathered Ephlal, and Ephlal fathered Obed. 38 Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah. 39 Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Eleasah. 40 Eleasah fathered Sismai, and Sismai fathered Shallum. 41 Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama.

42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mareshah his firstborn, who fathered Ziph. The son of Mareshah: Hebron. 43 The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. 44 Shema fathered Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem fathered Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai: Maon; and Maon fathered Beth-zur. 46 Ephah also, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran fathered Gazez. 47 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. 48 Maacah, Caleb’'s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. 50 These were the descendants of Caleb.

The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, 51 Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. 52 Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had other sons: Haroeh, half of the Menuhoth. 53 And the clans of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. 54 The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. 55 The clans also of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. – 1 Chronicles 2:1-55 ESV

Once again, the chronicler provides us with another lengthy genealogical record filled with meaningless names and mind-numbing details about who beget who. Yet, this list contains more than a few names that should be familiar even to a contemporary reader. He begins with the sons of Isaac: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. From these men came the 12 tribes of Israel, and their descendants were the ones to who this book was written. Every individual to whom this genealogical record was read would have been a proud member of one of the tribes of Israel and an heir of the promise that God had made to their forefather, Jacob.

God blessed him, saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel.

Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” – Genesis 35:10-12 NLT

As this motley group of Israelites stood in the land of Israel, faced with the prospect of trying to rebuild their former nation and reestablish their ownership of the land, they needed a reminder of their covenant relationship with God. But there is something even more important that the author wants his readers to know. In detailing the lineage of Israel (Jacob), he begins with Judah rather than Reuben, the firstborn. Then he brings up a rather unflattering episode in the life of Judah by reminding his readers that Judah had a son named Er, who “was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death” (1 Chronicles 2:3 ESV).

Why would the author begin with this less-than-encouraging recounting of Er’s death? If we turn to the Genesis account of this story, we get little in the way of details regarding Er’s sin.

In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life. – Genesis 38:6-7 NLT

It seems likely that this brief aside was intended to emphasize God’s disdain for wickedness of any kind. He hated evil and was quick to purge it from among His people. The original audience of this book would have had firsthand experience with God’s hatred for sin because they had spent 70 years living in exile as a result of their rebellion against Him. So, this one-line note was probably intended as a not-so-subtle reminder to the Israelites that if they wanted to experience God’s blessings in the land,  they would need to avoid wickedness and live in obedience to God’s commands.

After briefly recognizing Er’s sin, the author describes the births of Perez and Zerah, the twin sons born to Isaac and Tamar. But even this more uplifting historical note comes with its own set of uncomfortable and unflattering baggage and is tied directly to the death of Er.

Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”

But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too. – Genesis 38:8-10 NLT

 Tamar, the wife of Er, found herself a grieving widow for the second time. Jacob, who had lost two sons, was at a loss as to what to do with Tamar. According to the Genesis account, he was afraid that Tamar might be cursed. He was obligated to care for his daughter-in-law and the practice of levirate marriage was common in his day. This ancient code of conduct required the unmarried brother of a deceased man to take his widow as a bride. This would provide an heir for the deceased brother, keeping his lineage alive and assuring the widow and her offspring of an inheritance.

But, fearing the loss of yet another son, Jacob came up with a plan to send Tamar away with the promise that he would reward her with marriage to his son, Shelah.

“Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home. – Genesis 38:11 NLT

Jacob had no intention of following through with his commitment. Instead, he hoped that Tamar would return home and allow her family to provide for her needs. But as the story goes, Tamar did not forget Jacob’s promise and grew impatient with the constant delays. When Shelah came of age, no marriage arrangements were made. So, she took matters into her own hands and came up with a plan to rectify the injustice Jacob had done to her. To make a long story short, Tamar got even with Jacob.

Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law. – Genesis 38:14-16 NLT

Through a series of convoluted events, Jacob unwittingly slept with Tamar and she became pregnant. When he became aware that he had committed incest with his own daughter-in-law, he exclaimed, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah” (Genesis 38:26 NLT). He took Tamar as his wife but never had sexual relations with her again. He also adopted her two sons as his own. But the story doesn’t end there. Perez went on to have a son named Hezron (verse 5). Hezron would grow up and father three sons, one of whom was named Ram.

The sons of Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.

Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of Judah.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
Obed was the father of Jesse. – 1 Chronicles 2:9-12 NLT

Jesse would go on to sire seven sons, the last of whom was David. The Book of Ruth includes a very similar genealogical record that outlines the line from Perez to David.

This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David. – Ruth 4:18-22 NLT

The stories of Er, Onan, Ruth, and Tamar are meant to remind the people of Israel that their existence was not the byproduct of fate or blind luck. They are part of a long legacy that was the result of divine oversight and sovereign planning. They weren’t just any nation, they were the chosen people of God and the heirs of His promises. Their return to the land had been God’s doing, just as their exile to Babylon had been part of His overall will for their lives. And He was not yet done.

“One of the major themes of Chronicles is that the Davidic dynasty would be the instrument through which God promised that salvation and blessing would come to Israel and through Israel to the whole world. The final Davidic king, Jesus Christ, was the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) as well as the Person who would fulfill the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants completely.” – Thomas L. Constable, Study Notes of 1 Chronicles

The rest of the chapter traces the other sons born to Hezron. This lengthy list of unknown individuals provides a more in-depth description of the sons of Judah born through the line of Perez.

“These obscure names connected with the tribe of Judah are listed for an important general reason. Most of the returning exiles in the general time Chronicles was written were connected to the tribe of Judah.” – David Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary of 1 Chronicles

According to Ezra 1:5, those who returned from exile in Babylon were primarily members of the tribe of Judah.

Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. – Ezra 1:5 NLT

That is why the chronicler spends so much time unpacking the lineage of the tribe of Judah. He wants his readers to understand that they are part of a rich heritage that goes all the way back to Perez. Despite the dark blots on their family tree, God has blessed them and returned them to the land. He has sovereignly arranged for their release from captivity and their safe travel back to the land of Judah. This ragtag group of former slaves will be used to rebuild the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem. They will reinstate the sacrificial system and repopulate the land with more of their kind. This was going to be a new beginning and God had plans in store for them that were far beyond anything they could imagine.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When We Lose Our Identity

28 The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. 29 These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. 32 The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the descendants of Keturah.

34 Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and of Timna, Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna. 40 The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 41 The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 44 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 45 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. 47 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. 49 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his place. 50 Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 And Hadad died.

The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom. – 1 Chronicles 1:28-54 ESV

Paul wrote the following words of encouragement to his young protégé, Timothy:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. – 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

Little did he know at the time that his own words would eventually be included in the canon of Scripture and considered to be the inspired words of God. But when Paul wrote to Timothy and referenced the trustworthiness and God-inspired power of the Scriptures, he had the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible in mind, what we now refer to as the Old Testament.

Paul’s wholehearted commendation of the Hebrew Bible should give us pause when encountering the lengthy genealogies in 1 Chronicles. Most modern readers find these extended lists of unfamiliar names difficult to read and far from inspiring or helpful to their faith journey. But Paul would beg to differ. He believed that all Scripture was penned under the inspiration of God’s Spirit and intended for the edification and spiritual advancement of His people. Each word and every sentence was recorded and preserved by God as part of His divine revelation to mankind.

But the nine chapters of unrecognizable and unpronounceable names found in the Book of 1 Chronicles test our belief in Paul’s assessment. These genealogies tend to make no sense to us and they seem to serve no purpose. But to the chronicler's original audience, they provided a lifeline back to their heritage as God's chosen people. They had returned to the land of promise after 70 years of forced exile in Babylon. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple itself. But they were a ragtag remnant living in a city that still showed the signs of the Babylonian destruction and the years of neglect as the people languished in captivity.

When these chapters were penned, the Israelites were worshiping in a recently rebuilt Temple that was a mere shadow of its former glory. The once-powerful nation of Israel was weak, impoverished, and virtually defenseless. They had no king or army. They were surrounded by powerful enemies and faced the insurmountable task of reestablishing themselves in the land. Most of them had not been alive when David and Solomon had reigned over Israel. They had never seen the magnificent Temple that Solomon constructed. When they walked back into the land of Judah, their eyes were met by scenes of destruction and devastation. After seven decades of living as slaves in a foreign land, these disenfranchised people were more Babylonian than Jewish. They had lost their bearings and forgotten their rich heritage as the sons and daughters of Abraham.

So the chronicler began his book by giving his readers an extended history lesson designed to reestablish their identity as God’s chosen people. He takes them all the way back to Adam, the first man, as a reminder that they too were created in the image of God. As human beings, they represented the apex of God’s creation. But the descendants of Adam sinned against God and brought down His judgment. This led to God to choose Noah and his three sons as the means by which He would repopulate the earth with a new generation of men and women made in His image.

For the sake of his Hebrew audience, the author fast-forwarded to the life of Abraham, their patriarch and the father of their people. From this one man came the nation of the Israelites and every man and woman who read these genealogical lists could find his or her lineage outlined somewhere in the opening chapters of this book. They were part of the ongoing story of God’s people.

But more than that, they shared a heritage with David, the great king of Israel, to whom God had promised to give a long-lasting dynasty. One of David's descendants was to sit on the throne of Israel again. But at the time of the writing of 1 Chronicles, the people of God were living in Jerusalem and worshiping at the Temple, but they had no king. They were weak, defenseless, and surrounded by enemies who were less-than-ecstatic that they had returned to the land. But the chronicler wanted them to understand their unique status as God's chosen people. Much of what he wrote in this book was designed to show them who they were, how they got to be in the state they were in, and what they needed to do to see their circumstances change. Their current situation was the direct result of their own unfaithfulness and disobedience. They were reaping the results of their failure to seek God. So the chronicler wants them to understand that, as God's people, they must return to Him, and live as the true heirs of Israel.

God's hand had been on Israel from the very beginning. The lists of genealogies start with Adam and clearly reveal God's sovereign choice of Abraham and His divine selection of David. He had been active all along the way, orchestrating events in such a way that the nation of Israel would be His chosen people. And despite what would be a lengthy track record of disobedience and rebellion against His will and authority, God eventually restored His disobedient children to the land He had promised to give them as their inheritance. While they had failed to live up to His expectations and commands, He had kept His promises to them. He had miraculously provided the means by which the Temple could be rebuilt and the sacrificial system restored. He used a pagan king to make possible the return of His people to the land and the funding of the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the Temple itself. The Temple was a symbol of God's divine presence and a reminder of God's willingness to provide forgiveness for sin and restoration to a right relationship to Him through the sacrificial system. But as the people of God, they would have to live in obedience to His commands, faithfully seeking His face and worshiping according to His standards, not their own.

After 70 years in exile, it would have been easy for the people of God to forget their identity. Most of those who returned to the land of Israel had probably been born in Babylon, and were seeing the land of promise for the first time. They had no recollection of how things used to be and no concept of the former glory of Jerusalem or the magnificence of the original Temple. They had long forgotten their unique status as the children of God. Theirs had been a life of slavery, servitude, and suffering, and while they were now living back in the land, they were doing so as a weakened, impoverished, and powerless people who had no king, no army, and no apparent hope for the future. But the chronicler takes time to remind them of their heritage. He wants them to understand the significance of who they are and the reality of their relationship with God.

Paul does a similar thing when writing to the believers in Ephesus. He reminds them, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV). Then he adds those two powerful words, “But God…”

Amid our former position as sin-ravaged, spiritually lifeless, flesh-driven dead men, God showered us with His mercy and grace, providing us with salvation through Christ “even when we were dead in our trespasses” (Ephesians 2:4 ESV). He gave us new life. He provided us with new hope. As a result, Paul exhorts his readers to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1 ESV). He challenges them to live up to their new status as God's chosen people. Their lives were to be marked by humility, gentleness, patience, forebearance, love, unity, and a mutual commitment to spiritual growth and maturity. Their conduct and speech were to be different. Their lifestyle was to emulate that of Christ. They bore the name of Christ and shared His status as children of God. So they were to live accordingly, putting off their old nature and putting on the new self, “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24 ESV).

As a child of God, I am to live differently. I must recognize my position as His son and walk in a manner worthy of my calling as His adopted child. My unique status should be apparent in my behavior. Paul told his readers to put away falsehood, speak the truth, not let their anger turn to sin, resist Satan, stop stealing, work honestly, talk righteously, extend grace, and stop grieving the Holy Spirit. He was very specific and it was likely because his readers had been used to living in such a way that their lives had been marked by behavior that was unChrist-like and unflattering to their role as God's chosen people. As God's sons and daughters, our behavior must reflect our beliefs. Our comportment must match our confession. We must live or walk in a manner worthy of our calling and in honor of the name of Christ.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Heirs of the Promise

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh; 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; 4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

5 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man.

11 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

13 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 14 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 18 Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother’s name was Joktan. 20 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

24 Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah; 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu; 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah; 27 Abram, that is, Abraham. – 1 Chronicles 1:1-27 ESV

I know what you're thinking. Why in the world did God include this chapter in the Bible? What could possibly be the purpose of this mind-numbing list of hard-to-pronounce names? But we have to keep in mind the original author's intent and who his original audience would have been.

For us, as modern-day Christians, these names mean next to nothing, except for the occasional reference to Adam, Abraham, and Isaac. But even though we know who these men were, we aren't exactly sure what they have to do with us. But the Chronicler was writing to a particular audience for whom this list would have had real significance. It is believed that the books of Chronicles were the last books written in the Old Testament. They would have been penned after the people of Israel had returned to the Promised Land from Babylon where they had been exiled by God for their disobedience. Upon their return, they would have been suffering from a kind of identity crisis. Many of them would have been born in exile, having never set foot in the land of Canaan before. Now here they were, living in the land of "promise." What did that mean to them? Where was the promise? They would have returned weak and powerless to a land that was desolate with the vast majority of its cities decimated and in disrepair.  This would have been a whole new land to them and they would have felt like strangers in their own home. Their collective experience would have been much like that of a prisoner released after 70 years in confinement and allowed to return home. He would feel like an alien even in his own home.

So the writer of Chronicles begins by reminding his readers of their heritage. They needed to remember their rich heritage and their unique relationship to the God of their ancestors. Yahweh had a plan for them.

During their lengthy stay in Babylon, God had sent them a message through Jeremiah the prophet.

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 10-11 NLT

Now that plan had come to fruition. Their detour into captivity had not changed God's original plan. Beginning with Adam, the author takes them through the genealogy of Adam, Abraham, and Isaac, all the way to David, all the while giving them a history lesson in who they were and what God was doing in their midst. He reminds them that as the descendants of Abraham and Isaac, they were the chosen people of God. He is also going to remind them about the former Temple and the sacrificial system God ordained to take place there. He is going to remind them of their covenant relationship with God as descendants of Abraham. David was their covenant king whom God had placed over them and through his lineage would come the ultimate Shepherd/King, the Messiah.

“The purpose of these two volumes [1 and 2 Chronicles] is to review the history of Israel from the dawn of the human race to the Babylonian captivity and Cyrus’ edict of restoration. This review is composed with a very definite purpose in mind, to give to the Jews of the Second Commonwealth the true spiritual foundations of their theocracy as the covenant people of Jehovah. This historian’s purpose is to show that the true glory of the Hebrew nation was found in its covenant relationship to God, as safeguarded by the prescribed forms of worship in the temple and administered by the divinely ordained priesthood under the protection of the divinely authorized dynasty of David. Always the emphasis is upon that which is sound and valid in Israel’s past as furnishing a reliable basis for the task of reconstruction which lay ahead. Great stress is placed upon the rich heritage of Israel and its unbroken connection with the patriarchal beginnings (hence the prominence accorded to genealogical lists).” – Gleason L. Archer Jr., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction

Having just recently returned from exile in Babylon, the ragtag remnant of Israelites to whom the Chronicler wrote had their work cut out for them. They were facing the daunting task of rebuilding their cities and homes. The land was filled with foreign invaders who had taken advantage of their absence and claimed ownership rights over their inheritance. Their reclamation of the land was going to be long and arduous and the Chronicler knew they were going to need a refresher course in their history and a reminder of their status as God’s chosen people.

For modern readers, the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles can be a tough read because they are essentially one long-running genealogical record. But for the original audience, these lengthy lists of names carried important significance. Each Israelite who had made the long journey from Babylon back to the Land of Promise could trace his heritage back to one of the names contained in these opening chapters. Their roots and rich heritage were on display as a not-so-subtle reminder of their status as heirs of God’s covenant promises.

Their story could be traced all the way back to Adam. That is where God’s unique relationship with mankind began. But sin destroyed that relationship, resulting in God’s judgment and His destruction of humanity.

But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.” – Genesis 6:5-7 NET

Yet, despite all the wickedness that filled the earth, there was one man who found favor with God. The Genesis account states that “Noah was a godly man; he was blameless among his contemporaries. He walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Genesis 6:9-10 NET).

With this one godly man and his three sons, God started over again. After saving them from the devastating effects of the flood, God gave them the same mandate He had given to Adam and Eve.

Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth. All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power.” – Genesis 9:1-2 NLT

The sons of Noah would become the patriarchs of all the nations of the earth, including the Israelites.

The sons of Noah who came out of the boat with their father were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham is the father of Canaan.) From these three sons of Noah came all the people who now populate the earth. – Genesis 9:18-19 NLT

And that is where the author of 1 Chronicles picks up the story. In the first four verses, he collapses the timeline and moves from Adam to Noah and his three sons. Then he begins to unpack the lineage of each of Noah’s sons until he reaches the one name that resonated with his Israelite audience: Abraham.

Abraham was the revered patriarch of the Israelite people, the father of their nation and the original recipient of God’s covenant promises. It was to Abraham that God made the promise to multiply his seed and produce a great nation, and the genealogical record contained in the first nine chapters of this book provides proof that God kept that promise. The very fact that the Israelites were still in existence was evidence that Yahweh was a covenant-keeping God. Despite their disobedience and God’s judgment, they had been allowed to return to the land of promise and begin again. Yahweh had promised to restore them and He had kept His word.

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again…I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” – Jeremiah 29:10, 14 NLT

They were home but nothing was familiar. The land was desolated. Many of their cities were occupied by foreign invaders. They had no king or standing army. They were powerless, leaderless, and facing an uphill battle to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. But the Chronicler wanted them to know they were sons and daughters of the one true God. They had Yahweh on their side. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was not only their advocate, He was their protector and provider. 

Sometimes we can forget who we are. As we live in this fallen world, surrounded by sin and bombarded by the false lies of the enemy, we can too often lose sight of who we are and forget the promises of God. Like the Israelites, we are children of the promise. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have been chosen by God and He has a plan for our lives.

While our circumstances may not be the best and we may sometimes feel as if we are anything but saints, we must constantly remind ourselves of the truth of God's Word and His promises found in it. While this first chapter may be hard to read, and even harder to find something spiritually life-changing to pull out of it, we can walk away knowing that we too are children of Abraham, with access to all the promises made to him.

So that’s why faith is the key! God’s promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. – Romans 4:16 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.