1 Chronicles 27-29 Not Quite A Retirement Ceremony

My commentary said since Solomon wasn’t a military man, David organized the army, the tribal leaders, and all those who counseled him.  That was an important planning step for the time after David was no longer around.

Since David was old, it was time to prepare for Solomon’s reign and for the building of the Temple.  Solomon wasn’t the firstborn (who would normally expect to be the next ruler).  God had selected him.  It was therefore important for the nation to ratify that fact, and they did, crowning him king.

David then presented the spoils of war he’d collected for the building of the temple, adding much from his personal wealth as well.  It was important that the people view the Temple in the right way.  David told them, “The palace is not for people; it is for the Lord God.”  Unfortunately, they would one day forget this.

David then asked the leaders to give themselves to the service of the Lord, and they responded with thankful hearts, even adding to the wealth of supplies to build the Temple!  He then prayed a wonderful prayer of thanks to God, acknowledging that the kingdom of Israel was his. 

As a dad, he also prayed for his son:  “Give my son Solomon a desire to serve You.  Help him to always obey Your commands, laws, and rules.  Help him build the Temple.”

David was moving off the scene, having consolidated God’s kingdom in Israel.  His son Solomon began to reign while David retired.  It was time.

Father, thank You for this wonderful portrait of the capping of David’s reign and the passing of it on to his son.  Help me to pray like that daily for my sons, and I pray sincerely that You give them a heart like David’s.  Stoke that desire within them to follow You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 23-26 Just Being LISTED Means So Much!

David spent some of his last days organizing family groups from the tribe of Levi for service in the soon-to-be-built Temple.  Several things amazed me about this.  First, many of these men served only two weeks each year!  This was a necessity because their numbers were so great that everyone needed a chance to serve.  As additional generations were added over the years, I wonder if many men ended up serving only one week every three years!

Another somewhat strange thing I noticed was that David and the commanders of the army chose the men who would “preach and play” in the music group!  Perhaps they knew the trumpeters who sounded the charge in battle and thought they’d make great worship musicians! 

There were also several men specifically mentioned whom God had promised to “make strong” and as a result, they had many sons.  What a blessing!

We also finally have mention again of Moses’ sons and their descendants.  While Moses had spoken daily with God, received the Law, and led the people to the Promised Land, his descendants ended up guarding the treasuries of the Temple.

Father, I know it was a very special honor for these men and their families to have been assigned for service in the Temple.  It was also an honor that You chose to tell about them in Your Word.  I pray that my family and my descendants will honor You and serve You as well.  Lead us to respect You completely and to want to do Your will here on earth, with all our hearts.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 22 -- The Preparer But Not The Builder

God had already told David that even though David desired to build God a Temple, it would be David’s son Solomon (unborn at the time he heard this) who would build it.  David had been out of fellowship with God due to his sin with Bathsheba and his counting of the people, but there on Mount Moriah when God had halted the death angel’s march and accepted David’s sacrifice by sending fire down from heaven to consume it, David knew that his sin was forgiven and that he was back in fellowship with the Lord.  David also knew that Ornan’s property was where the Temple was to be built.  He might not be allowed to build it, but he could prepare the materials, workers, blueprints, and financing for it.

David also encouraged his son Solomon regarding the monumental task of building the temple.  He assured him that it was God’s will, he reminded his of God’s faithfulness, and he encourage him by giving him everything he’d accumulated for the project, my commentary said. 

Father, thank You for the encouragement I received from this chapter.  Just thinking of how You communicated so intimately with David – not just a sense that this was Your will, but a firm assurance that it was is amazing.  No other kin and no other nation received such assurance.  Speak to me and help me to stay in Your will.  Remove sin from my life.  Guide me to that which You would have me do, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 21 -- Oh, my!

This chapter starts out, “Stan was against Israel.”  “God permitted Satan to tempt David in order to accomplish the purposes He had in mind,” my commentary said.  We’ve got to remember this as these events unfold. 

David was letting pride get the better of him.  He wanted to know just how large an army he could field.  Numbering the people was forbidden in the law of Moses unless a Temple tax was being collected annually.  Why could he not have simply waited and he would have eventually found out his answer?  Instead, he willfully and knowingly sought to sin in his pride.  In fact, Israel had conducted military censuses in the past with no repercussions, but those had been done of necessity.  This one was all pride.

God was displeased, but He allowed Joab to perform the census.  “Sometimes God’s greatest judgment is simply to let us have our own way,” my commentary added.

David stood convicted of his sin sometime after Joab returned; he confessed it and sought God’s face.  “The census was willful rebellion, and David sinned against a flood of light.  Furthermore, God gave David over nine months time to repent, but he refused to yield.”  David finally came to the point of admitting his prideful mistake.

“God in His grace forgives our sins when we confess them, but in His righteous government He allows us to reap the consequences.  In this case, the Lord even gave David the privilege of choosing the consequences.  Why?  Because David’s disobedience was a sin of the will, a deliberate choice on David’s part, so God allowed him to make another choice and name the punishment,” my commentary said.

David chose disease over famine and military defeat.  He wisely knew that God was merciful, whereas humans probably would not be so.

Don’t you know that it broke his heart seeing 70,000 people dead?  But we have to remember how the chapter began:  Satan was against Israel.  In 2 Samuel 24, the companion to this chapter, it says God was angry with Israel, not with David.  He may have been punishing these particular people for their sin, according to my commentary.

“God permitted David to see the judgment angel hovering over Jerusalem … David knew that God was merciful and gracious … It was David’s sin that precipitated the crisis, but … the nation had also sinned and deserved to feel God’s rod of discipline,” my commentary added.

David paid full price for the land beneath him to build an altar there as the Lord had directed, even though the owner offered it free.  “David knew the high cost of sinning, and he refused to give the Lord something that had cost him nothing.”  In God’s sovereignty, it so happened to be the very spot where Abraham had offered Isaac as a sacrifice.  It would also become the spot where Solomon would build the Temple!

My commentary said that this episode represented one of David’s two greatest sins, the other being his adultery with Bathsheba.  “But out of those two great sins, God build a temple!”  David acquired the land here, and Bathsheba became the mother of Solomon.  “Knowing what God did for David does encourage us to seek His face and trust His grace when we have disobeyed Him.”

Father, You are so wise and so good!  Where sin abounds, Your grace abounds even more!  Help me to trust You, even when I have sinned – to seek Your face and ask forgiveness, knowing that You will always have Your best in mind for me, even when it has been modified due to my sin!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 19-20 Misunderstood Intentions

Before he became king, David had developed friendships with foreign leaders who were fighting Saul, as David was.  He’d made friends with Nahash, who became king of Ammon.  Nahash died and his son Hanun took his place.  David sent an official delegation to Ammon to honor and comfort the new young king.

Unfortunately, Hanun’s advisors suspected that David was making a play to attack them, taking advantage of Ammon’s weakness.  David’s delegates were dishonored by having one side of their beards removed and their robes cut off at the waist, including the tassels that evidenced their Jewish heritage, and then they were sent packing.  Replacing clothing wouldn’t be difficult, but growing back beards would take quite some time, so David ordered them to remain just inside the Israelite border at Jericho until their beards were restored.

Of course this amounted to an act of war, and David’s officers firmly defeated not only Ammon, but also the mercenaries they’d hired to help them in the battle against Israel.

Father, You’ve shown here how our best intentions can be misconstrued.  I pray that You will help others to see clearly what I’m doing and also help me to react in a way that honors You if I am misunderstood.  I don’t want my pride to get in the way of Your message.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 18 -- Understanding God In War

Some, particularly Arabs, will dislike this chapter and point out “imperialism” on Israel’s part.  They’ll point out how it started when Abram left Ur, and that it is still going on –grabbing land that wasn’t theirs and subduing or eliminating other nations.  (Of course, they conveniently overlook their own imperialism or excuse it.)  Yes, Israel did all that.  However, Israel was under specific instructions from God to do so!

The Philistines were perhaps their staunchest enemies.  God had been long-suffering with these idolaters and had finally decided to remove them from the very blessed land they’d been occupying.  He was bringing the Israelites into that land.  God had established the boundaries of Israel, not man, and some of the boundaries remain unattained.  God directed David’s military incursions to accomplish this, and He blessed them with results.

Of course, conquered people will say that the conquerors would say whatever they wanted, that their God had given them that land.  But this wasn’t just any god giving the orders.  He is Jehovah, and He is supreme over the universe.  They refused to honor and worship Him, and He says that one day “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.”  They can choose to do so willingly, or if not, they will do so despite their unwillingness, for He is sovereign.

Father, this is important to me because we humans are great at withholding areas of our lives from Your sovereignty, just like these nations did.  We need to see what we’re doing and understand our foolishness.  Don’t let me be like them with any area of my life.  Help me to surrender all to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 17 -- WOW!

It almost sounds at first like Nathan is simply a “yes” man, telling David to do whatever he liked since he was king and God had put him there.  But my commentary says, “When Nathan told David to do what was in his heart, he wasn’t affirming that David’s desires were actually God’s will.  Rather, he was encouraging the king to pursue his desires and see what God wanted him to do.”  After all, if we are following God, He gives us the desires of our heart.

God gave Nathan additional insight that night.  David wasn’t to be the one to build God’s Temple.  “The best thing he could do for the Lord was to continue shepherding the people and set a godly example,” my commentary said.  “The Lord promised David something above and beyond anything he could have imagined.  David wanted to build God a house, But God promised to build David a house – a dynasty forever!”

God had decided what He was going to do and in effect, David was about to understand God’s will and make it his.

The king sat in front of the Lord, supposedly at the Ark of the Covenant.  His sincerity and humility were quite evident:  “Lord God, who am I? … Why did You bring me to this point? … You have also made promises about my future family … There is no one like You, Lord.  There is no God except You … I, Your servant, am brave enough to pray to You … You have chosen to bless my family.”

I don’t believe David had any children at this point.  So that is certainly a huge promise, despite what He’s already said about Messiah.

Father, I’m so amazed at what You’ve done for me.  How You have blessed me with a family.  How You’ve revealed Your will for me and for my family.  God, be God over us.  Help us to remember all You’ve done to put us together as a family, and let that lead us to trust You completely and to accept Your loving will for our lives.  You’ve given us abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine by placing us together as a family.  Keep leading us, Father.  Draw us all nearer to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford