As he almost always did, when it was time for something important, David summoned all of the officials of Israel to assemble. He was an early pioneer in change management (maybe because his Mentor was the God of the Universe.)
...continue reading "I Chronicles 28 Be Strong and Do the Work."Category: Solomon
Return to I Chronicles 26
Recently I started using a Chronological Bible for my daily reading. I felt like I had a hard time aligning events in the right time frame when I read each book in order. I couldn't remember who went with which event and era. I had planned to do it on my own until I got to the end of II Samuel and realized that the next several books contained multiple overlapping timelines.
...continue reading "Return to I Chronicles 26"David Pursues the King of Glory
July 9, 2020
I'm trying to read through the Old Testament chronologically and I am in the book of I Chronicles. I had, what I consider, a substantial insight yesterday about David and his obsession with God's Temple; but ran out of time before I could explore it. It's been on my mind and I want to try and capture my thoughts, as they can be quite fleeting.
...continue reading "David Pursues the King of Glory"Psalms of the Sons of Korah (Gatekeepers) 15 and 24 (why David wants the Temple)
I am attempting to read through the Bible chronologically and am in the Old Testament in I Chronicles. David has collected the materials and local for Solomon to build the Temple of God and now he is organizing the Temple workers, the Levites. He breaks those into four groups, the priests, the musicians, the gatekeepers, and the officials.
I have already written posts on how the Levites were organized, and specifically about the priest, musicians, and gatekeepers. The NIV Chronological Bible now includes several Psalms that are either noted as by the Sons of Korah (one of two "gatekeeper" families) or about requirements for entry into the Temple.
...continue reading "Psalms of the Sons of Korah (Gatekeepers) 15 and 24 (why David wants the Temple)"I Chronicles 26: 1-19 The Temple Gatekeepers
In this section of the I Chronicles, David is making extensive arrangements for the building of God's Temple under Solomon.
...continue reading "I Chronicles 26: 1-19 The Temple Gatekeepers"I Chronicle 24-25
July 4, 2020
David is preparing and making ever possible arrangement for Solomon to begin the building of God's Temple. After collecting the materials and labor, he has set about organizing the temple servers for the Lord. He has divided the priests and Levites into four groups, by family (sons of Levi)--Levites, priests, musicians, and gatekeepers.
In a previous post I reviewed Chapter 23 and the Levites. Next, the chronicler focuses on the Priests.
...continue reading "I Chronicle 24-25"I Chronicles 23 Wiersbe
Chapter 22 laid out the overview for those who would serve regarding the temple and Chapter 23 was focused on the first group, the Levites.
...continue reading "I Chronicles 23 Wiersbe"I Chronicles 23
This chapter begins detailed information about the temple personnel. The Transition intro in the chronological bible explains that this author skips all of the palace intrigue found in I Kings and focuses, largely, on the temple personnel. That makes sense. This wasn't a history class, it was an instruction book. He was picking the things that were relevant to them restoring the temple and beginning life again as a nation.
...continue reading "I Chronicles 23"I Chronicles 22
New NIV Chronological Bible
The "transition" note preceding I Chronicles, Chapter 20 compares the difference between the II Samuel and the I Chronicles' descriptions after the similar stories they include regarding David calling for a census. II Samuel concludes with stories they make the rest of David's reign seem feeble; while I Chronicles covers victories. I thought that was interesting. Again, Ezra was trying to motivate the returning Israelites under a common past- so painting victories and minimizing "feeble" makes sense.
...continue reading "I Chronicles 22"II Samuel 12 (Wiersbe) pt 3
David confessed.
Nathan immediately informed him that the Lord had forgiven his sin.
"However"
Uh oh. The amazing, grateful blanket of relief of being forgiven by God. Followed by, "However".
Forgiven of sin is not the same as released from consequences. Particularly those natural consequences that match the action. (Just like we learned in Love and Logic teaching and parenting.)
The Lord had made a covenant with David and the next baby was going to be his 8th, which is the number of new beginnings. We learn that the baby Bathsheba and David do have (Solomon) became identified as the one to carry on the crown. This baby, the one conceived in utter base sin and covered up by murder, could not be the beginning of the Lord's bloodline. Nathan frames it this way, "You have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme."
The baby lived only a week, so he was unable to be circumcised and named.
Solomon was born and was living evidence of God's forgiveness; God's provision of a new start; and God's promise of a redeemed future for us all.
This scene with Bathsheba, although fundamental and foundation to the future of mankind, was only a side story as David was still in the era of conquest and had to go complete the battle against Rabbah, so that the victory would count for his name-although Joab had done the lion's share of the work. At least Joab (probably by God's prompting) recognized the need to support is king and bring him the victory.
I think I need to meditate on that. How often do I claim the victory for myself, so that my name may be lifted up. Even corrupt Joab knew to save the victory for the king, so that the king's name be praised and the nation stronger for having a strong king. If Joab had kept the victory for himself, it would have split the names of those strong military leaders, leaving the kingdom vulnerable to factions-just like the ones they were just now coming out from. But Joab saved the victory for the king.
I can and should do the same. Put the victory under the name of our one true, strong king. Never touching the glory of God for myself.
Lord- please give me the words to do that correctly. Sometimes it sounds so awkward to try and give you the glory for work tasks and such. But I know there is a way to make it a natural part of who I am. A reflex to extend the victory to the real victor. I submit myself to you and ask that you renew my mind in Christ Jesus; and change me in this way.
I've camped on these two chapters, 11 and 12, for weeks. I've had various other studies and such, but I really was camping on these chapters when I had my own reading time. I found them deeply compelling and rich in lessons. And at the end of all of the tumult, God gives the Israelites (and their leader) a huge victory. That's how God chose to end this scene. I know we get into the consequences of David's sin next, and that comes soon enough. But before God picks up with the rest of the story, he gives David a significant victory with a 75 pound crown to symbolize that he was still King, reigning under the grace of a God with a plan and a God that forgives.
That's a pretty cool way to top off such a disappointing detour in David's journey. What astounding hope that gives to the rest of us.