OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 19

1 Chronicles 19:1-19

19:1-2 David was not incapable of diplomacy, he just wasn't given much opportunity for it. But the kingdom of Israel had good relations with king Nahash of Ammon. When their king died, David extended kindness to the new king, Nahash's son. 

God does not teach us to have an "us against the world" attitude. He genuinely hopes that we will take any, every opportunity to mend, secure or reaffirm our relationships, national and personal. The kingdom of Israel did not seek total domination; it was quite content as it was, established and provided for by God within its own borders. Similar should we be as individuals: content with the space and provision God has given us, using none of it to further selfish motivations. 

And so David sent his servants to Hanun (in the land of the people of Ammon) to comfort the new king. David was a compassionate man, evidenced by his tender relationship with God. The young new king had just lost his father and David hoped to provide comfort. 

19:3 But David's servants are ill-received; they are believed to be spies with nefarious intentions. It may never have occurred to David that such false suspicions would arise; the kingdom of Israel was very much established according to the will of God, the mindset of the world might have been far from him. For a child of God, it would be unthinkable to betray and target an ally (especially) in their moment of weakness. 

19:4 But the people of Ammon were not in the righteous sphere of God and therefore Hanun is easily convinced that David means harm. Hanun tragically represents the type of hasty fear the world lives with. They are without contentment and security. Even allies appear as enemies. 

In response to David's kindness, David's servants were humiliated: their was ripped indecently; their heads were shaved. They were sent home ashamed.

19:5 When David learned about their humiliation, he did not respond with haste or fear or anger. Instead, David responded with empathy: he allowed the men time to recover in Jericho, to regrow their beards (which were highly regarded in their culture).

19:6-7 The people of Ammon realized that they destroyed relations with Israel. In a frantic scramble, they hired chariots and horsemen to help them defend themselves from a situation they unnecessarily caused. Their behavior was immature, hasty but we cannot too harshly judge them; often, we too allow our fear and immediate, emotional feelings to drive our behavior. From these accounts, we should learn the benefit of trusting God, being kind, and reacting always with patient solemnity. 

19:8-9 The people of Ammon started the war again. When David learned that they had assembled an army against Israel, David sent Joab (commander of the Israelite army) and his men into battle.

19:10 Joab analyzes the situation with his experienced eye for battle and discerns that Israel is surrounded. And yet, it is with a calm and focused mind that Joab plans Israel's defense. God will provide us with the material and temperament we need when we need it, when we trust Him to. 

19:11-12 Joab begins to arrange the army and its captains. He promises reinforcement to whichever division has the most difficult opposition. As a unit, the army of Israel will defeat their enemies; supporting each other rather than searching for personal glory. 

9:13 Just before engaging in battle, Joab motivates the army under his leadership with this: "Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight." Joab reminded  the people of God's presence and their motivation for fighting. He reminded them of an immense comfort and relief that they may not have been considered in that intense moment: that this battle would occur in accordance with God's will. Before facing any challenge, we have the benefit of remembering that we have placed God as the authority in our lives. The very God who has our best interests at heart and never fails. 

The Israelite army was defending itself; it was innocent. Though battles today often have (glaringly obvious and sometimes discreet) political motivations, on personal levels, we can ensure that our motivations are always pure. And when our motivations are pure, so is the force of God in our defense.

19:14-15 The hired Syrian army shrunk and fled from the Israelite army. Ammon noticed that their reinforcement fled and then fled themselves. Israel barely had to lift an arm before their opposition realized they were outmatched. For Israel's reinforcement was God, in defense of their innocence. 

19:16-19 David himself joins the effort when the Syrians redouble their attack on Israel. They fought and David prevailed; many of Israel's former enemies submitted themselves as servants. Ammon lost their ally. God will thoroughly dismantle our enemies (literal and figurative) when we become soldiers in His army of righteousness. 

Be Strong: confident in your purpose of defending the innocent and protecting the righteous. 

Be of good courage for your people: let not fear discourage you from ensuring justice for those who deserve it. 

Know that God will do what is good in His sight: when you cannot rely on your own strength or courage, rely on God's.

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 18

1 Chronicles 18:1-17

18:1-2 God made David able to attack and subdue the Philistines and Moabites. Though David was frequently engaged in war, it was always at the behest of God. God never sanctioned a war against an innocent nation or individual; God helped David, as He helps all of His children, because David fought against evil, Deuteronomy 9:5.

The ultimate mission of righteousness is a war on evil manifested into systems, kingdoms, nations, and powerful forces. David did not attack in an attempt to establish the renown of his name or to expand borders; he attacked because the strongholds of righteousness were breached by evil.

18:5-8 The Philistines, the Moabites and the Syrians struck against Israel but met a solid force. God preserved David wherever he went; each time David bravely, faithfully defended Israel and all it represented, God was with him. The gold and bronze of Israel's enemies became their possessions; their enemies were brought into submission. Once again: not because Israel was perfect but because their enemies were evil. To God, we are all imperfect. But Imperfect and trying (to be better) is a lot different than imperfect and not trying.

18:9-11 The king of Hamath heard of David's victory over the army of Hadadezer and responded with relief and gratitude. Hamath gave David gifts of gold, silver and bronze. David dedicated all of Hamath's gifts to God. It was very clear to David who the victor in the war had been: God. Therefore God, not David, deserved the gifts.

Gratitude is an especially helpful mindset. Gratitude humbles because it gives perspective: the victory did not come out of David's ability, it came out of God's. David remembered the source of his provision and power and could therefore continue to draw from it. 

18:12-13 Abishai, under David's command and God's power, was also successful in battle. It is repeated: And the Lord preserved David wherever he went. Even the people working with David were fortified by God; God provides comprehensive support.

18:14 So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people. David's sole focus as king was to lead the kingdom and the people in accordance with God's will. 

18:15-17 David's Administration:

Army commander: Joab
Recorder: Jehoshaphat
Priests: Zadok and Abimelech
Scribe: Shavsha
Officer of the Cherethites and Pelethites (hired soldiers): Jeohiada
Chief ministers of the King: David's sons

David was surrounded by people who helped him to manage a kingdom, but he relied on God. David was not perfect and neither were the men assisting him, but as they each intended toward God's will as best they could, the kingdom flourished.

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 17

1 Chronicles 17:1-27

17:1 God had laid the framework for a strong and prosperous kingdom. David was a instrumental in the establishment of the kingdom, he had devoted his entire life to building it, one brick at a time as God handed them down. Still, David was not yet content to settle into domesticity; it bothered David that while he resided in a solid home, the ark was placed "under a tent with curtains."

17:2 David brought his frustration to Nathan the prophet, he wanted to build a more elaborate temple for the ark. Nathan responded to David with encouragement: David had a track record for having the support of God. God had authorized David to build quite a lot in his life, the support of the kingdom, the kingdom itself, and it seemed to Nathan a reasonable endeavor.

17:3 That night, the word of God came to Nathan with a message for David. We can always rely on God to be present and attentive during our questions; even though David had not directly addressed God, He kept abreast with David's concerns. Therefore once David voiced his discontentment, God was already prepared to respond to it with plan and purpose. Oftentimes, we ruminate for a long time  about something before we even, or ever, discuss the matter with God. 

17:4 Just as we can always rely on God to be present and attentive during our questions, we can also count on Him to be straightforward and concise in responding to them: David did not need to ruminate any longer about building a house for God because God responded, "You shall not build Me a house to dwell in." Well, that's settled.

17:5 God declares that David should not build Him a house for the primary reason of: He does not need one and never has. Our God is not stagnant, in fact He is rather fluid and flexible. He goes where His children go. His presence cannot be housed. And though perhaps David understood this, God wanted to reiterate the fact that His presence superseded the confines of worldly things.

17:6 The second reason David should not build God a house: He has never asked for one. David is distressed about the location of the ark but God points out that he has never accused anyone of not building him an elaborate house. From God's perspective, the House of God is already built. God's relationship with humanity is a divine-effort to fill that heavenly house. 

17:7-8 God explained to David that they were doing really well as they already were: David housed God in whole heart and soul. God's presence within David had resulted in the diminishment of his enemies and the exaltation of himself.

17:9-10 And anyway, God effectively continues, I still have plans to build for you; let's utilize this time to benefit you, rather than me. God selflessly declined David's offer of a house because He preferred to continue to cement His people's place on the earth. The immensity of God's generosity is so supernatural that it's often baffling to us:

David: God, I want to build You a house.
God: You may not built me a house because I want to built a house for you.

Faith is the channel and landing pad of blessings. The wider, longer, higher, deeper our faith, the wider, longer, higher, deeper the blessing. David's faith blew the doors of limitation off and therefore God's generosity could freely flourish, explode and abound. 

17:11-12 This is one of the times in scripture that God's sense of humor, in addition to His generosity, is evident. David began this conversation wanting to do something for God. Instead, God squashed that and kept piling on things He would like to do for David and His people.

God began to speak to David about his posterity and the future of the kingdom. He promised to set up David's son as king and to establish his kingdom. Oh, and since David was so concerned about it, sure: David's son would built a house for God. 

17:13-14 God quickly moves on from mention of the house. He continues to make promises: to love and guide David's son with steadfast mercy, to establish his kingdom as everlasting. David's genuine love created a context for God to fill. The vehemence of His love for God propelled a kingdom into eternity. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus, whose perfect love and obedience to God propels an eternal kingdom! 

17:15 Nathan finished delivering the message to David. 

17:16 God's response just did not compute to David. He felt unworthy of such a generous response. 

The system of our world is all about give-and-take, about earning and receiving. The system of heaven is solely about giving. When we give every aspect of our heart and life to God, we discover that the reason He wanted our heart and life in the first place was to fill them. This concept is somewhat foreign to us because it is not the way our world works. But God walks into our lives with bags of blessings on His arms and shoulders like He's just gone on a shopping spree specifically for us. And it isn't our birthday; it isn't Valentine's day; it isn't Christmas or any holiday it's just because He loves us. It's just because He thought we would like to have it. 

17:17-19 David does not understand but he is grateful; that is the best attitude we can have toward a life tethered to God, both in meager times and times of plenty. Because as long as we have made Him the authority in our lives and are obedient to His will, He's working all things for our good, Romans 8:28.

17:20 David had a moment of pure awe: there is none like You. Swaddled in the perfect, unfathomably comprehensive love of God David is reduced to one thought only: there is none like You. Out of everything he has seen and heard and felt and known, none of it compared to God.

17:21-22 David considered the well-being of God's people - He had taken delicate and emphatic care of them. God claimed the tribes of Jacob and loved them so thoroughly that their lives were not at all comparable to the lives of the nations around them. It was not to show off, it was to gather. The robustness of the kingdom and the joy of its people was always intended to drawn others closer to God, too.

17:23-24 What else can David do but accept all of these new promises from God? Let it be, David said. Let the will and awe-some glory of God take full control.

17:25-27 Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the blessing, David humbly accepts in ceaseless prayer. David's life is a ceaseless prayer of surprise and gratitude for God. In seven sentences, David uses the term "Your servant" six times. The joy and prosperity of David's life was all made possible by his obedient and steadfast service to God. It was all made possible because David lived how God instructed Him to live. It was all my possible by David's faith in God's instructions and assurances.

God does not think of you as a nameless servant; God knows your name, 91:14. David uses the word servant with honor and gratitude; for we do not have a master-servant relationship with God. We have a father-son, father-daughter, relationship with God. Our lives in service to God are lives spent in service to our own well-being; God has made it so. Every command He gives is to make our life better. God could have chosen to use His authority to make us slaves; but instead of commanding or requiring us to build for Him, every command He gives is an effort to build for us. He puts us first, and Himself last, every time.

As we can see through David's life, God really cherishes our love for Him. 

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 16

1 Chronicles 16:1-43

16:1-3 The ark of God was placed in the tabernacle David had built for it and sacrifices were offered to God. God had given so much; in an aware state of gratitude, David and the people of Israel reciprocated in the only way that the could: offering God the best of themselves and the best of what He had provided. 

In comparison to the bounty God produces for us, our own offerings seem meek and meager. But above all things, God values our love. The love we have for Him and for others. Love is an element which cannot be quantified, except by God and the love we emanate, for Him, is enough. 

16:4-6 David then blessed the assembly of people and blessed them in the name of the Lord. Under what other name could any one be blessed? God is the only authority and capacity able and abundant enough to claim each child. 

David distributed provision to every-one of Israel. The distribution of bread, meat and raisin cake symbolized the plenitude of the kingdom that God had provided. The harvest of the kingdom is of God is dedicated to each one. The distribution of the food symbolizes the plenitude of the provision God is still offering to those who will accept Him.

16:7-13 David's Psalm of Thanksgiving: The next course of action, for David, could only be to thank and honor God. And for the majority of this chapter, that is exactly what he does.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples!

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

Seek the Lord and His strength;

Seek His face evermore!

Remember His marvelous works which He has done,

His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

O seed of Israel His servant,

You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

David is full-to-bursting with reverence for the Lord. He implores us to express gratitude to Him, to speak to Him and to make Him known across humanity. David's excitement is fueled by the settling of the realization that there is purpose and order exacted by a compassionate God. A God worthy of exuberant, unending praise because of His nature and strength, provision and presence. A God worthy of praise because of the full authority with which He commands justice.

Truly the marvel of God is His commitment to righteousness. We are embedded in a world which tends to curve toward injustice. We are in the midst of a people who are inclined to lean toward self. Yet pervading imperfection is perfection Itself: a God whose energy is channeled powerfully, intelligently, intricately into the restoration of peace. 

David makes three declarations: we are fortunate enough to serve such a God, to be claimed as the children of such a God, and to be chosen by such a marvelous God. Meaning that: not only are we claimed by God, but we are also chosen by Him; we are entrusted with our own portion of His purpose. To what greater cause could one be recruited?

16:14-19

He is the Lord our God;

His judgments are in all the earth.

Remember His covenant forever,

The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

The covenant which He made with Abraham,

And His oath to Isaac,

And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,

To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

As the allotment of your inheritance,”

When you were few in number,

Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

David speaks of the history and the future of humanity's covenant with God. We have only a limited scope of the earth and humanity; our awareness here is but a fraction of a fraction of the whole. And yet the whole, is but a fraction of God's awareness. Since Adam, Noah and Abraham until you now your posterity future, He has and will reign. David speaks of the journey because though it has happened, it is not past. The lifeline of God's covenant strings us all together: where we have been and will go as a group and as individuals.

God chose us because He saw our need and had compassion. He chose us because we were broken and He could mend. He chose us because we were few and He had the capacity for many. He chose us because we were homeless and He had a home. He chose us because we were scattered and He had a kingdom. Our acknowledgement of God's choice for us long ago is a reminder of His steadfast commitment to our well-being even when we were not, are not, worthy of being chosen. 

Effectively, David tells us: this is not a relationship you want to take for granted; there is nothing in existence more deeply rooted in love.

16:20-22

When they went from one nation to another,

And from one kingdom to another people,

He permitted no man to do them wrong;

Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,

And do My prophets no harm.”

God's love is fierce. He has torn down kings and nations who tried to harm us, thwart us, take us away from Him. The children of Israel journeyed through the desert and survived because our God is not a mirage. Similarly do we journey through our own deserts; led and fed and watered, protected on all sides. God has declared to the wicked: do not to touch My anointed. It is a simple command, stated ferociously with the promise of retribution for anyone who breaks it.

Our God is acutely, intensely territorial. His children have the protection of His sharp vigilance. The protection of a God who promises to move mountains on our behalf if we deem them a threat. A God who stands in the fire with us so that we will not burn. We have the protection of a God who prohibits vengeance in order to claim it for Himself. Because when it comes to the destruction of evil, He only trusts the adept power of His thorough hand. 

God declares His protection of us because He loves us to be safe; because He loves us to be guiltless, he loves us to be as unlike evil as possible; and because once provoked, wrath is the natural response of a parent provoked by the one endangering their child.

16:23-24

Sing to the Lord, all the earth;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

Celebrate and proclaim the Lord day to day. David speaks on the occasion of the ark's arrival to the city but it is important to him that the people (and we) realize that the celebration of God is a continuous thing. God has remained with us generation after generation, surely that is worth celebration day after day.

16:25-27

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is also to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and gladness are in His place.

This portion of the psalm was as especially relevant to Israel then as it is to us now. Idol worship, the wedge and cleaver between our relationship with God. The material and shapes of the idols have changed but what they represented have not: vanity, power, greed. The houses of Israel and Judah succumbed to temptation and followed the idols the world revered. Vanity, power and greed the exact opposites of what God has instructed us to value: humility, obedience to His will and selflessness. 

During David's reign, the core of Israel was God's honor and majesty, strength and gladness. They were surrounded on all sides by His glory because they surrounded themselves and their lifestyles with Him. At the time Chronicles was written, there was perhaps never a time when Israel and Judah needed to hear this more: to be tempted out of the sphere of God's strength and majesty is to walk into a place of weakness and desolation. God knows the equation of life because He wrote it. David tells us to fear/revere* God above all other gods and idols because they got the equation of life wrong. Their methods never equate to the happiness they advertise.

*Yârê: A primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causative, to frighten. Our lifestyle decides how we will interpret God's force. If we are in agreement with Him we would naturally revere His ferocity for justice. If we are in opposition to Him, we certainly would have cause to fear it.

16:28-30

Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Give to the Lord glory and strength.

Give to the Lord the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him.

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved.

Give. Give. Give. Bring. Four times David tells us to reciprocate in our relationship with God. 1 Corinthians 3:9 professes that we are fellow workers with God. In Matthew 10:26, Jesus reveals that God has shared everything with us. If God is willing to work with you and is willing to share with you, it is appropriate that we would do the same with Him.

16:31-33

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

Above all, David is rejoicing and all creation joins with him in praising God. And specifically: God's return and judgement. Because of Matthew 7:2, we already know how we will be judged: For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Those who wholeheartedly try to live a righteous lifestyle look forward to God's judgement as David does here. 

16:34-35 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;

Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,

To give thanks to Your holy name,

To triumph in Your praise.”

God had not yet been connected with the "Gentiles," the people outside of the tribes of Israel. The work of the apostles in the book of Acts changed that. The door to God's kingdom was burst open to any and all who would walk through it. God's ultimate intention to connect with the entirety of humanity began to take shape. 

But in David's time, the kingdom of Israel was surrounded by enemies. David's prayer to God was to be saved from what would be a dangerous and desperate situation without Him. And God would continue to defend them, so long as they kept God as their defense. God does not force His authority on us; if we do not choose Him, He allows us to walk away, to walk out of His sphere of protection. 

Gratitude. The essence of this psalm. David understood that a heart and lifestyle of gratitude would keep the kingdom of Israel connected with God. If everyday they were aware and appreciative of God's hand in their prosperity, they might not become disconnected from Him. We benefit from employing the same mind-set of gratitude in our lives.

16:36

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord. Hallelujah, amen. 

16:37-43 David established and helped to set up regular worship (every day, every morning and evening); ministry before the ark. Faith was at the forefront of this kingdom perhaps as it has never been since. This was a faith un-corrupted by business or politic; it served the people and maintained their lifestyle of justice, peace and prosperity. 

Verse 41 says that they gave thanks to the Lord because His mercy endures forever. Do not love God just because He is God, love God because of who God is: merciful, empathetic, creative, just and kind. The genuine, steadfast, fervent love David had for God, and encouraged all to have, hints at the intimate relationship we too can have with Him.

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 15

1 Chronicles 15:1-29

15:1 David began to build up the city around him, referred to as the City of David. David also prepared a place for the ark of God. As king, David's priorities influenced the kingdom and reverence for God was at the top of his agenda. 

15:2 The ark was placed temporarily in the house of Obed-Edom. The first attempt at moving and placing the ark was interrupted by God. They ark had been handled by people other than the Levites, to whom God had charged responsibility of the ark. The reason why it was imperative that the Levites handled the ark was because they were the most devoted students and teachers of God's word. Where matters of the faith were concerned, it was important that those with the most knowledge of God's word were involved. Somebody less familiar with God's commandments might more easily steer the faith of the nation in the wrong direction. 

15:3-10 Once David assembled the Levites, they journeyed once again to bring the ark to a more permanent resting place. 

We are all students of God's word, no matter how long we have been alive and studying it. As students, we are always hearing different interpretations of scripture. The strict conditions regarding the placement of the ark remind us to be strict about where we place our faith. God has provided us the qualifications a person needs to meet in order to be a teacher worth following, Matthew 7:20: by their fruits you will know them. Scripture has determined good fruit to be that which compassion yields, truth yields, humility yields, justice yields.

The context of the curriculum of our faith is like a nest. The twigs and branches and feathers we weave around us are the teachers, the sermons, the verses, the studies we utilize to establish and deepen our faith. We must ensure that our nest is build out of quality materials, materials that will be able to keep our eggs, that is: all the places our faith is new and young, protected while they incubate. If we do, every time our faith burgeons into something deeper and more complex, it rooted in truth. 

God felt that Israel's best chance at retaining faith that had been propelling them into prosperity was in the hands of people who studied His word as a lifestyle. The Levites were not better than anyone else, but because they lived every day in the context of God's word, they were the most likely to keep the kingdom rooted in it. And when Israel did rebel, that is precisely what they did: Ezekiel 44:15 “But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me..."

15:11-13 David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar and for Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab and appointed them the heads of the Levites. David asks them to prepare and sanctify themselves for the task at hand: properly placing the ark. David is not too proud to admit his first mistake: we did not consult God about the proper order. 

We have ever-present, omniscient consultation in our lives in the form of God. Therefore, there is no reason not to consult Him. Matters large and small, the important and seemingly unimportant: trust God with all of it. The precise order of the universe is extraordinary, we can trust the One who ordered it to order our lives as well.

15:14-15 "So, the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bore the ark on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord." These verses are densely packed, the contain simple but sturdy life advice:

• Sanctify Yourself: make yourself a pure and cleansed vessel through which God can indwell, 1 Corinthians 6:19.

• Bring the Word of God Upon Your Shoulders: bring it with you, in an obvious and weighted manner, wherever you journey in your day and your life; keep it in close proximity with your head and heart. Take up the cross, Matthew 16:24, so that each night your spiritual feet are well exerted by the journey-work of your faith.

• According to the word of the Lord: align all that you do in accordance with God's word. If you go off-program, you go off path and God has warned us about the desolation of the alternate route, Proverbs 1:15-19.

15:16-24 A choir and band was gathered to celebrate the arrival of the ark. A prominent characteristic of David's distinguished reign is his tendency to celebrate God. David's faith never became lethargic or stagnant. He remained in awe and reverence of God's consistent goodness; he kept the faith of the nation kindled to bursting.

A life alive with faith in God is never mundane. Each morning we wake to with God as the first thought in our heart is a miracle beginning and contemporaneously, the continuation of an everlasting life. David's manner of faith kept God at the forefront and with Him, hope and joy and gratitude. 

15:25-26 The ark moved with the help of God, the priest sacrifice to God. The practice of sacrifice is now antiquated, Isaiah 1:11, but in David's time, it was a method through which people could express their trust and gratitude to God. They would offer Him their best, trusting that He would provide more.

Jesus rewrote the practice of sacrifice in Matthew 9:13 when He explained that instead of sacrifice, God wants His children to live merciful lives. Our sacrifice to God now is the donation of our time and charity, the expression of our empathy for others. Because God understands that there is a personal cost, a sacrifice, to mercy; forgiveness and selflessness do not always come readily to us and it can be difficult to give away to others what we want for ourselves. But Jesus rewrote the whole philosophy of life, too: Matthew 7:12 do to others what you want done for yourself. The word of God challenges us to live opposite our worldly instincts and to adopt the lifestyle of the righteous. 

15:27 Because of the nature of his purpose in life, David would have almost always been in a commander's uniform; the kingdom of Israel needed to be forged and established and David was appointed as the one to do it. With that in mind, it is especially glorious to read of David clothed in the fine linen of a worshiper of God. Linen, a representation of the pure and simple truth of God's word, adorned David's heart and soul, even when he was in full military uniform. To the kingdom of Israel, David was a king and army commander. But to God, and to David himself, he was just a man who loved God and wanted to do His will. David understood that his joy in what the linen represented enabled the success of what the uniform did.  

David is our reminder that no matter our cause or profession in life, no matter what figurative uniform it requires, underneath it is a child of God. A child of God forging and establishing God's word in their own way and time. 

And David reminds us to spend time in linen: to spend time in a state of celebration for God so deep that all we are is His. To spend time in linen is to remove the circumstances of our day and life and to simply bask in the presence of our Father. Let your worship of God pull you into a new space. In that intimate space, profess your love to Him... His response will overwhelm you, as he professes His love back to you. 

15:28-29 The instruments played: horn, trumpets, symbols and harps and David found himself in worship. The ark of God came into the city and David danced and played his own instrument. The undercurrent of all the music: love. Love is the instrument with the sweetest sound and most profound melody.

Not everybody understood David's love for God, Michal spurned David's behavior. But there are only two entities in a relationship and therefore the moment contained only David and his God, disdain from others irrelevant in a muted background.

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 14

1 Chronicles 14:1-17

14:1-2 The ancient Phoenician king Hiram extended kindness to king David. For David, the respect of foreign nations was further evidence of God's advocacy. King of Tyre sent messengers, cedar trees, masons and carpenters to David in order that he could built a house. Support, recognition and acceptance of Israel's permanence was orchestrated and generated by God. David began to settle, soundly into the reality that God had chosen and established him as king of His people Israel.

David understood that the particular care God gave to the quality of the kingdom was for the "sake of His people Israel." After David, arrogance would pervade the kingship of both Israel and Judah. But David knew that God's attention to detail was meant to benefit the whole rather than the throne. Frequently throughout scripture and life, obedient individuals serve as instruments through which God brings justice and reform. God's intention is always to reach the majority; through one He gathers many.  

What is extraordinary about David is that he lived, essentially, in stew that could have easily precipitated self-importance. Unlikely, extraordinary skill, strength, bravery and success in battle won David acclaim of the entire nation, 1 Samuel 18. Under David's leadership, Israel began to metamorphose into a nation more prominent than ever before. David, the giant-killer youth made king over the sovereign Lord's people! That was the image the people had of David. But the image David had for himself? Servant of God; grateful recipient of His love and direction.

God pumps blessing through an individual in an effort for those blessings to abound into others' lives. An individual who does not have any intention of sharing their blessings receives a limited supply. It's simple Supply and Demand: if you are not going to do much, you do not need much. David received much because he understood that it was to be distributed to the people.  

14:3-7 In Genesis 1:28 God encouraged humanity to be fruitful and multiply. David had been fruitful: he yielded good fruit, Matthew 7:17, by living both a righteous and obedient lifestyle. His energetic influence and consciousness leadership produced the well-being of the people and the deepening of their faith. David is as equally emphatic about multiplying as he is about being fruitful.

David began to procure multiple wives, and many children were born to them. Though David got so much right in life, this is an area where he did not excel. Polygamy is not what God meant when He told us to multiply; Deuteronomy 17:17 tells us us so. But this is not suddenly a character-attack on David, not even slightly. David's imperfection juxtaposed his greatness is what relates him to us. There were areas in his life he still needed work on; there was discipline he still needed from God. There were still ways for him to grow, things for him to learn. David accomplished wonders despite his imperfection; eventually became better because of them. 

Eventually David's deleterious desire for women would culminate in tragedy: the death of an innocent man. David would shock even himself with his own actions, once he finally acknowledged them for what they were. As of this chapter, none of that had yet occurred but it is interesting to compare the highest point of David's life with the lowest. It helps us to understand the benefit of allowing God to do construction on our character even as we seem to be thriving. Had David denied his impulses in the beginning, Uriah might not have met such an unjust end, 2 Samuel 11. But David did not deny (thus control) his impulses, just as we sometimes do not keep tight enough a leash on ours. By David's example we learn to squash in the beginning what we do not wish to be squashed by in the end. 

14:8-10 Israel still had enemies; at the news of his anointing, the Philistines initiate an effort against David. David learns that he is once again hunted by an enemy and begins a defense plan. David lived a life of almost constant action; under such pressure, David learned to bring his fears, uncertainties and anxieties to God.

David asks God, effectively: "Is this a battle I have a responsibility to engage in? Is this a battle I can win?" These are questions we also can ask God when faced with challenges in our lives. It is wise and humble of David to, rather than shrink with fear or puff up with machismo at instigation from his enemies, to first determine if he should give any reaction at all. Sometimes in life, certain people or circumstances inflame our emotions and provoke us to hasty decisions and responses. 

God responds to David: Yes to both questions. If God answers yes to the first, the second is an automatic, unquestionable yes as well. If you stumble upon or find yourself in a turmoil and God gives you permission to proceed, proceed and succeed you will. David receives the go-ahead to battle the Philistines because the nature of the battle fits into the framework of God's ultimate purpose on earth: crushing evil and taking names (no really, He has a list; Revelation 3:5). If your battle, in some form, aligns with God's ultimate purpose to bring justice to the earth, yes to both questions! As your right and responsibility as a child of God, yes to going against evil and a solid yes to your inevitable success. 

14:11 Take inspiration from how this battle turned out for David: "God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water." What a simile to describe the deft and powerful Hand of God! 

14:12 Standing in the midst of the soundly defeated Philistine army, David, the irrefutable victor, says burn it all to a pile of the enemy's false gods. David was perhaps never as confident in God's power and presence as he was as he stood, exerted and breathing heavily, in the immediate moments at the end of a successful battle. It was likely never more apparent to him, the uselessness of idol worship, than it was when he saw their worshipers laying dead and scattered among them. 

This foreshadows humanity's culmination on earth: the righteous breathing heavily and exerted from an ages-long battle against evil; and the evil laying dead and scattered among the wealth it valued but can no longer use, the vanity it paraded but can no longer possess, rendered powerless as its supposed strength meets the power of God. 

14:13 These battles are as constant for us as they were for David. Evil is persistent. The power of the righteous is their dogged determination to be more persistent than evil is. To rise that extra day. 

14:14 David asks God again: Is this my battle? David is persistence in his effort and consistent in his faith. He is willing to rise again against the Philistines, against evil, but only at God's command. 

14:15 And it makes all the difference that David did take the time to ask, because God had a different tactic, an alternate response with which to defeat the Philistines: instead of charging at them, encircle them; and when you hear them marching, know that I have already entered that camp and ensured your victory. 

God has an intricate strategy to ensure our success in battle, too. Ask, listen to and trust the plan. When you recruit God and name Him commander of your personal army, He goes into enemy territory before you, Deuteronomy 31:8. He scouts, analyzes, strategies the enemy, the situation and the victory before you even take a step. And be assured, when you do take a step, He is stepping with you, Joshua 1:9.

14:16-17 So David did as God commanded him, and because of that strict adherence to God's will, everything went according to plan. The Philistines were driven back so profoundly that David's renown began to permeate even all the nations outside of his own. God ensured that each of them knew, to challenge Israel was to provoke the an undefeatable God. 

As you live as an obedient and righteous child of God, God's protection over your life will soon be apparent to the people around you, too. Evil will think twice about antagonizing you; and when they decide to attack you anyway (because they will, even Jesus met resistance), they will run full-on into the concrete wall and ferocious fire of God's protection upon you, behind you, before you, Psalm 139:5.

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 13

1 Chronicles 13:1-14

13:1-4 David consulted the captains and leaders of Israel. One of three of David's best attributes was his sense of the community's well-being. He did not make hasty, self-righteous decisions. In decisions that affected the whole, the whole was consulted. Second, David possessed an eager willingness to collaborate with fellow workers of God. Third, David steadfastly obeyed God.

So when David had an idea to gather all of Israel to retrieve the ark of God, he consults both community and God. It was refreshing for Israel to have a king concerned about the state of the faith of the nation. The ark of God represented the everlasting covenant proffered by God first to Abraham, Genesis 15. The ark symbolized God's constant presence and had been with Israel since their exodus out of slavery in Egypt, Exodus 25. For the ark to be brought into the land promised by God, not inhabited by the people He promised it to would be a monumental moment.  

At least as far as earth is involved, Jerusalem would be the permanent capital of this faith. The arrival of the ark would symbolize the fulfillment of a long journey and a grand promise. A small people made great, Deuteronomy 7:7. David recognized this but more importantly, genuinely wanted to celebrate God for His integrity and commitment.

13:5-6 With agreement from God and the leaders of Israel, it was determined that the ark will be brought from Judah. For them, the ark was where God's name was proclaimed. The rest of the world may not have understood, but this ark represented a sovereign God who reached out to an unremarkable people and declared them beloved through word and action. It mattered to have His name proclaimed, declared emphatically. 

It does well for both a nation and an individual to acknowledge but also proclaim God and His sovereign reign. The arrival of the ark would cement the faith for Israel, a solid reminder of their history. A reminder that, without God's intervention, they would not be freed men but slaves in Egypt. Growth and prosperity like never before was in Israel's immediate sight and the ark represented precisely why such a blessed future now lay ahead of them.

God brought the people into the land; it was the people's responsibility to carry their faith into it with them. The concept of spirituality was not as easily grasped a concept for them then as it is for us now. Most of us are at least fairly comfortable with the idea of an unseen entity. But for our ancestors, this ark represented a God whose presence was undeniable but whose appearance was difficult to describe. Like, Israel, we must carry our faith with us into wherever we are led by God for two reasons. One, our relationship with God is too precious to be neglected. Two, if we cut off the source of our sustenance, we deprive ourselves of nourishment. In other words, blessings can only arrive through faith. 

13:7-8 The ark arrived and Israel hosted a grand celebration. We are able to experience this celebration intimately through David in 2 Samuel 6. A set of mental snapshots of David's joy: v.14 Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; v.16 King David leaping and whirling before the Lord. David was described by God as a man after His own heart. We can see why: David has a deep and child-like love for God. The kind of love God yearns to have. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus explains that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who love God as children love: innocently, fervently, reverently. God was David's hero and inspiration and joy. He lost himself in worship, surrendered himself to the expression of his love for God and let all else fall away. 

And he was berated for it. His wife was embarrassed by it. But like a young child, David was unfazed, unconcerned by the hateful opinion of others. When it came to David's Father, his God in heaven, he danced with abandon in celebration of His presence. David's response to Michal was this: It was before the Lord, who chose me...to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. Effectively: I will always zealously celebrate my God, increasing in fervency each time I do; I will humble myself to exalt Him.

Pure gratitude and awe for everything God had done for David fueled David's unapologetic, energetic, expressive love for God. 

13:9-12 But the ark's arrival was not without issue. In the process of its placement, a man named Uzza puts his hand out to hold the ark and angers God. Clearly, something is lost in translation. God is not unreasonable or ill-tempered. What we can glean from this is that Uzza disrespected God's word in some way. Perhaps he had an intent to idolize the ark, to turn it into an object for idol worship (touchy subject with God, idol worship contributed to the corruption and death of many people).

David became more cautious in the handling of the ark.

13:13-14 Instead of rushing the ark into the king's house, it is decided that the ark will be placed in a man named Obed-Edom's home. And there the ark remained for three months. God blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all of his possessions for hosting the ark.

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 12

1 Chronicles 12:1-40

12:1-15 From 2 Samuel 18-31 Saul hunted David. Saul became increasingly delusional in his hatred and pursuit of an innocent man as it became clear that David, an obedient servant of God, would become his replacement. Therefore, in a way, the men listed here were the men most loyal to David during his life. They supported him when their King, the most powerful in their nation, named him an enemy.

These men have a place in scripture because so much of our work as God's instrument requires that we do the opposite of what others, and the world, expect from us. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., a pastor and servant of God stated: "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will." He stated that the true "stumbling block" is a majority who are more "devoted to 'order' than justice." 

In other words, Saul was powerful but he was just one. When a body of people all exert their power together, it overtakes a system. The establishment, or restoration of order, can only come when the collective decide to demand it and bring it about through their own actions. David's men were willing to go against order because they felt that the system which imposed the order was corrupt. They were not afraid to oppose and upset the system because they were more devoted to justice than they were to Saul. Had they been silent and inactive, they would have allowed the king with the best potential to waste away, and the king with the worst agenda to thrive.

12:16-23 More men approached David to join his cause. David was frank with them, effectively saying: I am an innocent man, therefore if you have any intentions to betray me, you are the guilty party. And David was innocent in that portion of his life. Saul sought him without reason, threatened his life without cause. It was a major risk for David to bring new people into his life. Any of them could have disclosed his location to Saul. But God ensured that David was surrounded by trustworthy people. In response to David's frankness, a man, Amasai spoke: 

“We are yours, O David;

We are on your side, O son of Jesse!

Peace, peace to you,

And peace to your helpers!

For your God helps you.”

David received the men and gradually but steadily amassed a great army. Even before receiving the throne, the kingdom began to be built up around David. He did not start from zero. God prepared David and the path since he was a youth, learning to shepherd a nation in the shepherding of his father's flock. 

12:23-39 A massive army is built up by God around David: All these men...came...with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. Yet God was not done building, with this united, loyal army and righteous man, God would built a strong and thriving kingdom.

It's incredible to watch God build: a nation out of Abraham, a haven through Joseph, a congregation before Samuel, a kingdom around David, everlasting hope and life by Jesus. All of these people seemed to start with nothing, but God mapped and arranged and placed greatness around them. God drew loyal men to David, then gifted David with a commander's mind to divide and delegate and utilize them as an army.

So if you ever feel that you are surrounded by enemies, do think you're trapped. If you ever feel that you do not possess the materials or acuity to accomplish your purpose, do not be discouraged. God builds life up around us. Stand where He tells you to stand, walk where He tells you to walk and watch Him build around you in every place, equipping you with everything you need: a way out, a way in, a victory.

12:40 Provisions from far and wide are brought to David's cause, because David's cause was God's cause. David was not supported reluctantly: "there was joy in Israel"! All of this is a reminder that God will enthusiastically support you, as long as you humbly-in-heart pursue a righteous mission.

Our mission is not always (or even usually) to build a kingdom. After all, children of God understand that His is the kingdom, already. And it is our blessed opportunity to bring the kingdom here to earth. Sometimes our mission, from within God's kingdom, is to built a family or a friendship. Sometimes it is a business, church or a career. God is all-in as long as those missions are done with an honest and compassionate heart. 

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 11

1 Chronicles 11:1-47

11:1 David had been made king over a united Israel. David was accepted by God and men because since youth, he dedicated himself to the service of God. Genuine care for the tribes of Israel and faith in God propelled David to face fierce enemies and frequent wars. The greatest attributes for a king or leader of any kind is a soul-deep humility. Much of David's kingship foreshadows the life of Jesus: though He is a King, Jesus came a servant, Matthew 20:28. Unlike Saul before him, and many kings after, David lived mostly for others rather than for himself. And before himself and others, David lived for God; he had and expressed an exuberant love of God, 2 Samuel 6:14. 

11:2 Even when Saul was king and David just a soldier, David was known as the one who led Israel out of tribulation and into peace. Kingdoms around the world have established tiers of authority but it is those doing the work of God who truly lead a nation. 

In 1 Samuel 13:14 God explained to Saul that his reign was expiring because he refused to listen to God. To the detriment of the kingdom, Saul replaced God's voice with the voice of his own ego. God spoke of Saul's replacement, a man who was after God's own heart: David, 2 Samuel 7:8. To be after God's own heart is to be in faithful pursuit of justice, compassion, love, wisdom and peace. 

11:3 In 2 Samuel 17, the youngest son of a shepherd was chosen to lead the kingdom of Israel. This is perhaps an unexpected but fantastic choice as it exemplifies everything Jesus tells us in the New Testament: the humble will be exalted and the proud humbled, Luke 14:11. The elders of Israel anoint David as King, a formality in that David had been chosen long ago by God. David's humility had pre-qualified him for the position.

11:4 David and Israel set their sights on claiming Jerusalem. At the time, Jerusalem was in inhabited already by the Jebusites. It is before any of Israel's conquests that we must remember God's words in Deuteronomy 9:5. 

It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God has a plan to gather all of humanity, and that plan took flight with a small, weak body of people in Deuteronomy 7:7. God decided that He could best capture the attention of the whole earth by bringing an unlikely group into to center stage. Humanity would witness, and even through scripture, a small and destitute nation made grand with abundance - all of it through faith. Nobody would be amazed to see a mighty or perfect nation achieve such, it would be expected. But to see an imperfect group of impoverished nobodies rise into a powerful and blessed nation? Former slaves made kings? That turns heads, and more importantly hearts, to God. 

11:5-6 The Jebusites resisted, of course. Evil never relinquishes its power willingly. A man named Joab distinguished himself by electing first to attack the Jebusites. Joab earns his place as chief and captain of Israel's army. Joab continued to be a man quick to act, and though at times hastily, he devoted himself to the task at hand.

11:7-8 David made a stronghold in Jerusalem, a fortified place to dwell in the newly acquired territory and it became known at the City of David. With David as king and Joab as captain of the army, Jerusalem steadily became Israel's (that is, the 12 tribes) headquarters. 

11:9 So David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him. David became great because he walked the path that leads to blessing. God remained with David because David remained with God. Nothing could cleave them apart because they remained fully committed to each other; there was no space between them through which anything could infiltrate! And that is why David became great and remained loved by God: not because he was perfect (David was far from perfect) but because David rarely allowed anything to get between himself and God. 

Desire, anger, and vanity strain then eventually sever our connection with God, that is: our faith. That is why it is so important, in the small, daily moments to stifle those things when they arise. Desire can be smothered in remembering that God delightedly provides everything we need, Matthew 6:8 and Luke 12:32. Anger can be smothered in the remembrance and trust in God's commitment to exacting justice and the preservation and restoration of the innocent, Psalm 37:28. Vanity can be smothered in the example of Jesus, who is entrusted with the keys of the kingdom because of His selfless lifestyle, Revelation 1:18.

The recipe for greatest is the absence rather than the presence of certain ingredients: desire, anger, and vanity. The only time David was not great was when he allowed desire to slip in and strain his relationship with God. None of us are impervious to desire, anger or greed. But through David's example, we learn that if we expel it as soon as we realize it in ourselves, God will restore us to greatness. 

11:10-14 The mighty men of David, the people who surrounded and helped uphold the strength of the king and kingdom through battle, strategy and counsel: Jashobeam and Eleazar.

11:15-19 Three chief men are highlighted for their bravery and loyalty to David. In 2 Samuel 23:14-17 David expressed extreme thirst offhandedly in battle. The three men risked their lives to retrieve a glass of water for David. Yet when they presented it to him, David was flabbergasted and humbled by their efforts. Inborn humility prevented David from being able to drink the water so instead, he dedicated it to God. In that moment, David realized that God had truly blessed him. And as a mere, imperfect human, he did not feel worthy of such opulent blessing. 

11:20-25 Abishai and Benaiah, valiant soldiers who fought the enemies of Israel with mettle and acuity. David's cadre is mentioned as a reminder that this mission from God is a family effort. Just because these men were not kings does not render them unworthy of mention. Their bravery made strides for Israel's claim and establishment in a violent time and unsteady land. 

11:26-47 Mighty warriors are named. Each name a man with a worthy story and instrumental impact. Each man with a family and a relationship with God. Each man, under God, a pioneer for this great faith. 

OT: The First Book of Chronicles, Chapter 10

1 Chronicles 10:1-14

Much of Chronicles was written in the books of I and II Kings. The original purpose of the return to the first kings of Israel was meant to boost spiritual morale, to remind the children of Israel of their history with God. Seventy years of captivity has ended, it is essential that they reestablish their nation through their covenant with God.

In 1 Samuel 8:4-5, the children of Israel request a human king to rule over them, "Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” The children of Israel changed their priority: instead of wanting to be like God, they desired to be like the people around them. In 1 John 2:5 Jesus warned us of loving the way of the world. The values of the world are opposite the core values God impresses upon us; therefore, they lead to an entirely different, opposite, quality of life. God and the prophet Samuel also warned of the consequences of human kings: their fickle and selfish nature would taint and destroy, 1 Samuel 8:9-18. They did not heed the caution of God, 1 Samuel 8:19-20.

In 1 Kings 12, the tribes of the children of Israel split into two houses: Israel and Judah. Israel became the northern kingdom, comprised of 10 of the tribes; Judah became the southern kingdom, comprised of the other two tribes. In 1 Kings 11:31-32 God reveals that He is aware of the coming separation. The division is another consequence of their insistence on a man king. The sovereign God meets the needs of all but politics embroil the election of human kings. They received their wish: they became like other nations, constantly warring against each other, isolating themselves, and suffering the reign of incapable kings.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 contains instructions for the kings that would come. Not only did the kings over Israel and Judah neglect each one, they ignored the most important, Deuteronomy 17:18-20: 

“Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

If they could have kept that one command, well... if we could keep that one command, life would be entirely different. We would live in an entirely different society and world. If they could have kept that command, they would not have rendered themselves vulnerable to the sin which desires to devour them. Separate from God, they became slaves to their desires, turning down any avenue, no matter how corrupt, to satisfy their slave-drivers. 

An intimate, consistent and ever-evolving relationship with God provides the wisdom lack, but need, to live joyful and productive lives. Peaceful lives. Righteous lives. We just do not have, naturally, the complete information we need to succeed in joy in life. But God has it all figured out because He created all. He figured it. Proverbs 1:1-7:

To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

God provides that wisdom. He ensures our understanding. He had it written down for those kings and He has it written down for us. He has put together this incredible, all-encompassing guide to life, to joy, to productivity, purpose, wisdom and love. There is no more relevant or comprehensive work.

The children of Israel and Judah are crawling out of captivity and the writer of Chronicles hopes that they will step into the light. That they will crawl from the cave of discipline and consequence and into understanding and commitment, finally, to a covenant with God. Chronicles is meant to show how when a king and nation lived united in righteousness under God, they prospered. 

10:1 The first king of the children of Israel, Saul, lived a selfish life. He began humbly but power and wealth made him desperate and insecure, reliant on the way of the world rather than the way of God. His refusal to follow the instructions God gave him to protect the kingdom resulted in vulnerability to enemies.

10:2-3 We began this book with Israel (not yet divided) in a bad place: dead and dying at the hand of their enemies. Saul's sons are killed and Saul himself is hit and wounded by an arrow. Their king is pierced, the entire kingdom in a precarious condition.

10:4 Saul succumbs immediately to his wound; there is no more fight left in him. The strong spirit of Saul diminished throughout his life, in each choice he made that stifled rather than nourished it. Even in this final and desperate moment, Saul does not consult God. Saul commands his armor-bearer to finish him. The man refuses to kill his king, so Saul pushes himself onto his own sword. This is rather a symbolic death, Saul caused his own end: every time he chose sin, he rejected life.  

10:5 In the midst of absolute chaos and strife, the armor-bearer also kills himself. There is no hope in these men because there is no God in these men.

10:6 Saul's family dies. Saul's line will not continue the kingship. This is partially orchestrated by God. Saul and his family could have retained the kingdom if they were obedient to the True Sovereign of the kingdom: God. But God would not allow a corrupt family to lead his people indefinitely. God knows our hearts even before we are born; He could already see a better leader for this group. David, who, through his faith, would set a precedent for future kings and nations.

God does not punish children for the actions of their parents, Ezekiel 18:20 and Jeremiah 31:30. Saul's family would no longer inherit the kingdom but that does not mean that God did not have other important purposes for them. Just because one may not be qualified to lead, does not mean they are not suitably qualified for something else. Saul's sons die because their father led their kingdom into war, not because God dismissed them for their relation to Saul. 

10:7 The panicked and distraught Israel fled at the news of the death of their king. The King that could lead them out of their situation was very much alive, but God was not consulted and thus the enemy made a home in the abandoned territory. Do not let enemies camp in your territory! God encamps around His children, Psalm 34:7, blocking our enemies from entrance. We rarely realize when allow enemies in because it happens in small moments. The small moments when we give in to anger, fear or desire open doors for desolation to enter: one, then two and suddenly an army is camped in our lives. This army manifests itself in different ways. For the children of Israel, it is a literal army. But any sin allowed to become a system, a lifestyle, in a nation or an individual is an army. 

God does not want to see us crawling away in desperation for rough and impromptu shelter. He does not want us to live, cringing on the outskirts of our own lives. Through scripture, He shows His heart and provides a way for us to remain the masters of our own territory. The events of the Old Testament occurred as examples for us, 1 Corinthians 10:6, so that these things never happen to us.

10:8-10 As evil always will, Psalm 13:4, the Philistine boast their victory over Israel. But we can see what neither the Philistines nor the Israelites could yet see: the Philistines did not so much earn a victory as the children of Israel surrendered theirs. There is no result of defeat for children of God. Our weakness even reinforces God's strength, 2 Corinthians 12:10. If our borders are ever broken, it is because we walked out of God's sphere of protection. 

10:11-12 Saul is taken down and buried. The Philistines might have delighted in his death but God does not find fulfillment it. God wants us to avoid this inevitable result of corruption, that is why He tries to prepare and discipline us so vehemently! The Philistines gave Saul a fatal wound but Saul had begun dying a spiritual death long before that. Saul refused the intervention of God's healing and instructive Hand in the moments that could have truly saved his life.

10:13-14 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness... Saul did not re-prioritize his life. He did not stifle his desire for wealth, fame or power. He allowed those things to grow and fester until they consumed his mind and then his life. He neglected the guidance of God, the philosophy of God and he therefore did not have the material, tools or aptitude to deny, escape, extinguish the things which stole his soul.

OT:The First Book of Chronicles, Chapters 1-9

The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are the descendants (and a few ancestors) of Abraham. In Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abraham:

And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

The Bible is the story of a family. The lineage through which the Messiah would come and rescue humanity, but also the lineage through which all nations would be claimed by God as heirs.

A quick review, the tribes of Israel came about in this way:

Abraham and Sarah birthed Isaac.
Isaac and Rebekah birthed Jacob and Esau.
Jacob and Leah birthed Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah.
Jacob and Bilhah birthed Naphtali and Dan.
Jacob and Zilpah birthed Asher and Gad.
Jacob and Rachel birthed Joseph and Benjamin.
Joseph and Asenath birthed Manasseh and Ephraim.

1 Chronicles 1:1-54

1:1-28 The Family of Adam, Seth to Abraham
1:29-31 The Family of Ishmael
1:32-33 The Family of Keturah
1:34-37 The Family of Isaac
1:38-42 The Family of Seir
1:43-54 The Kings of Edom

1 Chronicles 2:1-55

2:3-17 From Judah to David
2:18-24 The Family of Hezron
2:25-41 The Family of Jerahmeel
2:42-55 The Family of Caleb

1 Chronicles 3:1-24

3:1-9 The Family of David
3:10-16 The Family of Solomon
3:17-24 The Family of Jeconiah

1 Chronicles 4:1-43

4:1-23 The Family of Judah
4:24-43 The Family of Simeon 

1 Chronicles 5:1-26

5:1-10 The Family of Reuben
5:11-22 The Family of Gad
5:23-26 The Family of Manasseh (East)

 1 Chronicles 6:1-81

6:1-30 The Family of Levi
6:31-48 Musicians in the House of the Lord
6:49-53 The Family of Aaron
6:54-81 Dwelling places of the Levites

1 Chronicles 7:1-40

7:1-5 The Family of Issachar
7:6-12 The Family of Benjamin
7:13 The Family of Naphtali
7:14-19 The Family of Manasseh (West)
7:20-29 The Family of Ephraim
7:30-40 The Family of Asher

1 Chronicles 8:1-40

8:1-40 The Family Tree of King Saul of Benjamin

1 Chronicles 9:1-44

9:1 So all Israel was recorded by genealogies, and indeed, they were inscribed in the book of the kings of Israel. But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 

9:2 After seventy years of captivity, "the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and the Nethinim."

9:3-9 Dwellers in Jerusalem
9:10-13 The Priests at Jerusalem
9:14-16 The Levites at Jerusalem
9:17-27 The Levite Gatekeepers
9:28-34 Other Levite Responsibilities
9:35-44 The Family of King Saul 

OT: The Second Book of Kings, Chapter 25

2 Kings 25:1-30

25:1-3 Nebuchadnezzar encamps around Jerusalem and starves the city.

25:4-7 In an escape attempt, Zedekiah and his family find that they are surrounded by enemies. They are captured and killed; Zedekiah is tortured, blinded, and taken to Babylon. Zedekiah has been blind to righteousness and his demise is a reflection of a wicked lifestyle. The protective walls of Jerusalem are broken down. 

25:11-17 Much of the city is taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, only a few farmers and vinedressers are left (we can presume that these families might have retained protection from God for their faithfulness and righteous lifestyles). Everything with monetary value is taken or broken. 

25:18-21 The captain of Nebuchadnezzar's guard takes the chief priest and second priest, doorkeepers of the House of God as well as the king's associates and heads of government. They are all put to death, "thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land."

25:22-24 Gedaliah is made governor over the people remaining in Judah. The poor were left in Judah; God promises that the mighty are brought down and the poor exalted. Nebuchadnezzar's disregard for them was actually a blessing. Gedaliah recognized Judah's current powerlessness. They best they could do as a small and broken nation was to not provoke Nebuchadnezzar. 

25:-25-26 Gedaliah is killed by a member of the royal family, likely for his passive stance on their situation. God allowed Judah to be defeated, subdued. It was necessary and inevitable punishment and likely Gedaliah realized the nation needed to sit back and take it, learn from it, before being able to move on from it. Others decide to plan an uprising against Egypt. Gedaliah knew that until Judah righted itself with God, it would not prevail. 

25:27-30 Jehoiachin finds favor with Nebuchadnezzar. After thirty seven years in captivity, Jehoiachin is released from prison. He begins to be treated kindly, fed well and clothed. Perhaps Jehoiachin righted himself with God, "And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life". Each day we are willing to be with God, there is a regular portion for us... all the days of our lives. We can count on God's provision, tailored specifically to our individual selves - but provision comes through the tunnel of faith and righteousness.

OT: The Second Book of Kings, Chapters 24

2 Kings 24:1-20

24:1 Under the corrupt leadership of Jehoiakim, it becomes time for Judah to experience the result of sowing bad fruit. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, takes interest in Judah and imposes a tax on the kingdom for three years. The tribes of Judah no longer belong to themselves; they are controlled and contained by their enemies.  This is all because in a time of divine peace and blessed abundance, they chose to forfeit their inheritance by severing their covenant with God.

24:2-4 Judah find themselves targeted by Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. These extreme circumstances might cause us to wonder why Judah left God. It was probably not a conscious choice or a choice made all at once. Likely in small moments, the people of Judah neglected a word from God or a nudge in the right direction. If we let temptation and revenge and desire pile up, our connection with God is crushed and ultimately severed. The lesson we glean from Judah is that day to day we must maintain our relationship with God - never allowing our weakness or anger or desire grow into something more powerful than our will to be with God.

None of this should come as a surprise to Judah. Each time God establishes a covenant, He is clear about the alternative. The alternate lifestyle to righteous living is responded to by God with ferocity and immutable force. This is because God remembers the innocent and the details of their lives and demise at the hands of the evil. Justice in Hebrew is mishpat, and by God it comes down like a hammer. 

24:5 Jehoiakim dies and his son, Jehoiachin becomes king; another evil king inherits a broken kingdom. 

24:8-9 Jehoiachin becomes king at eighteen years old and reigns for three months. Jehoiachin is unremarkable in that he is another copy of his father, any copy of Cain. He adds nothing to the world, he only destroys. We must be careful to ensure that we are creators. 

24:10-12 Nebuchadnezzar enters Jerusalem. What a darkly extraordinary moment; this is confirmation that Judah has forfeited their protection from God. Their boundaries are crossed and redrawn my enemies! The impenetrable defense of God is down, disregarded and Jehoiachin is taken prisoner. 

24:13-16 Nebuchadnezzar enters in the king of Judah's house and takes whatever he pleases, all of the treasures and dedications to God. In Genesis 4:7 it is explained to us that sin desires to have us. Nebuchadnezzar exemplifies the truth of that verse. Corrupt lifestyles are our submission to the slave master - sin. Sin desires to come into our minds and corrode our souls, to take the best of us and corrode our relationship with God. 

We, each individual, is a temple of God, 1 Corinthians 3:16. Sin desires to enter and ransack it. This would be terrifying if not for one, specific, blessed protection by God: sin must be invited. It cannot enter without your permission, but it will work really hard (and craftily, Genesis 3:1) to gain it! In small moments, over time, Judah began to invite sin inside. Sin grew powerful, parasitically feeding off of its hosts, and now consumes this kingdom. 

24:17 Nebuchadnezzar makes Mattaniah, uncle of Jehoiachin king. It is because of God and David's faith, that Judah continues to have kings over their own kingdoms - albeit ineffective ones, 2 Kings 8:19.

24:18 Mattaniah changes his name to Zedekiah; he is twenty one when he becomes king. Zedekiah reigns for eleven years in Jerusalem. Zedekiah is another king, person, who is evil in the sight of the Lord. Judah is cast out of God's presence; while they had Him, they perverted the space and were therefore evicted. Zedekiah rebels against Nebuchadnezzar. From our perspective, we can guess that it the attack does not bode well.