3225.) 1 Chronicles 29

A 1962 Israeli gold coin shows King David.  This coin is a collector’s item; it has no legal tender value.

1 Chronicles 29 (New Living Translation)

Gifts for Building the Temple

¹ Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the Lord God himself! ²Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble.

³ “And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. ⁴ I am donating more than 112 tons of gold from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings ⁵ and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?”

from The Hungry Heart:  Daily Devotions from the Old Testament
by Jan Carlberg

King David poured his resources—wealth, wisdom, relationships, and experience—into building God’s house. Then love overtook zealous planning and giving, and David dug into his personal treasuries. Nothing was too good for his God! Gold and silver spilled out to overlay the walls of the temple. Having led by example, King David turned to his people and asked, “Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?” David could ask the question because he had answered with his life.

How have your personal treasures been affected by your love for God?

⁶ Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. ⁷ For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron. ⁸ They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the Lord under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. ⁹ The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

David’s gift is more than simply a gesture of great generosity. It amounts to a forfeit of an important visible guarantee of his personal security. In an age when many people channel large proportions of their substance into safeguarding their future David’s example here is salutary. Jesus too took up the theme of voluntary vulnerability in a number of his sayings — Matthew 16:24-26, for example:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  What good will it be for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you give in exchange for your soul?”

And his Incarnation left us with the supreme example of faithfulness to the challenge. The gospel calls into jeopardy not only the “fringe benefits” or the “little luxuries” of life, but its centre and substance. Often the extent to which we are prepared to put at risk our material well-being is a measure of the seriousness with which we take our discipleship.

–J. G. McConville

David’s Prayer of Praise

¹⁰Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! ¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. ¹² Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

Did Jesus have these verses in the back of his mind when he gave the disciples the Lord’s Prayer? For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

¹³ “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! ¹⁴ But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! ¹⁵ We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

Hebrews 11:13-16   (CEB)

All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth.  People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland.  If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it.  But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them.

¹⁶ “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.
¹⁸ “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. ¹⁹ Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”

²⁰ Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” And the entire assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the Lord and the king.

________________________

Music:

“See to it that our love for you, Lord, never changes” (verse 18).  HERE  is Chris Rice’s beautiful hymn, “Come to Jesus.”  A fitting song as we read the last chapter of the book of 1 Chronicles!

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall…so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can’t contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

________________________

Solomon Named as King

Solomon became king around 970 BCE.

²¹ The next day they brought 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 male lambs as burnt offerings to the Lord. They also brought liquid offerings and many other sacrifices on behalf of all Israel. ²²They feasted and drank in the Lord’s presence with great joy that day.

And again they crowned David’s son Solomon as their new king. They anointed him before the Lord as their leader, and they anointed Zadok as priest. ²³ So Solomon took the throne of the Lord in place of his father, David, and he succeeded in everything, and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the officials, the warriors, and the sons of King David pledged their loyalty to King Solomon. ²⁵ And the Lord exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him.

The major difference of the Chronicles account from the Samuel-Kings account of the transition from David to Solomon is the strong focus on the temple. Everything else is subordinated to this. We hear nothing of the tussle between David’s sons over the succession, nor of the moral weakness of David, nor of Solomon’s own brutal suppression of his enemies. The transition is clean and the issues are clear.

–Philip E. Satterthwaite and J. Gordan McConville

Summary of David’s Reign

²⁶ So David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. ²⁷ He reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. ²⁸He died at a ripe old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. Then his son Solomon ruled in his place.

²⁹ All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer. ³⁰ These accounts include the mighty deeds of his reign and everything that happened to him and to Israel and to all the surrounding kingdoms.

from the Life Application Bible:

First Chronicles vividly illustrates the importance of maintaining a relationship with God, particularly as illustrated by the life of David. Few men or women in the Bible were as close to God as David was. His daily contact with God increased his capacity to worship and strengthened his desire to build God’s temple. David’s life shows us the importance of staying close to God—through studying and obeying his Word and communicating with him daily. Second Chronicles, on the other hand, reveals how quickly our lives can deteriorate (spiritually, mentally, and socially) when we fail to stay well grounded in God.

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

King David coin.    http://www.taxfreegold.co.uk/images/1962israel100shekelobv400.jpg

offering plate.    https://www.desotocountynewsroom.com/2018/07/15/a-pastors-perspective-lets-get-real-about-tithing/

the heart of giving.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2cor8-theheartofgiving.jpg

Our Father in heaven.     https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ourfatherinheaven.jpg

Love the Lord your God.    http://holdontoyourfaith.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/lovethelordmk12-30_fs1.jpg?w=640&h=505

3224.) 1 Chronicles 28

“Building the Temple” by Darlene Slavujac, 1992.

1 Chronicles 28 (New Living Translation)

David’s Instructions to Solomon

David summoned all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem—the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions, the other generals and captains, the overseers of the royal property and livestock, the palace officials, the mighty men, and all the other brave warriors in the kingdom.

ALL those people whose names we have been reading for the past several chapters! They have come to Jerusalem to see David relinquish his ideas and plans for the temple to his son Solomon. 

² David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a temple where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, ³but God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’

It is a poignant and powerful moment. Can you hear the longing in David’s voice? He had wanted so much to build the temple himself. I think of what David said when he bought the land, the threshing floor, for the temple — “I will not give to God that which cost me nothing.” Letting Solomon have the joy of building God’s house is costing David something, and not just money.

⁴ “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. ⁶ He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. ⁷ And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.’

The torch is passed.

⁸ “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.

This charge is given to all the leaders who have come for the occasion, and through them, to all the people of Israel. David says, Be careful — take your faith in the Lord seriously! Obey all the commands — know what the Word of God says and do it! 

⁹ “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. ¹⁰ So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”

David is pleading with his son to follow the Lord closely and not to make the same kinds of mistakes he himself had made. Yet David’s very words foreshadow Solomon’s faith:  he will seek the Lord, and then he will forsake the Lord. He will serve the Lord not with his whole heart, as David his father had, but with a half-heart.

¹¹ Then David gave Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surroundings, including the entry room, the storerooms, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, and the inner sanctuary—which was the place of atonement. ¹² David also gave Solomon all the plans he had in mind for the courtyards of the Lord’s Temple, the outside rooms, the treasuries, and the rooms for the gifts dedicated to the Lord. ¹³ The king also gave Solomon the instructions concerning the work of the various divisions of priests and Levites in the Temple of the Lord. And he gave specifications for the items in the Temple that were to be used for worship.

Considered together, David did almost everything for the building of the temple except actually build it. He gave Solomon security, a location, the land, money, materials, supervisory staff, workers, and an organized team to run the temple.

–David Guzik

¹⁴ David gave instructions regarding how much gold and silver should be used to make the items needed for service. ¹⁵ He told Solomon the amount of gold needed for the gold lampstands and lamps, and the amount of silver for the silver lampstands and lamps, depending on how each would be used. ¹⁶ He designated the amount of gold for the table on which the Bread of the Presence would be placed and the amount of silver for other tables.

¹⁷ David also designated the amount of gold for the solid gold meat hooks used to handle the sacrificial meat and for the basins, pitchers, and dishes, as well as the amount of silver for every dish. ¹⁸ He designated the amount of refined gold for the altar of incense. Finally, he gave him a plan for the Lord’s “chariot”—the gold cherubim whose wings were stretched out over the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant.

Lots of gold! 

¹⁹ “Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was given to me in writing from the hand of the Lord.”

²⁰ Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly. ²¹ The various divisions of priests and Levites will serve in the Temple of God. Others with skills of every kind will volunteer, and the officials and the entire nation are at your command.”

“Do not talk about it; do not sit down, and dream over the plans, and think how admirable they are, and then roll them up; but, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and do it.’”

–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

_________________________

Music:

HERE  is Hillsong and “Dwell in Your House Forever.”

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Slavujac.     http://www.biblicalartist.net/originaloils.html

torch.    https://evidentpoint.blog/2019/04/17/the-academic-ebook-experience/#jp-carousel-885

half heart.     https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/half-heart.png

blueprint.     https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/blueprint.jpg

Git-r-done.    https://oneinjesus.info/2010/07/a-different-way-to-do-teen-ministry-campus-ministry-church-on-gittin-r-done/

3223.) 1 Chronicles 27

1 Chronicles 27 (New Living Translation)

Military Commanders and Divisions

¹This is the list of Israelite generals and captains, and their officers, who served the king by supervising the army divisions that were on duty each month of the year.

David’s army was divided into units of twelve, with one group of the twelve on alert each month of the year. This was an effective way to keep troops always ready and the inactive troops regularly trained.

Each division served for one month and had 24,000 troops.

I will illustrate the Israelite divisions with pictures and accounts of US Army divisions, for two reasons. 1)  For ten years I was an Army wife and I have the utmost respect for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States military. 2) I hope these pictures and accounts will help us see all these (endless!) lists of (odd!) names as real people, with mothers and fathers who loved them, and children at home.

² Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was commander of the first division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the first month. ³ He was a descendant of Perez and was in charge of all the army officers for the first month.

Big Red One. The First Infantry Division is the oldest continuously active division in the US Army today. The division has fought in WWI, WWII, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Bosnia/Kosovo, and more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. During the Korean War, the division was stationed in Germany. Since 2006, they have been stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.

⁴ Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah, was commander of the second division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the second month. Mikloth was his chief officer.

The current primary mission of the 2nd Infantry Division is the defense of South Korea in the initial stages of an invasion from North Korea until other American units can arrive. There are approximately 17,000 soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division. Unlike any other division in the Army, this division is made up partially of Korean soldiers, called KATUSAs (ka-TWO-ses) (Korean Augmentation to US Army).

⁵ Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest was commander of the third division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the third month. ⁶ This was the Benaiah who commanded David’s elite military group known as the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was his chief officer.

Members of the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division Governorate Support Team stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, are shown holding the “Go Discovery” banner they signed to show their support for NASA’s Return to Flight. Based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, the Third Infantry Division was the first conventional U. S. unit to enter Baghdad during the 2003 invasion; they have now served multiple tours there.

⁷ Asahel, the brother of Joab, was commander of the fourth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fourth month. Asahel was succeeded by his son Zebadiah.

The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with three  brigade combat teams and a combat aviation brigade. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army. The division is known as the Ivy Division—a play on words of the Roman numeral IV or 4.

⁸ Shammah the Izrahite was commander of the fifth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fifth month^.
9 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa was commander of the sixth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the sixth month.
¹⁰ Helez, a descendant of Ephraim from Pelon, was commander of the seventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the seventh month.
¹¹ Sibbecai, a descendant of Zerah from Hushah, was commander of the eighth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eighth month.
¹² Abiezer from Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin was commander of the ninth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the ninth month.
¹³ Maharai, a descendant of Zerah from Netophah, was commander of the tenth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the tenth month.

The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions. The division retains the “mountain” designation for historical purposes. Since 2001, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) has been the most deployed unit in the US military.

¹⁴ Benaiah from Pirathon in Ephraim was commander of the eleventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eleventh month.
¹⁵ Heled, a descendant of Othniel from Netophah, was commander of the twelfth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the twelfth month.

_________________________

Music:

HERE  is “Onward, Christian Soldiers”  by organist Diane Bish and the St. Andrews Miami Bagpipe Band. Yes!

_________________________

Leaders of the Tribes

¹⁶ The following were the tribes of Israel and their leaders:

These leaders are neither priests nor military; they are administrators of the civil order.

Tribe — Leader
Reuben — Eliezer son of Zicri
Simeon — Shephatiah son of Maacah
¹⁷ Levi — Hashabiah son of Kemuel
Aaron (the priests) — Zadok
¹⁸ Judah — Elihu (a brother of David)
Issachar — Omri son of Michael
¹⁹ Zebulun — Ishmaiah son of Obadiah
Naphtali — Jeremoth son of Azriel
²⁰ Ephraim — Hoshea son of Azaziah
Manasseh (west) — Joel son of Pedaiah
²¹ Manasseh in Gilead (east) — Iddo son of Zechariah
Benjamin — Jaasiel son of Abner
²²Dan — Azarel son of Jeroham

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

²³ When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven. ²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began the census but never finished it because the anger of God fell on Israel. The total number was never recorded in King David’s official records.

Officials of David’s Kingdom

²⁵ Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the palace treasuries.
Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the regional treasuries throughout the towns, villages, and fortresses of Israel.
²⁶ Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the king’s lands.
²⁷ Shimei from Ramah was in charge of the king’s vineyards.

vineyard in Galilee

Zabdi from Shepham was responsible for the grapes and the supplies of wine.
²⁸ Baal-hanan from Geder was in charge of the king’s olive groves and sycamore-fig trees in the foothills of Judah.
Joash was responsible for the supplies of olive oil.

²⁹ Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Sharon Plain.
Shaphat son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys.

³⁰ Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.
Jehdeiah from Meronoth was in charge of the donkeys.

from Whispers of His Power,
by Amy Carmichael

1 Chronicles 27:30 — And over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite.

Jehdeiah’s name meant “Union of Jah.” I once had a letter from a man who was trying to run a big political organization in India. He said he had sympathy with Paul, who wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:32 that he had fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, but he was quite sure it was still harder to fight with asses.

I am glad that we do not have to fight with asses, but we certainly have to look after them sometimes. I wonder if Jehdeiah found comfort in his name? Work like his needs patience, firmness, kindness, and these good things are not naturally in us. John 15:5, WITHOUT ME ye can do nothing, is a word all who have to do with asses understand.  But WITH ME—that is the secret. God in us can be patient and kind, even with poor asses.

God make all of us who have to do with asses His Jehdeiahs.

³¹ Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the king’s flocks of sheep and goats.

All these officials were overseers of King David’s property.

³² Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.

“Hushai’s post of ‘king’s friend’ (cf. 2 Samuel 15:37) may have begun on an informal and personal basis; but it became an official advisory position (cf. 1 Kings 4:5).”
–David F. Payne

³⁴ Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king’s army.

So we see that David has prepared his country with excellent leadership for both war and peace. 

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

armor of God.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/armor-of-god1.jpg

First Division patch.    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tpr0tQtPGf4/Sb_pcpLzayI/AAAAAAAAAcM/mkH_or5kX-E/s1600-h/BigRedOne.jpg

Second Division.    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/2751194831_2595462343.jpg

Go Discovery.    http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/images/content/116319main_banner-lg.jpg

Ivy Division.     https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2016/05/12/1834-1-chronicles-27/1chron34-ivy-division/

10th Mountain Division on patrol.    http://cdn.wn.com/pd/90/1f/39fc8c5be1ea3b93e77851e0d93c_grande.jpg

vineyard in Israel.   http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2014/04/07/ca14,12,991,671/20140407RecanatiUpperGalileeVineyard-2.jpg

olive oil.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/oliveoil.jpg

cattle in the Golan.    http://ferrelljenkins.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/golan_cattle305t.jpg

donkeys in Alma Park Zoo, Brisbane. By Nick Craven of York.    http://pradeepnkg.blogspot.com/2014/01/fun-interesting-facts-about-donkey.html

sheep and goats in Spain.     https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/stoppingforsheepandgoats.jpg

3222.) 1 Chronicles 26

1 Chronicles 26 (New Living Translation)

Duties of the Gatekeepers

John 10:1-3 (NIV)

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

¹These are the divisions of the gatekeepers:

From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the family of Abiasaph. ² The sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah (the oldest), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth), ³ Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), and Eliehoenai (the seventh).
⁴ The sons of Obed-edom, also gatekeepers, were Shemaiah (the oldest), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sacar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth), ⁵ Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), and Peullethai (the eighth). God had richly blessed Obed-edom.
⁶ Obed-edom’s son Shemaiah had sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority in the clan. ⁷ Their names were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. Their relatives, Elihu and Semakiah, were also very capable men.
⁸ All of these descendants of Obed-edom, including their sons and grandsons—sixty-two of them in all—were very capable men, well qualified for their work.
⁹ Meshelemiah’s eighteen sons and relatives were also very capable men.

Oh, to be counted among them, as “very capable” men and women in service to our God! I could write a long list of capable people who have taught me much about the Christian life. Take some time to thank God for such people in your life — and take the time (with the help of the Holy Spirit guiding you) to BE such a person.

¹⁰ Hosah, of the Merari clan, appointed Shimri as the leader among his sons, though he was not the oldest. ¹¹ His other sons included Hilkiah (the second), Tebaliah (the third), and Zechariah (the fourth). Hosah’s sons and relatives, who served as gatekeepers, numbered thirteen in all.

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers were named for their family leaders, and like the other Levites, they served at the house of the Lord. ¹³ They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots.

“A very important point is made by the inclusion of these groups, even though they might seem to represent a diversion from Chronicles’ main theme. As God’s people pay proper attention to their status as a worshipping community, the distinction between the sacred and the secular disappears. All tasks, whether mundane or specialized, ‘religious’ or ‘lay’, have value in the eyes of God.”

–Martin. J. Selman

¹⁴ The responsibility for the east gate went to Meshelemiah and his group. The north gate was assigned to his son Zechariah, a man of unusual wisdom. ¹⁵ The south gate went to Obed-edom, and his sons were put in charge of the storehouse. ¹⁶ Shuppim and Hosah were assigned the west gate and the gateway leading up to the Temple. Guard duties were divided evenly. ¹⁷ Six Levites were assigned each day to the east gate, four to the north gate, four to the south gate, and two pairs at the storehouse. ¹⁸ Six were assigned each day to the west gate, four to the gateway leading up to the Temple, and two to the courtyard.

¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the clans of Korah and Merari.

According to 1 Chronicles 23:5, there were some 4,000 gatekeepers, all of them Levites. They were responsible for many tasks:  keeping track of all the equipment and utensils used each day; ordering, receiving, and storing all the food supplies; ensuring all things were in order for the sacrifices; mixing the incense; caring for the furniture; receiving the gifts brought by the worshipers; and so on.

–David Guzik

Treasurers and Other Officials

“We give thee but thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be,
All that we have is thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from thee.”

²⁰ Other Levites, led by Ahijah, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to the Lord. ²¹ From the family of Libni in the clan of Gershon, Jehiel was the leader. ²²The sons of Jehiel, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

²³ These are the leaders that descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel:

²⁴ From the clan of Amram, Shebuel was a descendant of Gershom son of Moses. He was the chief officer of the treasuries. ²⁵ His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zicri, and Shelomoth.
²⁶ Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of the treasuries containing the gifts that King David, the family leaders, and the generals and captains and other officers of the army had dedicated to the Lord. ²⁷ These men dedicated some of the plunder they had gained in battle to maintain the house of the Lord. ²⁸ Shelomoth and his relatives also cared for the gifts dedicated to the Lord by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah. All the other dedicated gifts were in their care, too.
²⁹ From the clan of Izhar came Kenaniah. He and his sons were given administrative responsibilities over Israel as officials and judges.
³⁰ From the clan of Hebron came Hashabiah. He and his relatives—1,700 capable men—were put in charge of the Israelite lands west of the Jordan River. They were responsible for all matters related to the things of the Lord and the service of the king in that area.
³¹ Also from the clan of Hebron came Jeriah, who was the leader of the Hebronites according to the genealogical records. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign, a search was made in the records, and capable men from the clan of Hebron were found at Jazer in the land of Gilead.) ³² There were 2,700 capable men among the relatives of Jeriah. King David sent them to the east side of the Jordan River and put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were responsible for all matters related to God and to the king.

_________________________

Music:

HERE  The Kampen Boys Choir from the Netherlands sings “How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings” from the Brahms Requiem.

How lovely are thy dwellings, O Lord of Hosts!

My soul longeth, yea, fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found her a house, and swallow a nest where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God.

O Lord God of Hosts, hear my prayer. I would rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Ps. 84:10.     http://media.salemwebnetwork.com/ecards/scripturecards/psalms84_10.jpg

gatekeeper.   https://scpeanutgallery.com/2014/02/24/morning-prayer-24-feb-john-101-10-gateway-to-life/

pot of gold.   http://www.halliecrawford.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/career-direction.png

3221.) 1 Chronicles 25

1 Chronicles 25 (New Living Translation)

Duties of the Musicians

David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work:

Traditional Jewish music used cymbals made of brass or bronze. Different sizes produced a higher or lower pitch.

Psalm 150:5 (ESV)

Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

² From the sons of Asaph, there were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. They worked under the direction of their father, Asaph, who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s orders.

Twelve psalms are attributed to Asaph (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73 through 83).

³ From the sons of Jeduthun, there were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all. They worked under the direction of their father, Jeduthun, who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the lyre, offering thanks and praise to the Lord.

This reconstruction of the “Silver Lyre” found in Ur (ca. 2800 BCE and now in the British Museum) illustrates the kind of lyre played in the royal courts in Abraham and Sarah’s hometown. It was originally covered with silver plating and had inlays of jewels and ivory.

Psalm 144:9-10 (NIV)

I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
to the One who gives victory to kings,
who delivers his servant David.

⁴ From the sons of Heman, there were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer, for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶ All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God.

A harp is larger than a lyre, with more strings and a greater musical range. Often a lyre was tuned to a five-note (pentatonic) scale, while a harp was tuned to a seven note (do-re-mi) scale. Then again, the terms “harp” and “lyre” are sometimes used interchangeably.

Psalm 147:7 (KJV)

Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving;
sing praise upon the harp unto our God.

Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. ⁷ They and their families were all trained in making music before the Lord, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. ⁸ The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student.

⁹ The first lot fell to Joseph of the Asaph clan and twelve of his sons and relatives.
The second lot fell to Gedaliah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁰ The third lot fell to Zaccur and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹¹ The fourth lot fell to Zeri and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹² The fifth lot fell to Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹³ The sixth lot fell to Bukkiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁴ The seventh lot fell to Asarelah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁵ The eighth lot fell to Jeshaiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁶ The ninth lot fell to Mattaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁷ The tenth lot fell to Shimei and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁸ The eleventh lot fell to Uzziel and twelve of his sons and relatives.
¹⁹ The twelfth lot fell to Hashabiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁰ The thirteenth lot fell to Shubael and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²¹ The fourteenth lot fell to Mattithiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²² The fifteenth lot fell to Jerimoth and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²³ The sixteenth lot fell to Hananiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁴ The seventeenth lot fell to Joshbekashah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁵ The eighteenth lot fell to Hanani and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁶ The nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁷ The twentieth lot fell to Eliathah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁸ The twenty-first lot fell to Hothir and twelve of his sons and relatives.
²⁹ The twenty-second lot fell to Giddalti and twelve of his sons and relatives.
³⁰ The twenty-third lot fell to Mahazioth and twelve of his sons and relatives.
³¹ The twenty-fourth lot fell to Romamti-ezer and twelve of his sons and relatives.

_________________________

Music:

Today calls for harp music!  HERE  is a piece from Christ Church, Jerusalem, Israel. It isn’t hard to imagine yourself back in time, hearing similar music —

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Music Ministry.     https://stgregoryparish.org/liturgical-music-ministries

cymbals.    http://worship.encounterfl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cymbals.jpg

lyre.     https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/15840001

harp.    https://khawsaawithang.blogspot.com/2016_05_18_archive.html

3220.) 1 Chronicles 24

The Levites cast lots to determine their “appointed order of ministry.”

1 Chronicles 24 (New Living Translation)

Duties of the Priests

¹ This is how Aaron’s descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on as priests.

Leviticus 10:1-2 tells the cryptic story of Aaron’s elder sons Nadab and Abihu. They brought “unauthorized fire” before the Lord and were struck dead.

³ With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, David divided Aaron’s descendants into groups according to their various duties. ⁴ Eleazar’s descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar’s into eight, for there were more family leaders among the descendants of Eleazar.

⁵ All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁶ Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, acted as secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. The descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar took turns casting lots.

A Russian icon shows the angel appearing to Zechariah.

All these descendants! David divides them into groups so that everyone has a fair share of the work, especially the privileged work. The Hebrew calendar is lunar, with 48 weeks, so the 24 groups rotate evenly throughout the year. Each group served two weeks a year at the Temple and the remainder of the year in their hometowns. This system was still in place during the time of Jesus; Luke 1:5-9 tells us that Zechariah was on his shift at the temple when an angel appeared to him and told him he and Elizabeth would have a son, John.

⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoiarib.
The second lot fell to Jedaiah.
⁸ The third lot fell to Harim.
The fourth lot fell to Seorim.
⁹ The fifth lot fell to Malkijah.
The sixth lot fell to Mijamin.
¹⁰ The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz.
The eighth lot fell to Abijah.

Zechariah was a member of the Abijah division.

¹¹ The ninth lot fell to Jeshua.
The tenth lot fell to Shecaniah.
¹² The eleventh lot fell to Eliashib.
The twelfth lot fell to Jakim.
¹³ The thirteenth lot fell to Huppah.
The fourteenth lot fell to Jeshebeab.
¹⁴ The fifteenth lot fell to Bilgah.
The sixteenth lot fell to Immer.
¹⁵ The seventeenth lot fell to Hezir.
The eighteenth lot fell to Happizzez.
¹⁶ The nineteenth lot fell to Pethahiah.
The twentieth lot fell to Jehezkel.
¹⁷ The twenty-first lot fell to Jakin.
The twenty-second lot fell to Gamul.
¹⁸ The twenty-third lot fell to Delaiah.
The twenty-fourth lot fell to Maaziah.

¹⁹ Each group carried out its appointed duties in the house of the Lord according to the procedures established by their ancestor Aaron in obedience to the commands of the Lord, the God of Israel.

_________________________

Music:

We are commanded to love the Lord, to praise Him and honor Him. I think of all this preparation going on in these chapters, for generations, for hundreds of years — all to teach us how to receive the Son of God!  HERE  is one of my favorite groups, the Oslo Gospel Choir, to inspire us to worship our Savior with our whole heart! “His Name Will Shine.”

There is no salvation in any name but Jesus Christ
There is no salvation except in the name of the Lord
There is no salvation in any name but Jesus Christ
There is no salvation except in the name of the Lord

He heard my cry (He heard my cry and came to heal me)
He took my pain (He took my pain and he relieved me)
He filled my life (He filled my life and comforted me)
And his name will shine
Shine eternally

There is no salvation in any name but Jesus Christ
There is no salvation except in the name of the Lord

He came my way (He came my way and stopped to touch me)
He came to stay (He came to stay and he won’t leave me)
He made me whole (He made me whole and sanctified me)
And his name will shine
Shine eternally
Shine eternally

There is no salvation in any name but Jesus Christ
There is no salvation except in the name of the Lord
Except in the name of the Lord
There’s no salvation – Oh no
Salvation – oh there is no Salvation
In any other name
The name of Jesus Christ

_________________________

Family Leaders among the Levites

²⁰These were the other family leaders descended from Levi:

These names following are of men who were not descendants of Aaron, so they were not priests. But they were descendants of Levi, so they worked in the temple.

From the descendants of Amram, the leader was Shebuel.
From the descendants of Shebuel, the leader was Jehdeiah.
²¹ From the descendants of Rehabiah, the leader was Isshiah.
²² From the descendants of Izhar, the leader was Shelomith.
From the descendants of Shelomith, the leader was Jahath.
²³ From the descendants of Hebron, Jeriah was the leader, Amariah was second, Jahaziel was third, and Jekameam was fourth.
²⁴ From the descendants of Uzziel, the leader was Micah.
From the descendants of Micah, the leader was Shamir, ²⁵ along with Isshiah, the brother of Micah.
From the descendants of Isshiah, the leader was Zechariah.
²⁶ From the descendants of Merari, the leaders were Mahli and Mushi.
From the descendants of Jaaziah, the leader was Beno.
²⁷ From the descendants of Merari through Jaaziah, the leaders were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
²⁸ From the descendants of Mahli, the leader was Eleazar, though he had no sons.
²⁹ From the descendants of Kish, the leader was Jerahmeel.
³⁰ From the descendants of Mushi, the leaders were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the descendants of Levi in their various families. ³¹ Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by means of sacred lots, without regard to age or rank. Lots were drawn in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the family leaders of the priests and the Levites.

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Levites cast lots.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/levites-cast-lots1.jpg?w=450

Nadab and Abihu consumed by flames.    http://venerable-bede.blogspot.com/2013/05/

Russian icon.     http://beingbob.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/angel-annunciation_to_zechariah.jpg

banner for the tribe of Levi.    http://www.shiloh-bc.org/images/pages/N355/Tribe_of_Levi_Symbol_.jpg

3219.) 1 Chronicles 23

These next chapters give us a picture of the people of God organized for a life of service. They show us that God is central in all of life.

1 Chronicles 23 (New Living Translation)

Duties of the Levites

¹ When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.

David had other sons who might also claim the throne of Israel after his death, especially Adonijah. 1 Kings 1:31-40 describes in greater detail how David made sure that Solomon and not Adonijah took the throne after his death.

² David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites. ³ All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted,

Numbers 4:1-3 says a Levite takes his assigned responsibilities once he turns 30.

and the total came to 38,000. ⁴ Then David said, “From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the Lord. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges. ⁵ Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have made.”

These 38,000 qualified Levites were divided into different duties.

To look after the work of the house of the Lord: The temple was a busy place constantly flowing with worshipers, sacrifice, and service unto God. It took many skilled people to take care of all the practical matters behind this activity.

 Officers and judges: The Levites were also the civil servants for the kingdom of Israel. Governmental records, decisions, and administration were all in the hands of the Levites.

 Gatekeepers: These had the responsibility for security, both in a practical and spiritual sense. They made sure that only those who were ready to serve and worship God could come to the temple and its associated building.

 Four thousand praised the Lord: These Levites had the job of worshiping God both with their voices and musical instruments. They did this both to honor God directly and also to encourage others to worship God.

–David Guzik

⁶Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

⁷ The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni and Shimei, the sons of Gershon. ⁸ Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel. ⁹ These were the leaders of the family of Libni.
Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. ¹⁰ Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. ¹¹Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons.

The Kohathites

Aaron was the first high priest of Israel.

¹² Four of the descendants of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
¹³ The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s presence, to serve the Lord, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.

A priestly job description:

(from the King James Bible) 

to sanctify the most holy things,
to burn incense before the LORD,
to minister unto him,
and to bless in his name for ever.

¹⁴ As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader. ¹⁷ Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants.
¹⁸ The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader.
¹⁹ The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth).
²⁰The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second).

The Merarites

²¹ The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi.
The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish.
²³Three of the descendants of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the Lord. ²⁵ For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem. ²⁶ Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place.”

David foresaw that the Temple which he was planning would require considerable personnel to maintain it it. The bringing of the ark to Jerusalem has inaugurated a new era in Levitical service, since the central Levitical duty presented in Numbers chapters 3-4 is the tending of the accoutrements of the now obsolete mobile sanctuary. David has divided the Levites on the one hand according to traditional family groupings (Gershom, Kohath, and Merari), and on the other according to their new functions, viz., officers and judges, gatekeepers and musicians.

–J. G. McConville

²⁷ In accordance with David’s final instructions, all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service.

²⁸ The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the Lord. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. ²⁹ They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. ³⁰ And each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him.

³¹ They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the Lord on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The required number of Levites served in the Lord’s presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given.

Some of these jobs assigned to the Levites were menial. Every undertaking conceals a vast amount of unseen and unrecognized work for it to be successful. But all that work being done around the Temple, great and small, was glorious in God’s eyes. How careful are we in noticing the seemingly mundane work done by faithful people of God for the sake of our own safety, comfort, and well-being?

³² And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the Lord.

_________________________

Music:

Songs of thanks and praise to God every morning and evening! Don’t you want to join them?  HERE  is “Bless the Lord, oh, my soul!” — Andrae Crouch style!

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Serve one another.    https://donsnotes.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/serve-one-another.jpg

Levite musicians.   https://anglicansablaze.blogspot.com/2014/01/r-c-sproul-jr-should-we-as-christians.html

Aaron.    http://www.edgarphillips.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/high-priest-1.jpg

Stand every morning.   https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/0d/f0/22/0df0227aea593b9d6884d8fe39bb0bcd.jpg

3218.) 1 Chronicles 22

David gives the plans for the Temple to Solomon.

1 Chronicles 22 (New Living Translation)

¹ Then David said, “This will be the location for the Temple of the Lord God and the place of the altar for Israel’s burnt offerings!”

Preparations for the Temple

² So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel,

1 Kings 5:15-18 describes how these were actually put to work in the building of the temple in Solomon’s day, some 70,000 slaves.

and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God.

dressing stone

³ David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps,

hand made iron nails

Earlier in Israel’s history, iron had been under the control of the Philistines. But since David had brought them under Israelite rule, now the iron itself and the skills to work it were available.

and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. ⁴He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David.

cedar logs

⁵ David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death.

Just as David was not the man to build, Solomon was not the man to plan. The Temple will be a result of both men’s gifts and work. Truth to tell, all service to God is cooperative. That is why we are  called “the body of Christ” — many members working together. 

⁶ Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.

David assures Solomon that the Lord and David both have chosen him to build the Temple:

⁷“My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God,” David told him. ⁸ “But the Lord said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. ⁹ But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. ¹⁰ He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

David reminds Solomon of the requirement of obedience to God and prays for Solomon’s wisdom as he builds and as he rules:

¹¹ “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the Lord your God. ¹² And may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the Law of the Lord your God as you rule over Israel  ¹³ For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!

¹⁴ “I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the Lord—nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more. ¹⁵ You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. ¹⁶ You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you!”

David is an example of someone who works in the background, who receives none or little credit for his work, but the job cannot be done without him.

· David gathered the materials for the temple

· David prepared some of those materials

· David won the peace with surrounding nations that Israel needed to build the temple

· David found and purchased the site to build the temple

· David established the plans for the temple

· David organized and commanded the administration and servants of the temple

Yet no one calls it “David’s temple.” It seems that all the credit, all the name, all the glory goes to Solomon. Even so, it doesn’t seem to have bothered David, because he was a man after God’s heart.

–David Guzik

¹⁷ Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in this project. ¹⁸ “The Lord your God is with you,” he declared. “He has given you peace with the surrounding nations. He has handed them over to me, and they are now subject to the Lord and his people. ¹⁹ Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord’s name.”

The Temple also has a dimension of witness for David and Solomon and the people of Israel. Verse 5 says it is to be “exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands.” An essential part of their raison d’etre as God’s people is to demonstrate before all the world that God alone is worthy of worship. The splendour of the Temple is not self-indulgent, nor dedicated to the greater glory of King Solomon—but a symbol, in a world in which such symbols were important, that the God of Israel was King over all the earth.

–J. D. McConville

_________________________

Music:

“You Are Worthy” is a phrase that has been on the lips of believers from David’s time till now.  We join  HERE  with the saints of all the ages, and the angels, and all creation, and especially the soloist, Juanita Bynum, in praising God’s name!

Any crown I’ve ever worn
I lay it down
Any praise I’ve ever gained
I give it all to You

For there’s nothing in this world
That can compare
For You alone are worthy
You alone are worthy

You are near to all who call
Upon Your name
Ever giving, ever loving
You remain the same

For You open up Your hand
And satisfy
I give You all the glory
Give You all the glory

You are worthy, oh Lord, of all honor
You are worthy to receive all praise
In Your presence I live and with all I have to give
I will worship You

I will worship you
Honor You
Glorify Your holy name
I will worship You
Honor You
Glorify Your holy name

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

David and Solomon.     http://www.ellenwhite.info/images/chapt-illus/PP/RH-DavidGivesTemplePlansToSolomon_DSC_0023.jpg

dressing stone.    http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/v_LAumupL2U/0.jpg

nails.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/iron-nails.jpg

cedar logs.     http://www.easygreen.net/cedar_logs/cedar_log_boom.jpg

body of Christ.    http://elvishjesusfreak.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/body-of-christ.jpg

picture of Solomon’s temple from an old manuscript.   http://epochalnisvet.cz/wp-content/uploads/Takto-z%C5%99ejm%C4%9B-vypadal-p%C5%AFvodn%C3%AD-jeruzal%C3%A9msk%C3%BD-chr%C3%A1m.jpg

3217.) 1 Chronicles 21

“King David Purchasing the Threshing Floor” by William Brassey Hole

1 Chronicles 21 (New Living Translation)

The theme of the preparations for the building of the Temple continues. We have seen the promise to David that Solomon would be the builder (ch. 17), and how David’s wars would contribute to the project (18-20). Now, in chapter 21, the site of the Temple is located. There is so much other important material in this chapter that its central purpose can be missed at first reading. Yet the Chronicler has taken pains to show how all the events of the chapter serve that purpose. And in the end we see that the discovery of the location of the Temple site is only won through a scenario of sin, in all its mysteriousness, judgment and mercy.

–J. G. McConville

David Takes a Census

Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.

“When Satan incites, he is interested merely in his own ends. He neither cares for righteous punishment nor looks for possible repentance, since they are as foreign to his nature as temptation to sin is to God’s.”

–Martin J. Selman, British Old Testament professor and author (born 1947)

²So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”

³ But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”

⁴ But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people.

The question here, I think, seems to be motivation. A census in itself is no sin; Moses conducted two such counts in the wilderness. It cannot be a sin in that it is for a military purpose, since God has been with David and brought him military victories. So did Satan cause David to be overly proud of himself as a military leader and place his reliance, and perhaps his ideas for future military action, on his own numerical strength? Was he swaggering a bit, considering how remarkably successful his reign had been, what might still be accomplished? In the end, to whom do these people belong?

Then he returned to Jerusalem ⁵ and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah. ⁶ But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.

The Levites were priests and therefore not warriors. The Benjamites were a tiny tribe, having been decimated after the incident with the concubine of Gibea (Judges 19-21).

Judgment for David’s Sin

⁷ God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. ⁸Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”

“The chief interest of this chapter for us lies in the revelation of the true character of David. His sins were the lapses and accidents of his life. This is not to condone them. It is, however, to emphasize that the habitual set of his life was far otherwise than these sins suggest, and the deepest truth concerning him is revealed, not by the failures, but by his action afterwards.”

–G. Campbell Morgan, British evangelist, preacher, and a leading Biblical scholar (1863-1945)

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message: ¹⁰ “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”

¹¹ So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you. ¹² You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”

I offer you three things: God used David’s sin and the resulting chastisement to reveal David’s heart and wisdom. His choice of the following three options would test David:

• Three years of famine: This would surely be the death of some in Israel, but the wealthy and resourceful would survive. Israel would have to depend on neighboring nations for food

• Three months to be defeated by your foes: This would be the death of some in Israel, but mostly only of soldiers. Israel would have to contend with enemies among neighboring nations

• For three days . . . the plague in the land: This would be the death of some in Israel, but anyone could be struck by this plague — rich or poor, influential or anonymous, royalty or common

 –David Guzik

¹³ “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”

David chooses the shortest punishment, the three days of plague. In the other two options, Israel would either be at the mercy of neighbors (as in the famine) or attacked by enemies. He also trusts God, who even at a time like this is still gracious and merciful.

¹⁴ So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁶ David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground. ¹⁷ And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”

David Builds an Altar

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

The threshing floor of Ornan (also translated Araunah) had both a rich history and a rich future. 2 Chronicles 3:1 tells us that the threshing floor of Ornan was on Mount Moriah; the same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and the same set of hills where Jesus died on the cross (Genesis 22:14).

–David Guzik

“The decision of God to establish his altar and temple at Moriah in Jerusalem has affected all history (cf. Revelation 11:1); for this mountain became the focus of the Holy City, where His Son was crucified. And it will continue to affect history; for from this ‘city he loves’, he will some day rule the nations of the earth (Isaiah 2:2-4).”

–David F. Payne

¹⁹ So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him through Gad. ²⁰ Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid. ²¹When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.

²² David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”

²³ “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”

²⁴ But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!”

“He who has a religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that is worth nothing.”

–Adam Clarke

²⁵ So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor.

“Where there is true, strong love to Jesus, it will cost us something.
Love is the costliest of all undertakings . . .
But what shall we mind if we gain Christ?
You cannot give up for Him
without regaining everything you have renounced,
but purified and transfigured.”

–F. B. Meyer, contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody

_________________________

Music:

“All to Jesus I Surrender”  HERE  by Selah.

_________________________

²⁶ David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. ²⁷ Then the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.

The sending of fire from heaven answered a question that had burned in the heart of David for a long time. For many years, he had wondered where God wanted the temple to be built, and he sought for that place, as shown in Psalm 132:1-5:

Lord, remember David
And all his afflictions;
How he swore to the Lord,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

²⁸ When David saw that the Lord had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor. ²⁹ At that time the Tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon. ³⁰ But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the Lord.

¹ Then David said, “This will be the location for the Temple of the Lord God and the place of the altar for Israel’s burnt offerings!”

Exactly as Moses had told them!

Deuteronomy 12:10-11 (English Standard Version)

But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, then to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the LORD.

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Hole.     https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M011054

question mark.     http://www.clker.com/cliparts/9/1/4/0/11954322131712176739question_mark_naught101_02.svg.med.png

1, 2, 3.     https://rvbugstop.com/quartzsite/

threshing floor (near Nazareth).     https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/nazareth__threshing_floor-2.jpg

I surrender all.     http://www.popularhymns.com/images/i_surrender_all8.jpg

3216.) 1 Chronicles 20

1 Chronicles 20 (New Living Translation)

David Captures Rabbah

¹In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the land of the Ammonites. In the process he laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

And what happened when David stayed behind in Jerusalem?  Oh, baby.

In fact, the account in 2 Samuel 12:26-31 tells us that Joab himself did not win this battle over Rabbah. He fought the Ammonites to a stalemate and then called for David to help, after his sin with Bathsheba and subsequent repentance. Then, 2 Samuel 12:29 tells us, David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah. This was the final phase of David’s restoration. He went back to doing what he should have done all along — leading Israel out to battle, instead of remaining in Jerusalem. This means that David was in victory once again. His sin did not condemn him to a life of failure and defeat. There was chastisement for David’s sin, but it did not mean that his life was ruined.

–David Guzik

Let us, like David, ask the Lord for forgiveness for any of our sins, and then go forward in that forgiveness from God!

² When David arrived at Rabbah, he removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and he found that it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. ³ He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes. That is how David dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Rabbah was the capital of the Ammonites and is the site of modern Amman in Jordan. It is a city of limestone set in a desert. I had an aunt and uncle who lived in Amman for five years; he worked for Boeing. Just a couple months before they returned home, I came for a visit. When I asked my aunt what she would miss most about Amman, she replied, “Beige.”

Battles against Philistine Giants

Often giants are not very cute and not too bright —

⁴After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of the giants, and so the Philistines were subdued. ⁵ During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi’s spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

⁶ In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. ⁷ But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

⁸ These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

The account of David’s wars in chapters 18-20 is drawn from various parts of 2 Samuel, chs. 8-21. The unity of theme that is thus achieved is a result of the omission of a large amount of material in 2 Samuel. There, the Ammonite war, for example (2 Sam. chs 10-11), is primarily a backcloth for the story of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and related murder of Uriah. Those actions in turn spark off a series of events which are far from glorifying to  the house of David (mainly Ammon’s rape of Tamar, ch. 13, and Absalom’s rebellion, chs. 15ff.). The omission of this block of material in the book of 1 Chronicles is as instructive as that which is included, for it shows that Chronicles is determined to develop the theme of David’s positive contribution to the establishment of God’s kingdom in Israel, a purpose which would not have been served by the inclusion of evidence of his deficiencies. All this is dramatic evidence of God’s willingness to use even the most inconstant of people in his service.

Christians often become obsessed by their failures. It is a measure of the grace of God that he is willing to put the best interpretation upon the most vacillating life of faith.

–J. G. McConville

_________________________

Music:

HERE  is Kari Jobe and “We Cry Out.” The same grace David received is there in God’s hand for us.

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Isaiah 58:9.   http://trustychucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Isaiah-58.jpg

Susan Hayward in the 1951 movie “David and Bathsheba.”  Gregory Peck played David.   http://36.media.tumblr.com/da3d7657361a83fcf12cc6acfce58193/tumblr_mldkjqVit41r1ubx6o1_500.jpg

Amman.     http://www.expatify.com/files/2009/11/am1.jpg

giant.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/giant1.jpg

forgiveness rainbow.   http://selfhypnosisusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/forgiveness.jpg