I Chronicles 17

Dear RTB’ers,

Throughout the Chronicles books the author is rewriting the Samuel and Kings books. Today he is copying II Samuel 6, editing it only slightly. I typically put the beginning of David’s reign as king at about 1000 BC. If that’s the case, then the Samuel and Kings books were probably written sometime in or around 900 BC (the author clearly knew of Rehoboam and Jeroboam and the “divided kingdom”, Israel and Judah). However the Chronicler is writing some five or six centuries later. I bring this item because of today’s “Messianic” verses 11b-14 (God speaking): I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a son. I will not take My steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.

So, to whom is God referring? David is concerned about God’s physical house (a permanent home for the Ark), but God seems to be answering with respect to David’s lineage, his descendants. And there David and Nathan and the Samuel author and his contemporaries might have imagined Solomon and Rehoboam and the continuing kingly lineage. Then the author of Chronicles can follow that line even further, having seen that kingly realm continue beyond the Exile in a person (Zerubbabel) if not in a mighty kingdom. Then going centuries further, New Testament writers apply these verses to Jesus in Luke 1:32-33 and Hebrews 1:5. Finally, we can’t read those verses today without inserting Jesus therein. I’m connecting three millennia of history here, a history that we embrace firmly, completely, and with endearing thankfulness. Glory!

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far?” (v. 16) I couldn’t help but ask the Lord the same question about myself, “Who am I…that you have brought me…?” Herein I plug in my own “things”. And I daresay that most (all?) of us can ask the Lord the same questions – who am I, how did I get here, why have You blessed me so greatly? Take some time to dwell on that today, thanking the Lord even as David did in today’s ending verses.

Blessings.

---

See also:

• April 3 (2023) / II Samuel 5-7
• April 12 (2023) / I Chronicles 17; II Samuel 8-12:15a; Psalm 51 (first sentence)

I Chronicles 16:7-43

Dear RTB’ers,

After years of Saul failing to seek the Lord in all that he did, David wanted to make sure that his administration would not be guilty of that same behavior: And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law of the LORD that He commanded Israel. (vv. 39-40) …to do all that is written…! Leave nothing undone!!

The next verse was the one that really caught my eye: With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for His steadfast love endures forever. (v. 41) Yes, we are all called to prayer – for worship and thanksgiving. But there are some “over and above” people who are prayer warriors on our behalf. And it’s not just priests and nuns in religious orders. In our midst we have people whom we need to appreciate more. They are mostly unknown to us, but they are there for us nonetheless. We need to be grateful for them.

Blessings.

---

See also: April 7 (2023) / I Chronicles 16 (again).

I Chronicles 15:1-16:6

Dear RTB’ers,

I posted a few days ago that the Chronicles books cover much of the same history as the Samuel and Kings books. Many passages are identical, but the Chronicler often goes beyond the other books in telling Israel’s history. Today’s reading is one of those passages where the Chronicler adds more than what we read elsewhere. Today’s verses 15:3-24 are not covered in the II Samuel 6 account of David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. The Chronicler tends to have a stronger focus on the Levites and priests while the Samuel and Kings books look more at the kings and their history. We see that clearly today.

However, there is one area where II Samuel tells us more than Chronicles. David’s wife, Michal is mentioned today in only one verse, And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart. (v. 15:29) These are almost exactly the same words that we find in II Samuel 6:16. However, II Samuel tells us more in later verses. Here is an entire section that is part of II Samuel, but that is not included today: And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” And David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD—and I will celebrate before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. (II Samuel 6:20-23) Michal, no child… Maybe the Chronicler wanted to present David in a more positive light? Chronological Bibles tend to keep Chronicles passages together alongside Samuel and Kings readings, so the differences are more visible.

And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. (v. 16:1) A better closing than yesterday’s reading!

Blessings.

---

See also:

• April 5 (2023) / I Chronicles 12-15 (again)
• April 7 (2023) / I Chronicles 16

I Chronicles 13-14

Dear RTB’ers,

The incident of Uzzah and the Ark offers a timely lesson for us. As the Ark is being transported on a cart, the oxen stumble and Uzzah reaches out his hand to steady the Ark. Sounds like a reasonable reaction – except that his action violated God’s rules concerning these holy things: And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. … the sons of Kohath … were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. (Numbers 4:15, 7:9) The lesson for us – no matter how well-intentioned our plans and activities, if they violate God’s law or His clear will for us, we are wrong to go off in those directions. In truth, Uzzah was set up for failure – the Ark never should have been on a cart; it should have been carried on Levites’ shoulders.

And David inquired of God… And when David again inquired of God… (vv. 14:10a, 14a). David twice inquiring of God is another good lesson for us. Just yesterday I was in a meeting with a group of men and the topic of “praying before doing” came up. Part of this discussion came to the issue of praying for the “little things” as well as the “big things”, whatever those little or big things are in each person’s eyes. But our bottom line was that we surely should be praying more often in (and before) everything that we do! Even in the “little things”. Granted, David’s battles with the Philistines were big things, but his seeking God is another good lesson for us.

Blessings.

---

See also: April 5 (2023) / I Chronicles 12-15 (beyond the first paragraph).

I Chronicles 12

Dear RTB’ers,

Another list, this time the numbers and some names of men who came to support David at Ziklag. We read the setting of this story in the final chapters of I Samuel. Ziklag was a small city (exact location unknown) probably some 40-50 miles southwest of Jerusalem and relatively close to the leading Philistine cities (Gath, Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Gaza). Here’s a brief Internet source:

Ziklag was … gifted to David by King Achish of Gath during David’s flight from King Saul. … David raided the towns of the northern Negev, suffered attacks from the Amalekites, and restored great wealth to the people of Judah (1 Samuel 27–30).

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/locating_ziklag/

The numbers are suspicious. Adding them up we find more than 340,000 men counted – a third of a million coming to a small Philistine city to support David and party for three days. Biblical scholars find reasons to deflate those numbers, but that’s not our issue. What is important is that All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. (v. 38) The Chronicler simply wanted the post-Exile people to know that David had tremendous military and popular support from all twelve tribes when he became king.

Blessings.

---

See also: April 5 (2023) / I Chronicles 12-15 (first paragraph).

I Chronicles 10-11

Dear RTB’ers,

The Chronicler now moves on to history (albeit an abbreviated and edited history), with a focus on Judah and the Southern Kingdom, almost to the exclusion of Israel, the Northern Kingdom. But the author continues to build lists (much of today’s second chapter), mostly of people and who they are and what they do. One name among David’s “mighty men” in chapter 11 stands out, Uriah the Hittite (v. 11:41), the husband of Bathsheba, whom David had killed after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba.

Blessings.

---

See also: April 4 (2023) / I Chronicles 9:35-11:46.

I Chronicles 6-9

Dear RTB’ers,

After listing David’s and Solomon’s sons yesterday, we saw the author of Chronicles covering Jacob’s sons geographically. He began in the fourth chapter with Judah (wherein Jerusalem is located) and Simeon, with its cities inside Judah’s borders.

Then in the fifth chapter he covered the land of Gilead, those tribes living in the Transjordan – Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He even added a bit of history there, with the Assyrians taking them all into exile.

Today in the sixth chapter the author inserts Levi’s lineage into his pattern of covering Jacob’s sons geographically. You’ll recall that the Levites were dispersed throughout the Promised Land, with 48 cities and pasturelands across all twelve tribes. The Chronicles author also details these Levitical settlements and duties alongside their lineages.

In the seventh chapter the author returns to his geographical genealogy by covering those tribes nearest Judah to the north: Benjamin, Ephraim, and the other half-tribe of Manasseh, with Issachar, Naphtali, and Asher also included. Two tribes did not have their genealogies included – Dan and Zebulun.

Finally, in today’s last two chapters the Chronicles author covers Saul’s lineage (chapter 8 and the end of chapter 9) and a genealogy of those exiles who returned from Babylon, with a particular focus on the Levites the priests, and the temple servants (and their duties).

So, what to make of all these names in these nine chapters? Clearly someone took the time to put it all together, no doubt with substantial support from leaders of all the tribes. Each of these people, only names in ancient history to us, were known to God and made up His people, His kingdom on earth. And their descendants have continued through the years, the Jewish people, still in their Promised Land, and still being constantly challenged by their nearby enemies.

Blessings.

---

See also: September 15 (2023) / I Chronicles 7-9.

I Chronicles 1-5

Dear RTB’ers,

For today and tomorrow we have two very long readings – at least in terms of the number of verses covered (nearly seven times our daily average of verses read). Our companion book, Search the Scriptures does a very good job introducing these nine chapters, so I suggest that you read their introduction before reading the assigned readings. Also, please note that these two days RTB assigned readings are all covered on only one day in STS.

Among the more interesting verses… One set of verse from the first chapter: Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. (vv. 1:13-15) The Promised Land became known as Canaan and its inhabitants, the Canaanites. Specific tribes in this list are also known to us, for example, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, and the Hivites were among those “seven nations” that lived in Canaan prior to Joshua’s arrival. In fact, the Jebusites were the inhabitants of Jerusalem when David conquered the city.

A second set of verses of interest to me came in the second half of the third chapter, the sons of Solomon. Therein the author lists the kings of Judah, in order. In particular, I Chronicles 3:16 and following is the time frame of the Babylonians conquering Jerusalem, with names from the history and prophecy books that we just read. Familiar names include Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, Zedekiah, Shealtiel, and Zerubbabel.

Many other names and cities are familiar to us.  

Blessings.

---

See also:

• September 13 (2023) / I Chronicles 1-3
• September 14 (2023) / I Chronicles 4-6

James 5

Dear RTB’ers,

James takes on the rich again. (Go back to James 1:9–11 and James 2:1–7.) But here he is challenging them for their wrongdoings. I make that distinction because all of us are “rich” in comparison to the rest of the world. But I daresay that we are not withholding wages or living in excessive luxury or self-indulgence. True, all of us could probably do more to help relieve suffering, both worldwide and in our own country. So I’m not giving us a big “pass” on these charges. We need to be good stewards of what we have. Many of us are probably familiar with John Wesley’s guidance:

Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.

John Wesley, Sermon: “The Use of Money”

Earn. Save. Give. Good wisdom.

One other item… As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (v. 10) This sentence now has greater understanding for us, for in the past year we have read Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, plus most of the minor prophets. Yes, they suffered and endured.

Finally, You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (v. 8) What was true for James two millennia ago is still true for us today. Be patient.

Blessings.

---

See also:

• November 29 (2023) / James 1-5 (again)
• July 31 (2021) / James 5:1-20

James 4

Dear RTB’ers,

Two sentences, one right after the other: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (vv. 7b-8a) Resist and draw near. James suggests that simply resisting the devil is not enough. Fighting him without the Lord’s help is ill-advised; he is a strong enemy. But drawing near to God – there’s no better place to be!

Making plans… So often I hear someone planning an activity or doing this or that and adding, “Lord willing…”. Is that just an add-on phrase, or do we mean it when we say something like “Your will be done.” The former phrase seems less serious, the latter more intentional. James speaks specifically to these two phrases: …yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. … Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (vv. 14a, 15) Yes, always, “Your will be done…” Or more emphatically, Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done. (Luke 22:42b)

Blessings.

---

See also: July 30 (2021) / James 4:1-17.