Category: 1 Chronicles

This is one of the more difficult passages in the Bible, particularly when you compare both 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21. 

In 1 Chronicles, it says Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to sin. 

In 2 Samuel 24, it says, the Lord was angry with Israel and incited David against them.

How could both be true?  To be honest, I’m not sure. 

However, there is a passage in 1 Kings 22:19-22 that might give us a clue.

In that passage, it was God’s will that Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israel’s history, die.  And so he asked, “Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?”

A spirit answered, “I will entice him…I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.”

So God sent that spirit out to deceive Ahab, and Ahab did die as a result.

It’s not clearly stated, but I can’t see how an angel can cause someone to lie, so I would assume that it was an evil spirit, that is, a demon that went out to deceive Ahab.”

I think something similar happened here.  Israel was in sin, and God was about to bring punishment for that sin. 

For this reason, he allowed Satan to tempt David to give into his pride and count the people in his army.  And for that sin, as well as the other sins Israel had committed, God brought judgment.

It’s a difficult passage.  At first glance, it seems as if God is being unfair.  After all, didn’t God make David sin?

But I think there’s some things to point out.  First, God didn’t make David sin.  He allowed Satan to tempt David.  But David still had to make the decision in his own heart whether to sin or not.  And he decided to sin.

James writes,

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.”

For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15)

In other words, we are tempted because of the evil that’s already in our hearts. 

It’s not that we’re innately good, and God puts evil there.  We’re already evil, and all temptation does is to bring it out.

But again the key point is, evil will come out only if we choose to let it come out.

There was pride in the heart of David before Satan ever tempted him.  All Satan did was pull out what was already there.  And that pride led to sin.  And David’s sin led to death.

Because sadly, that’s the consequence of sin.  Death and destruction.

God doesn’t take sin lightly.  It must be punished.  The good news is that he has already paid the price for us.

When David offered to buy the things necessary to make a sin offering, the owner offered to give it for free.  And with good reason, I might add.  He saw the angel standing there with his sword drawn out  (1 Chronicles 21:20,27).

But David said, “No, a price must be paid for my sin.  I will not offer sacrifices that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)

God said the same thing.  “I will not offer a sacrifice for sin that costs me nothing.  A price must be paid.  And I will pay it by giving my very life on a cross.”

So God came down as a man, and died to take the punishment for your sin and mine.  And because of that, sins consequences have been taken care of forever. 

The sword of death has been put back in its sheath, and now he offers life to anyone who will accept it.

As Romans 3:23 says,

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And so we now come to the low point in David’s life. 

It’s interesting to note that David is mostly known by non-Christians for two events in his life:  his battle with Goliath and his adultery with Bathsheba.  One incredible victory.  And one utterly awful failure.

How in the world did this “man after God’s own heart” get into such a mess? 

Basically, it started with a hardening of his heart.

It probably started much sooner, as I’ve pointed out before. 

God had commanded the Israelite kings not to have multiple wives. (Deuteronomy 17:17)

And yet, David hardened his heart against this command. By this time, he already had several wives. That set the scene for what happened in this passage. 

Imagine if David had committed himself to obedience in this area early in his life.  Would he still have fallen?

Perhaps. But I have to think he would have had a better chance fighting off temptation had he made a practice of controlling his desires toward women when he was younger.

But he made other mistakes too.  2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles both point out that at a time when kings went off to war, David sent his army, but he himself stayed home. 

In other words, he wasn’t where he was supposed to be, defending his country and taking the land God had commanded the Israelites to take.  Instead he was lounging around at home.

There’s an old saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” 

That was definitely true in David’s case. 

When we aren’t doing the things we’re supposed to be doing, and instead, are just idling around, we’re a prime target for temptation.

I think men can especially identify with this when it comes to pornography on the internet.  How often do we just idle around on the internet because we’ve got nothing to do and then start looking at things we shouldn’t?

David’s mistakes didn’t stop there.  From his rooftop, he saw Bathsheba bathing, and instead of turning away, he…lingered.  And watched.  Eventually, he inquired about her.

He found out her name and found out that she was the daughter of one of his top 30 “mighty men” in his army. Not only that, she was the granddaughter of one of his chief advisors, Ahithophel (2 Samuel 23:34).

Most importantly, however, she was the wife of another of his “mighty men,” Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 23:39).

Yet despite the fact that she was married and that she was the granddaughter of his chief advisor, he hardened his heart, called her in, and slept with her.

When she became pregnant, instead of owning up to his sin, he further hardened his heart by trying to cover it up

First, he called in Uriah to “give a report on the state of the army.” His hope, of course, was that Uriah would then go home and sleep with his wife. That way, Uriah would think the baby was his.

How David’s heart must have pricked him the next day when Uriah gave his explanation for not going home.

The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife?

As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!  (2 Samuel 11:11)

Here was a man totally loyal to David, and David had not only slept with his wife but was now trying to deceive him concerning the baby. 

When that failed, however, he had Uriah murdered and then married Bathsheba.  The coldness of his heart by that time is seen in his words to his general Joab when news of Uriah’s death came.

Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another.  (2 Samuel 11:25)

How do people who love God fall into sin?  It happens when we harden our hearts.  The more we harden our hearts, the colder our hearts become.  And the colder our hearts become, the worse we sin.

How about you?  Are you hardening your heart to sin?  If you do, you may find yourself doing things as bad as David if not worse.

You may feel like David probably once did and think you’d never stoop so low.  But when we harden our hearts, it can easily happen to us. 

Just think of all the Christian leaders you’ve heard of who have fallen the same way.  If it can happen to them, it can happen to us.

So let us always guard our hearts and keep them softened towards God.

Some interesting points to be learned in this passage.  One is to be careful who you listen to.

When the Ammonite king died, his son took some bad advice from his counselors. They convinced him that David wasn’t really sending a delegation to express his condolences.  Rather, they said he was spying out the land. 

But by taking their advice and humiliating the delegation, it led to a war.

Also, it’s interesting to note that even when the Arameans (who helped the Ammonites fight Israel) were defeated, they regrouped to fight again. 

It’s very true in the spiritual realm as well.  Just because we win over a victory over Satan doesn’t mean he’s just going to give up and back down.  He will come back after us again, and we need to be ready for it.

But the key point that strikes me is when Joab and his brother found that their army was surrounded, they broke up into two groups, and Joab said to his brother,

If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.  (2 Samuel 10:11).

There are times when we face spiritual attack.  Perhaps it’s an attack of temptation.  Or it’s some kind of trial that Satan is throwing at us.  And as we’re being attacked, we feel weak and about ready to fall. 

But God calls us to not just to lean on him, but to lean on each other for strength.

The apostle Paul put it this way,

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  (Galatians 6:2)

Are you feeling weak?  Do you feel ready to fall? 

Share your burdens with each other.  Pray with each other.  Support one another.  And just as with Joab, Abishai, and David, you will find victory.

David’s victories really put the Israelites that first came into Canaan to shame. 

Time and again in Judges, you see how they failed to take control of the land with the reasons being things like their enemies having iron chariots and so forth.

But time and again, David found victory, even when his enemies had superior weapons. 

The difference? 

David trusted God, and the Israelites didn’t.

So often, we can talk ourselves out of the victory God wants us to have in our lives.  It may be finding a job.  It may be finding a good future husband or wife.  It may be fighting against sin.

And we say things like, “I could never get that job.  Why even try?” 

Or, “I could never get that woman?  Why would she want me?” 

Or, “I’ve been fighting this battle against sin for so long.  I keep falling.  Why keep fighting?”

I suppose the question we need to ask ourselves is “Do I believe God is really with me?  Do I really believe God is on my side?  Do I really believe that God wants good things for me?”

If we don’t believe this, we won’t take steps of faith.  Instead, we’ll hang back in fear.

How about you?  Are you finding victory in your life? 

I admit.  Sometimes I do hang back because I feel like I’m not good enough.  I need to be better about stepping out in faith, and trusting God.  And so as much as I’m speaking to people who read this blog, I’m also speaking to myself.

Lord, I do desire victory in my life.  But sometimes I hold back because I think I’m not good enough.  Or because I’ve failed in the past. 

Lord, help me not to be like the Israelites who held back in fear.  Rather, let me be like David, stepping out in faith and finding victory.  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Have you ever looked up at the stars on a beautiful clear night? 

Ever since I’ve come to Japan, it’s been a rare sight, especially since I moved to my current city of Nishinomiya.  I might see a few stars here and there, but that’s it.

But I remember being up in the mountains in Hawaii and just being in total wonder at it all.  It made me feel so small. 

But it would also make me think about how incredible it is that in a universe so vast, God would care about me.  That God would know my name.  And that God would have a plan for me.

That’s how David felt.  He was sitting on his throne in his newly built palace, and as he did, he had the thought, “Here I am in this beautiful palace, and God only has a tent.” 

And so he made plans to build a beautiful temple for God.

But God stopped him.  Why?  For one thing, God didn’t need a temple.  But for another, if God were to have a temple built, he didn’t want David, a man of blood, to do it.

But if there was any sting in the words of God, it was quickly salved as he said something amazing to David. 

He said, “David you wanted to build a house for me.  But I’m telling you, I will build you a house.  And I will establish your house and kingdom forever before me. (2 Samuel 7:11-16)

This will eventually be fulfilled when Jesus, Son of God by nature, but son of David by human birth, reigns on this earth forever.

What was David’s response?

Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant.

Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?  You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O Lord God. (2 Samuel 7:18-19; 1 Chronicles 17:16-17).

Who am I?

David realized that he really was a nobody.  And yet God had brought him from humble beginnings to the place he was at now.  Not for his own glory.  But for God’s.

We are dust.  We are one speck in the universe.  And yet, God not only notices us, but he loves us.  Not only does he love us, he has his hand on our lives.

As David would later write,

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.  (Psalm 139:6)

Do you feel unloved.  Unwanted?  Insignificant? 

Chew on this one thought:  God considers me. 

For all that is in the universe, for all that’s going on in this world alone, God considers me.  He knows me.  And he has a plan for me.

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?

Who am I, that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wondering heart?

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done

Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind

Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord You catch me when I’m falling

And You told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
— John Mark Hall

It was a day for rejoicing.  At least it should’ve been.

When David realized his mistake in transporting the ark, and saw how God was blessing the home of a man named Obed-Edom, who was watching over the ark, David decided it was time to bring it into Jerusalem.

He gathered the Levites, the musicians and singers, the elders of Israel, and the entire army to help transport the ark. And as they did, David started dancing and celebrating along with all of Israel.

But someone was watching.  His wife Michal.  And it says that when she saw David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.  (2 Samuel 6:16).

When David came back, she said,

How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would.  (2 Samuel 6:20)

As I read this, I wonder if this was simply disapproval of David’s actions or if it was the result of something deeper.

Consider for a moment.  She had recently lost her father and her brothers in battle.  She was taken from a man that she very likely loved (2 Samuel 3:13-16).

And now she was forced to share her husband with six other women.  She had every reason to be bitter, and I do believe it was out of this bitterness that these words came.

I’m not letting David off the hook for his actions.  He was clearly in disobedience to God for taking as many wives as he did (Deuteronomy 17:17), no matter what the culture at the time considered acceptable.

And as I’ve mentioned before, it seems to me he should have at least asked Michal whether she wanted to come back to him or not.  As it was, it seems she had no choice in the matter.

But Michal let her bitterness consume her, and it turned a difficult situation for her into a miserable one. 

It’s a bit difficult to exactly interpret verse 23 where it says she had no children until the day of her death.

Whether it means God closed her womb, or David avoided her, or she avoided David after this event, is not clear.  What is clear is that by letting her bitterness consume her, she had a miserable life thereafter.

What about you?  Is there any bitter root in your heart?  You might feel you have a right to your bitterness.  And you may. 

But the question is not whether you have a right to your bitterness, but whether you want that bitterness to destroy you.

Because if you let your bitterness consume you, little by little, you’ll find all the joy in your life start to disappear. 

All of us go through difficult times.  All of us have reasons to become bitter.  We can’t always control our circumstances.  What we can control is our response to them.

Will we become bitter?  Or will we give our heartache and hurt to God and let him heal us. 

I’m not saying that God will take away our problems.  What I am saying is that he can help you find joy and peace in the midst of your hardships.  And you’ll find a life worth living.

What will you choose?

God loves people that are passionate about him.  But for us to have passion is not enough.  God also requires our obedience.

And that’s what David learned here.  David was really excited about bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem where the tabernacle was.

According to David, it was neglected during Saul’s reign (1 Chronicles 13:3), and David didn’t want to make the same mistake.  He really wanted God to be at the center of his kingdom.

And so they as they bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David and all the people were celebrating “with all their might,” playing all kinds of musical instruments, singing, and probably dancing as they did so.

But there was a problem.  God had commanded that when the ark was moved, only the Levites were to do the moving.  They were to put poles through the rings at the top of the ark, and carry it on their shoulders.

But David didn’t do this.  Why, I don’t know.  At a guess, he was just ignorant.  He probably thought, “Well, the easiest way to move it is on a cart, so I’ll have a new one made, and put the ark on it.”

But as the ark was being moved, one of the oxen stumbled, and one of the men, Uzzah, reached out to steady the ark.  But in touching the ark, he violated God’s command and was killed.

When David saw this, he became angry with God.  But later he realized the problem.  While he had been very passionate for God, he had also been disobedient. 

He said in 1 Chronicles 15:13,

It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.

David learned an important lesson that day.  Passion is great.  But it must come with obedience. 

It’s not enough to just have passion.  We must be obedient to the things that God has commanded.

Sometimes, people wonder, “Why is Jesus the only way to heaven.  There are many sincere people out there trying to do the right thing.  There are many people who are passionate in their pursuit of God, and not all of them are Christians. 

“Why do Christians insist that they won’t go to heaven?”

The answer is that sincerity of heart and passion are not enough.  You can be totally sincere, and completely passionate.  But if you don’t obey God, it’s not enough. 

What is God’s command?  The apostle John tells us.

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.  (1 John 3:23-24)

The most important command that God has given us is to believe in the name of his Son.  To trust in him for his salvation.  And if we reject that command, then all our sincerity and passion won’t mean a thing.

Obedience without passion for God is not a good thing.  God wants our hearts, not just our actions. 

But passion without obedience is also not good.  Because a lack of obedience shows a lack of trust.  And like I said, God wants our hearts.  Trust is a big part of that.

How about you?   Do you have passion without obedience?  Obedience without passion?  Or do you have both?

Yes, I know we’ve skipped quite a few chapters, we’ll be getting back to them tomorrow.  But Chronicles talks about this at this point and chronologically speaking, it seems appropriate to put it here.

These chapters talk about all the men that joined David while he was a fugitive from Saul, and the men that eventually helped him take the throne after Saul died.

It’s interesting to note the kind of men that joined him.  In 1 Samuel 22:2, it says that those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around David and they became his army.

In other words, these were flawed men that gathered around David. 

You see the flaws most of all in Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, the nephews of David.  Each one of them tended to be bloodthirsty men, quick to vengeance and quick to kill.

All of the men who followed David were flawed.  And yet, they had one thing in common.  They all loved David and were extremely loyal to him.

You see this in the incident where they broke into the Philistine camp to get water just because David said he was thirsty. 

And later, when men from the tribe of Benjamin (Saul’s tribe) came to David, they said,

We are yours, O David!  We are with you, O son of Jesse. 

Success, success to you, and  success to those who help you, for your God will help you.  (1 Chronicles 12:18)

And because of that love and loyalty towards David, they were able to accomplish incredible things.

It’s the same with God and us. 

We are all flawed.  All of us struggle with sin.  All of us have our blind spots.  All of us have our weaknesses. 

But if we love God, and choose to follow him with all our hearts, he can use us to do mighty things.

David had his mighty men, but God can use anyone, man or woman.  All he needs is our hearts.  Does he have yours?

It didn’t take long for the Philistines to find out that David had become king of Israel. 

I kind of wonder how Achish felt when he found out.  Surprised?  Betrayed?

However he felt, the Philistine response was immediate.  It says they went up in full force to search for David, and no doubt kill him.

It has been said that when you’re not a Christian, Satan doesn’t pay too much attention to you.  But when you become a part of God’s kingdom, Satan’s eyes are immediately drawn to you.

Not only has he lost someone from his own kingdom, but he now sees in you a new threat.  Someone who could possibly take other people from Satan’s kingdom and bring them into the kingdom of God. 

So whenever Satan sees that, he immediately attacks.

It may come in the form of persecution or ridicule from family, friends, or coworkers.  It may come in subtler ways.  He may throw all kinds of temptation our way in order to make us stumble.

But however he approaches it, Satan seeks us out to bring us down, just as the Philistines sought David out to bring him down.

So what do we do when we’re in the enemy’s crosshairs? 

Do what David did.  Seek God.  And as David sought God, God gave him directions on how to handle the attacks of the enemy and David found victory.

It’s the same with us.  Are you being sought out by the enemy?  Do you feel attacked by the people around you?  Do you feel attacked by temptation? 

Seek God.  Seek his counsel.  And as you do, he will show you what to do and give you the strength to do it.

After years on the run, David was finally established as king over all Israel. 

One sign of this was the palace that was built for him.  And as he sat in his newly built palace, the Bible says that David realized,

The LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.  (1 Samuel 5:12)

David knew that God hadn’t established him as king for his own sake, but for God’s own purposes.  That the kingdom wasn’t a matter of David’s glory, but God’s glory. 

More, he knew that God hadn’t established him as king for the people to serve him, but that he might serve God’s people and give them rest.

I wonder how often we realize the same is true with us.  God has called you to be his child.  He has established your place in his kingdom.  And he has done so not for your glory, but for his.

He has done so not that you might establish your own kingdom, but that you would help establish his here on earth.

He hasn’t put you in the position he has in order for people to serve you, but that you might serve others.

And as long as we fail to realize this, we’re going to miss out on all that God has for us.  So many Christians are self-centered, thinking only about themselves, their position, and their glory.

I admit that there are many times that I’m that way too.  But our lives are not to be centered around ourselves and our purposes, but around God and his purposes.

Who are you serving?  Whose glory are you seeking?  Who are you living for?

As one song puts it,

For your glory,
For your kingdom,
For your name O Lord, here I am.

“I just can’t seem to overcome this sin.  No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to gain victory over it.”

Have you ever felt like that?  I know there are sins in my life that I struggle with.  And it can get discouraging.  Satan loves to throw potshots at us when we fall.

“What kind of Christian are you?  You’re no good.  Every other Christian has victory in this area.  Only you struggle with this.  This sin is too strong in your life.  You’ll never be able to overcome it.”

That’s the kind of thing the enemy was saying to David and his army as they stood outside the walls of Jerusalem. 

The Jebusites were living there at the time, and they mocked David saying,

You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.  (2 Samuel 5:6)

As they said this,  the Jebusites thought to themselves,

David cannot get in here.  (2 Samuel 5:6)

In the same way, when Satan gets a foothold in our lives, he thinks to himself, “I’ve got him.  I’ve got her.  They’ll never get rid of this sin.” 

And he starts to mock us.

But what did David do?  He strategized.  He told his army,

Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies. (2 Samuel 5:8)

And with Joab’s help, they were able to overcome the Jebusites. (1 Chronicles 11:6)

But it wasn’t the strategy and Joab’s help alone that gave David the victory.  It says later,

And [David] became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him. (2 Samuel 5:10)

In other words, the real reason for victory in David’s life was that God was with him. 

Yes, he needed his strategy.  Yes, he needed others’ help. 

But ultimately, it was because God was with him and was helping him that David gained the victory.

It’s the same with us.  When we’re  struggling with sin, we need to use strategy. 

If you’re struggling with lust, for example, perhaps part of your strategy will be avoiding places of temptation, even if it’s your local video store.

We also need others’ help.  They can give us advice, pray for us when we struggle, and keep us accountable.

But ultimately, it’s because God’s on our side that we can gain victory.  It’s not by our own strength and efforts alone.  It’s God’s Holy Spirit working within us, “to will and to act according to his good purpose.”  (Philippians 2:13).

Are you struggling with sin?  Are you feeling discouraged? 

Remember that God’s on your side.  Use strategy to fight sin.  Ask people for help. 

But also remember that it’s only by God’s grace and help that we can ultimately overcome.

I hate waiting.  I hate  lines at stores.  I hate waiting at crosswalks.  I hate waiting at the doctor’s office.

I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be David.

  According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, David was probably ten when Samuel anointed him as the next king of Israel. 

If that’s true, David waited at least 20 years before he was anointed king of Judah and 27 years before he was anointed king of all Israel.

That’s a lot of waiting.  But even worse was everything he had to go through during that time.  Becoming a national hero, only to become a fugitive a short time later, with just a hair’s breadth between life and death.

And yet, despite all the ups and downs, despite whatever doubts he may have experienced in that time, he never stopped waiting on God.

He had at least two chances to make things happen.  Twice, he could have killed Saul and claimed the throne.  But twice, he chose to wait on God and his timing.

How could he do that?  I can barely make myself wait at a stoplight. 

I think the key was he trusted that God was someone who kept his promises.

And because God keeps his promises, we don’t have to try to force the issue.  We just have to keep doing the things he asks, and he will get us to the place he wants us to be.

That’s something Saul couldn’t do.  Instead of waiting for Samuel, and waiting on God’s deliverance when the Philistines attacked, he tried to force the issue by offering sacrifices himself.  And in doing so, he sinned.

Instead of waiting on God’s blessing, he tried to bring blessing on himself by keeping plunder that God had ordered destroyed.  And as  a result of these two incidents, God rejected him as king.

How about you?  What are you waiting for in your life?  A job?  A wife?  A husband? 

Remember that God has promised to provide everything you need.  Remember that God promises you a good future.

So don’t disobey God thinking you have to force things to happen.  Keep waiting on him.  Keep trusting him.  And keep doing the things he asked, and he will keep his promises to you.

As David wrote later,

The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love…

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.  (Psalm 33:18; 20-22)

Just a little footnote here.  Or headnote, perhaps, since this is at the top.  🙂

As you may have noticed, from time to time, I’ve been trying to chronologicalize passages in the Bible.  So if a psalm fits in with a certain time period, I’ve put it in where it was appropriate.

I believe I once put a passage from Judges in the Joshua section because it was referring to the same event.

Starting from this point, I’ll be doing a lot of that, mixing in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles because they are all referring to the same events, or they fit into that time period.

I may miss a few events in the chronology from time to time, so in those cases, I’ll get back to it later.

Anyhows, end of “headnote.”

And so we come to the end of Saul’s story.  And it is a gruesome end.  He kills himself, rather than let his enemy kill him in battle.

Then his head is cut off and displayed in the temple of one pagan god, his armor is hung in the temple of another pagan god, and his body is hung on the wall of one of the Philistine cities along with the bodies of his sons.

Why did this happen?  The writer of Chronicles gives us the answer.

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord.

So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.  (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)

Saul was definitely not a good king.  But there was one people that remembered some of the good he had done, the people of Jabesh Gilead.

I never realized this until now, but these were the same people that Saul had rescued before he formally took his position as king of Israel.  (Until then, he had been anointed by Samuel but just hung around working on his farm.)

But when he heard that the people of Jabesh Gilead were under attack, he rallied all of Israel and they rescued the city.  The people of Jabesh Gilead never forgot that.

And so when they heard about what had happened to Saul and his sons, they courageously went and took the bodies down, and properly buried them.

The people of Jabesh Gilead had to know that Saul was not a good king.  They had to know about how he had unjustly chased after David, and even left Israel vulnerable at times in his obsession to kill David (1 Samuel 23).

They had to know too that he had unjustly killed the priests who had helped David.

And yet, they chose to reflect not on these things, but on the good that Saul had done.  So they put their lives at risk to take down his body and those of his sons, and gave them a proper burial.

And it kind of makes me think.  How do I reflect on the people in my life?  Do I remember the good about them or the bad?

Usually I reflect on the good, but there are times when I reflect on the bad.  There remains a bitter root there, that I haven’t quite dug up yet.  And it affects the way I see them in my mind, and it affects the way I treat them even now.

I suppose, the people of Jabesh Gilead had it a little easier with Saul.   They knew of the evil he had done, but he hadn’t done anything to personally hurt them. 

But for me, there have been people who have hurt me, personally.

And while I have to some degree forgiven them, there still remains that root that causes me to reflect on the bad in them.

But if I really think about it, there was good in them too.  I can remember some good things that they did, for others, and even for me.

And as I look at these passages, it makes me think, “These are the things I need to focus on.  Not the bad.  But the good.”

That said, it’s not easy.

Now reflecting on the good does not mean that we completely forget the bad, nor does it mean that we should leave ourselves vulnerable to them hurting us again.

David was a perfect example of this.  When he heard that Saul had died, he wept for him.  He even wrote a song honoring him.

But while Saul was alive, he would not put himself in a position where Saul could hurt him.

David chose to reflect on the good in Saul.  He chose to forgive the evil.  But all the while, he kept himself safe.  And that’s the kind of balance we need to strike as well.

Are there people who have hurt you?  Your father?  Your mother?  Your coworkers?  The people at church?

How do you reflect on them?  Do you think of them only in terms of the wrongs they have done to you?  Or do you choose to focus more on the good?

It seems to me that that is how God sees us.  When he looks at us, he could focus on the evil in us.

But because of Jesus, and the blood he shed to cover our sin, he chooses to focus on the good instead.

May we show the same mercy to the people who have hurt us, as we think about and remember them.