Category: 1 Chronicles-2

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1 Chronicles-2 1 Kings

Fulfilling our purpose

And so we go on to the final footnote to David’s life.

Surprisingly, it’s given by Paul in his sermon to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch as he preached the death and resurrection of Christ.

And he says of David,

For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. (Acts 13:36)

I think that when I die, I want that to be my epitaph.

Now that Bruce has served God’s purpose in his own generation, he has fallen asleep.

As we’ve looked at the life of David, we’ve seen his highs and lows, his successes and failures, his great love for God, and his great sins.

But when all was said and done, Paul could say of David,

[He] had served God’s purpose in his own generation.

I’ve been alive for … years now.

And by God’s will, I’ll have many more.

I’ve already had my highs and lows, successes and failures, my times I’ve loved God with all my heart, and times when I’ve really struggled with sin and fallen.

And I’m pretty sure I’ll experience a lot more of these things until the day I die.

But more than anything else, when I see him face to face, I want God to be able to look at me and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You’ve done everything that I asked you to do.”

May God be able to say that to us all.

When the music fades into the past,
When the days of life are through,
What will be remembered of where I’ve come?
When all is said and done?

Will they say I loved my family?
That I was a faithful friend?
That I lived to tell of God’s own Son?
When all is said and done.

Of how I longed to see the hour,
When I would hear that trumpet sound.
So I could rise and see my Savior’s face,
And see him smile,
And say “Well done.”

—Geoff Moore

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1 Chronicles-2

Where everything comes from

While I was preparing breakfast this morning, I had my eye half on a short documentary about Randall Cunningham, a former NFL quarterback.

Among the things mentioned in the documentary was his faith in Christ—a faith that had to have been tested when his two-and-a-half-year-old son died in the family hot tub that Cunningham also used to baptize people.

He said something very interesting in the documentary.

He said that he considered his son’s life a gift from God—something that God let him have for a short time but took back for his own reasons and purposes later.

On reading this passage, it made me think of the documentary and Cunningham’s words because David said something very similar here.

In talking about the gifts that they were giving to God to build the temple, David said,

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand…

O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. (1 Chronicles 29:14, 16)

David recognized what Cunningham did—that everything we have comes from God. Everything good we have in life is a gift from God.

And because of that, David had no problem giving back to God what really belonged to God anyway.

He saw money, treasure, and the other things on this earth as temporary things—because David knew that his life itself was temporary.

He said in verse 15,

We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow… (1 Chronicles 29:15)

Sometimes people wonder why God asks us to tithe or give offerings. After all, God doesn’t need the money, right?

No, God doesn’t need our money. Nor do I think that he especially wants it.

But what he does want is our hearts. And he wants to make sure that he is number one in our lives, not our money.

David prayed,

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.

All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.

And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. (v. 17)

When God asks us to give, he tests our hearts. He tests our motivation in giving—or in not giving, as the case may be.

Are we giving out of a willing heart? Are we recognizing that everything we have comes from him anyway?

And if we’re not giving, why not? Is it because we are too in love with the world around us?

I think back to the story of Randall Cunningham. Even today, he continues to baptize people in that same hot tub.

And in the documentary, the narrator made an interesting comment: “In the same tub where his son died, people are being born anew.”

Cunningham’s faith was tested.

It wasn’t a matter of holding on to money, however. It was a matter of holding on to his son’s life.

He could’ve questioned why. He could’ve become bitter.

Instead, he recognized that this life God had given him was a gift—a gift meant to be received for a short time.

And so he gave his son back to God, not with bitterness, but with thankfulness.

How about you? Do you recognize where the things you have come from? And do you recognize God’s sovereignty in your life?

As David sang,

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. (1 Chronicles 29:11–12)

And so he concluded,

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. (v. 13)

May you have that kind of heart each and every day—having a heart loyal to God and overflowing with thankfulness toward him.

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1 Chronicles-2

Leading by example

Don’t do as I do, do as I say.

I’m very glad I never heard those words from my parents.

If ever there were a hypocritical phrase, that’s it. And coming from leaders, it’s inexcusable.

David, on the other hand, led by example.

In this passage, he led by his generosity. He was so excited about building this temple for God that he contributed gold, silver, and other precious stones from his own treasury.

Then he challenged the other leaders of the nation, saying,

Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord? (1 Chronicles 29:5)

In other words, “I’ve given myself and my things to the Lord. How about you?”

And the leaders responded, giving generously to the building of the temple.

What was the result?

The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. (v. 9)

You’ve got to believe that the confidence the people had in their leaders soared with the actions of their leaders.

Why? Because they didn’t just tell people what to do. They didn’t just tell people to serve God. They actually practiced what they preached.

I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of leader I want to follow. And be.

How about you? Do you lead by example?

Can you tell your children, “Do as I do?”

Can you tell the people you lead in your office or in your church, “Do as I do?”

Or would you have to look away in embarrassment if you were to say it?

Let us not just be people who lead by our words but by our example.

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1 Chronicles-2

Becoming a temple of God

As I look at this passage and the words David spoke to Solomon and the leaders of Israel, it makes me think of what God would say to us about becoming his temple.

First, God would tell us that he chose us to become his temple.

David talked about how God chose him to be the king. That of all the tribes of Israel, he chose Judah; from all of Judah, he chose David’s family, and from all of David’s brothers, he chose David.

And in verse 6, David quoted God’s own word to him, saying,

Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. (1 Chronicles 28:6)

In the same way, the Bible teaches us that God chose us, even before time began, to be his sons and daughters.

And he chose us not only to be his sons and daughters, but to build a temple out of our lives for him.

Paul puts it this way,

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:4–6)

Another thing to note in this passage is that God had detailed plans for the temple.

David said,

I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan. (1 Chronicles 28:19)

In the same way, God tells us that he has a plan for us. David would later write,

All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)

Unlike the plans God gave David for the temple, we don’t have written details for our lives in terms of who we will marry, where we will live, or anything like that.

But we do have his written word on his general will for our lives. And as we seek him and follow his word, he’ll lead us into his more detailed plan.

As David told Solomon,

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.

If you seek him, he will be found by you. (1 Chronicles 28:9)

And so David charged his son, and God charges us:

Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.

He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. (1 Chronicles 28:20)

Paul puts it this way,

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12–13)

As I’ve mentioned before, building our lives into the temple of God is not something we have to do on our own and with our own resources. God has given everything we need to be his temple.

He’s given us his Spirit living within us to counsel us and guide us.

He gives us his power to change.

And he constantly works in us so that we can become more like him.

So be strong and courageous.

Don’t get discouraged when you fail.

God searches your heart. He knows you want to be the temple he’s called you to be. And he will help you.

Just continue to seek him.

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1 Chronicles-2

Our roles in Christ

The book of Chronicles sure likes its lists of names, and in these passages, you see a number of them.

Basically, these passages address the division of labor within the temple. And I think we can apply some of these things to our lives as well.

In chapter 23, it talks about how the job of the Levites was changed from carrying the tabernacle and its articles to focusing solely on helping the priests make sure that everything necessary got done.

If I understand correctly, they did this anyway while they were in the desert. It’s just that their duties are more defined here.

Some of their duties may have seemed small or insignificant. And yet they did them faithfully.

What I take from that is this: everyone has a part in the kingdom of God.

Not all of us are pastors. Not all of us are worship leaders. All of us have different gifts and talents that God has given us.

And as God’s temple, as his vessel, we are to use the gifts that he has given us.

Sometimes our duties may change. Sometimes our responsibilities may seem small or insignificant.

But let us serve God faithfully even so.

In chapter 24, it talks about the priests. They were to minister at the temple to the Lord and to the people at the temple.

We too are priests, according to the New Testament (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6).

And as God’s priests, we are to minister both to God and to the people around us as well.

In chapter 25, it talks about the musicians and singers. One of the ways that we minister to the Lord is through our worship. It blesses God when we worship.

There’s an old song that says, “As our hearts begin to worship, we’ll be blessed because we came.”

But while that’s true, I like to change the words a bit.

“As our hearts begin to worship, you’ll be blessed because we came.”

That’s why we sing worship songs—not to bless ourselves, although that happens too.

Rather, we worship to bless God.

But we also can minister to others through music.

In verse 3, it says that one man named Jeduthun prophesied through music.

The words that we sing can have an impact on others, speaking to their hearts. But through the music, people can also sense the presence of God himself in our worship.

In chapter 26, it talks about the gatekeepers.

According to chapter 9:17–33, they had several responsibilities. Among them were guarding the gates to the temple and making sure nothing and no one “unclean” or “impure” came in.

In the same way, we need to guard our hearts as well to make sure that nothing unclean or impure comes in.

The gatekeepers also guarded the temple treasury from potential thieves. We too should guard our hearts from the Enemy who would steal the joy and blessing we have in Christ.

And in chapter 27, although this is not exactly related to the temple, the author refers to the army that protected the city the temple was in.

In the same way, we are in a spiritual war in this world we reside in.

And not only are we to guard against anyone trying to attack God’s kingdom, but we are to go out and attack Satan’s kingdom.

Namely, we need to be going out, sharing the gospel, and rescuing people from Satan’s grasp.

Servants, priests, singers, gatekeepers, soldiers… and his temple. That’s what we are in Christ.

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1 Chronicles-2

Building a temple for God

After David had built a palace for himself, it occurred to him that God still “lived” in a tent. And so he started making plans to build a temple for God.

But God stopped him and told him that his son would be the one to build a temple.

Now, here at the end of David’s life, he started to make preparations for the temple.

He couldn’t build it himself, but he wanted to make sure that Solomon had everything he needed to put the temple together.

As we look at this, I think it’s important to remember that the temple of God is no longer a building. It’s you and me.

We are the temple of God, and God dwells within us. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says,

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

With that in mind, I think there are some key things to remember about building a temple for God—that is, being a living temple for him.

First, David told Solomon,

[The temple] should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. (1 Chronicles 22:5)

In the same way, God wants us to be something so wonderful that we stand out to the people around us.

He wants people to look at us and say, “God dwells in that person. I can really see something different about him.”

And he desires that through us, people would be attracted to him and catch a glimpse of his own magnificence, fame, and splendor.

Second, as we build this temple, we need a heart that follows wholeheartedly after God and is willing to obey him. David told Solomon,

May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. (1 Chronicles 22:12–13)

Third, there may be times when we are discouraged in our fight against sin. Or we get discouraged because we see the attacks of Satan in our lives. As a result, we may start thinking about giving up becoming a temple for God.

But David told Solomon,

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. (1 Chronicles 22:13)

How do we be strong and courageous? How do we fight fear and discouragement?

I think there are two things.

First, remember that God doesn’t leave us without the resources to be the temple of God that he wants us to be.

Just as David went through “great pains” to provide for the temple (v. 14), Jesus went through great pains to make sure we have everything we need to be the temple of God. He died on a cross to take the punishment for our sins.

And now, Peter writes,

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

In other words, we don’t have to build this temple of God in our own strength. Rather, God works in us, and he gives us the power we need to live holy lives.

Second, remember that God has placed other people in your life to help you build that temple.

Just as David ordered the leaders of Israel to help Solomon build the temple (v. 17), God orders us to help each other to be the temple of God that he wants us to be.

The writer of Hebrews said,

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24–25)

You and I are the temple of God.

May we be temples that bring the glory of God to the nations, and especially to the people around us.

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

Sin’s consequences

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 in to 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 are 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 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, sin’s 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 6:23 says,

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

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

When we harden our hearts

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 thirty “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 toward God.

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

When we’re not strong enough

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 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 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.

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

Finding 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.

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

That God would consider us

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 wandering 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

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1 Chronicles-2 Psalm 106

A history of disobedience…and mercy

In Psalm 106, David recounts the history of Israel. And it isn’t a very positive one. It recounts how time and again, Israel turned their backs on God. In many ways, it also reflects our lives.

1. They rebelled against him (Psalm 106:6–7). This is one of the main themes of this psalm. That they willfully chose to rebel. One of the main reasons was their short memory.

Time and again, they saw God do incredible wonders for them. Time and again, these wonders would slip from their minds whenever adversity came. As a result, they sinned time and again.

How often do we do the same? We forget all the things God did for us, and as a result, when adversity comes, we start complaining against God, blaming him for our troubles, and then decide to do things our own way.

2. They gave in to the lusts of their flesh (14). Usually, we think of lust as sexual in nature, but in this case, they were lusting after meat. They got it, but a plague followed thereafter.

In the same way, when we follow after our flesh, it will destroy us eventually. Whether it’s STDs, diabetes, heart attacks, whatever it may be. We may get what we lust for, but it often leads to a lot of pain, and eventually death.

3. They exchanged their worship of God for other things, and yoked themselves to them (19–20, 28). We too often turn our backs on God and start worshiping other things. And I’m not merely talking about other “gods.”

Nowadays, we worship sex, money, TV, video games, our hobbies.

Anything that we put before God, that’s our god. We yoke ourselves to them, and they keep us from following wholeheartedly after God. And often times, they pull us away from him.

4. They despised the good things God had for them, not believing his promises (24–27). As a result, they grumbled against him, and never did receive the good things God intended for them.

How often do we do the same? We see in God’s word all the good things he has planned for us, and yet we don’t believe that God will keep his promises. And so we disobey his word and as a result, lose the things God had intended for us.

5. They conformed to the world, becoming like the peoples around them, taking on their values and morals (34–39).

Many Christians today do the same. Rather than making an impact on the world around them, they conform their values to the values of the people around them, doing things that God hates.

Yet in the midst of all this, you still see God’s mercy. Time and again, in the midst of troubles of their own making, God reached down and delivered them when they cried out to him.

And he does the same with us. No matter how far we have fallen, no matter what we’ve done, if we’ll turn to him in repentance, he will forgive.

And so David writes at the end of this psalm,

Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the LORD. (47–48)

Lord, I have sinned. So many times, I fail to appreciate all you’ve done for me. So many times I fail to believe your promises, and so I end up disobeying you doing things my own way.

Too often I cling to the idols in my life and chase after my lusts. And too many times, I conform to the pattern of this world rather than letting myself be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Forgive me. Change me.

I thank you for your mercy towards me. Help me each day to become more like you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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1 Chronicles-2 Psalm 96

Declaring God to the nations

God has a purpose for us. And it’s clearly defined here in Psalm 96. What is it?

David wrote,

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:1–6)

What is our purpose? It’s to declare God to the people around us. To share the joy we have with others, so that they may have that same joy too.

“Sing to the Lord,” David says. Why? To honor God? Yes. But not just that. David continues, “Proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Why do we need to do this? Because so many don’t know him. “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”

So many people think they know who God is, but all they have are things made by human hands.

But not only do we need to let people know how great our God is, but that there is a day of judgment coming. David wrote,

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! (7–8, NLT)

The day will come when all will recognize God for who he is. He will take his rightful place on the throne over all the earth, and as David writes, “He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.” (13)

So many people complain about the injustice that’s in the world today. But they are unaware that when justice comes, it will be true justice. And if their sin hasn’t been dealt with, they will be judged for all the unjust things they have done.

And so God calls us to go out and tell the people around us about him.

How about you? Do you share God with the people around you? Do they know God’s greatness? God’s love? And do they know of God’s judgment that is to come?

That’s what God calls us to do. And that’s our main purpose while we’re here on this earth.

Not just to rest in God’s salvation. Not just to do our own thing. But to declare God to the nations.

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1 Chronicles-2 Psalm105

A God who remembers his promises

At the time that the ark was brought into Jerusalem, David wrote this psalm of thanks.

Either it was a medley of three Psalms (96, 105, and 106), or it was all originally one song and David broke it up into three and added more lyrics to each one later.

Whatever the case, I decided to break them all up and take each psalm one by one.

There are minor differences between the passage in Chronicles and the Psalms, but I’ll take the wording from the Psalms.

One of the key themes in Psalm 105 is that God is one who remembers his promises.

God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give them the land of Canaan and make them a great nation. And no matter what situations they or their descendants faced, God had his hand on them.

When Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were wandering as strangers in the land, he protected them. (Psalm 105:12–15)

When Joseph was made a slave in Egypt, God caused what he foretold to come true and made him ruler. (17–22)

When Egypt oppressed the Israelites, God brought judgment on the Pharaoh and his people. (23–38)

When the Israelites needed food in the desert, he provided for them. (40–41)

And ultimately, God did keep all his promises towards them. That’s what David was celebrating this day.

But God also keeps his promises to us.

It doesn’t matter what we’re going through. It doesn’t matter what trials we may be facing. It doesn’t matter what struggles we may be going through. God will always keep his promises to us.

And so Paul writes,

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18; 23–25)

The day is coming when God will give us rest as he gave the Israelites rest. But until that day, David says this:

1. Remember what the Lord has done, and give him thanks (Psalm 105:1, 5).

So often we get so caught up in our troubles that we forget to thank him for the good things he’s done for us. And when that happens, our troubles can overwhelm us.

But when we remember the good things he has done and give thanks, it helps restore hope and joy to our lives.

2. Sing praise to him. Glory in his name and rejoice. (2, 3)

It is as we praise him and glory in his name that we realize just how big our God is and how small our problems are. More, it gets our minds off of our troubles and onto the one who can solve our problems.

3. Look to the Lord and his strength. Seek his face. (4)

When life seems too much for you, when it seems there’s no hope, look to the Lord. Seek his face. Ask for his strength. And he will help.

As Paul wrote,

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:26–28)

God remembers and keeps his promises towards us. So let us always look to him, remember him, praise him, and seek his face.

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

When bitterness consumes us

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?

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

Sought out. Seeking out.

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.

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1 Chronicles-2 2 Samuel

For God’s glory, his kingdom, and his people

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.