1 Chronicles
In 1 Chronicles 1 - 9, there are lots of names. Each one of us is
known, by name, to the Lord. This is a very precious truth. It is summed
up, for us, in the wonderful words of love, spoken by the Good
Shepherd, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
“So Saul died
because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord. He did not obey the Word of
the Lord” (1 Chronicles 10:13). Here, we read of Saul’s sin, shame and
sadness. This was more than a personal thing. It had a profound effect
on the whole nation. God looked at the effect Saul was having on His
people. The Lord decided that it was time for a change, a new
beginning:“So the Lord killed him, and turned the kingship over to
David, Jesse’s son” (1 Chronicles 10:14).
David becomes king (1
Chronicles 11:3). David is helped by his supporters. He has more than
the help of other people. His help comes from the Lord (1 Chronicles
12:18). The work, done by David, was, first and foremost, the work of
God - the restoration of God to His proper place among His people (1
Chronicles 13:3): “The Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people
... David and all Israel were celebrating in God’s presence with all
their might ... “ (1 Chronicles 13:6,8).
The defeat of the
Philistines was God’s doing: “God has gone ahead of you to defeat the
Philistine army” (1 Chronicles 14:15). Along with this victory over the
Philistines, there was the bringing to Jerusalem of “the ark of the
Lord’s promise.” This was an occasion of joyful worship (1 Chronicles
15:28). In worship, there is “singing songs of thanks to the Lord” (1
Chronicles 16:7) - “Give thanks to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:8,34).
“I
will place him in My royal House forever, and his throne will be
established forever” (1 Chronicles 17:14). This is a word of prophecy
concerning Jesus Christ, the King of kings. It is a prophecy, which
highlights the eternal purpose of God - the eternal Kingdom of the
eternal God. “You made the people of Israel to be Your people forever.
And You, Lord, became their God ... Your Name will endure and be
respected forever ... Almighty Lord ... You were please to bless my
house, so that it may continue in Your presence forever. Indeed, You,
Lord, have blessed it. It will be blessed forever” (1 Chronicles
17:22,24,26-27). This is the eternal perspective within which we must
read these Old Testament stories. God is the eternal God. His Kingdom is
eternal. It will stand forever.
As we read of David and his many
exploits, we must remember that this is part of the great story of the
mighty works of the Lord. To God’s people, there is the command, “Be
strong.” From God’s people, there is the commitment: “Let’s prove
ourselves strong for our people and the cities of our God” (1 Chronicles
19:13). This commitment is not only a commitment to the people. It’s a
commitment to the Lord. From the Lord, there is His promise: “The Lord
will do what He considers right” (1 Chronicles 19:13). This is
something we must never forget. God is in control. Without Him, there
can be no salvation and no victory. These blessings come from Him.
“Satan
stood up against Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1). This is ominous. Satan
spells trouble - trouble for God’s people. Later on, we read of God’s
judgment upon Israel (1 Chronicles 21:14). Beyond God’s judgment, there
is God’s mercy (1 Chronicles 21:15). In 21:30-22:1, we read about the
fear of the Lord - “David was afraid because of the sword of the angel
of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 21:30) - and the grace of God - “this is the
altar of the burnt offering for Israel” (1 Chronicles 22:1). Here, we
learn that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs
1:7). The burnt offering points us forward to to Jesus Christ, laying
down His life as a sacrifice for our sins. When we are afraid to come
into God’s presence, because of our sin, God speaks to us of the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for us, and we sing, from
the heart, “’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears
relieved.”
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