Year 3, Day 304: 2 Chronicles 4

Solomon Furnishes the Temple

As we open to 2 Chronicles 4, we can hear about how Solomon furnishes the temple.  The very first thing that we come to is the altar.  I think it is significant that we hear about the altar immediately after talking about the places in which God dwells.  In order to come into the presence of the Lord, a sacrifice must take place.  Sin must be atoned.  In Christianity we believe that Jesus was the ultimate and final sacrifice, but the point is still the same.  In order to approach God, sin must be atoned.

Furthermore, let’s look at the impressive size of the altar.  It is 20 cubits long by 20 cubits wide.  The altar is square in its base.  Furthermore, a cubit is roughly 18 inches.  Thus, 20 cubits measures 360 inches, or about 30 feet.  The altar is 30 feet long and 30 feet wide.  This is no insignificant altar!  In fact, the altar was so large that the vast majority of the altar would be unreachable from the edges.

Of course, we haven’t even looked at the height of the altar.  10 cubits would be about 180 inches, or roughly 15 feet tall.  Not only is the middle of the altar unreachable from the edges, all of it is unreachable from the ground without the aid of stairs or ladders!

What can we glean from this?  You need a large altar when you plan on doing a great amount of sacrificing.  You need a great amount of sacrificing when there is a great amount of sin.  The size of the altar that Solomon builds is a symbol to us about the vast nature of sin that lies within humanity.  We’re not simply talking about a sacrifice every so often when it comes to the need for repentance.  With respect to Solomon’s temple, we are talking about large amounts of daily sacrifices happening.  I’m willing to bet that just as the temple altar is larger than most of us would have ever imagined, the amount of repentance that we need to do before God is larger than we all ever imagined, too.  If my body is a temple of God as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16 or 6:19, then what is the size of my altar upon which I take my sin before God?  Do I take seriously enough my need for repentance?

We move from the altar to the sea.  The sea – a strange name – got its name because it was essentially a large washbasin for the priests to use.  It was so large that it had a radius and depth of about 7.5 feet.  As such, 2 Chronicles reports that it had a capacity of 17,000 gallons.  {Assuming a cylindrical structure, the formula for volume would suggest the real number is about 10,000.  Either way, it is indeed much water!}

The sea was a washbasin for the priests to use to wash prior to coming before the altar.  The size of the sea was not to indicate that the priests would wash their whole selves but rather so that there would be a vast quantity of fresh clean water in which they could wash their hands.  The small amount of impurity brought to the basin was nothing compared to the amount of cleanliness afforded by the sea.

The sea rested upon twelve oxen, three facing each of the main compass directions.  This was a symbolic statement referring back to the arrangement of the tribes of Israel as they camped around the tabernacle in the wilderness as they came out of Egypt.  The point here would be to remind the priests that as they cleansed themselves they did so in preparation for acting on behalf of the whole Hebrew people.  Atonement was both an individual and a communal idea.  Individuals from all twelve tribes would need to be cleansed.  The whole community would also need to be cleansed.

Necessary Tools

In addition to the temple furnishings, we are told about the tools used by the priests.  Solomon made 10 wash basins in which the sacrifices themselves could be washed before being consumed upon the altar.  There were lamp stands so that the temple work could proceed at all times.  There were tables upon which the work of the temple could happen.  There were 100 gold basins of unknown usage, but perhaps these basins were used to transport the sacrifices from the tables to the wash basins to the altar.  There was an altar for burning incense.  There were golden tools developed for the work that needed to be done.

What is significant about the description of the temple is that there was no shortage.  There was enough gold and prosperity in the land that the altar was furnished with gold effects.  There was such prosperity in the land that the bronze used wasn’t even measured!  This is not a simple temple built in humble surroundings.  This is a building in which no expense was spared.

As a Christian, I cannot help but reflect this passage upon myself.  As I mentioned earlier, we are the temple of the Lord.  So I have to wonder.  Have I spared any expense in my life to make me a sufficient temple unto the Lord?  Would God look upon my life and see His greatness and His majesty reflected in me?

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Year 3, Day 303: 2 Chronicles 2-3

Solomon Sets Out to Build the Temple

Solomon makes good on David’s instruction.  Once he is king, Solomon sets about the process of building the temple.  David had already set up many of the provisions, Solomon simply had to enact upon David’s plans.

As Solomon begins to act, he sends a letter to Hiram, the king of Phoenicia (Tyre and Sidon).  Within this letter Solomon makes an incredible testimony.  Solomon says that the God of the Hebrew people is above all other gods.  For the record, remember that the Phoenicians had their own pantheon.  Imagine hearing a rival king telling you that their single God is greater than all of your own gods.  What an incredibly profound comment to put in a letter when Solomon is essentially asking for assistance!

Then, Solomon moves from incredibly testimony to profound humbleness.  Solomon professes that no temple constructed by human hands could ever hold God.  If God cannot be contained by all of the heavens, what chance would a temple made by human hands have at holding Him!  Solomon is incredibly humble in this instance.  He knows his place.  He cannot build a cage or even a home for God.  All he can hope to do is to build a structure that is pleasing to a God that knows our human limitations.

I’m going to pause here for a second and go even one more step deeper.  Solomon says that God cannot be contained by the heavens.  Step back and ponder this for just a second.  Our world is a big place.  Our solar system is an even bigger place.  Our galaxy is an even bigger place.  Our universe is an even more incredibly big place.  Yet, none of these things are big enough to contain God.  I find that a rather humbling thought.

Yet what I find even more humbling is that the God who cannot be contained by the universe wants to be in a relationship with us.  He wants me.  He wants you.  Now, that’s incredible!

The Plan Moves Ahead

Notice that Hiram responds favorably.  Hiram recognizes Solomon’s divine right to rule, although don’t confuse this with a personal faith on Hiram’s behalf.  Hiram could be responding out of a faith, but what is more likely is that Hiram is simply formulating a response that is crafted to uphold the relationship that had existed between Hiram and David.

Once the lumber resources had been promised, Solomon sets up the laborers.  Note that the laborers mentioned in chapter 2 are laborers who are not native among the Hebrew people.  Solomon conscripts foreigners from among them to work on the temple.

It could well be that Solomon is used forced labor here.  However, in earlier chapters we’ve already spoken about what else could be going on here.  Remember that the Hebrew people were originally from Ur (in Babylonia).  They spent a little while in the Promised Land before going to Egypt for several centuries.  Finally, they came out of Egypt and settled in the Promised Land.  What this means is that the Hebrew people did not have the natural skills for working with the resources of the Promised Land.  Foreigners living in the land would certainly have these skills as the native Canaanites had possessed the land for many generations before the Hebrew people moved in for good.  Solomon could certainly be conscripting labor here; Solomon might also have simply been looking for the best craftsmen available to him and willing to acknowledge that they aren’t among his own people.

Mount Moriah

Construction begins.  It begins on the site where the Lord appeared to David after his initiating a census that angered the Lord.  The temple is built upon the threshing floor where the angel of the Lord turned away from distributing the wrath of the Lord.

However, this is not the furthest we can go back in history between the Lord and His people.  If we turn back to Genesis 22 we can hear about the story of the sacrifice of Isaac.  God tells Abraham to go to Mount Moriah and sacrifice his only son.  It was upon this same site that God provided the sacrificial ram so that Isaac could live.  It is upon this holy mountain that God plants His own temple.

The Splendor of the Temple

As the temple is built, Solomon ensures that it is beautiful.  It is paneled in pine {perhaps cypress} and inlaid with gold.  Cherubim were carved into the walls.   Precious stones adorned the space.  There is a message being sent here.  The place of the Lord is a place of splendor.  God’s majesty is incredible.

We then come to the inner space – the Holy of Holies.  This space was reserved for the High Priest.  This space was reserved for the most holy artifacts.  Unlike the rest of the temple, which was paneled with wood, the Holy of Holies was paneled with gold.  I can only imagine what the space looked like as the gold glistened from every angle.

Then there are the cherubim within the room.  They were made of wood but plated with gold.  Their wings reached across the entire room.  The room would barely contain these representations of the agents of God.  Solomon’s point is fairly obvious.  The room can barely hold a worldly analog of the divine.  It has no chance of holding the actual cherubim and especially God.  His majesty is far too significant to be contained, even in such a splendid place.

In fact, so splendid is the Lord that a curtain is needed to separate the place of the Lord from the rest of the temple.  The Lord is so great that Solomon knows that we must be careful to not stray into the presence of the Lord simply on accident.  He is great indeed!

In fact, He is so great that Solomon erects two pillars and names them as a lasting testimony to God.  The pillars are named Jakin and Boaz.  Jakin means, “He establishes.”  Boaz means, “In Him is strength.”  Solomon tells us within the temple that the temple is established by God and will be maintained solely by the strength of the Lord.  This would be a powerful witness in the time of the chronicler as they are rebuilding their society.  It is a powerful witness to us who recognize that salvation and faith only come from God and are completely sustained by Him.

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Year 3, Day 302: 2 Chronicles 1

A Best of Times

As we open up 2 Chronicles, Solomon is in control.  He establishes himself in the kingdom.  The Lord makes it all possible.

I think each of these points is worth drawing out a little more.  First, Solomon establishes himself.  Organizations need strong leaders, especially as they grow large.  Small organizations – the kind where everyone knows everyone else – can survive on communal leadership.  But large organizations survive off of a common set of values.  Common sets of values are a culture.  It is commonly known that leadership defines culture.  Thus, why is it important for Solomon to establish himself early?  Leadership defines culture.  As Solomon leads, so shall the people go.

However, Solomon doesn’t lead on his own strength.  He leads as the Lord gives him strength.  It is the Lord that makes him great.  Solomon’s greatness does not come from his own ability or his own charisma.  Solomon’s greatness comes from his God.  As Solomon leans upon the Lord, God makes him great.  This is a significant point as we go forward and look upon Solomon and his life.

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

After Solomon goes to worship, the Lord appears to Solomon and asks what it is that Solomon would receive.  Of course, Solomon is still young and experienced at this point.  The great chink in his armor is his lack of wisdom and ability to lead a nation.  In a very deft move, Solomon asks God for the wisdom to lead the nation.  Solomon recognizes that he has no chance of actually leading so many people without the help of the Lord.

As we begin Solomon’s story, I find this to be a position of great humbleness.  After all, Solomon could have asked for anything: wealth, prosperity, fame, long-life, etc.  Above all of these things Solomon asks for the ability to govern God’s people.  He asks for the wisdom to be able to lead as the people need to be led.

However, I think that this is a very rational request.  As much as it does come from a position of humbleness, it also comes from a position of logic.  Solomon has one purpose in his life: to reign over the Hebrew people.  As young as he is, he really has no idea what he is doing.  I can imagine just how much Solomon felt the burden of leadership.  The course of the people would come from him.  The culture would be shaped by him.  Leadership defines culture.  How could he possibly not feel the weight of this?  I think Solomon’s asking for wisdom is rooted very much in a real need and the weight that comes with leadership.

God’s Response

God is pleased.  There can be absolutely no doubt that God is pleased by Solomon’s request.  God tells Solomon that because he spent his “wish” on other people and the things of God, that God will not only grant him the wish but also grant him things for which he did not wish.

Solomon finds his wealth and general prosperity increasing.  Chariots increase.  Horses increase.  Gold and silver become as common as stone in Jerusalem.  Solomon really does find his prosperity growing as a result of the favor of the Lord.

Solomon’s Folly

However, as Solomon’s wealth grows, we find that he may well be in conflict with the ways of the Lord.  Read Deuteronomy 17:16-17.  In those verses we find God indicating that the Hebrew people should not collect horses or wives.  The reason for this is that collecting such things leads a person to lean upon their own strength and their own power to bear fruit.

We know that as Solomon’s wealth increases so does his harem.  As Solomon’s harem increases, so does the amount of worship of false gods that happens in the Promised Land.  God blesses Solomon profoundly, but that doesn’t mean that Solomon handles it well.  In fact, it doesn’t mean that Solomon handles it at all.  1 Kings 11 gives us reason to consider that Solomon may have been the wealthiest and wisest king of the Hebrew people, but that doesn’t mean that he handled it with grace and faithfulness to God.

It starts with wealth.  With Solomon it then leads to horses.  Then it leads to foreign wives.  Soon Solomon is so swollen with the manner of his blessing that the blessing becomes more important than the God who blessed him.  Once this happens, we know that Solomon builds places of worship for the false gods of his wives.  God’s blessing is good.  But the blessing should never become more important than the one who blesses.

God’s grace abounds all around us.  Like Solomon, God is more gracious to each of us than we truly deserve.  But we need to make sure that we handle God’s blessing in an appropriate manner.  Life is about God, our relationship with Him, and helping others find a relationship with Him.  When life becomes about the stuff, we are in danger.  Solomon starts out with such great promise.  That is to be commended.  Unfortunately he doesn’t end as well as he starts.

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Year 3, Day 301: 1 Chronicles 29

David’s Example

Just before his death, David encourages the people to give to the temple.  At the heart of this request is the knowledge that the offering is for God.  David wants God to be praised.  David wants God to be honored.  In the opening verses of this chapter we truly get a sense of the relationship between David and his God.  It isn’t about human glory; it is about divine glory.

At the heart of this point is his own personal example.  Look at how much David gave out of his own personal wealth.  He was committed to the temple.  Even if he would never see it, David was committed to the project.  David’s heart was truly with God.  He set this example for the nation.  There is nothing higher than giving to the glory of God.

What an interesting example when set up against the calling of the world.  Does not the world call us to store up our treasures here on earth?  Does not the world tell us to make a name for ourselves?  Doesn’t the world teach us to think about ourselves?  Here we see David give generously to the Lord in response of how generously the Lord had given to him.  Here we see David give to the glory of the Lord rather than retaining his prosperity for the sake of his own name or the inheritance of his children. 

David sets an incredible example for the Hebrew people.  As I’ve heard said, leadership defines culture.  The culture responds.  The leaders of the various tribes come forth and give generously to the temple effort.  As David gave, the people respond as well.

But there is something that comes out of David’s request and the generous response of the people.  The hearts of the people are made glad.  The hearts of the people are warmed.  The people rejoice because they gave freely.  They did not give out of burden or obligation.  They gave cheerfully and rejoiced because of it!

David Prays among the People

When the gifts had been given, David turns to pray among the people.  However, look at what David does at the beginning of the prayer.  David blesses the Lord!  Let this point sink in for a moment.  What blessing can a human pronounce upon God that gives God anything that he doesn’t already have?  Doesn’t it sound strange for a human being to bless the Lord?

Yet, this is what David does.  You see, it isn’t about what David can bring to God.  It isn’t about who is greater: David or God.  Everyone knows God is greater than David.  What this is about is David turning and recognizing how great God is in the world.  God’s glory extends farther than we could ever know.  God’s power and majesty can be seen in the whole universe.  It is not so much about bestowing a blessing upon God as it is about turning to God and giving Him thanks.

Then David does a little confession.  David acknowledges that when compared to God he is nothing.  David even acknowledges that they cannot give God anything that isn’t already His to begin with!  How is that for a humbling position of giving?  Everything we give is already God’s to begin with.  Truly, we are not masters or owners.  At best, we are merely stewards.

This confession then leads to sacrifice.  Sacrifice comes because human beings acknowledge their brokenness and their thankfulness before God.  What is the result of this?  There is great joy before the Lord.

I think that it is really neat that this is one of the last recorded acts of David’s public presence.  David leads the people in charity, prayer, praise, repentance, and sacrifice back to God.  I can think of no better way to end a life.

Solomon Anointed Again

Solomon is anointed a second time.  Certainly this was merely ceremonial.  However, after this event Solomon takes the throne instead of his father.  It is here that the transition takes place.  David’s mighty men swear allegiance to Solomon.  The crown is passed from father to son.

As I read this, it all sounds so rather anti-climactic.  After all, David is the greatest king in Hebrew history.  Solomon is the wisest king in Hebrew history.  You would think that there would be a little more fanfare about this transition than there actually is in the text.

In fact, this fact points us back to the chronicler.  As we close the life of David, it is important to remember the chronicler’s point.  The chronicler is writing about the relationship of God’s people with God.  This isn’t a human accounting of a great king.  This isn’t even a human effort!  This is God’s work in reminding these post-exilic Hebrew people about what made David’s reign great.  The chronicler is telling the people that God made David great.  This is God’s story, not David’s story or Solomon’s story.

David Dies

At the end of this book, we hear that David dies.  Again we are lacking fanfare.  We are simply told that David passes from the living into the dead.  His record is kept, but not exaggerated.

The chronicler doesn’t need to make a grand statement.  He doesn’t need to oversell the story.  The exiles returning from Babylon would know David’s story from the accounting of Samuel and Nathan and Gad (Probably the books of 1 & 2 Samuel).  Instead, the chronicler’s point is subtle.  David died.  Solomon took over.  God remained and continued to be in charge.

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Year 3, Day 300: 1 Chronicles 28

David Charges the People Once More

As David prepares to die, he calls the leaders of the Hebrew people to his side.  He had already instructed the people to build the temple.  Once more David reminds the people to make sure that the temple is to be built.  David has gone to great pains and even greater expense to collect the materials needed.  This is a project that needs to be completed.

David also reminds the people that God had forbidden him from building the temple.  It simply was not his to build.  I love David’s submission to God in this fact.  He wanted to build it. It was not for lack of desire that it was left not built.  It was because of David’s submission to God that it was left not built.  David’s submissive obedience comes out of the identity that comes from God.

David Challenges His Son

After speaking about the temple, David reminds the people that Solomon is God’s choice to be king.  Of course, we know from the account told in 1 Kings that not all of David’s family appreciates the choice of Solomon.  However, we do know that Solomon does reign and the kingdom remains united underneath his reign.

However, David gives us a very interesting point to ponder here in these opening verses.  In verse 7 we have a conditional promise.  “If” Solomon continues to remain strong in keeping the rules and commandments of God, then God will establish Solomon.  We know what happens.  Solomon prays for wisdom and it is granted.  Through his wisdom, his prosperity increases.  Other nations desire peace with such a prosperous nation.  Soon Solomon has a harem full of foreign wives, full of foreign gods.  The worship of God begins to fall back.

As much as I praised David a moment ago for his obedience that comes out of his understanding that his identity comes from God, I can’t help but hear the challenge here in God’s words through David.  This is always the issue, isn’t it?  Submit to God and things go pretty well.  But as soon as we quit submitting to God and begin to seek after our own desires we find ourselves falling away.  We begin to obey our desires because our identity is no longer coming from our submission to the Father.  It is a recipe for disaster.

This idea is strengthened by the opening verses of David’s personal charge to his son.  David tells Solomon that Solomon needs to take up a position of serving God with a whole heart and a willing mind.  David reminds Solomon that if Solomon seeks God, He will be found.  But if Solomon forsakes God, Solomon will be cast off forever by Him.  Do you hear the covenant extended by God?  Can you feel the tension brought to life by humanity’s free will?

Final Command

David tells Solomon about all of the temple preparations.  Then he turns to his son and tells him to be strong and courageous.  He tells him to not be afraid.  He tells him to remember that God will be with him and He will be Solomon’s source of strength.

This is vastly important advice.  First of all, Solomon’s temple would be no small undertaking.  It would take patience and wisdom as all building projects take.  There would be many roadblocks to overcome in the construction.

However, I think there is more reason than that to be afraid.  David has just reminded his son about free will.  So long as he follows God, salvation is within his grasp.  But should he turn away, God will likewise turn away.  It is a daunting thing to look ahead to the length of one’s life and realize how difficult it will be to face the world day after day and still follow God.  It takes strength and courage to follow God each and every day forward.

I think this is a great place to again reflect back on the necessary nature of the covenant that God extends to us.  God calls us to be family.  He calls us to see Him as our Father.  He calls us to get our identity from Him.  He calls us to submit in obedience to His will.  That takes courage.  That is why David looks to his son and tells him to be strong and courageous.  So should we all.

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Year 3, Day 299: 1 Chronicles 27

Military Divisions

When we turn to chapter 27 we can see that our time with the priests and Levites is over.  We turn to the military leaders who served in the protection of Jerusalem, the protection of the king, and the protection of the temple.  There were divisions formed with each division serving for a single month out of the year.

What is good to notice about this portion of the text is that the majority of the leaders of the divisions are names that appeared earlier in the chapter on David’s mighty men.  Of course it would make sense that David’s mighty men would play a prominent role.  You would want to divide up their fame and reputation and include them the whole year around.

Furthermore, you would want the people with the reputation to be among the leaders.  Inexperienced troops will follow the experience of another and feel as though the leader’s experience transcends to them automatically.  Confidence is gained by being in the presence of those with great skill.  As the leaders age, the hope is that the leaders will pass on their skill and wisdom into the next generation.  As leaders in God’s kingdom, we should be about passing along what God has given to us to those who will serve after us.

Leaders of the Tribes

In desiring to set Solomon up for even greater success, David leads the tribes into a position of understanding their own leadership.  David creates a hierarchy.  David creates order and structure so that Solomon will understand who is in charge and how the flow of power will work in his kingdom.  Again we see David trying to set up his son for success.

At the end of this list of tribal leaders, notice the mention of the ill-advised census that David ordered.  However, the chronicler does give David a little credit here.  As ill-advised as the census was, at least David knew enough to call it off and not start it up once the angel of the Lord had been called off.  As I said back in the chapter where it was discussed, at least David repented true when he had the opportunity to recognize his mistake.

King’s Wealth

As we close out this chapter, we also see a discussion about the king’s wealth.  First, notice that David has managers of his own wealth.  God’s blessing upon him was far more than he could possibly manage – especially when you consider that he was also leading a newly emerging country!

Second, remember that David was attempting to set Solomon up for success.  Solomon wouldn’t have the maturity to manage all of the personal wealth.  By putting advisors in charge of the wealth, there would be a greater chance of success as Solomon transitions into leadership.  There would also be a greater chance of having a perception of prosperity for the Hebrew people as they undergo a transition from a popular and successful king to a young prince.  David really does manage the transition well for the sake of both his son and his country.  David is being a good steward of what God has given to him and his people.

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Year 3, Day 298: 1 Chronicles 26

Organization of the Gatekeepers

We don’t particularly know what the duties of the gatekeepers were.  Obviously, they kept the gates of the temple.  That would mean that they were tasked with watching over who came into the temple.  Remember that there were inner courts where Gentiles, women, and men who were not priests could not go.  Each of these locations would have required gatekeepers to keep out those who were not eligible.

Of course, this would have been a monumental task.  As we hear from the text, there were gates to the temple on the east, west, north, and south.  Each of these gates had multiple places as you approached the center of the proper temple.  Remember from 1 Chronicles 23:5 that there were 4,000 gatekeepers.  Can there be any doubt after looking at all of the crowd logistics that so many would be needed in order to take turns and shifts as the other priests had done?

So what can learn from these gatekeepers?  To be blunt, there is no small task in the worship of God.  The gatekeepers helped to keep order in the temple.  The order in the temple allowed proper worship to happen as desired by God.  It would be easy to focus on the priests conducting the sacrifices as the important ones.  It would be just as easy to focus on the high priest in charge of the whole place.  But the reality is that without the gatekeepers doing their job, the work of the rest of the priests would have become mired in the ensuing chaos that would have been created.

So it is with our worship as well.  It is easy to focus on the sermon-giver or the musician or the church’s primary disciple-makers.  But without friendly greeters, ushers, worship assistants, altar guilds, deacons, lesson readers, those who pray, and even sound technicians the worship might not be quite so easy to accomplish.  Some jobs may get more hype than others, but that doesn’t necessarily imply that they are more important.  We should value all those who work for the Lord, not just those who are in the public eye or who receive the attention.

Treasury

In this chapter we also hear that David made provision for the management of the treasury.  There had been wealth brought out of Egypt and gathered in the capture of the Promised Land.  Saul had won battles and expanded the territory.  David had won even more battles and brought home even more treasure.  All of this wealth needed to be managed and accounted for with respect to the administration of the temple.

Clearly we know the importance of the administration over finances.  God asks us to be gracious to widows, orphans, and those who cannot help themselves.  God’s people need to manage finances so that such help can be distributed.  Additionally, worship needs to be supported.  Buildings and worship resources cost money.  In order to ensure that worship continues, resources need to be managed by those with talents to do so.

However, notice that the discussion of finances comes after the discussion of the priests, the musicians, and the gatekeepers.  Financial resources are an important part of God’s people, but they are not the most important part of God’s people.  There is a balance that needs to be attained when considering the worship of God and the people involved.

Levitical Administrators

Finally, we see that David appoints religious administrators for the land apart from Jerusalem.  While the temple is certainly the largest dynamic of religious worship within the Hebrew people, certainly there is more to the lives of the people than simply what happens in Jerusalem.

Of course, there is the question about the number of Levites left for the administration of the whole of the land verses those that are in charge of the work in the temple.  It may seem that the number assigned to the temple is exceedingly if not disproportionately large.  Keep in mind that the priests, musicians, and gatekeepers were assigned a period of service based on their lot.  Thus, the majority of the year they were not in Jerusalem and not in the temple.  Therefore, the number of Levites and priests outside of Jerusalem would actually be quite substantially larger than those inside Jerusalem at any given time.  While there might seem to be an imbalance in the numbers, in practicality there is no real imbalance.

Therefore, what we have is a structure of life emerging in the Hebrew culture.  There is a focal point of shared leadership within worship.  However, that worship doesn’t stay in Jerusalem.  It proceeds out from Jerusalem and into the world around it.  The Levites spend some of their time in the religious structure, but they spend the majority of their in the world.  I believe that is an intentional design by God and needs to be duplicated in our religious life as well.

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Year 3, Day 297: 1 Chronicles 25

Organization of the Priests

In chapter 25 we come to the musicians.  However, here is a very interesting point.  Notice the description in verse 1.  The musicians prophesied via the harp and the lyre and other instruments.  The important word there is prophesied.  You see, these aren’t just musicians.  These aren’t just people good at playing music.  These are people who use music to prophesy.

For a moment, let’s stop and remember what the term “to prophesy” means.  Many people think that prophesying means telling the future.  That is not true.  Those who tell the future are called “seers” in the Bible, not prophets.  Prophecy is not foretelling.  Rather, prophecy is forth-telling.  A prophet is not someone who predicts the future but one who speaks truth to their contemporaries.

Coming back to the text in 1 Chronicles, then, we hear that what the chronicler is saying is that these musicians used instruments, rhythm, beat, melody, and harmony in order to proclaim God’s truth to the people around them.  They weren’t just musicians.  They were far more than entertainers.  They made more than just music that was designed to cover the movement of the other priests.  There were musicians who spoke God’s truth into the people through a melodic means.  What a high calling for musicians!

In verse 1 we also see that these prophetic musicians were appointed by David and the “chiefs of service.”  Another way of interpreting that title is “commanders in warfare.”  These might seem like two distinct titles to the modern ear.  However, to the ancient mind this would absolutely make sense.  This phrase shows us the implicit tie between music and warfare and religion.  Armies marched out to war with their musicians.  The drums and other instruments would send messages, give the marching troops a rhythm so that they could stay in line with each other, strike fear into the enemy, and even provide a means of timing battlefield maneuvers.  The military and the musicians were incredibly tied!  {No wonder that high school football games still utilize marching bands!  You can’t go to war without your band, right?}

This would make sense to David.  When the people came to worship, they needed to be moved by music.  When the people went to warfare, they would need to be moved by music.  The more these worlds overlap, the more familiar the people would be with both worlds and successful in both worlds.

Moving on, we can see that there were 24 lots as there were with the other priests.  Each chorus of musicians would serve two weeks.  In this way their duties would rotate around the calendar and the worship year as we learned the prior chapter with the priests.  Just as the high holy days would need music, so would the mundane days of worship.  Every musician would have an opportunity at the high festivals and the mundane days at some point throughout their life.

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Year 3, Day 296: 1 Chronicles 24

Organization of the Priests

In this relatively short chapter, we can hear about David organizing the priests into a schedule for serving in the temple.  We need to step back for a moment and think about this to understand why the services were set up like this.  Often we think about the priests and we think about the guy in charge – like a pastor in a church.  We wonder why a single temple would need so many priests!

The worship in the temple would be overseen by the high priest.  The assigned priests would rotate in an out of service underneath the watchfulness of the high priest.  To make an improper but reasonable analogy, this might be like the lay people serving underneath a parish pastor as they help out with worship week to week and month to month.  Therefore, each priest would come into Jerusalem to the temple and serve at some point during the year.  But they wouldn’t serve all of the time.

In fact, David organized them into 24 rotations.  That meant each rotation would serve for two weeks every year.  Since there are actually 365 day in the year instead 336 (24 x 14) it would actually mean that the priests would gradually serve the whole way around the calendar throughout their whole life.  So no priest would always get Passover, or the Feast of Booths, etc.  Each priest would get to serve in both normal times of the year as well as special festivals.

While this is certainly not the deepest of lessons and not the most theologically challenging of chapters, I think we can learn something.  First of all, it is good to serve in both the special events as well as in the normal events.  So often we desire to be wrapped up in the high holy days and serve God in the great moments of the church year.  But it is also good to serve in the normal moments, too.  In fact, most of life actually happens in the normal moments.

I think about the Christmas and Easter services in the churches where I have been.  Yes, I love the songs we always sing.  I love the tradition we always meet.  I love the nostalgia.  But honestly, I can’t remember the last time that I have truly been theologically moved in worship in those times.  Now I find myself theologically moved in the normal times hearing the lessons Christ gave to His disciples in their day-by-day living.  So often we long for the special sacred times; but as I write this I think there may actually be more value in serving during the mundane days of normal life, normal circumstances, and normal problems.

The second lesson that we can learn from this chapter is that it is good to share the responsibilities.  It is good to have time to serve and then time to be at rest.  It is good to have time to be responsible as well as time to have a break.  I believe David is wise in organizing the service of the priests into a rotation as he has done.

Again we can also learn a lesson that we spoke about yesterday.  David is doing this in advance of his death and the young Solomon taking over the kingdom.  David is making sure it gets accomplished out of his wisdom and not Solomon’s immaturity.  David is planning so that God can be honored and not forgotten among the desires of Solomon’s youth.  David shows great wisdom as he prepares to hand off his reign to his son.

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Year 3, Day 295: 1 Chronicles 23

Organization of the Levites

As David begins to experience the last of his days, he takes to the task of organizing the Levites.  Before we get to the lesson in today’s reading, let’s look a bit at the content of the texts.  Notice that there are nowhere near enough names to indicate that these are a complete list of the descendants.  The names listed here likely represent the major descendants between the exodus and the time of David.

As for what we can learn from this passage, we can look at the fact that David organizes the Levites before he dies.  David knows that this is an important task, but also a task that comes out of a perspective of maturity.  I’m sure David realizes that Solomon in his youth wouldn’t think about organizing the Levites once the temple is built.  Again we see that David is helping out his young son who is about to take over the kingdom.

This leads us to another point.  David is not just doing this for Solomon.  David is doing this for God.  He knows that God deserves the praise and the worship.  David also knows that he was prevented from building the temple.  Thus, David wants to know that the God who has blessed him so greatly in his life will be remembered properly after his death once the temple is built.  For David, he has the opportunity to set up his son and give glory to God.

However, there is something else to look at in this passage.  David organizes the Levites.  Remember that the Levites were the people who were to assist the priests in their daily duties as well as to pack up the tabernacle when it was to move across the land.  With the coming of the temple, the Ark of the Covenant isn’t going to move anymore.  The Levites will need a different set of tasks.  Thus, David puts them in charge of helping with the priestly duties and caring for the temple grounds.

I enjoy the message that David is sending here.  The nation may be evolving.  The worship practices of the Hebrew people are likewise evolving.  The tasks of the Levites can evolve with them.  Just because things change doesn’t mean the Levites are set aside or cast away.  David finds new things for the Levites to do rather than caring for the tabernacle as it moved about the land.

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Year 3, Day 293: 1 Chronicles 22

David’s Gathers Materials

As we open chapter 22, we hear about David gathering materials for the construction of the temple.  This temple is to be placed on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite whose residence the angel of the Lord stopped as he went forward executing God’s wrath against David’s census.  Remember earlier that David wanted to build a temple but God had told him not to do so.  Therefore, David isn’t disobedient to God, but he collects material so that Solomon will be ready to go when he becomes king after David’s death.

I think this is a very neat move on David’s behalf.  David has found a way to obey God yet move forward in his desire to recognize God.  David also has found a way to set his son up for success as soon as he becomes king.  Solomon will be able to set out on this construction with the vast majority of the work already having been done by David.  His fame and reputation will increase in short order because of the forethought of his father.  This is a great example of a father using his influence to set his son up for success while at the same time not giving him life on a silver platter.

You might also be wondering why it was that David sought out stonecutters from among the resident aliens in the land rather than using Hebrew people.  The reason is fairly simple.  Remember that the Hebrew people hadn’t lived in the Promised Land for too long at this point.  They wouldn’t have been the kind of masters of construction that David would have wanted when it came to building a temple for God.  However, the Phoenicians were especially known for using the kind of materials that are found in the Promised Land.  David likely understood this dynamic and searched for the best for the temple of the Lord from among the resident aliens.

Solomon Charged With Construction

Once David had put the collection of the resources together, David called his son to him and gave him very clear instructions.  David tells Solomon that he is the one who is to build the temple.  In fact, David does a great job describing to Solomon the calling process from God.  Solomon isn’t just chosen by David; He is chosen by God.

Imagine being a young prince and hearing that your destiny as a leader is to be a leader of peace and prosperity.  Imagine Solomon’s reaction to hearing that since he is a part of David’s line that his own offspring would reign forever.  I can only imagine how Solomon must have felt to hear these impressive words spoken over him as an aspiring ruler.  In this respect I also give David much credit.  He tried to find a way to give his son awe for the awesomeness of the God that he worshipped.

Of course, I also give David credit for speaking the truth to Solomon about why David wasn’t building the temple.  David is honest about the fact that he had been too violent in his reign.  David doesn’t attempt to hide the truth, deny the truth, or twist the truth to spin himself in a more favorable light.  David gives it straight to Solomon so that Solomon can learn from David’s example.  David had many flaws, but accepting and following God’s directives was not among them.

David also instructs his son to not only excel in building the temple but also in leading the people to follow God’s ways.  This might seem a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, for David’s sins were well known.  However, David wants Solomon to be a man after God’s own heart just as he was.  David wants his son to be in a relationship with God, not just the provider of an ornate building.  David stresses the fact that God had blessed Solomon with much provision and that the proper response would be to keep the Law of God and pass it on.

David Tasks the Leaders

After David speaks to Solomon, David also speaks to the leaders of the land.  After all, Solomon was going to be a young ruler.  Yes, Solomon had been groomed for the role by his father; but there is always a difference between being taught what to do and actually having to do it.  Solomon was going to be young and fresh, he would need good leadership around him.  David attempts to create such an environment for his son.

However, David speaks more than a word of encouragement to help his son.  David tells them that God has brought them to a time of peace and prosperity.  God has given them all that they need.  God has fulfilled His promises to the people and allowed a golden age of humanity to descend upon them.  They have no reason to stray from the Lord.  They have every reason to seek the Lord and give praise to Him!  God has fulfilled His Word to them in advance of the people fulfilling their end of the bargain.

Unfortunately, we know how this story ends.  The chronicler is setting us up.  Solomon does have a reign of peace and prosperity.  He does see an incredible increase of personal wealth.  But he also sees foreign gods brought into the land through the resident aliens and through his wives and concubines.  Instead of drawing closer to God during Solomon’s reign, the people begin to slide away.  When we are not careful about paying attention to our relationship with God, it often slips through our fingers while we are looking elsewhere.

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Year 3, Day 293: 1 Chronicles 21

David’s Census

We now turn to take a second look at David’s administration.  In this chapter we see that David falters.  While I’m not pleased that David makes a mistake, it is nice to see that even the great ones among us don’t always get things right.  Even the great ones among us make a bad judgment call.  Even the great ones among us cross God’s will.  I’m not glad that this happened to David, but ironically it does bring me some comfort.

David calls for a census.  He’s incited by Satan, but that doesn’t remove any guilt.  Joab argues against the action, as Joab can see where this is headed.  Joab is a military general.  He knows that if David goes around counting the men who can draw swords he wants a tally of the military might.  Joab can tell where this will lead.  David’s head will swell with his human might and he will stop trusting in God.  The slide into sin almost always begins with taking our focus off of God, doesn’t it?

This conversation between Joab and David also reminds us about the importance of having and listening to advisors.  Everyone will make an error of judgment.  When multiple people are allowed to think through a problem, mistakes become less likely because each person will see a different perspective and help avoid pitfalls from different angles.  The trick, of course, is knowing as a leader when to listen to our advisors and humble ourselves.  That’s what David gets wrong.  He has the opportunity to avoid a mistake and fails to do so.

But, David repents!  As soon as David hears the word of God, David knows his fault.  Give David some credit.  He might not get it right before the mistake is made, but David isn’t slow to repent.  David acknowledges his sin before the Lord.  When a leader can’t make the right decision in the beginning, at least the leader can repent of it quickly.

God gives David an interesting choice.  God allows David to choose between three slowly painful years of nature disaster, three months of human disaster, or three days of divine disaster.  I don’t know about you, but I might have been tempted to pick the famine.  Like David, I wouldn’t want to be subject to the vicious nature of human opponents.  And I may have feared the angel of the Lord for three days more than I feared 3 years of famine.  After all, just look at what the angel of the Lord did in Egypt in a single night just prior to the Exodus!  {Keep in mind here … this is an angel of the Lord bringing destruction, not a servant of the Devil.}

However, David makes a great theological claim here.  While God is certainly the scariest of the options, God is also the only option where mercy might be encountered.  David throws himself into the will of God.  If David is to die, let it be at God’s hand.  If David is to be spared, it certainly shall be at God’s hand!  Peace – even in the face of a guilty verdict – can only be found in God.  What an incredible theological claim made by David!

The angel of the Lord comes.  The angel of the Lord approaches Jerusalem but the Lord relents.  David is spared.  David’s plea for mercy in the face of judgment is heard by the Lord.  Grace triumphs over judgment.  Granted, thousands of people still died.  But the complete tally was reduced.

Again we see David repent.  Now we see David take full ownership of the action.  David knows that it was his sin that caused the angel of the Lord to come upon the Hebrew people.  Innocents died because of his sin.  Unfortunately, this is often the case with leaders.  Bad decisions sometimes lead to collateral damage.  It’s never okay, but it is often a reality.  Only in God’s gracious hand will any of this ever make sense.

Altar

David then goes to the place where the angel of the Lord turned aside from God’s wrath.  David goes to Ornan the Jebusite.  David desired to take his space and build an altar – of course compensating Ornan properly.  However, let’s look at this from Ornan’s position.  He was likely the very next in line to receive the judgment at the hand of the angel of the Lord.  If I were in his position – having just been saved from being the possible next victim – I’d be willing to give up a healthy amount of sacrifices in thankfulness!

Eventually a price is determined and Ornan is properly compensated.  The altar is constructed.  Burnt offerings and peace offerings are given.  The Lord Himself sends fire down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.  The event is over.  The wrath has been atoned.  The judgment of the Lord is stayed and the threshing floor of Ornan becomes a holy place for David.  He begins to worship and inquire of the Lord in that place.

God takes offenses against Him rather seriously.  Sin is no laughing matter in anyone’s life.  When leaders get involved in sinful behavior, the potential for harm grows rather large.  We must be careful.  We cannot avoid sin entirely; but we can be quick to atone for the sin we do accomplish.  Our pride must take a back seat to our humble repentance for the sake of others involved.

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Year 3, Day 292: 1 Chronicles 20

A Time For War

As chapter 20 opens, we see that there is a time for war.  The spring of the year – when the crop is in the ground and there is little else to do, the fields can tolerate a little neglect while the men go off to war.  Kings would round up the men, head of to war, do battle until no later than the middle of summer when the armies would return home and tend the harvest that was about to come in.

Here’s what we can learn from this portion of the story.  In many instances there is an appropriate time for doing things.  There are times that make sense.  There are seasons that make sense.  And of course, there are seasons that don’t make sense.

Only a foolish king – or a king with incredible stockpiles of surplus – would hold their troops in foreign territory when the harvest was coming.  Additionally, it makes sense to go to war in the spring as we all know that people with little to do will find things to do and often those things are less than productive to the functioning of society.

This also tells us that in spite of what leaders may say, there is a hierarchy of needs in life and everyone knows it.  Food and water are pretty high on the list.  War may occasionally be necessary, but it is not more necessary than food and water.  Not only do we need to evaluate the season of an event, we should evaluate the significance of the event.  An event that is either out of season or displacing an event of a higher need should be avoided.  Good leaders understand this principle.

A Trophy

I had to smile as I read the passage about David taking the city.  If you are curious how David could have stayed in Jerusalem and conquered Rabbah, read the account listed in 2 Samuel 12:26-29.  Joab takes the hard outer defenses and David comes and finishes the task.

So David is victorious, and he takes the crown of the king.  {Note: the Hebrew word for king here is ambiguous and it could mean Milcom, the chief god of the Ammonites, which might explain the weight.}  Can you imagine putting some heavy metal crown weighing 75 pounds on your head!  I feel bad for David’s neck!

The point of this act, however, is not for David to wear the crown.  He already has a crown that marks him as the king of the Jews.  The point is that David has defeated the highest authority in the land.  That makes him the authority over the Ammonites.  They now are subjected under him.  As such, David turns them into laborers.  They become part of David’s great building machine.  He subjects them and heads back home, victorious.  Again we see David made prosperous in his pursuits.

Philistines

You might recall that the chronicler began David’s wartime account with a note about the Philistines.  Now the chronicler ends an accounting of David’s wartime activities with another account of the Philistines.  The Philistines were the arch enemy of David.  They were the perpetual thorn in David’s side, yet David routinely got the better of them.

As we look at these Philistines, note the continued comment about their physical stature.  We know about David and the giant, Goliath.  Here in this passage we also hear about Sippai, Lahmi, and the nameless giant struck down by Jonathon.  In fact, we have the word “giant” mentioned 5 times in 5 verses!  Let’s also not forget that the Hebrew people weren’t exactly known for their height.

What is the chronicler saying?  Physical stature can only get you so far.  Yes, size is an important first indicator.  But aspects such as quickness, cunning, and strategy can actually be more important than physical size.  The chronicler appears to be making the point that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

The chronicler is also making a point that human stature is nothing when compared to God’s will.  God desired to prosper David.  God desired to bring success to David and the Hebrew people under David’s leadership.  What are a few stout, strong, and large men in the face of the will of God?  I think this is a lesson that most of us can stand to learn again and again.  What are human obstacles when compared to the will of God?

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Year 3, Day 291: 1 Chronicles 19

Ammonite Humiliation

As we hear the stories of how David dealt with the nations around him, we turn to the Ammonites.  The king of the Ammonites died, and David sent a delegation.  The king who was now dead had never dealt David any problems, so David decides to send a delegation of peace.  David was hoping to set the tone of peace with the prince to become king of the Amonnites.  The young prince and his advisors decide that David must be spying upon the land through the appearance of genuine concern.  The delegation is shaved and forced to return to their land with their garments cut to a very immodest length.  This delegation of genuine peace was sent home in shame.

It’s nice to see a story from which we can learn so much so easily.  First of all, it would seem that this story can teach us that no good deed ever goes unpunished.  David is simply trying to be nice.  Okay, perhaps he is trying to do a little more than that.  David is trying to ensure good relationships between his country and the Ammonites.  After all, why fight a war that doesn’t need to be fought because diplomacy can keep peace?  Unfortunately, the young prince doesn’t see it that way.  The young Ammonite prince decides to test his mettle against the proven leader in David.  Even when we try and do something that is good we occasionally get it pushed back in our face and need to deal with consequences that we didn’t intend.

Second, we can also learn about the brashness of youth.  Youth tend to be impulsive.  Youth tend to see the world through a singular lens: their own.  Don’t get me wrong.  Youth bring many good qualities to the table: energy, passion, inspiration, hope for the future, and many other qualities.  But there are some things that most youth don’t possess and wisdom is usually among them.  This young prince doesn’t see the benefit of keeping peace between the Hebrew people and the Ammonites.  Because of this impetuous desire to see the world through his own eyes, the young Ammonite insults David and his men.

This leads us to yet another conclusion.  We need to ensure that young people – especially leaders – have support around them.  Young people need good advisors.  Young people need trustworthy mentors to help them avoid mistakes but yet let them try their own ideas in a safe environment.  Young people bring great qualities to teams and projects, but those qualities must also be tempered with a means to allow those qualities to grow in an environment geared for success.

Battle

The young Ammonite prince realizes the gravity of his mistake too late.  However, notice that rather than try and make reparations with David he instead hires thugs with which he intends to go to war.  Again we see the folly of youth.  Rather than try to diffuse the situation and minimize the damage done, the impetuous young leader is bent on increasing the damage.  Now the Syrians will be drawn into the folly of the young Ammonite.

Joab is called to the battle with his men.  He sees that he is outnumbered and outflanked by the Ammonites and the Syrians.  However, Joab is a smart general.  Unlike the young Ammonite prince, Joab has wisdom and cunning and experience.  Joab divides his army and plans to hold off each of the invading forces.

When the Syrians realize that the Hebrew people are led by an intelligent general who is well equipped for battle, they flee.  So much for the hired help, right!  Money can buy many things, but it cannot buy true friendship and it cannot buy guaranteed victory.  The Syrians flee in the face of the underpowered but intelligent Hebrew general.

When the Ammonites see that the Syrians flee, they lose faith as well.  The Ammonites flee to their home city and they don’t have the wisdom of the experience of the generals to keep the morale of the troops high.  They flee, and the Hebrew people once more focus on the Syrians who have now been cut off from returning home.  The Hebrew people fight the Syrians and defeat them soundly.

The effect of all of this activity is profound.  The Syrians now realize the folly of the earlier decisions.  They sue David for peace.  David accepts.  In one major military move, David makes the Syrians a vassal state.  They are no longer a threat to the Hebrew people.  Once more we see that God is prospering David’s leadership.

What we can learn from this account is two-fold.  First, I’ve already made the case about youth, leadership, and their need for good mentoring.  Second, we can see a need to trust in the Lord.  It is God who prospers David. It is God who has surrounded him with such good leadership.  It is good to have spiritual people around us upon whom we can rely and trust that they will pursue the will of God as Joab did here in this story.

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