Sunday
Evening Bible Study
October 27, 2002
Introduction
We are entering the final years of David’s reign over Israel.
1Chronicles 21
:1-8 David commands a census be taken
:1 Satan stood up against Israel;
and provoked David
The parallel passage, it says,
II Samuel 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel,
and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel
and Judah.
We aren’t told the reason why God was angry with Israel.
But because of His anger, God allowed Satan to have an influence on David.
Perhaps God is angry with Israel
for rebelling against David under Absalom and Sheba.
Even Satan cannot do anything without the Lord’s permission.
With Job, Satan was only allowed by God to afflict him as much as God said.
Job 1:12
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only
upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of
the LORD.
:1 to number Israel
What’s wrong with this picture?
First, you need to know the
purpose for taking a “census”. It was not to know your nation’s “demographics”.
The purpose was to raise an army. The people that were counted were the men who
were able to fight.
We see this in the book
of Numbers. Twice there was a census taken, one at the beginning of the forty
years in the wilderness, and one at the end (Num.1:1-3; Num. 26:1-2). Who was
counted?
Nu 26:2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty
years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all that are able to
go to war in Israel.
God had a law regarding
the taking of a census.
(Exo 30:12 KJV) When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their
number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD,
when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou
numberest them.
Money was to be collected
for each person counted. The same type of people are counted, every one
twenty
years old and up. All those who would go to war.
This was to keep Israel from a “plague”. The amount of the
ransom was to be ½ a shekel per person. The money was to go towards the upkeep
of the Tabernacle. This eventually grew into the custom of the “temple-tax”
that was used to pay for temple expenses. (Ex. 30:12-16)
It’s important to realize
that this “ransom” wasn’t to help pay for an army, it was to support the
worship of God. It was to help the Tabernacle and work towards putting the
people’s focus on God, not on their army.
So what was wrong with David’s taking a census?
Some have suggested that
David was motivated by pride, and that he wanted to know just how awesome he
was.
Some have suggested that
David was coming to rely upon his military strength instead of relying upon the
Lord.
The Jewish historian
Josephus records (Antiquities, 7:12:1),
Now king David was desirous to know how many ten thousands there were of
the people, but forgot the commands of Moses, who told them beforehand, that if
the multitude were numbered, they should pay half a shekel to God for every
head.
The suggestion is that
David didn’t pay the “ransom”, and this was wrong.
:2 from Beer-sheba even to Dan
This is a geographical way of saying, “from the very south to the very
north”.
:3 The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more
It seems that Joab has an idea that something is wrong with all of this.
:5 the sum of the number of the people
Here we are told that there were 1,100,000 men in Israel,
and 470,000 men in Judah
who drew the sword.
There is a “discrepancy” between these figures and those of the parallel
passage in 2Sam.24:9:
II Samuel 24:9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people
unto the king: and there were in Israel
eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah
[were] five hundred thousand men.
We are told in 1Chr. 27
that David had a standing army of 24,000 men from each of the twelve tribes,
rotating each month. This is a total of 288,000 men. If you add that number to
the additional 800,000 counted during the census, you could come up with a
number that could be rounded off to 1,100,000 men. The tribe of Judah is mentioned in Chronicles as
470,000, which could have been rounded in Samuel to 500,000.
:6 Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them
The reason for not counting Levi, was that this was the priestly tribe, not
to be a part of the armies of Israel.
Their job was to take care of the nation’s worship.
A possibility for why Benjamin was not counted is found in:
I Chronicles 27:24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he
finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel;
neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.
Joab apparently never got to the end of his job before God’s wrath began to
fall on Israel.
Possibly he might not have gotten to Benjamin yet, since Benjamin was the last
born of Jacob’s sons.
:9-13 David chooses the punishment
:11 Choose thee …
Lesson
Choosing the discipline
Some have used this idea of God giving David a choice as an example to how
we might discipline our children.
Sometimes it might be appropriate give them a choice – Do you want a time
out or a spanking?
:14-17 The plague begins
:14 seventy thousand men
Note: This figure does not include the women and children who probably also
died in this plague. This was devastating.
For three days, a plague hits the entire nation of Israel,
the entire group that David has numbered. We aren’t told kind of plague hit the
nation.
Lesson
Sin has consequences
We may not be given a
choice of what happens to us, but still, there is consequence to sin.
We may confess our sin,
and God may forgive us, but sometimes the consequences still remain.
If you pound nails into a
board, you can remove the nails, but the holes will still be there.
If a man goes and commits
the sin of homosexuality, he may confess his sin, repent, and God will forgive
him. But he may still contract AIDS.
:15 the angel of the LORD
This phrase “the angel of the LORD” is a phrase used in the Bible to
indicate a specific person. He has made many appearances to many different
people.
Who is this mystery person?
We believe that this “angel of the LORD” is a “theophany”, or an appearance
of Jesus in human form before his birth, the pre-incarnate Christ.
Some passages to look up if you want to:
Hagar’s encounter - Gen.16:7,13; Abraham’s encounter - Gen.22:11-12; Gideon’s
encounter - Judg.6:12-14, 22-23; Manoah’s (Sampson’s dad) encounter -
Judg.13:21-22
:15 by the threshingfloor
This would be a place on
top of a hill, where the wind would blow frequently. This particular threshing
floor was above the city of Jerusalem. After grain was harvested from the fields, it would be taken to
a threshing floor. Oxen would then pull wooden sleds through the grain,
crushing and breaking the chaff off the kernel. Then as the grain was tossed in
the air, the wind would blow the chaff away, leaving just the kernel.
:16 David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel
I wonder what David saw. Did he see some type of human-looking being? Did
he see a “pillar of cloud”?
While Moses led the Israelites in the wilderness, the pillar of cloud
seemed linked to the angel that went with them:
(Exo 14:19
KJV) And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel,
removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before
their face, and stood behind them:
:17 even I it is that have sinned
Lesson
Accept responsibility
David has the marks of a great leader. He is willing to accept
responsibility for his actions. He doesn’t blame someone else.
:18-27 The sacrifice that stops the plague
:18 Ornan the Jebusite
He is called Araunah in 2Sam. 24:18. He is called a Jebusite, because he is
one of the original inhabitants of the land, those who lived in Jerusalem.
:22 Grant me the place of this threshingfloor
David asks to buy the place in order to offer a sacrifice there.
:23 Take it to thee …
Ornan offers to give everything to David, it won’t cost him a thing.
:24 nor offer burnt offerings without cost
We don’t offer sacrifice to God for our sins, that is what Jesus accomplished
at the cross.
But we may sacrifice to God to show thanksgiving or appreciation or devotion
to Him.
Lesson
Give God the best, not left-overs.
Numbers 18:29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer
every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, [even] the hallowed
part thereof out of it.
Leviticus 22:20-21 [But] whatsoever hath a blemish, [that] shall ye
not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. And whosoever offereth a
sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish [his] vow, or a
freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there
shall be no blemish therein.
Sometimes we can fall into the trap of only giving to God the things that
don’t cost us anything.
When you give to God what is “left-over” at the end of the
pay check. Does it really cost you anything?
Illustration
It is our best work that God wants, not the dregs of our
exhaustion.
-- George MacDonald,
19th century Scottish author.
The concept of sacrifice is that it costs you to give it.
It’s like the young man who is going to pick up his
sweetheart for a date, and he stops to pick up his neighbor’s dead flowers to
give to his girl. How much does he love her?
:25 six hundred shekels
We have another “discrepency” with the parallel passage:
II Samuel 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will
surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto
the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the
threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
The explanation:
David paid 50 shekels for the threshing floor and oxen, but paid 600
shekels all together for the entire “site”, the large plot of ground adjacent
to the threshing floor.
:26 he answered him from heaven by fire
This act of God accepting a sacrifice by consuming the offering with fire
from heaven was not an everyday occurrence. I only found three other times
where it happened:
1. Moses and the Tabernacle
Leviticus 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the
LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: [which] when
all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
2. Solomon and the Temple
II Chronicles 7:1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the
fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices;
and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
3. Elijah and the prophets of Baal
I Kings 18:36-39 And it came to pass at [the time of] the offering
of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD
God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou [art]
God in Israel, and [that] I [am] thy servant, and [that] I have done all these
things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that
thou [art] the LORD God, and [that] thou hast turned their heart back again. Then
the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and
the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench. And
when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The
LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God.
:27 he put up his sword again into the sheath
The sacrifice was enough.
Lesson
Jesus paid for us.
God is no longer at “war” with us because Jesus has paid the price for our
sins.
(Rom 5:10
KJV) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
(Rom 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
:28-30 David makes this a place of sacrifice
:28 he sacrificed there
In other words, there had been two places of worship to this point, the Tabernacle
at Gibeon, and the ark at Jerusalem.
At the tabernacle at Gibeon was where the altar was
for burnt offerings, but since this incident at Ornan’s threshing floor, and
because of the angel’s insistence that David build an altar their, David from
this point on only offered burnt sacrifices at this altar.
1Chronicles 22
In a sense, there probably shouldn’t be a chapter break here. This picks up
the story right where the last chapter leaves off.
:1-5 Temple Preparation
:1 This [is] the house of the LORD God, and this [is] the altar of the
burnt offering for Israel.
Back in chapter 17, David had expressed a desire to God to build a house
for Him. Yet God had said “no”, and that instead God would build a house or
dynasty for David.
But David still wanted to build a house for God. And God even gave the
plans to David for the house. But the question remained...where?
David now has his answer. After seeing how the Lord responds to David’s
sacrifice with fire from heaven, he begins to realize that this is the place
where the Temple will be built.
This became the sight of Solomon’s temple, which David is now going to
proceed to prepare for.
II Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD
at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where [the Lord] appeared unto David his father,
in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the
Jebusite.
It is called “mount Moriah”,
which was also famous for another sacrifice - Abraham offering his only son Isaac.
Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac,
whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for
a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Lesson
God can turn tragedy into triumph
This place might have been remembered as where David’s sin of the census
culminated.
But instead, it becomes a place of worship, THE place of worship.
God said (Deuteronomy 12:1-14) He would pick out a specific place where Israel
was to worship in bringing their sacrifices and offerings.
Deuteronomy 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your
God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all
that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and
the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the
LORD:
He didn’t want them bringing their sacrifices to just any
old place, in any old fashion. If He let them do that, they’d surely end up
following after other gods.
David is realizing that this whole scheme on Mount
Moriah is God’s choosing of His
place.
:2 the strangers that [were] in the land
of Israel
David used slave labor to prepare for the temple. But he did it according
to scripture. He used the foreigners, the sojourners, not Israelites.
Leviticus 25:44-46 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou
shalt have, [shall be] of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall
ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do
sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that [are] with
you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye
shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit [them
for] a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren
the children of Israel,
ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.
:5 young and tender
In a fragment of Eupolemus, he is supposedly twelve years old.
Josephus, the Jewish historian, said that Solomon was fourteen years old
when he became king.
:5 David prepared abundantly
We’re going to see over the next couple of chapters just how much time and
effort David spent in preparing for the Temple.
He’s going to be collecting huge amounts of material.
He’s going to organize the worship leaders.
Lesson
Be prepared
I think that there are things that God wants us to be prepared for.
We should pay attention and be prepared.
Illustration
The Indians asked their Chief in autumn, if the winter was going to be cold
or not. Not really knowing an answer, the Chief replied that the winter was
going to be cold and that the members of the village were to collect wood to be
prepared. Being a good leader, he then went to the phone booth and called the
National Weather Service and asked, “Is this winter to be cold?” The man on the
phone responded, “This winter is going to be quite cold indeed.” So the Chief
went back to speed up his people, to collect even more wood to be prepared. A
week later he called the National Weather Service again, “Is it going to be a
very cold winter?” “Yes,” the man replied, “it’s going to be a very cold
winter.” So the Chief goes back to his people and orders them to go and find
every scrap of wood they can find. Two weeks later he calls the National
Weather Service again, “Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very
cold?” “Absolutely” the man replies, “the Indians are collecting wood like
crazy.”
One of the ways we are prepared for what is ahead is by studying the Word.
(2 Tim 3:16-17 NASB) All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
{17} that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
:6-16 David’s charge to Solomon to build
:8 thou shalt not build an house unto my name … thou hast shed much blood
I used to look at this passage and wonder if this meant that there could be
some sins that could disqualify you for ministry.
I’m still not positive about the answer to that question, but I’d be
careful about using this passage to justify that idea.
David shed “much blood” because that was the job God gave him. His
“ministry” was killing Philistines.
Lesson
Find your role
We all play a role in the church. We are all a part of the Body of Christ.
You can’t do everything. You aren’t equipped to do everything.
Illustration
A man goes into a pet shop and tells the
owner that he wants to buy a pet that can do everything. The shop owner
suggests a faithful dog. The man replies, “Come on, a dog?” The owner says,
“How about a cat?” The man replies, “No way! A cat certainly can’t do
everything. I want a pet that can do everything!” The shop owner thinks for a
minute, then says, “I’ve got it! A centipede!” The man says, “A centipede? I
can’t imagine a centipede doing everything, but okay... I’ll try a centipede.”
He gets the centipede home and says to the centipede, Clean the kitchen.”
Thirty minutes later, he walks into the kitchen and... it’s immaculate! All the
dishes and silverware have been washed, dried, and put away; the counter-tops
cleaned; the appliances sparkling; the floor waxed. He’s absolutely amazed. He
says to the centipede, “Go clean the living room.” Twenty minutes later, he
walks into the living room. The carpet has been vacuumed; the furniture cleaned
and dusted; the pillows on the sofa plumped; plants watered. The man thinks to
himself, “This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. This really is a pet
that can do everything!” Next he says to the centipede, “Run down to the corner
and get me a newspaper.” The centipede walks out the door. 10 minutes later...
no centipede. 20 minutes later... no centipede. 30 minutes later... no
centipede. By this point the man is wondering what’s going on. The centipede
should have been back in a couple of minutes. 45 minutes later... still no
centipede! He can’t imagine what could have happened. Did the centipede run
away? Did it get run over by a car? Where is that centipede? So he goes to the
front door, opens it ... and there’s the centipede sitting right outside. The
man says, “Hey!!! I sent you down to the corner store 45 minutes ago to get me
a newspaper. What’s the matter?!” The centipede says, “I’m goin’! I’m goin’!
I’m just puttin’ on my shoes!”
A centipede can’t do everything.
Find your calling and stick to it.
God had called Solomon to build the temple,
not David.
David’s role was to prepare for the temple
and to prepare Solomon.
:9 his name shall be Solomon
Solomon being a form of shalom,
meaning “peace” or “rest”.
:10 I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel
for ever
This prophecy has two fulfillments:
1. In Solomon’s life - the line of kings comes through Solomon, Jesus
Christ being from Solomon.
Matthew 1:6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king
begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias;
2. It will ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ directly, because His
kingdom is the one that will never end.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there
shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it,
and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Luke 1:33
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
shall be no end.
:11 Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the
house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
Lesson
Identify the Temple
1. The church is called the temple
of God.
I Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye (grk - all of you
together) are the temple of God,
and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which [temple] ye are.
Do we as a church need help in being built up? We certainly do. We’ve been through some very tough times over
the last four months.
2. Individually we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
We as individuals need to be built up. Many are discouraged, fearful, struggling.
:12 Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding…
Lesson #1
Building requires wisdom
(1 Chr 22:12 KJV) Only
the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge
concerning Israel,
that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.
wisdom – sekel – prudence, insight,
understanding; wisdom and common sense; from sakal – to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper;
to look at or upon, have insight; to give attention to, consider, ponder, be
prudent; to have insight, have comprehension
understanding – biynah – understanding, discernment; from
biyn – to discern, understand,
consider; to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding
I see these two as having an “understanding” and having “discernment” of what
is going on around you, and having the “wisdom” or “common sense” to do what is
right.
Sometimes we do some pretty stupid things in life.
Illustration
Breakfast in Bed
An “Intellectually Challenged” woman and her husband are laying in bed
watching TV, an old western is on. The husband says to his wife, “I bet you
breakfast in bed that the covered wagon hits a rock and the driver falls out
dead,” “You’re on,” returned his wife. They watch the western and sure enough
the wagon hits a rock in the dirt road and the driver falls out of the wagon
... dead. The wife gets out of bed and returns shortly with a tray of food.
After eating the husband says, “I have to admit that I saw this movie before.”
She in turn confesses, “I saw the movie before too. But I didn’t think he was
stupid enough to ride over the same rock twice....”
Illustration
Two Guys, No Brains
Two friends rented a boat and fished in a lake every day. One day they
caught 30 fish. One guy said to his friend, “Mark this spot so that we can come
back here again tomorrow.” The next day, when they were driving to rent the
boat, the same guy asked his friend, “Did you mark that spot?” His friend replied,
“Yeah, I put a big ‘X’ on the bottom of the boat.” The first one said, “You
stupid fool! What if we don’t get that same boat today!?!?”
We need wisdom and understanding in life. We need to learn the lessons of
life. We need to learn how to get where we’re going. We need wisdom when it
comes to learning how to build God’s Temple,
both as the church and as individuals.
This sounds very much like a prayer of Paul’s for the church at Colossae:
Colossians 1:9-12 For
this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray for you,
and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all
might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering
with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Here with David, we have the prayer of a father for a son.
When Solomon will have a dream about the Lord, the Lord asks Solomon what
he wants. He asks for wisdom, like his daddy asked for him:
(1 Ki 3:9 KJV) Give therefore thy servant an
understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and
bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
God honored these requests and made Solomon the wisest man
that ever lived.
James said we ought to ask God for wisdom.
(James 1:5-7 KJV) If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. {6} But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with
the wind and tossed. {7} For let not that man think that he shall receive any
thing of the Lord.
Pray for wisdom. Ask God to make you
wise in the things you do.
:12-13 …that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God. {13} Then shalt
thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which
the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel…
Lesson #2
Building is dependant upon the Word
of God.
(1 Chr 22:12-13 KJV) Only the LORD give thee wisdom and
understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel,
that thou mayest keep the law of the
LORD thy God. {13} Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which
the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel:
be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
David tells his son that the prosperity of the whole project would depend
upon how faithful Solomon would be to learn and obey the things in God’s Word.
(2 Tim 3:16-17 KJV) All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: {17} That the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
If you want to help build your life up, you need to be in God’s Word,
reading it, studying it, but most of all, obeying it.
This is why we give much time to the study of God’s Word when we get
together as a church. It is the key to
our maturity.
But it needs to be in your life more than just on Sunday mornings. It needs to be a daily part of your life.
David is telling Solomon that his success as a Temple
builder depends on learning the Bible and obeying it.
David has learned the hard way. When
he tried to move the Ark of God into Jerusalem,
he didn’t pay attention to moving it according to God’s original
instructions. Disaster followed until
David found out what God’s Word said, and then obeyed it.
It is not optional. Reading the
Bible is not an “elective” course, its required reading.
What kind of time are you spending in God’s Word? Do you have a plan in
reading God’s Word. Don’t just hunt and
peck. Read THROUGH the whole book.
:13 …be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
Lesson #3
Building requires encouragement.
(1 Chr 22:13 KJV) …be strong, and of good courage;
dread not, nor be dismayed.
We NEED to encourage each other:
(Heb 10:23-25 KJV) Let
us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful
that promised;) {24} And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
to good works: {25} Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching.
The Book of Hebrews was written to people who were going through difficult
times. The temptation was to quit and
throw in the towel.
But to keep from quitting, to keep “holding fast”, we need
encouragement.
Illustration
That’s been one of the amazing things about the Angels’ baseball
season. There have been a lot of games
this season where the Angels get behind.
Even last night’s game, it was tempting to quit watching the game by the
sixth inning when they were down five to nothing. But rather than get discouraged and just
become resigned to losing, they get that seventh inning rally going, and by the
end of the eighth inning, they had pulled into the lead.
“There’s no room for fear
here, or else you’re going to go home,” Spiezio said. “We battle until the last
out of the game. Until they kick us out of the park and say you’ve got to go
home, we’re not giving up.”
Encouragement not only requires that we have an ongoing relationship with
someone who can be close enough to really know who we are, but it requires that
we have relationships were we build each other up and not tear each other down.
Illustration
Another item that’s been big in the news this week has
been the capture of the Washington
area sniper. A large area was paralyzed
with fear as these two guys were roaming around taking shots at people.
I’m afraid that sometimes we get tired of people taking
potshots at us all day long. We want to
hide inside the house, cover the windows and lock the doors.
The article about last night’s game also went on to state,
Give credit to that Rally Monkey, too. Because once the pesky primate
showed up, the Angels and the sellout crowd of 44,506 would not be denied.
“This is, without a doubt, his biggest moment,” said Angels entertainment
manager Peter Bull, who operates video of the mascot. “The success of the
monkey is nothing without the players and their ability to come back.” The
whole thing left many believing the monkey has mystical powers. And it wasn’t
surprising - look at what the underdog Angels did to the New York Yankees and Minnesota
in the playoffs.
There’s a sense in which we all could use a little “rally monkey” to get us
going from time to time when we want to quit.
“That thing was showing again, wasn’t it?” Giants
outfielder Tom Goodwin said.
Sniper or Rally Monkey?
God wants us all to be involved in encouraging others. My question is, are you going to be a sniper
taking potshots, or a Rally Monkey getting things going?
:14-16 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD
an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver;
and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and
stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. {15} Moreover there are
workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all
manner of cunning men for every manner of work. {16} Of the gold, the silver,
and the brass, and the iron, there is no number.
Lesson #4
Building is costly
David paid a HUGE price to have everything prepared for Solomon.
a hundred thousand talents of gold – that’s 3,750 TONS of gold, one
estimate has it at nearly 6 TRILLION dollars worth of gold in today’s
standards.
a thousand thousand talents of silver – (one million talents) –
37,500 TONS of silver, worth about 384 TRILLION dollars in today’s standards.
We might like to think that building is easy and painless. It’s not. David
said, “In my trouble I have prepared…”
in my trouble – ‘oniy – affliction, poverty, misery; from ‘anah –
to afflict, oppress, humble, be afflicted, be bowed down
The things that David contributed weren’t just pocket change, they were the
results of many hard fought battles over the years.
Illustration
I remember being involved with Calvary Chapel Anaheim’s building program.
Everybody we talked to warned us that no matter what you have budgeted in your
plans, it’s going to cost twice as much as you expect. And it did.
It will cost you if you want to be involved in building up the church.
I’m not just talking about giving money to support the ministry of the
church. To build up others it takes a
commitment to spend time with other people. It is costly to be involved with
people who can be offensive and who may end up hurting you at some point.
It will cost you if you want to be involved in building up your own life.
Growing as a Christian doesn’t just happen overnight. You don’t go to sleep one night and wake up
as a mature Christian.
It’s important to take time to invest in the kinds of things that will help
you grow as a Christian.
It takes time to commit to daily reading God’s Word. It takes time to commit to praying for
others.
This coming January, we’re going to be making some changes in the weekly
studies. We’re going to be starting a
weekly “Servant-Leadership Training
School” on Sunday nights. My hope is that a few of you will be
interested in paying the cost of time and study to build yourselves up and work
with us to build the church. We’ll tell you much more about this in the coming
months.
:16 …Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
Lesson #5
Building requires the Lord
David has actually said this twice,
(1 Chr 22:11 KJV) Now,
my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the
LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
(1 Chr 22:16 KJV) Of the gold, the silver, and the
brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
We have to allow God to work in us. Solomon would later write,
(Psa 127:1 KJV) A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD
build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the
city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Jesus said,
(John 15:4-5 KJV) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,
except ye abide in me. {5} I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in
me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do
nothing.
We need to learn to yield our lives to Him and let Him do the things He
wants to do in our lives.
For some of you, this starts with recognizing your need for Jesus. He died on the cross to pay for your
sins. You need to open your heart to
Him.
For those of you who know Jesus, you can’t do it on your own. We must learn to be dependant upon Him and
yielded to Him.
:16 Arise therefore, and be doing
Lesson
Prepare others to succeed.
David isn’t allowed to build the Temple
himself. But he equips Solomon to do it instead.
I think there is a hint of “discipleship” here, helping, equipping, setting
others up to do the work.
:17-19 Bringing others along too
:17 David also commanded all the princes
Solomon won’t be alone in the work. There are others that are to help as
well.
Lesson
Building requires help from others
I Chronicles 22:17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel
to help Solomon his son, [saying],
We need to help each other
1Chronicles 23
:1-6 Organizing the Levites
:1 he made Solomon his son king over Israel
This account in Chronicles cuts out a whole section found in 1Kings 1,
which tells us how one of David’s sons, Adonijah, had tried to make himself
king, but when Bathsheba found out about it, she went to David and David made
Solomon king instead.
:2 he gathered together
After David turns the kingdom over to Solomon (now about 14 years old), he
sets out to organize the nation’s religious and political structure to best
meet the nation’s needs.
Chapters 23-27 are all about this organization of David’s.
:3 the age of thirty years
Moses also organized the Israelites, and especially the Levites in their
service of the tabernacle.
God commanded Moses to only count those from age thirty to age fifty in
doing the actual work.
Numbers 4:46-49 All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom
Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and
after the house of their fathers, From thirty years old and upward even unto
fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the
service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation, Even those that
were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore. According
to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every
one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they
numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.
:3 thirty and eight thousand
It was these 38,000 Levites that were to be divided up into work groups.
In contrast, under Moses, there were only 8,580 Levites between the ages of
thirty and fifty.
Numbers 4:48 Even those that were numbered of them,
were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.
Note: A census had to be taken
to get this number. There was apparently nothing wrong with this census.
:6 divided them into courses among the sons of Levi
These were the three main families among the Levites.
This was how Moses originally divided the Levites to do the work of the
tabernacle.
Kohath:
Within this family was Aaron and his sons. They were special in that of all
the families within Levi, they alone were to be priests.
The rest of the Kohathites were in charge of carrying the items inside the tabernacle
once Aaron and his sons covered them up. They carried things like the ark, the
altar of incense, gold lampstand, table of showbread, etc. (Num.4:1-20)
Gershon:
This family was in charge of carrying the fabric of the tabernacle and it’s
coverings. (Num.4:21-28)
Merari:
This family carried the foundation parts of the tabernacle - its boards,
its structural parts. (Num.4:29-33)
All these assignments are going to change.
Lesson
Different needs, different jobs
We need to be careful that we don’t try and hold on to things just because
of tradition.
We need to be flexible and go with the flow.
:7-11 Gershonites
We have a list of the Gershonites.
:12-20 Kohathites
We have a list of the Kohathites
:13 to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in
his name for ever
Here we see three aspects of a priest’s ministry.
We too, are priests:
I Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ.
I Peter 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Lesson
Priestly Ministry
1. To sanctify the most holy things
God wants us to be different from the world.
Just as the priests in the Old Testament, God has called us to holiness.
(1 Pet 1:15-16 KJV) But as he which hath called
you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; {16} Because it is
written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
The priests were to learn the difference between holy and profane.
They were to “teach” the difference between holy and profane to the people.
(Lev 10:8-11 KJV) And the LORD spake unto Aaron,
saying, {9} Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee,
when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a
statute for ever throughout your generations: {10} And that ye may put
difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; {11} And
that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath
spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
2. To burn incense.
This speaks very clearly in the Bible of prayer.
Revelation 5:8 And when He had taken the book,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb,
having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers
of the saints.
We are to be intercessors for those around us. We are to
pray for them, lifting up their needs to God.
I think the picture of burning incense clearly applies to us asking people
how we may pray for them, then remembering to do so, offering up their prayers
to the Lord as sweet incense.
3. To minister unto Him.
This speaks of the sacrifices and offerings we bring to the Lord.
Heb.13:15,16 Through Him then, let us continually
offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give
thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such
sacrifices God is pleased.
This is our praise and worship, our blessing God.
4. To bless in His name.
Aaron and his sons had a special blessing that they were to bless Israel
with:
Numbers 6:22-27 And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless
the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The
LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon
the children of Israel;
and I will bless them.
bless – barak
– to bless, kneel; The idea of kneeling was thought to be the position of
receiving a blessing. In OT, “bless” means to endue with power for success, prosperity,
fruitfulness, longevity, etc.
I believe we have been given the authority and power to bless people in God’s
name. We may call God’s favor upon people, by the words of our lips.
How serious are you when you tell someone, “God bless you”?
God wants us to bless people in His name.
:14 Moses
Isn’t it interesting that the great man of God, Moses, did not have his
sons follow after him?
Aaron’s sons all were to be priests, but Moses’ sons were to be just as the
other Levites from the family of Kohath.
God doesn’t always follow family lines.
:21-23 Merariites
We have a list of those from Merari
:24-32 Levitical duties
:24 from the age of twenty years and upward
We saw back in 23:3 that David started off by numbering only those that
were thirty years old and upward. Yet here we see him including those as young
as twenty years old. What gives?
Some have suggested that since David was including more duties than before for
the Levites, he lowered the age for service to twenty years old to include more
men for service.
:28-32 their office
The general duties of the Levites (excluding the priests, musicians,
gatekeepers, treasurers, and officers) included:
1. Assist the priests (:28)
2. Preparing the showbread (:29)
3. Helping with the grain offering (:29)
4. Praising God (:30)
5. Helping with burnt offerings (:31)
6. Helping with general needs (:32)
1Chronicles 24
:1-19 Dividing the priests
:1 divisions of the sons of Aaron
What David is going to do now is divide up all the priests and set up a
rotating schedule.
The priests from this point on in general did not serve full-time in their
positions, but rotated in. This way a priest had a regular job, but once a year
he would go to Jerusalem to serve
his duty as a priest.
A neat thing about doing it this way was that it allowed for more men to
serve as priests, as well as guarding the priests from burn out and getting
bored with such a holy calling.
The exception to this seems to be the high priest. There was only one of
these at a time.
:2 Nadab and Abihu
At the end of Leviticus 9, we have the account of Moses and Aaron setting
up the tabernacle for the first time, and the glory of the Lord coming down
upon the tabernacle, and of fire coming down from heaven to consume the
sacrifice.
It was an extremely awesome time. A real thriller. And Aaron’s sons Nadab
and Abihu were standing around, seeing this happen, and decided to be a part of
the action.
Leviticus 10:1-3 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took
either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and
offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there
went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then
Moses said unto Aaron, This [is it] that the LORD spake, saying, I will be
sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be
glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
This seems like a pretty heavy thing for the Lord to do, just because these
guys got a little carried away with the excitement and offered some generic brand
of incense.
Yet we have a further insight into why it might have happened when God
immediately took Aaron aside and gave him some new, very clear instructions.
Leviticus 10:8-11 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not
drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the
tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever
throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and
unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of
Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of
Moses.
Apparently Nadab and Abihu had been sipping at the bottle when the
excitement broke out. And since their inhibitions were a little loosened up, they
ran in with their strange fire.
God wants our worship to come from a clear mind. He wants our worship to be
not influenced by anything other than His presence. No drugs, no liquor, no
hype, nothing but Him.
He is not some type of way for us to entertain ourselves when we are bored.
He is the Lord God Almighty, Creator of the Universe, who is Holy and to be
worshipped.
:2 Eleazar and Ithamar
The remaining two sons of Aaron were the ones from which all the rest of
the priests were descended.
:3 Zadok...and Ahimelech
There were at this time two main places of worship, the Tabernacle and the Ark.
The two lines of priests divided themselves between these two places.
Ahimelech was the great, great, great grandson of Eli, the priest who
raised Samuel.
1Sam.2:12-17, 22
Eli’s sons were “sons of Belial”. They used to rip off the people of God
when they came to sacrifice, by taking the best part of the offering for
themselves, causing the people of God to hate sacrificing because they always
got ripped off. They also use to have sex with the women who served at the
doorway to the tent of meeting. (1Sam.2:12-22)
We have a real lesson on how important it is for those in ministry, those
who represent the Lord, to be holy, to be honoring to God, so people won’t come
to despise worship, but be drawn to it.
1Sam.2:29-30
Eli knew of these things, but refused to be harsh with his boys, so God
sent a prophet with a harsh word for Eli. God said that Eli was “honoring his
sons above God”. God said he would cut off his house from being priests, and
that as a sign, both his sons would die on the same day. They did.
(1Sam.2:27-36; 4:11)
This is a solemn lesson for us as parents on how important that we learn to
discipline our children. Don’t ignore the problems, deal with them.
Later, as a result of cleaning up a “coup” attempt in his kingdom, Solomon
removed Ahimelech’s dad, Abiathar, from being priest, “in order to fulfill the
word of the Lord which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh”.
(1Ki.4:4)
Zadok and his descendants became the eventual single line of high priests
when Eli’s line was removed. (1Chron.6:1-15)
:4 sixteen...eight
Making a total of twenty four divisions, with the majority of sixteen
belonging to the family of Eleazar.
With twenty-four divisions of priests, each division would then serve
roughly for two weeks, or half a month.
:6 Shemaiah … wrote them …
The twenty four divisions of priests each “drew” their “lot”, and the
record of which position they drew was recorded. These “courses” or
“assignments” would last for a long time, even into the days of Jesus.
:10 Abijah
An interesting example of all this happening in action comes from one of
the descendants of Abijah.
Luke 1:5-9 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife
[was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth. And they were
both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren,
and they both were [now] well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that
while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According
to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went
into the temple of the Lord.
The whole framework of what David has set up serves as background to the
story of Zechariah, and the birth of John the Baptist.
It was while Zechariah was doing his family’s tour of duty as a priest that
he saw the angel and was told about his future son, John.
:20-31 The rest of the Levites
:20 the rest of the sons of Levi
Here we have then, those of the Levites, not priests, and how they were
divided up for their rotation of service.
:31 principal fathers over against their younger brethren
In other words, they all got together, and the names of the older men were
put into the same hat as the names of the younger men when the names were
drawn.
The same was done with the priests in verse 5:
1Chronicles 24:5 Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with
another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors [of the house] of
God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
This is a picture of impartiality. God is no respecter of persons. He does
not show partiality (James 2:1-9).
1Chronicles 25
:1-7 The Musicians
:1 the captains of the host
host = army. Lord of Sabaoth = Lord of the hosts, Lord of the armies of
heaven.
It’s interesting that the military had a part in determining the nation’s
worship. The Bible definitely speaks of a connection between praise and
spiritual warfare.
Lesson
Musicians and Warriors
I think there is a sense in which worship leaders are a type of spiritual
warrior.
2Chron.20 - Jehoshaphat
When faced with a multitude of Ammonites and Moabites, and
Edomites, Jehoshaphat cried out to God for help.
God answered and said, (2Chr.20:17) “Just stand back and
watch me fight”.
So, when the day came, Jehoshaphat sent the singers out in
front of the army to sing praise to God, and as they did, God struck the enemy
and they started fighting each other until they were all dead.
(2Chron.20:20-23)
There was nothing magical about their worship. In fact,
notice that God didn’t even command them to worship, He just told them to stand
by and watch.
But their worship was an expression of trust. They trusted
God to deliver them so much that they were thanking Him for that deliverance
even before it happened.
Their worship, as an expression of faith, got the ball
rolling. God knew they were trusting Him by what was coming out of their mouth.
:1 Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun
Pronunciation: (english) (hebrew)
Asaph (ay’-saf) (aw-sawf’)
Heman (hee’-man) (hay-mawn’)
Jeduthun (ji-doo’-then) (yed-oo-thoon’)
It is interesting to note that these three families were descended from the
three families of Levi: Kohath, Gershom, and Merari.
Asaph was from the line of Gershom (1Chron.6:39-43)
Heman was from the line of Kohath (1Chron.6:33-38)
Jeduthun was from the line of Merari (1Chron.6:44-47)
:1 prophesy
Definition: Speaking for God to another person.
Ex.7:1,2 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to
Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that
I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the
sons of Israel
go out of his land.”
God would be speaking to Moses, and Moses would tell Aaron, and Aaron would
be speaking to Pharaoh on behalf of Moses. In a sense, Moses was God’s prophet,
Aaron was Moses’ prophet.
We often think of prophecy as telling the future. That may be only part of
what is involved. It is actually speaking for God. Since God knows the future,
fore-telling may actually come to pass.
Purpose of prophecy:
I Corinthians 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to]
edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (NASB - consolation)
Edification - to build up
another in their faith. To help them to trust Jesus more.
Exhortation - To encourage
someone to move on in their faith. To get them going in the Lord.
Consolation - To comfort someone
who is hurting. To bring emotional healing to one who is depressed.
:1 prophesy with harps...
This probably means that these guys would stand and speak for God while
there was music playing in the background.
(1 Chr 25:1 NLT) David and the army commanders then appointed men
from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God's messages to
the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names
and their work:
But over the years, I sometimes wonder if you can’t “prophesy” with an
instrument itself as well. I think God can use music, even simple instrumental
music to speak to people.
:1 harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals
harps (NASB - “lyres”)
These “lyres” had a body, two arms, a crossbar, and were strung from the
body to the crossbar. See picture.
psalteries (NASB - “harps”)
These “harps” were a neck at an angle to the body of the instrument. See
picture.
cymbals (NASB - “cymbals”)
PC - These instruments were used to regulate the time.
When the drummer is gone, it’s hard to keep the band together.
:2 Asaph
We know the most about him in that he became the head of the music
ministry, and his descendants followed in his footsteps.
He composed twelve psalms (Ps.50, 73-83).
:2 under the hands of Asaph
Each of the families were under the authority of the head of the family.
Order and structure in the music groups.
PC - When it is said “for Asaph”, the meaning is for those “under his hand,”
or direction, and who as a band bore his name, and performed among other odes those
which he prophesied.
The “Asaph Band”.
:2 prophesied according to the order of the king
All this was done under the authority and oversight of King David.
It also means that David had input by the many songs (psalms) that he
wrote.
See titles to Ps.53,55,56.
:3 Jeduthun
He is also referred to as Ethan (1Chron.6:44)
He is mentioned in the titles of three of the Psalms:
Psalms 39:1 {To the chief Musician, [even] to Jeduthun, A Psalm of
David.} I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I
will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
Psalms 62:1 {To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.}
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him [cometh] my salvation.
Psalms 77:1 {To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph.}
I cried unto God with my voice, [even] unto God with my voice; and he gave ear
unto me.
:4 Heman
He was the grandson of Samuel the prophet (1Chron.6:33)
:5 the king’s seer
Another word for prophet. Heman was one of David’s prophets.
I Samuel 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel,
when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the
seer: for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
:5 in the words of God, to lift up the horn
NASB - “to exalt him according to the words of God”
The phrase, “to lift up the horn” is a phrase which is always used
figuratively in the Old Testament. It means to “add strength” or “honor”
someone.
What the writer is saying is that Heman was honored by God by having so
many children.
See the connection with the rest of the verse: “for God gave fourteen sons
and three daughters to Heman.”
(1 Chr 25:5 NLT) All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer,
for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.
Lesson
Children are a blessing
(Psa 127:3-5 KJV) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the
fruit of the womb is his reward. {4} As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth. {5} Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of
them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the
gate.
God strengthened or exalted Heman by giving him lots of sons and daughters.
:7 instructed in the songs of the LORD
Living Bible - “were all trained in singing praises to the Lord”
I wonder if we should be offering classes in worship?
:7 all that were cunning
NASB - “all who were skillful”
Living Bible - “each one...was a master musician”
They were selective in who got to sing in the temple.
:7 two hundred fourscore and eight (288)
There were 24 groups, with 12 in each group. (24x12=288)
:8-31
:8 as well the small as the great
Impartiality. Just as with the Priests and Levites, each one had an equal
part.
:31 the four and twentieth …
Twenty-four family groups of twelve each, totaling 288 musicians in
rotation.
Apparently each family group would minister in the temple for about two
weeks, then go back home, just as the priests did.
There were twelve musicians in each group, totaling 288 (24x12).
1Chronicles 26
Lineage of Gatekeepers
:1-12 The Porters
:1 porters
NASB - “gatekeepers”
porters – show‘er –
gatekeeper, porter; One who is occupied with the gate,” that is, the gatekeeper
or guard.
These were kind of like the ushers, but perhaps also like guards.
Lesson
Dull stuff
Now this section might be kind of dull and mundane, but not everything
about our relationship with God is all fireworks and bazookas.
Sometimes we get to itching for newer thrills, deeper experiences, new “revelations”
from God. But we need to be careful not to leave His presence in doing so. If
we get into seeking “experiences” rather than God Himself, we’re opening ourselves
up for a lot of confusion and error.
Psalms 84:10 For
a day in thy courts [is] better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
doorkeeper – caphaph – to
stand at or guard the threshold
Just being in God’s presence, even being a doorkeeper or “porter” is far
better than walking in wickedness.
These men, though it might have been a boring job to some, got the
tremendous privilege of standing in God’s temple, to be in God’s presence.
Some of the ministries of the church may not be all flash and sparkle, but
what a joy to just be in God’s presence, ministering!
:4-5 Obed-edom … for God blessed him
This was the guy who had kept the Ark
at his house for three months while David figured out how to properly move the Ark
into the city of Jerusalem.
II Samuel 6:10-12 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD
unto him into the city of David:
but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark
of the LORD continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and
the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his household. And it was told king David,
saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that [pertaineth]
unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of
God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.
David finally was inspired to finish moving the Ark
when he saw how God had blessed Obed-edom.
How did the Lord bless Obed-edom?
In his sons. Eight sons, 62 descendants serving the Lord!
Psalms 127:3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of
the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward.
Certainly the Lord blesses in many other ways, but lets
not forget this one. Today children are being thought of more and more as
inconveniences, as little pests. But God calls them a blessing.
:10 for [though] he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief
NASB - “although he was not the first-born, his father made him first”
Note about “firstborn” - meaning not exclusively first chronologically, but
first in pre-eminence, first in inheritance and receiving the blessing.
Other examples of irregular “first-borns”:
Jacob and Esau (Gen.25:33; 27:27-29)
Jacob and his sons (Gen.49) - Reuben was first one out, but Joseph got the
main blessing.
Ephraim and Manasseh (Jeremiah 31:9)
Jesus Christ - some of the cults (ie - JW’s) try to make a big thing about “first-born”:
Firstborn of all creation
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature:
Jesus is not a created being, but the pre-eminient one above all creation.
:13-19 Porters’ assignments
These porters are each given an assigned area of the Temple
to protect.
:14 Shelemiah
Here, a shortened form for Meshelemiah, not to be confused with Shemaiah.
:15 Asuppim
Lit. - “gatherings” or “stores”. NASB translates this “storehouse”. (house
of stores)
Presumably this was a building for keeping safe certain of the sacred
property, and was situated south of the temple, and, judging from ver.17, had
two doorways.
:16 Shallecheth
PC - By derivation, this word means “sending or throwing down.” Hence, some
call it the “refuse gate”.
Others identify it with the bab silsileh, a causeway that runs from the
central valley of the town to the sacred site west of the temple.
:18 Parbar
NASB had a footnote: “possibly court or colonnade”
PC - the nearest approach to the meaning of the word, as yet discovered, is
a “suburb”.
:20-28 Temple
treasurers
:20 Ahijah
Ahijah is not found in NASB. The reason is that his name is not in the Greek
LXX version, but is found in the Hebrew Masoretic text.
Go with the Hebrew Text.
Ahijah was over all the treasury. He was the Secretary of Treasury.
:20 the treasures of the house of God...the dedicated things
This appears to be two categories by which the finances were kept: (These
were the CPA’s of Israel)
1) The money that was given to the house of the Lord.
From tithes, offerings, and other gifts.
2) The money that accumulated from the spoils of war, of things taken and
dedicated to God.
More later about these gifts.
Lesson
Accountability
God has a place for accountants in the Body of Christ!
God desires financial accountability for His people.
2Corinthians 8:20-21 taking precaution that no one should discredit
us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard for what is
nonorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
:22 over the treasures of the house of the LORD
These men had charge of the regular treasures of the house of the Lord,
they were the ones that counted the “offering” each week.
:26 Shelomith … over the treasures of the dedicated things …
He’s over the stuff that’s been collected at the end of each war and then
dedicated to the Lord.
:27 spoils won in battles
The idea of keeping the spoils of war in God’s treasury first appears in
Josh.6:19,24, where Joshua takes all the gold and silver from Jericho
and keeps it in the treasury.
We’ve already seen that David has made it a practice of taking the spoils
of war and giving them to God.
II Samuel 8:9-12 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had
smitten all the host of Hadadezer, Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David,
to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and
smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And [Joram] brought with him
vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: Which also king David did dedicate unto the
LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he
subdued; Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the
Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king
of Zobah.
God may from time to time bless you in great, abundant ways. It’s good to
give back to Him. He’s the real source of our wealth.
:28 Samuel … Saul … Abner … Joab
Samuel is the prophet-judge Samuel, who we meet at the beginning of the
book of 1Samuel (named after him).
The first big battle he was involved (and the only one recorded in which he
was in charge) was against the Philistines at Mizpah, after they had returned
the ark of the covenant (1Sam.7:3-14).
Saul was the first king of Israel,
who was chosen king by Samuel.
His first big battle after becoming king was against Nahash the Ammonite
when he had beseiged Jabesh-gilead, threatening to gouge out their right eyes. Saul
gathered the nation and wiped out the enemy (1Sam.11:1-11).
During his forty year reign, Saul fought against Moab,
Ammon, Edom,
Zobah, Philistia, and Amalek. (1Sam.14:47-48)
Abner was Saul’s cousin. His father was and Saul’s father were brothers.
Abner was the head of Saul’s army (1Sam.14:50).
Later, after Saul was killed in battle on Mount Gilboa, Abner took the lead
in making Saul’s remaining son, Ish-bosheth, king over Israel (except for
Judah, which made David king).
When Abner realized what a fool Ish-bosheth was, he decided to turn the
kingdom over to David, but was killed by Joab before getting to do so. Joab was
revenging the death of his brother Asahel, whom Abner had killed in battle.
Joab was one of David’s nephews. His mother, Zeruiah, was David’s sister. (1Chron.2:16)
Just as Abner was head of Saul’s army, Joab was head of David’s army.
He was very loyal to David. When seiging Rabbah, he called David in to
finish the battle so David would get the glory, not Joab (2Sam.12:26-28).
He was also a bloodthirsty, vengeful killer. When Abner killed Joab’s
brother, Asahel, in self-defense, Joab plotted and waited until one day he
exacted his revenge by killing Abner. Later, when one of David’s son’s,
Absalom, rebelled against David, Joab went against David’s orders and when he
found Absalom, he killed him. Then he killed Amasa, whom David had put in
charge of the army in his place.
:29-32 Officers and Judges
These were men who served as judges and government officials outside the
temple.
They were divided into two groups – one group oversaw the affairs on the
western side of the Jordan,
the other group oversaw the affairs on the eastern side of the Jordan.
:29 Chenaniah
This man was not only one of the top governmental officials, but also a
deeply devoted man of God, who helped carry the ark and was also a trained
singer.
I Chronicles 15:22 And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites,
[was] for song: he instructed about the song, because he [was] skilful.
I Chronicles 15:27 And David [was] clothed with a robe of fine
linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah
the master of the song with the singers: David also [had] upon him an ephod of
linen.
I like the idea of a man who had great responsibility in government also
being important in the worship of God.
Too often today people get “married to their business” and have no place or
time to devote to God. Here is a man who tithed his time to God.
:31 In the fortieth year
The last year of David’s reign. (1Kings 2:11)