1 Chronicles 19

The LORD does what is right in His sight

1 Now after this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came to the land of the children of Ammon, to Hanun to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Do you think that David honors your father by sending comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.

• This was a huge insult, a disgrace.

5 Then some went and told David how the men were treated. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly disgraced. And the king said, Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return. 6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves stink to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent 38 tons of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and camped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8 And when David heard of it he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men.

• Notice that David did not attack them because of the insult.
• But he did defend Israel when they hired this great army against them.

9 And the children of Ammon came out, and set the battle in order before the gate of the city: and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. 10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and behind, he chose the best out of all Israel, and set them in battle formation against the Syrians. 11 And he delivered the rest of the people into the hand of his brother Abishai, and they set themselves in order against the children of Ammon. 12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.

• This battle tactic is called ‘fighting from interior lines,’ and has been used many times since during history.
• The two groups stayed close together protection each others backs and sent troops back and forth where needed.

13 Be strong, take courage for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do what is good in his sight. 14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew near before the Syrians to the battle; and they ran from him. 15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, they ran from before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

• 2Chronicles 16:9 the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

• Ecclesiastes 8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: do not stand in an evil thing; for he does whatever pleases him.

16 And when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they sent messengers, to bring the Syrians that were beyond the river (Euphrates): and Shophach the captain of the army of Hadarezer went before them. 17 David was told this; and he gathered all Israel, crossed over Jordan, came upon them, and set the battle in formation against them. So when David had put the battle in order against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 But the Syrians ran from before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians 7,000 men that fought in chariots, 40,000 footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the army. 19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: the Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.

• David became aggressive when the Syrians sent for more troops.
• God brings peace by defeating enemies.
• Being under David’s authority would have been a good thing for these people.
• It would expose them to the truth of God’s love for them.
• It would give light into the darkness of their idolatry.
• The spiritual battle of God’s people is bigger than the physical battle on earth.
• Unclean spirits come against us to try to lead us from God into idolatry, from honor into dishonor, from trusting God into doing it our own way.
• And from love into hate, God has guaranteed us victory over every worry, fear, shortcomings, sin, and wrong belief.

• Ephesians 6:12 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

• Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against us?

                                       1 Chronicles 20

1 At the time of the turning of the year, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led the power of the army, wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah, and destroyed it.

• The New Year began for the Jews around April.
• Kings went to war after the ground was thawed and dry, and the crops had been planted.

2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold/75-100 pounds, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set on David’s head: and he also brought exceeding much plunder out of the city.

• God has crowned us.
• He rewards with crowns.
• He is our crown.
• We are a crown to Him.

• Psalm 103:4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

• Isaiah 28:5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, to the rest of his people,

• Isaiah 62:3 You will also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

• James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.

• 1Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away.

3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and sawed with saws, and with sharp tools of iron, and with axes. David did this with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

• If these people had been willing to worship their Maker, they would not have been executed.
• Like terrorists, they had performed atrocities on God’s people.
• Idolaters lead their people to eternal death.

• Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

• Psalm 145:20 The LORD preserves all that love him: but all the wicked he will destroy.

God enables the impossible

4 After this, war arose at Gezer with the Philistines; at that time Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.

• Giants were a reality in the past: they were genetically large and strong.
• Like Goliath, defeating them was impossible except by God’s power.
• We defeat Satan in our hearts every time we believe what God has said in His word rather than the lies of evil.

5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam. 6 And there was war at Gath again, where there was a man of great stature, who had 24 fingers and toes, six on each hand, and six on each foot: he also was the son of the giant. 7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea killed him. 8 These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

• God gives us victory over unseen giants of the spiritual realm.

• Ephesians 6:12 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

• Romans 8:37… we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

                                         1 Chronicles 21

1 Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to count Israel. 2 David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, count Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times as many more as they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he cause Israel to trespass?

• This wasn’t a census of every man, woman, and child but a count of the men trained for battle (verse 5).
• Joab warned David that this was a trespass against God.
• God had promised to make Israel as numerous as the sand and stars (Genesis 15:5).
• To count was to check up on God. That was a lack of faith.
• Let us trust God will do what He says and not check on Him to see if He’s is doing it.

• Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him:

4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed, went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave the total of the number of the people to David. All those of Israel were 1,100,000 men that drew sword: and Judah had 470,000 men that drew the sword. 6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them because the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

God is displeased by lack of faith

7 God was displeased with the thing so he struck Israel. 8 And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: now, please, take away the iniquity of your servant for I have done very foolishly.

• 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

9 And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10 Go tell David saying, This is what the Lord says, I offer you three things: choose one of them, for me to do to you. 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, This is what the LORD says, You choose: 12 Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before your enemies while that the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. 13 And David said to Gad, I am in great distress: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are very great: but let me not fall into the hand of man. 14 So the LORD sent pestilence/plague on Israel: and 70,000 men of Israel fell.

• Remember that Israel was to witness to the world of eternal life through the shed blood of God’s son displayed by the animal sacrifices.
• Yet they were worshipping idols that lead people to eternal death.

• Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

• Psalm 57:10Y our mercy is great unto the heavens, and Your truth to the clouds.

15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD saw, and he repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stop now your hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, Was it not I that commanded the people to be counted? It is I that has sinned and truly did evil; but as for these sheep, what have they done? I beg you, O LORD my God, let your hand be on me and on my father’s house but not on your people, that they should be plagued.

• Joel 2:13 tear your heart, and not your clothing, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and revokes the sentence of evil.

18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to tell David to go up and set up an altar to the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the saying of Gad, who he spoke in the name of the LORD. 20 Ornan turned back and saw the angel; he and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me this place, this threshing floor, that I may build an altar in it to the LORD: You shall grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stopped from the people. 23 And Ornan said to David, Take it, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes: look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the gift; I give it all. 24 And king David said to Ornan, No; but I will indeed buy it for the full price: I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer burnt offerings without cost. 25 So David gave Ornan 600 shekels/pieces of gold by weight for the place.

• The altar was the place of sacrifices that showed God’s love poured out in His Son at the cross.
• No man can approach God without this.

• John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

God answered David from heaven by fire

26 And David built there an altar to the LORD, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

• God often sent fire on the sacrifice as a sign of approval.
• In Genesis 4 Cain’s offering was not accepted.
• He put his offering on the altar and no fire came from God to consume it.
• When Elijah was on Mt. Carmel the prophets of Baal pleaded with their false gods all day (1 Kings 18).
• Then Elijah prepared the sacrifice, prayed, and fire came from God in heaven and consumed the sacrifice.

• Deuteronomy 4:24 the LORD your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword into its sheath. 28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses made in the wilderness and the altar of the burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at this time. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

• David changed his place of worship to this place.
• This spot, the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, is where Solomon built God’s temple in Jerusalem and now where the Dome of the Rock sits, a holy site of Arabs.

                                       1 Chronicles 22

1 Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. 2 And David commanded to gather together the foreigners that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to cut carved stones to build the house of God. 3 David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the hinges; and brass in abundance without weight; 4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and those of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.

• Up until this time, God lived among His people in the tabernacle-a tent.
• In 1 Chronicles 21 God sent fire from heaven to show His acceptance of Israel’s offering for sin.
• David declared that spot to be the place where God’s temple would be built.

God’s house among men would exceedingly magnificent

5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

• God alone is infinite and eternal knowledge, power, righteousness, and love. He alone made all things, and gives life and breath to all.

• Exodus 15:11 Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. 7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the LORD my God: 8 But the word of the LORD came to me saying, You have shed blood abundantly and have made great wars: you are not to build a house for my name because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. 9 Behold, a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: his name will be Solomon/peaceful, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. 10 He will build a house for my name; he will be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.

• Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

11 Now, my son, the LORD be with you, prosper you, and build the house of the LORD your God, as he has said of you. 12 Only the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. 13 Then you will prosper, if you pay attention to fulfill the statutes and judgments that the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; do not dread or be dismayed.

God prospers obedience to His word

14 Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of the LORD 4,000 tons of gold, and 40,000 tons of silver; and brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: I have also prepared timber and stone; and you may add to it. 15 Moreover there are workmen with you in abundance, stonecutters, stonemasons, carpenters, and all kinds of skillful men for every kind of work. 16 Of the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron, there is no limit. Arise and work, and the LORD be with you. 17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help his son Solomon saying, 18 Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. 19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy utensils of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

• Now Christ dwells in the hearts of His people.

• Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height: 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

• Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will feast with him, and he with me.

SUMMARY: 1 Chronicles 19-22

• The LORD does what is right in His sight

• God enables the impossible

• God is displeased by lack of faith

• God answered David from heaven by fire

• God’s house among men would exceedingly magnificent

• God prospers obedience to His word