Feb 14 2014

Rising Star

The 13th chapter of 1 Chronicles takes up with David making plans to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. The ark symbolized God’s presence and His covenant under Moses. Though it was revered and kept holy, it had been seriously neglected throughout the reign of Saul, and had been in Kiriath-jearim for some time. Now David, attempting to assemble and unite the nation, was making plans to transport it from the house of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1).

The Chastisement of Uzzah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So they loaded on a cart, and Uzzah and his brother drove the cart. But as the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out to take hold of it, and God struck him dead. David had gone about this all wrong. Only the Kohathites were allowed to carry the ark – with poles, for even they could not touch it “lest they die” (Numbers 3:29-31, Numbers 4:15). David was angry with God and afraid, and had the ark taken to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, where it would remain until he could figure out the proper way to transport it.

Chapter 14 has David making moves to solidify Jerusalem as the focal point – the capital – of Israel. Hiram, the Gentile king of Tyre sent cedars, masons, and carpenters to help build David’s palace. His family grew greatly in number, as well as his strength. God gave him victories over the Philistines, and his fame spread. The chronicler tells us in verse 17 that “the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.” Under David, and with God’s blessing, the nation was becoming a real world power.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

Jan 31 2014

David Becomes King

In 1 Chronicles 11, all of the elders of Israel come to Hebron to meet with David following the death of Saul, and David is anointed king “according to the word of the Lord by Samuel” (1 Samuel 16:6-13). Then in verse 4, it immediately picks up with David and his troops going to “Jebus,” which is Jeusalem – which is occupied by the Jebusites. We are first told that the land of the Jebusites is Jerusalem back in Joshua 15:8, where the boundaries for the tribe of Judah are laid out in detail, as the Promised Land gets divided among the tribes. It is during this successful campaign upon what will become “the City of David,” that “Joab the son of Zeruiah” becomes commander of David’s army. This is because he took David up on his offer to make chief of the one who strikes first at the Jebusites.

Beginning in verse 10, the chronicler introduces David’s “mighty men,” which we will read more about in chapter 12. There is some debate about the number (some count 37 as being named here). But generally, it seems that the main group of his mighty men were referred to as “the thirty,” and at same point, this number becomes a name for them despite the actual number (just as the apostles were referred to as “the twelve”). However, although there were those in the thirty that were regarded as “chiefs,” and greater than the others, there were three that were very special. Of the three, the foremost was Jashobeam, who is listed again in 1 Chronicles 27 as leader of a military division. It is supposed that as members of “the thirty” died, they were replaced with others, which made this an evolving list.

In verses 15-19, as the Philistines were camped in the Valley of Rephaim, their garrison was at Bethlehem. David remarked that he would love to have water from the well at Bethlehem. When three of the mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and brought back the water to David, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord – refusing to drink something obtained by such bravery by his men.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jan 14 2014

A Savior, Who Is Christ the Lord

The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Verse 8 of Luke chapter 2 picks up with the shepherds who are out in their field at night. Depending on the version you read, they were in the same region as Mary and Joseph or in the same country. The translation has the same effect in either case – so that we are not sure exactly how far away they are, but certainly not in a separate country. When the angel of the Lord appeared to them, “the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with fear.” Any time that term is used, it is accompanied by great light – whatever else it means. In this case, certainly not as bright as what Paul (Saul) encountered on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), but in a dark field in a time when there were no distant city lights, it would be quite substantial and unnerving.

Gabriel making the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Painting by El Greco, 1575 (Museo del Prado, Madrid). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Calming them, the angel told them of the good news of the birth in the city of David of “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” and old them how they would know him when they went to see. The sudden appearance with the angel of “a multitude of the heavenly host” raises the question of what makes up a heavenly host. Generally, a “host” is a military term, where the collective group is associated with fighting a battle or guarding something. In the case of the Lord, they are associated as being at His side, praising Him, and ready to do his bidding (Psalm 103:21, Daniel 7:10). And verse 15 gives us the answer. After they finished praising the Lord Jesus, the verse tells us that the “angels” went away into heaven. Since only one angel had appeared before the heavenly host came, that tells us what sort of multitude they were.

When they arrived and saw Jesus, verse 17 says they “made known” what had been told to them by the angel, which created an understandable stir. But Mary, it said, treasured all of these things in her heart – no doubt recalling the visit from the angel Gabriel before the conception. And then on the eighth day, he was circumcised according to the Law of Moses and given the name Jesus, just as Gabriel had told her. And just like that, the will of God that He made known to the serpent way back in Genesis 3:15 was brought to fruition:

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.