1 Kings 3:5-15 also records the Lord appearing to Solomon in a dream.
What is it I want? If I were in Solomon’s place and the Lord God were to say to me, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you,” what would I say?
Yet, I am not like Solomon. I am not young. I am not starting out in a new career. I am not king of the regional power. I do not have enemy kingdoms on my borders. I do not have siblings who want to take the throne. I do not have a family to start, a royal line to preserve.
Yet in my place, what would I ask for? What do I ask in prayer? What do I want and what do I need? Is there a poor response?
The Lord’s reply to Solomon’s request for wisdom to rule Israel reveals that there is one request that is better than others. Do I have but one request? I can pray anytime and anywhere.
Jesus taught, “Seek first my kingdom and righteousness, and all these will be given.”
1 Kings 3:2-28 also records that Solomon’s wisdom was a gift of God. That passage does not go into as much depth as 2 Chronicles 1. Verses 2-4 show some of the writer’s concerns.
Many Israelites had religious inclination. Some had a pure love for God. David did, and now Solomon did. The ark of the Lord, which contained the covenant etched in stone and manna, was in Jerusalem. However, the tabernacle, that is, the tent of meeting, was still on Mount Gilead. When anyone wanted to worship and inquire of the Lord, they would have to go to Mount Gilead.
Solomon was an adolescent. He had older brothers who were jealously plotting to overthrow him. The Israelites were many, powerful, well educated, and wealthy like never before. Solomon was intimidated by the thought of leadership. He accepted his father’s advice and went to seek the Lord at Mount Gilead.
Life always seems to have circumstances that are challenging and/or intimidating. Just when things are going in a good way, a new problem arrives that turns things toward the unwanted.
Whether in want or in plenty, seek the Lord. The Israelites would go to Mount Gilead to meet with the Lord God. Where do I go now?
Jesus was the Lord at Mount Gilead. Jesus was in the tabernacle. Jesus is my Mount Gilead.
Solomon became king of all Israel. He made an alliance with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Egypt was not part of the promised land. Egyptians were not Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1-4). Egyptians had made slaves of the Israelites over a century after Joseph and his brothers’ families moved to Egypt (Exodus 1:8-11). Now, 500 years later, Solomon married an Egyptian, just as Joseph had done.
Sealing the alliance between Egypt and Israel culminated in the marriage between Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter. This marriage resulted in the writing of Psalm 45 and the Song of Solomon.
Was this marriage wise and blessed by God? Some say yes. Others say no. The Bible, though not directly saying that God blessed the marriage, does seem to, with the writing of Psalm 45 and the Song of Solomon.
Jesus often used marriage in parables to describe the relationship between him and the church. Psalm 45 and the Song of Solomon also reflect that relationship. Whether blessed or not, God did use it according to his good and wise purpose.
Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the Lord and his father David’s statutes in his youth. However, he was not infallible. His wives led him to worship false idols. He did not practice religion as the LORD prescribed in the Pentateuch. He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places (3).
I don’t understand Solomon. He seems to be a man of contrast and inconsistency. Then again, I do not understand myself for the same reason. I too am a man of inconsistency. Yet, I have faith that God is able to accomplish in me what he has started.
Shimei was a relative of Saul, the first king of Israel. Shimei ridiculed David when David had to leave Jerusalem because of Absalom’s threat. Saul still had followers. So Shimei was a threat to Solomon’s throne. David instructed Solomon to “bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.” (1 Kings 2:8-9) David wanted vengeance but did not carry it out himself. David told Solomon to kill Shimei.
Solomon devised a way to obey his father. He restricted Shimei to live and stay in Jerusalem, with the punishment of death if he left. Shimei did leave after 3 years. Solomon had him put to death. Having a king means that death is a part of maintaining their throne.
The Lord knows the hearts of humans. He knows that in the fallen state, anyone and everyone will violate others, even kill, to maintain power. That is why he warned Israel that having a king would make their life harder (1 Sam. 8). However, the person who loves God will resist those impulses by obeying and following Jesus’ teaching.
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he got up from the table, dressed as a servant, and washed his disciples’ feet. Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17)
Solomon was king. In those days, a king’s responsibility included establishing and maintaining justice. The king was the highest court of law.
The king’s responsibility also included maintaining and defending the country. They were to establish and organize the fighting men.
The king was not responsible for maintaining the priesthood, for priests were established by birth family, just as the king was established by birth (if the king loved the Lord and served him). The king also did not tell the priests how to offer sacrifices, and what to do for that was established in the law of the Lord. However, they could organize the priesthood as David and Solomon did.
David had left two unfinished responsibilities to Solomon. One included the army ranks, and one included the priesthood. Joab had struck two important men down without David’s knowledge and even against his wishes and intent. David had told Solomon to deal with Joab. Solomon took this instruction to mean to have Joab put to death. He did.
Second, the Lord told Eli, the high priest, what would happen to his household because he did not deal with his son’s defilement of the priesthood. That was around the time of David’s birth.
Solomon banished Eli’s grandson, Abiathar, from serving as a high priest. Solomon used the event concerning Adonijah to enact the Lord’s word.
The Lord’s timing of justice is not often as I would like. Justice often takes a long time. Perhaps because God wants to give time to the person to repent. Perhaps there is another reason. Whatever the reason, I am keenly aware that the Lord is also slow to be angry with me, and his justice towards me is merciful. The Lord is full of grace and mercy to me just as he is to everyone.
David had no sooner passed away when Adonijah hatched his plan to gain power through marriage. Adonijah had convinced himself of the gross exaggeration that he was indeed the king of Israel and all of Israel looked to him as their king (15). He seems to acknowledge and yet resent the Lord for making Solomon king (15).
Adonijah’s request seems innocent enough. He went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, with a petition. Bathsheba expresses weary concern. She knew his character. He might not be going to her peacefully (13).
Adonijah asked her to go before Solomon with his solicitation. Adonijah wanted to marry Abishag, David’s beautiful young personal attendant (17). Abishag was assigned to help David in his old age. She shared his bed to keep him warm. Yet, she remained a virgin.
Solomon saw Adonijah’s nefarious duplicity. If Adonijah would marry Abishag, he would be all but proclaim himself king (22). Solomon had him put to death for such a request (23). Solomon refused his mother’s solicitation on Adonijah’s behalf.
Adonijah was wrong only because of one reason: the Lord had made it clear that Solomon would be king. Seeking otherwise was a sin. I need to examine why I want to advance my career. Is it my will or the Lord’s will? Am I resisting God’s plan for me or submitting to it? If I go against God’s intentions, it could mean death.
Ancestral influence does not mean that I am free of responsibility and decisions. David instructed his son, “Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”
Regardless of the good and poor influence of my parents, grandparents, and all ancestors before, God holds me accountable for how I respond and deal with their sustaining influence. I am the master of the decision to serve God in spirit and truth.
David continued, “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” David helped Solomon by making preparations to build a house as a sanctuary for the Lord. Jesus is building his house in his people, a place for his Spirit to rest. I am to continue and participate in the effort.
Adonijah knew he was in danger of execution. Fear entered his body as if he breathed in deadly gas (50). He ran to the altar of the Lord where sacrifices were made and took hold of the horns at its corners. Grasping the horns of the altar was a way of seeking sanctuary or protection when one was charged with a serious offense, though this act is not in the law of Moses. The horns were the place where blood from a sacrificial animal was applied for atonement for sin (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:7). The area around the altar was sacred. No one was to be put to death there. Adonijah declared servitude (loyalty) to Solomon (51).
Solomon showed grace to Adonijah. He allowed Adonijah to go to his house if he showed himself a worthy man (52). However, if Adonijah proved evil, which is disloyal to Solomon, he would be killed. Solomon would keep an eye on him. In those days, such grace was not shown by kings.
Grace to a repentant person is becoming rarer and rarer in modern society. Vengeance and violence are celebrated in culture, song, and drama. People will kill if someone else speaks poorly to them. Self and social pride and dignity are sustained through the fist and gun. Some have been killed because they don’t like the way someone looks at them.
Jesus came full of grace and truth. He did not repay evil for evil. He turned the other cheek. When a Bible teacher dismissed and humiliated him, he was gentle and kind. When a harlot fell weeping at his knees, he forgave her sins and blessed her.
I choose today to not get behind a pulpit and preach to others about grace. I am making myself conscious of being full of grace and truth. I know in my bones that in days to come someone will wrong me to the point of rage. I will be tested. I am telling myself, “Show grace to the repetitive.”
Good news for one person is bad news for another. King David anointed Solomon king of Judah. This was good news for Solomon and his mother. This was bad news for Adonijah, who wrongly claimed the throne before Solomon. Everyone receives truth differently, processes it differently, and reacts to it differently.
The truth is that David ordered Solomon to be anointed king of Judah. Everyone reacted differently to this truth. Priest Zadok, Prophet Nathan, and Captain Benaiah obeyed David’s orders to retrieve Solomon, bring him to Gihon (a spring that supplied water to Jerusalem), and anoint him as king (32-34). The people rejoiced and sang songs so much that the ground shook (40). Adonijah and all with him ran in fear.
Truth cannot be changed. Truth is not in danger of becoming false. Truth can dispel and dissipate a false statement, but a false statement cannot change the truth. Truth is like light shining in a shadow of lies; they simultaneously vanish into nihility and fade from memory.
Jesus taught, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) Jesus taught the truth. Knowing and living it is freedom. Now that is a beacon brighter than a laser. Not everyone received this as good news. Some will perceive it as bad. Those who react to it as good news will be anointed kings. Those who react to it as bad news will run in fear.
When David learned that his fourth-born son, Adonijah, had acted against his will and made himself king, David immediately gave orders to make Solomon king. He promised queen Bathsheba and he kept that promise (28-30). Bathseba showed David great respect and honor (31). She bowed low and called him lord.
Here is displayed good marriage practices. The husband exhibits love to his wife by making promises for her benefit and keeping them. The wife exhibits respect to her husband.
Some will bulk at these practices because modern culture teaches the opposite. Yet, no one can ignore basic human impulses. Men need and respond to respect. Women need and respond to love. Men also need and respond to love and women also need and respond to respect.
Fundamentally, we were created in the image of God. Love and respect are basic to God’s essence. God the Father loves his Son, and the Son respects and honors the Father. These are two of the seven spirits emanating in and from the Holy Spirit. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself… However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” (Eph 5:25-33).
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Eph 5:22-24) Love and respect are selfless, not selfish. Love and respect are sacrificial and trust. Love and respect are more pleasant than any self-gaining life.
Trouble does not consider a person’s age. David was well advanced in years. Yet, trouble remained an invited guest in his life. Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
David’s fourth son declared himself king without his father’s consent (25). He threw a party and went through religious ceremonies. David was made aware of this treachery by one of his wives, Bathsheba, and a prophet, Nathan. David needed to act quickly and decisively to keep his word to Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet. Acting quickly can have complications when a person is advanced in years.
A temptation as age increases is to become relaxed mentally, physically, and spiritually. I need to stay focused, for I never know when trouble will pay me an unwelcome visit. “You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaved gathered in season.” (Job 5:26) “The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men even older than your father.” (Job 15:10)
Nathan was a prophet of the Lord and David’s personal prophet. The prophets communicated with God directly, giving the king and God’s people messages from the Lord. Nathan acted as David’s spiritual mentor, friend, shepherd, Bible teacher, advisor, and counselor. Leaders should be accountable to someone like David was to Nathan, though in reality David was accountable to God. Nathan had rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba and her husband according to 2 Samuel 12:1-23.
After the Ark was brought into the temple, “Nathan repeated to David all the words of the entire revelation.” (17) The revelation regarded a rebuke and the future of David’s line of kings. Now Nathan remained loyal to David, God’s chosen instrument, when everyone else was not. A wise man knows the people God chooses, especially God’s anointed leaders, and remains loyal to them.
David’s humility in talking to Nathan about his plans, listening to rebukes through Nathan, and respecting Nathan’s loyalty, counters Saul’s leadership style. Even though he was old, David remained loyal to God’s word concerning Solomon. Know the Lord’s plan and remain loyal to it.
Solomon had challengers to the throne: Adonijah, just before David passed away (Not found elsewhere in the Bible). David’s fourth son was Adonijah, who was born after Absalom, who died earlier trying to take the throne (2 Samuel 15). Adonijah put himself forward as king, even though David had made it clear that Solomon would be king after him.
Adonijah waited as long as he could before he made his move. Yet he had to make his move before David passed, as was the custom and God-directed way. When David was getting so old that he could not care for himself (1-4), Adonijah made his move.
Adonijah did not have the backing of the high priest, the prophets, or the king’s professional soldiers and guards (10). This stands to reason because they were either loyal to God, David, or both. However, everyone else either backed him or did not challenge his attempt to seize the throne (9).
Nathan, the Lord’s prophet assigned to David, acted according to God’s direction and David’s wishes. He informed Bathsheba of Adonijah’s attempt to become king instead of Solomon, her son (11). Nathan gave sound instruction to her on how to stop it (12-14). Bathsheba agreed it was a sound plan and did as he instructed (15).
Obvious reasons exist why Adonijah wanted the seat of the highest power in the land. However, an even stronger reason existed. Verse 6 says, “His father had never interfered with him by asking, ‘Why do you behave as you do?'” David did not discipline Adonijah, nor did he instruct him in the way he should go. He did not punish him when he behaved civilly.
A wise father compliments and encourages his children. He does not exasperate them. Yet at the same time, a loving father teaches and punishes his children when they misbehave. Children need to learn social and family boundaries.
David’s speech concerning offerings to fund the building of the temple reminds me of pledge offering challenges I heard in my lifetime. I heard them in many social groups and on Christian radio, TV, concerts, and in congregational pews. “An unnamed individual(s) has given a match pledge offering challenge. The individual will match all offerings up to $$$s.”
I wondered, “They are going to give it anyway? Who are they kidding? Are they inspiring others, or do they have other motives?”
I like Jesus’ wise words, “Do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.” ” Do not announce it with trumpets.” (Matthew 6:2,3)
However, one phrase of David is unique in my experience: “Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?” (5) Consecration refers to persons or things being separated to or belonging to God. David did not say the offerings would be consecrated. Rather, he said they would be consecrating themselves to God. I never considered giving to the Lord was concencrating myself to the Lord.
Chapter 28 continues what started in chapter 23, explaining how David organized the kingdom for himself and his son. The Lord enabled David to have everything prepared for Solomon and Israel. Solomon’s reign would have been relatively easy because of all that David had done. Everyone’s life is influenced by the labor of those before us.
Ancestral influence does not mean that I am free of responsibility and decisions. David instructed his son, “Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”
Regardless of the good and poor influence of my parents, grandparents, and all those in line before God holds me accountable for how I respond and deal with their sustaining influence. I am the master of the decision to serve God in spirit and truth.
David continued, “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” David helped Solomon by making preparations to build a house as a sanctuary for the Lord. Jesus is building his house in his people, a place for his Spirit to rest. I am to continue and participate in the effort.
Chapters 23 through 26 are about the organization of the labor for the Levites, priests, musicians, gatekeepers, and the army.
Concerning the Levites, there was a problem to solve. Moses had said the Lord told him that they were to carry the ark, set up the tabernacle, and take it down when they moved. However, since the moving had stopped, what were they to do? (23:25-26) David gave them new duties to perform in the temple. This nullified many laws and regulations.
Jesus also nullified many more when he came, including the entire sacrificial system. The law is good, but also temporary. God’s plan is coming to a specific result that will eventually make all laws void.
David, in his old age, spoke of two subjects to his son: building the temple (11) and discretion and understanding in leading Israel (12).
Parents who love the Lord want their children to accept and live in a relationship with the Lord. David wanted this for his children, especially Solomon.
Parents who love their children also want their children to succeed in life; to live to the full. David wanted this for his children, especially Solomon. The man and woman who have faith in Jesus realize that the two are connected.
Solomon’s wisdom would become famous (the subject of a future DB). A wise person has the quality to apply experience, knowledge, and good judgment to life. Discretion is the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. Understanding is having insight or good judgment.
Wisdom, discretion, and understanding are all gifts of God. Reading and applying the words of the Lord will give all three and success (13). Yet if a person doesn’t practically apply wisdom, live by discretion, and follow through on understanding, they are like a ship with sails that are unfurled in a windy way. They get nowhere in life.
David was intent on building the temple. He wanted it to be “of great magnificence and fame and splendor” (5). Why? What purpose was it that the building was as such? David wanted it so because it was to be “in the sight of all the nations”.
David told his very young son Solomon of his desire and inability to build the temple (6,7). God told David that Solomon would be able to build the temple (10).
Yet, is this what the Lord wanted? Did he want a stone, cedar, and gold temple of great magnificence and fame and splendor? Is that how God wanted his name to be of fame in all the nations? No. He wanted his fame to spread because his people had followed his laws. “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.” (Isa. 51:4) God’s desire was for his people to live according to his word and spread his great name.
God told Moses to tell the Israelites what the king of his people is to do in Deuteronomy 14:14-20. This passage does not say the king was to build a temple. Instead, it greatly emphasizes that he is to copy the law of the Lord, read it daily, learn to revere the Lord his God, and follow all the words of his law and decrees.
Jesus lived the life that David, Solomon, and all the kings of Israel were to live. He made the name of God great in all the nations. He did not do this with a magnificent building of stone, silver, and gold. He did this by living and teaching God’s word.
Jesus is building a temple of flesh, bone, heart, mind, soul, and spirit. Jesus is God’s Son, and God is his Father (10). God established Jesus’ throne. His kingdom over Israel is forever (10). Jesus is my example.
David was a man, a husband, a father, a king (thus a warrior), and a man after God’s heart. That which defined him came with certain responsibilities and duties, all claiming his attention. Throughout his life, the most consistent of who he was as a person was a man who loved God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. The relationship between David and God had made it possible for David to balance the others.
David had always made a way to have time with the Lord. While in exile from Saul the high priest of the Lord (who had the ephod breastplate) was with him (1 Sam 22:10,20; 23:6; 30:7). When David moved to Jerusalem, he had the Ark of the Lord brought there (1 Chron. 16).
However, David had a problem with maintaining his relationship with his Lord. The tabernacle of the Lord, that which was to house the Ark, was on the high place at Gibeon. (1 Chron. 21:29). The tabernacle was a tent. The Lord had instructed Moses on how it was to be built and maintained. The tabernacle was the place where God’s people and especially their leaders were to inquire of the Lord and offer sacrifices.
The solution was to build a new temple made of stone, much like the one that had been at Shiloh (Jos. 18:1; Judges 18:31; 1 Sam. 3:21; 4:4; 1 Kings 2:27). David said, “The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel” (1).
David was told by the Lord that he would not be the one to build the temple; his son would. However, David did make preparations to build the temple. David believed that the LORD God being the center of life was the most important relationship a person and nation were to have. He did all in his power to ensure it.
The business of life is not an excuse to cut back on my personal and public time with the Lord. Rather, it is an incentive to become creative in how I maintain my relationship with the Lord.
Jesus’ life was often filled with nonstop healing and teaching. So he often woke up early in the morning and spent personal time with his Father (Matt. 14:23). I can follow David and Jesus’ example.
The angel of the Lord responded when David repented (18). David was to make a sacrifice on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. (18) This is the place that Abraham was about to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. This is the site where David would prepare the temple to be built.
Everyone saw the angel with his sword drawn: Araunah, his sons, David, Gad, and the elders of Israel. The angel of the Lord was standing about ready to kill Araunah and his sons as part of the punishment that resulted in David counting the fighting men. No wonder Araunah was so willing to give the rocky mountain plateau (23). Even David, who had fought many battles, was afraid (30)
David insisted on paying the full price, saying, “I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (24)
The Lord requires a tenth of income to be given. David’s sacrifice was more than the tithe. The sacrifice was to be an atonement to the LORD for David’s arrogant sin. Often offerings hurt. Offerings will be painful at times. “Though there is pain in the sacrifice…” is how a modern Christian worship song goes. (I can’t remember the rest right now.) Sacrifice can be a part of worship.
Trust, humility, and obedience will bring blessing. Doubt, pride, and rebellion will bring punishment. This is the clear message of the Chronicler(s). Is this true? It is true only for believers in Jesus, or rather, those who have made a decision to live by faith in Christ.
Why are the principles of punishment and reward so fundamentally true and important? The declaration of the Lord to Israel at Mount Ebal when they entered the promised land, and this chapter validates that these basic principles are true (Deut. 27). They are not only in the Old Testament. Jesus’ parables also validated the principles. The fact that Jesus and the apostles taught that when he comes again, he will send out his angels to separate the lambs (the faithful) and the goats (the rebellious).
Maybe the only reason that the principles of faithful trust and obedience bring reward and faithless doubt and rebellion bring punishment for those who have decided to live according to Jesus’ teachings is because the sinful nature will wage war in the soul of God’s children until the day we are transformed at his second coming.
The fact that I have a choice to do what is good and right or not is helped by the understanding and acceptance of these two principles. The fear of the Lord for the believer is the beginning of wisdom: fear of the consequences of making the wrong choice. There are consequences. This is as sure as the truth that as long as the world spins, gravity will continually pull my body to its center. Someday the gravity of punishment and reward will not be needed, for I will be given the ability to fly. Until then, I will learn to walk in the Lord.
David ordered Joab, Israel’s army commander to count the mighty men. Joab knew this was wrong. He knew it was the Lord who gives armies strength (3). The Lord enables small armies to defeat large armies. David needed to examine why he wanted to count the number of fighting men (3).
David was either worried or proud. These are self-centered and destructive. Both are motivations outside of love for God and trust in God.
Relying on self is always eventually self-defeating. Having confidence in abilities and opportunities while acknowledging that the Lord gives them is not the same as independent self-confidence. Am I proud of myself or grateful to God?
Worry is related to self-confidence. The two work together like coffee stains on wood. Worry is eventually self-defeating. I trust in God, don’t I? Then why do I worry and fret? Why do I worry about the clothes that I will wear? Why do I worry about the food that I will eat? Why do I worry about the bills that need to be paid? Why do I count?
Jesus taught, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these will be given to you as well.” Jesus is the king, not me.
The Lord promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them Canaan. The Israelites promised that they would obey him at Mount Sinai. God and Israel had made a covenant.
The two stone tablets that the covenant was written on were in the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was in a tent in Jerusalem. David wanted to build a temple to house the Ark.
Moses also wrote the covenant on parchment. He recorded other words that the Lord gave Israel. Moses wrote five books in all. They record history, commands, and direction from the Lord God.
Some of the commands concerned what the Israelites were to do once they occupied the promised land. They were to conquer it by war. The Lord promised to fight for them. When they won battles, they were to kill all the Canaanites. None of them were to live. All the spoils of war were to go to the Lord when the Lord told them so. Because the Israelites disobeyed the Lord, he told them he would keep some of their enemies in Canaan to test and to train them.
The Israelites were tired of being attacked and war. They believed it was because they didn’t have a king who would fight for them. So they asked for a king. This was yet another rejection of the Lord. God gave them a king as they asked. The king did fight for them. However, naturally, the Israelites still had to fight. Having a king did not make their lives easier as they believed. It made their life more complicated.
Israel fought two related battles in these verses. Joab leads Israel in the first battle. David leads Israel in the second battle.
David did not go to the battle with the Ammonites, the first battle. He sent Joab out (8). David did go to the battle with the Arameans, the second battle (17). Why did David stay in Jerusalem, leaving the army to Joab in the first battle?
David is king. He exercised his power. David had been fighting wars since as a young lad; he walked onto the battlefield and slew Goliath. Now he is past middle age in a city he had conquered, in a luxurious home he built, surrounded by his wives, children, and attendants. He had grown tired of constant running and fighting.
David only came out of semi-retirement to fight the Arameans in the second battle because when that loose confederation of towns and settlements in what became Syria joined their full force, they were as powerful as Israel. They were indeed a serious threat to David’s now comfortable life.
I don’t know of one single person, whether rich or poor, famous or infamous, proud or humble, accomplished or incompetent, male or female, wise or a fool, that doesn’t get tired of doing the “same old, same old.” David was tired of going out to fight spring after spring after spring. He was tired of always being on the run. So when the first threat arose, he stayed home.
Routine and good habits are very constructive and important to peace and productivity. A ship whose anchor is unused ends up embattled and beaten by storms till even only a downpour sinks its tired hull. However, God also designed us to occasionally escape routine, lift the anchor, hoist the schooner, and experience a pleasant distraction or even a short-lived disturbance.
Design good, productive habits, but do not neglect to address serious threats to the home.
David showed kindness to the son of a man he had respected. The man he respected was Nahash, king of the Ammonites. Nahash had shown David kindness. David sent a noble delegation to pay his respects when Nahash died (1,2).
Nahash’s son, Hanun, did not return the respect with kindness. Instead, he insulted David and David’s friends. He shaved David’s friends, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away in shame (4). Then he prepared to go to war against David (6-7).
I have been disrespected several times in my life. At times I have been like David and had my kindness returned with insult and injury. Several emotions spring from insult and disrespect: sadness and anger. Several thoughts spring too: doubt, blame, and confusion. The emotions and thoughts vary depending on who inflicted insult and disrespect.
Thoughts and emotions drive reactions and actions. Suppressing responses to insult and disrespect is not wise. That only delays the response, and the suppression often results in an improper response.
Returning an insult with an insult is just as destructive as suppressing the response. Returning insult to insult ends in casualties and heightened negative emotions and thoughts.
Jesus taught how to deal with insult and disrespect and the emotions and thoughts that go with them. Jesus said, “If someone stricks you on the cheek, turn to them the other cheek.” So, when I show kindness to someone, and they return the kindness with insult and disrespect, I am to show them kindness. Wow. Lord, change my character to be like yours.
Financial, military, and business success is a gift of God. God has his plans and purposes, which are mostly hidden from humans. His ways are hidden by God’s intervention and by our sin and character flaws. God’s plans include a successful streak. Often baffling is who has success and who does not. Still, a wise person will acknowledge that God makes a person successful in this season and then not in another.
David did not always have a successful streak. However, during this time he was successful. David defeated the Philistines (1), Moabites (2), Zobahites (3,4), and Arameans -future Syria (5,6). The Zobahites (120 miles north of Damascus) congratulated David and gave him gifts (9,10).
David had dedicated the plunder of war to the Lord. He put them in the treasury of the future temple (11). Solomon later used much of the war plunder to build the temple and its furnishings.
Whether God gives success or not, I should acknowledge the hand of God and honor his name. When he blesses me with success, I will give a portion back to him.
David was humble. He acknowledged his humble beginnings (16). Humility is knowing and accepting myself: my sullied past, my imperfect character, my infected soul (heart and mind), and my Lord’s mercy and grace in dealing with and purifying me.
David’s humble character came even though he knew the Lord treated him and loved him in an exalted way (17).
When I ponder myself and my relationship with God, I wonder: do I truly accept the promises he made to me through Christ? I am jealous of David because of the words he spoke to David here. I am jealous because I want them for myself. And yet through Jesus, I already do have them. So do I believe? Then why am I jealous?
The promises God makes are not connected to my sullied past, imperfect character, or infected soul; Christ has dealt with me in mercy and grace, and will continue to do so all the days of my life. When God says through the Spirit, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Rom. 8:14) and “Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Rom. 8:17), then I am the same as David. I am under the covenant of Christ.
The offspring the Lord promised who would succeed David is Jesus. Jesus is the house the Lord built. David had already built himself a fine house made of cedar (1). So the Lord’s promise to build a house for David (10b) is a different kind of house. Jesus’ house is a different kind of house.
The Lord promised to “raise up” David’s succeeding offspring. The Hebrew word for “raise up” is “qum,” meaning: arise, lift up, establish, stand, and confirm. “Qum” is a primitive root word. The implication in the Lord’s covenant with David is that the offspring will start a new kind of kingdom afresh. Jesus’ kingdom is a new kind of kingdom established on the covenant of Jesus’ blood.
Jesus’ kingdom is also a house (14). Jesus’ father is God (13). Jesus is the son of God (13). Mary’s conception was immaculate. She was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, for the Holy Spirit came upon her. A man did not come upon her. Therefore, Jesus’ physical father is God.
God loves Jesus eternally (13). Jesus is King eternally (14). Jesus’ kingdom is eternal (14). Jesus’ throne is established forever (14). Saul’s throne ended when he died. David’s line of sons who reigned ended. Jesus, the son of David, rules forever, and his kingdom is unending.
A household has children. A kingdom has subjects. I am in Jesus’ house. I am in Jesus’ kingdom. The Hebrew word “bayit” in verses 10 and 12 is also translated as a “temple”. The Lord was turning over David’s plans to build the Lord a temple. Instead, the Lord would build a temple that one son of David would build and establish. Jesus built it, and I am in that household.
After the Lord corrected and rebuked David and the prophet Nathan (4-6) he turned the tables on David. David had wanted to build a temple (1). The Lord reminded them of everything he had done for David (7). Then he told him his plans.
David was the Lord’s servant, not the other way around (7). The Lord had rescued him from being a nobody shepherd boy. The Lord had made him king. The Lord had always been with David (8). The Lord had removed all of David’s enemies. David was successful not because David was great. David had accomplished only because the Lord had made it so. David was and still is great because the Lord had made it so.
The Lord’s plans had always been for Israel’s benefit (9). The Lord had been keeping his promise to Abraham, the man of faith in the Lord God.
The Lord Jesus looked to the future. Verses 9 and 10 are future tense. In the future, they will have a place. In the future, they will have a home of their own. In the future, they will not be disturbed, In the future, wicked people will not oppress them. In the future, the Lord will subdue Israel’s enemies. That is why David was successful.
I have plans. That is good. However, do my plans match up to the Lord’s? Do my desires and dreams exist in the will of the Lord? Even if my intent is for the benefit of the Lord and others, they may not be in the will of the Lord. Or perhaps they are in the will of the Lord, but my motivation is wrong. I could be like Nathan and believe that the Lord is with me in everything I do and so I can do anything. Such thinking needs the Lord’s rebuke.
Where does God dwell? David had it wrong. The Ark of the Lord was in a tent in Jerusalem that he had constructed and pitched. (1) David implied that the Lord God was thus living in a tent. Interestingly, Nathan the prophet did not correct him (2).
I can imagine a group of people sitting at a dinner table when David decided it was time to bring up something that was on his mind and in his heart. I believe that building a temple for the Lord had been on David’s mind and in his heart ever since he saw the Philistine temples with their idols in them while he was amongst them when Saul was trying to kill him.
Nathan gave David bad advice. A man of God is not infallible, though a few I have had the acquaintance of portrayed the belief that they are. The Lord God enlightened and rebuked both David and Nathan.
“I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day,” was the Lord’s excoriation (5). Was the Lord God walking and sitting in the tabernacle, and now David’s tent invisible to our eyes? Was he lying in the Ark of the Lord? Was he the two stone tablets inside the Ark? No to all those silly questions?
The irony is the thought that anything that David would commission to be used to build a temple is but one infinitesimal piece of that which the Lord God created. Does that mean that the Spirit of God cannot be in a tent, a temple, or a person? No. For the Lord told David, “I have moved from one tent site to another…” (5)
God’s people are now the temple of God, meaning he dwells in all those who confess the name of Jesus. What does it mean for the Lord God to dwell in a tent and a person? God’s presence in something or someone does not exclude the truth that he does not dwell somewhere else.
When David was in Ziklag, located in Philistine territory, the Lord God was there too. When David was in Gath, one of their capital cities, the Lord God was there too. If David stepped inside the temple of the Philistines’ idol, the Lord God would have been there too. God was there when David was telling Nathan about his plans to build a temple. God is everywhere. The question really is, do I seek him everywhere?
The Lord God, through Moses, required the Israelites to establish a place for them to approach him physically and offer sacrifice. He had the ark built and a tent to place the ark in. The Lord through Moses also established specific people, the men of the Levite tribe, to perform the sacrifices and keep up the place where the Israelites were to meet.
David chose one Levite, Asaph, to be the high priest (37). He served at the Ark of the Lord in Jerusalem. The high priest led the other priests and performed a few important specific annual offerings. David also chose others to work with Asaph (38).
David also chose Zadok the priest to serve at the tabernacle at Mount Gibeon, not far from Jerusalem, until Solomon, David’s son, finished the temple in Jerusalem (39-41). The tabernacle of the Lord was a tent where the Israelites were to meet with the Lord.
The work of the Lord is important: “for his love endures forever” (42). A daily time to thank God for his enduring love for me is right and good. For me, it is in the morning, writing Bible Daily Bread Devotionals. Having a routine and being organized makes doing so easier and more peaceful. Working with others weekly on special occasions like Sundays and other special days is also important.
David continues his psalm during the first celebration with the Ark of the Lord in Jerusalem.
The glory and majesty of the Lord Jesus and his Father are declared in all the earth (23, 30, 31, 32, 33). The earth trembles before him, the heavens rejoice, the sea resounds, the fields jubilate, and the trees and forest sing. Lord, open my eyes to see the world you made declare your praise (24).
Jesus is coming to judge the earth (33). For some, there will be salvation (23, 35). They are the ones who joined all creation in declaring the glory and majesty of the Lord (34, 35). They gave thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his eternal love they accepted (34).
For others, there will be wrath and anger. They are the ones who others needed to be saved from (35). They did not declare the glory and majesty of God, though they knew the heavens and the earth declared his majesty. They are the ones who rejected the Lord’s salvation and love. The Lord God is to be feared (25).
As I begin this day, my soul is trying to decide which attitude to bring throughout the day: sink into bitterness and a disgruntled spirit, or be raised to praise and joy. With His word as the life to anchor my soul, I choose to join all the heavens and earth and declare his glory among the nations (23).
David starts his psalm with a set of commands: give thanks, call, make known, sing praise, tell, glory in, seek, rejoice, look to, remember – all concerning the Lord. I need to set aside time to do just this. Sunday worship service in physical presence with other believers, such as was done when the temple was dedicated. I also should keep setting aside time in the morning to read and write Bible Daily Bread Devotionals on his word and then meditate.
The Lord God’s judgments are in all the earth (14). Judgments here can also be translated as manner, cause, and ordinance. As I meditate, the Spirit can remind me of the Lord’s manner in my life for the last 24 hours. The Lord can remind me and have me ponder what he was doing in and around me. Perhaps there was something I missed, forgot, or understood incorrectly.
The Israelites were reminded of the forever covenant the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (15-17). The Lord God kept his promise. They had inherited the land of Canaan (18).
When the Lord decreed to promise it seemed a far-fetched fantasy. They were a few outliners (19). They had no home (20). Yet, they believed God. They had incessant belief. The Lord protected Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons.
What plans does he have for me? Worship him and think about his promises to me in the morning, in the early morning. Pray to him with my love before I end the day.
David starts his psalm with a set of commands: give thanks, call, make known, sing praise, tell, glory in, seek, rejoice, look to, remember – all concerning the Lord. I need to set aside time to do just this. Sunday worship service in physical presence with other believers, such as was done when the temple was dedicated. I also should keep setting aside time in the morning to read and write Bible Daily Bread Devotionals on his word and then meditate.
The Lord God’s judgments are in all the earth (14). Judgments here can also be translated as manner, cause, and ordinance. As I meditate, the Spirit can remind me of the Lord’s manner in my life for the last 24 hours. The Lord can remind me and have me ponder what he was doing in and around me. Perhaps there was something I missed, forgot, or understood incorrectly.
The Israelites were reminded of the forever covenant the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (15-17). The Lord God kept his promise. They had inherited the land of Canaan (18).
When the Lord decreed to promise it seemed a far-fetched fantasy. They were a few outliners (19). They had no home (20). Yet, they believed God. They had incessant belief. The Lord protected Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons.
What plans does he have for me? Worship him and think about his promises to me in the morning, in the early morning. Pray to him with my love before I end the day.
David knew that the Ark of the Lord, which housed the covenant with Israel, was to be in the capital city of the Lord God’s people. David wanted the symbol of the Lord’s presence to be near him. So a second time he gathered the community together to accomplish the task (1). This time he was going to do it in the way the Lord told Moses it was to be done (2). The Levites were to do it (11). So they had to prepare themselves as the Lord prescribed (12).
One of the things that the Levites were sure to do was to sing and play musical instruments (16, 19). Music has always been and always should be an important part of my worship. The Lord created music. He created men and women with an appreciation for and the ability to express ourselves in melody and rhythm.
During my teenage years, I played percussion: snare drum, drum set, and other instruments. I also occasionally sang. I still enjoy music and praising the Lord Jesus in song. I have thought of using these talents in a church setting. I was part of a choir for a while. After many years, I attempted to use my percussion talent during Sunday service. It didn’t work well, in part because I was ramping up work on FreeBibleStudyHelp.com, the blog, and the podcasts. Though these things are good and I enjoy doing them, some things just aren’t a calling for service to the Lord.
The Lord God was blessing David in all he did. David inquired before he went to battle with the Philistines (10, 14). “Shall I go and attack…” Though defending one’s territory seems obvious when an enemy attacks, David inquired anyway. The Lord was fighting in the battle (15).
At one time, I was jealous of David at this point in his life. He was king. He was building a palace. He had wives and children. He was winning battles. Most of all, the Lord God answered his prayers and was fighting with him in battles. Yes, it is true, David was not always living like this. Still, I was jealous of David at this time in his life.
Jealousy implies that I want something different in my life, and because I do not see it happening, I wonder why God isn’t answering my prayers.
Was David living such a life to be jealous of? How did he feel when the Philistines raided the Valley of Rephaim (9), not once but twice (13)? These were the same people he had aligned with around 10 years earlier when he was in exile because of Saul. I suspect David was hurt and shocked. I am not jealous of the attacks that lead to victories.
When things are going well, and something bad seems to keep happening, I need to remember to inquire of the Lord and know that God has a victory in store if I obey him. It must have been just as hard for David to wait under the balsam trees (14) as it is for me to wait for the Lord to begin the fight. Yet he did. So here I am, waiting to hear God’s instructions. I’m waiting to hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees.
The Ark of God symbolized the Lord God’s presence with the people of Israel. The only thing in this chest-shaped artifact was two stone tablets that had the covenant between the Lord God and Israel carved into them. Perhaps Aaron’s staff and the manna were in the Ark too. The people were to inquire of the Lord before the Ark.
David was the king of Israel. He moved to Jerusalem. He loved the Lord God and had inquired of the Lord God often through the high priest of God. He wanted to move the Ark to Jerusalem, so the Lord would be close to him. A man of God desires to be with the Lord at all times.
While moving the Ark from Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to Jerusalem, a man who was not a priest touched the Ark and died 9-10). He had good intentions. His intentions were not what killed him. Rather, the Lord gave Moses specific instructions on how the Ark was to be moved. David and the Israelites had not followed those instructions.
The Lord God is holy. He is to be honored and awed. He is due respect. David learned the hard way that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (12). He blesses those who honor him (14). He curses those who dishonor him. The fear of the Lord brings about obedience and blessing.
David and Saul make a good character development study. What does God desire our character to be like? What characteristics draw people to one person and away from another? Both men were chosen by God to rule Israel from a meek beginning. While some characteristics are common in the two, some differences are seen.
One stark difference can be drawn from verse 1. Saul was hunting David down not because David was an enemy of Israel. Truthfully, David was a great asset to Israel and Saul’s reign. No, David was not Israel’s enemy, nor was he Saul’s enemy. However, Saul had a misguided belief that David was his enemy.
Saul’s character was focused on self; what was good for Saul. David’s character was focused on others, what was good for Israel. This is why good fighting men deserted Saul and the comfort of a home in Israel to join David, who lived in the rugged semi-desert city just outside of Israel’s territory in David’s time.
David’s character is seen in the way he dealt with the Benjamites who came to him (16-18). Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin. Naturally, David would be skeptical about the intention of a group of fighting Benjamites arriving at his refuge city. David did not attack them. Nor did he turn them away. Rather, David accepted them, trusting that the God of their fathers knew their intentions and would deal with them (17). This took faith in God, which strengthens a person’s courage.
The character that God looks for is one that trusts and loves him. A character that does so is after God’s own heart. They want to be like Christ, who is the exact representation of God’s being. A character that trusts God overcomes fear with faith. They have peace of mind because their thoughts are not on themselves but on God and others. Do I rely on God, or myself?
The Lord had promised David kingship when he was a young teenager. The Lord had promised Israel that he would protect his people with strong support (10). The Lord kept his promise through David.
David did not accomplish and maintain strong support for Israel on his own. He had a group of men appointed as leaders of the army. The leaders of men were assigned based on their ability and courage. None of David’s brothers, cousins, or uncles were given special places. When a man proved himself, David gave him rank.
A great leader doesn’t need to be skilled in everything. He only needs to have at least one great skill. Recognize the gift, skill, and potential that God gives someone else and place them in the right position so that gift can be used for God’s greater good. David had this skill.
Three of David’s men showed great devotion to David (15-19). They risked their lives to bring David a drink of water. David poured it out because he recognized that he was not worthy of such devotion and made the water a drink offering to the Lord. A great leader does not desire self-glory and adoration. A great leader seeks others to admire the Lord’s glory and gives the Lord adoration.
David was a great leader. Yet, Jesus is the best example of a leader. He appointed others to carry out the work of the gospel. Jesus was subject to God his Father and showed his followers how to respect his Father. He chose twelve and trained them. Each had a skill that was best for a specific task. No two were alike. Jesus also did not show favor to his brothers.
David was starting anew when crowned king of Israel in Hebron. He had lived in the remote desert city of Ziklag. When Saul died, he moved to Hebron, where Judah made him their king. Seven years and six months later, all Israel made him king. The Lord was enabling David to slowly improve his life (9).
David, the new king of Israel, needed a new capital city to rule from. Partly being a successful military man for many years, David decided to take the fortress city of Jebus. When the Lord enabled him to achieve it, he renamed it Jerusalem (4).
Partly being a man of faith, David may have known that Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah, the mountains this city was on, were the location where Abraham, in faith, offered his son Jacob as a sacrifice to the Lord (though the Lord stopped Abraham). Also, Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, was from the city, then called Salem (Genesis 14:18). (Archaeological evidence has been found.)
Partly being an administrator, David chose Jebus because it was centrally located. David made it easy for the people to come to him and for him to quickly go to any border to defend the nation. Most likely, he also intended to build the temple in Jerusalem and move the ark from the beginning as well. Being centrally located would make going to the temple easier.
As the Lord enables me to make small improvements in my life, I need to ask and answer questions. Will this decision make my life and my family’s life safer? Is this decision good for my relationship with God? Does this decision make practical administrative sense?
Taking the city was not easy (5-6). Yet it was well worth it. This is where God wanted Israel’s capital city to be. This is where the Lord wanted his king to rule from. Most importantly, this is where the Lord would rule his people from.
David was crowned king twice while living in the city of Hebron, the then main city of Judah, located south of Jerusalem (1; 2 Samuel 2:1-4). Only Judah crowned him at first. He was king of Judah in Hebron for seven years and six months. David’s second crowning was for all Israel. (1-3; 2 Samuel 5:1-5) All Israel attended the second crowning. Yet, before David reigned, he lived a very hard and troubled life. He had many misfortunes and setbacks.
David was the youngest of many brothers, a runt probably born from an illegitimate conception. His brothers and his parents thought little of him, giving him the most unwanted family job, watching sheep. (1 Samuel 16:1-3)
When Israel went to war, he was not sent while his older brothers were because his family didn’t think much of his abilities. (1 Samuel 17:14, 28) After David became a successful warrior, Saul, the king of Israel, tried repeatedly to kill him. David eventually had to go into exile and live in caves and the shabby desert town of Ziklag. Ziklag was outside Israel’s territory. (1 Samuel 27:6)
Year after year, David had to struggle to find food and shelter. He lived a miserable life for most of his life before he became king of Israel. Through all this, David did not lose faith in God. He prayed continually and wrote many now-famous psalms. The subject of his psalms concerned the Lord and his trust in God. David, through hardship, grew in faith and in character.
No matter year and year, when life is filled with misfortunes and setbacks, I should be only concerned that my master asks me every day, “Did you live true to your conscience today? Did you act in the character of Christ?”
Saul had been called from an ordinary life to be the first king of Israel. His only extraordinary attribute was that he was taller than most. He was not a man of faith in God. He had no fear of God. Saul was the type of man Israel wanted when they asked the Lord to give them a king like other nations.
Saul was unfaithful to the Lord (13). He did not keep the word of the Lord (13). He did whatever he believed was best for himself. From a human point of view, he was successful. Yet his character shortcomings led him to pursue the unwise. Saul did not pray (14). He did not seek the Lord. He even consulted a medium for guidance (13; 1 Sam. 28:3-15). His lack of faith and trust in the Lord led to his suicide (4).
Life often gets hard. Times come when all is unbearable. Waves of despair and disaster endlessly pound us, like we’re a hurricane beach. We feel and believe we’re worthless. We want to give up. Times like these test a soul’s character. Will I trust God? Will I believe in his grace and mercy? Will I do the right thing? Saul did not do the right thing because he relied on himself. He had not made it his custom to seek God in all situations, whether bad or good. When tested, he drowned in self-reliance.
