Priestly tasks for New Testament believers

Text 1 Chronicles 23 Time 07 04 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I'd like us to return this evening to our studies in 1 Chronicles. We have reached the point where David's life is coming to an end and he is making preparations for the succession of his son, Solomon. I have said to you before that Chronicles was probably compiled by Ezra or by someone else with a priestly background and the interest in the temple comes out in these books in a way that it does not in the partly parallel Books of Kings. This is especially so in Chapters 23-26.

I want us to look at Chapter 23 tonight. One of its characteristics is that it contains a number of names, something typical of Chronicles but that we have not seen for a while. In verses 6-13 about 25 names appear and then there are another 22 or so in verses 14-24; all Levites.

The main thing here is the way David gives certain tasks to the Levites that are, in part, things that they had done in the past but that are a development. Verses 25 and 26 explain how David had said, "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service." Because they no longer had the duty of carrying the tabernacle and its articles (in fact they had not moved the tabernacle much since entering the Promised Land under Joshua) there was room to develop other skills and duties.

By this stage, of course, we have moved on again and there is now not only no tabernacle but no Temple either and so what is written here needs to be developed again. The other big change is that the Levitical priesthood has been superseded by the Melchizedekian one and is not longer the province of one tribe but is the position of every true believer. All believers are priests to God and this chapter is a help to us in knowing the sorts of things we ought to be doing. The tasks and duties of Levites and priests are set out in at least three places in this chapter. I want us to look at these verses in their context and see how they apply to us who believe today. Three things then

1. Consider the priestly tasks of worship, judgement, gatekeeping and praise

So (1) When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. As part of his preparations for Solomon's reign (2,3) He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.

He then proceeded to divide up these 38,000 so that different ones had four different jobs. In verses 4 and 5 it says David said,

Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the LORD

and six thousand are to be officials and judges.

Four thousand are to be gatekeepers

and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.

Four tasks then - worship, judgement, gatekeeping and praise.

As priests to the Lord today, our main task is the worship of God. The temple no longer stands but we ourselves are to be temples of the Holy Spirit and together we are to be (1 Peter 2:5) like living stones ... built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We also have a task of discernment and making judgements. Paul says (1 Corinthians 2:15) The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, ....

Further, as priests to God they were to be involved in guarding the Temple. The unclean, the unqualified and any troublemakers needed to be kept out. We are used to the word gatekeeper being used in a wider way. So today we need to be careful in matters such as church membership and who takes communion and the need to make sure our doctrine conforms to what the Bible actually says. Care needs to be taken. There is a need for constancy and diligence without excluding God's people.

And then fourthly there is the important matter of praise. As priests to God we are to praise his name. Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

2. Consider the Levites and the tasks of consecration, sacrifice, serving and blessing

We get more detail from verse 6 on. There we read how David separated the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. We are then given some of the names of these people

7 Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel - three in all.

9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran - three in all.

These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei - four in all. 11 Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel - four in all. We then come (13) to The sons of this Amram: who are, of course, Aaron and Moses. We are told that Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, with four tasks in particular in mind.

to consecrate the most holy things,

to offer sacrifices before the LORD,

to minister before him

and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.

So consecration, sacrifice, serving and blessing. These are tasks that belong supremely to our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who consecrates or sanctifies by the Spirit and whose one great sacrifice on the cross saves us. He is a servant to God and serves also as he prays for us in heaven. He also blesses us from heaven with every blessing.

These are tasks, further, that to a lesser extent fall also to every believer - consecration, sacrifice, serving and blessing.

• Consecration. We are under an obligation to consecrate ourselves to the Lord and to his service. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. Romans 6:13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
• Sacrifice. Priests make sacrifices. We have spoken before of the sacrifices commended to us in the New Testament. 1 Peter 2:5 speaks in general terms of offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Other New Testament texts specify that these sacrifices include - 
• Faith (Philippians 2:17) … the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, ….
• Praise (Hebrews 13:15) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
• Prayer (Revelation 5 8) … golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.
• Sharing with others (Hebrews 13:16) And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
• Indeed all of life (Romans 12:1) Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. There must be sacrifice and there must be self-denial. Otherwise, we are not really living as priests.
• Serving. Romans 7:6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. In Philippians 2:4 we are told that we should look not to our own interests but each of us to the interests of the others. Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
• Blessing. It is our privilege as New Testament believers to be a blessing to other believers. As a priest, it is your calling not merely to pronounce words of blessing on others but to be a real means under God of bringing spiritual peace and happiness to his people. By means of our prayers, our words, our acts of kindness, we can bless others, even those who are older or more mature in the faith than we may be. Many New Testament verses speak to this - Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. Romans 12:13 Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ... encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

3. Consider the Levites and the tasks of service, worship, purification, facilitation and praise

The names continue in verses 14-23. We are told (14) that The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. Two are named in verse 15 Gershom and Eliezer. It goes on

16 The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first.

17 The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

Some are then mentioned and their sons.

18 The sons of Izhar were Shelomith was the first.

19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Ishiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

22 Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth - three in all.

The writer then concludes (24) These were the descendants of Levi by their families - the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the LORD. We then have the words already quoted (25, 26)

For David had said, "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service." And then 27 According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

The final verses of the chapter (28-32) then once again list the duties and responsibilities of the Levites.

28-32 The duty of the Levites was

to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the temple of the LORD:

to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God.

They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the special flour for the grain offerings, the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.

They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals.

They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the Holy Place and, under their relatives the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the LORD.

Five more terms then, some new some we have had before, that describe the work of a Levite or priest - service, worship, purification, facilitation and praise.

• Service. We are told here that in general the work of the Levites was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the temple of the LORD. The section ends (32) with a wrap around - They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them. Service then should be watch word for us. Salvation Army officers have the letters SS on their uniforms. It stands for saved to serve.
• Worship. They were to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, which were part of the Temple complex. So, worship once again. How important!
• Purification. Also the purification of all sacred things that is in the Temple. it is a reminder to us of the importance of personal holiness. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
• Facilitation and the performance of other duties at the house of God. Examples are given They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the special flour for the grain offerings, the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size. All very practical work. it is a reminder of the many practical ways we can live as priests today praying, reading the Word and living it out, speaking to others of Christ, etc.
• Praise. They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals. We must never forget the call to praise God. Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. In Psalm 46:6, 7 it says Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. Let's do it daily.

The King and His Temple: Be strong, be brave, unafraid not downcast

Text 1 Chronicles 22 Time 10 03 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I grew up on a housing estate so most of the houses I saw as a boy were clearly built according to similar patterns. Not all the houses were the same but many were the same as each other. They'd been built quickly, together, uniformly. However, there were one or two mostly older houses that weren't like that. There was one particular house that everyone said the man had built himself. It's still rare today to build your own house but it happens. You can watch TV programmes charting how some have been made. There is certainly something exciting about watching a building going up - the route from the plans to the finished thing.

We come this week to 1 Chronicles 22 and to the account of how David began preparations for the building of the Temple, which would be completed by his son Solomon. This is the subject that the writer of Chronicles, probably Ezra or another priest, has been working up to.

The chapter begins and closes with references to David's preparations. Verses 1-4 tell us how David assembled stone cutters in Jerusalem and amassed very large amounts of iron, bronze and cedarwood for the project. Then at the end, verses 14-19, we have a reference again to David's provisions for the Temple this time to gold and silver as well as bronze, iron, wood and stone as well as to the assembled workforce. David orders Israel's leaders to help Solomon in his task and building the sanctuary of the LORD.

The heart of the chapter then is verses 5-13. Verse 5 and verses 7-10 are words about Solomon - verse 5 about his youth and inexperience, the need for the Temple to be magnificent and the preparations David has made and verses 7-10 about how David had it in his heart to build the Temple but was told his son would be the builder.

That leaves verses 6 and 11-13, David's words to Solomon, which are firstly a reference to the charge then some detail - David wants God to be with Solomon and give him success. He prays for Solomon - discretion and understanding ... so that he may keep the law of the LORD ... and be successful as he obeys. David says Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. This would appear to be the heart of the message here then - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. The words are originally spoken by King David to his son as he contemplates building the Temple in his day. They are also the words of the Lord Jesus to every son of God today, as they go about the work of building his Temple on earth. That is a good way of speaking of our earthly task. It is how Paul speaks to believers at the end of Ephesians 2 (21,22) In him Christ the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Three things then chiefly by way of encouragement in this task.

1. The King and the Temple - a site chosen, workers appointed, materials provided

1. A site chosen

Deciding where to build a place is always a significant moment. Several nations down the years have decided to build federal capitals from scratch. Imagine places like Washington, Canberra, Abuja and Brasilia when there was nothing there. Their sites were all chosen with great care. So here. Then David said, "The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel." This follows on from what happens in the previous chapter. Because of David's sin in numbering the people, a plague comes on Jerusalem but it is dramatically stopped just as the angel of death reaches the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David is aware of it and led by God he purchases the site and, as commanded, makes offerings on an altar there. But there is more, this site, on one of the mountains or hills of Jerusalem becomes the site for The house of the LORD God and the altar of burnt offering which we are told was then at Gibeon. The ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God were to be brought for the first time into a temple, their first time in a solid structure rather than a tent, in this very place.

It is common to refer to the site as Zion but in fact we learn later (2 Chronicles 3:1) that the site was on Mount Moriah, which was, of course, where Abraham had been commanded to sacrifice his only son Isaac. It was full of significance then.

So today when a person becomes a Christian their body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit, the place where God dwells. That person is under a compulsion to join with others in a local church so that together we may be (in Peter's words) like living stones, ... being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

2. Workers appointed. We read secondly (2) So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. If a temple is going to be built then workers are needed to build it. The priority will be stonecutters to do the laborious and back breaking work of dressing the stones that would be used to construct the central place of worship.

Now the interesting thing here is that it is foreigners that David chooses for this task. I'm sure that David had his reasons for the choice - probably because these workers would be working hard and would be under some compulsion, which he was not going to impose of his fellow Israelites. It may be that there were foreigners who were particularly skilled in this area.

Whatever David's reasons it is interesting for us Gentiles as it looks forward to our day when the temple of God - the church - would be constructed chiefly by non-Jews.

3. Materials provided. David was not to be allowed to build the temple but he would do all he could to prepare things for Solomon. Not only did he assemble workers but he also (3, 4) provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David. These are examples of his provisions; a few more come later. The emphasis here is on David's generosity (a large amount of iron ... more bronze than could be weighed ... more cedar logs than could be counted) and his thoroughness. Would you have thought of the need for iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings? I'm not sure I would have. And then the efforts to get cedar wood into the country.

This, of course, points us to the preparations and provisions Christ has made for his church. In Ephesians 4 Paul reminds us of how when Christ ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. These include, says Paul, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. It has all been prepared by Christ. All that is required of us is to make use of his provision.

2. The King and the Temple - the builder chosen, preparations extended, a charge given

We are hoping to build flats in the church basement We are busy working with the architect on what it will be like. Specifications are really important. Who the builder is matters. So here again.

1. The builder chosen. The story of how David wanted to build the temple but was told, no, his son Solomon would do it, is assumed. So we read (5) David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations. Here the double emphasis is on how on one hand the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendour in the sight of all the nations and on the other how young and inexperienced Solomon was.

Again the application is obvious. On the one hand to be involve in the work of advancing Christ's kingdom, building his church, is to be involved in something great and magnificent. And yet even the oldest and most experienced of us, what are we? We are so far from being equal to the task, we shrink from it.

2. Preparations extended. But then come wonderful words Therefore I will make preparations for it. So David made extensive preparations before his death. Yes we are weak and inexperienced by nature, as Solomon was, but our King, the everlasting father Jesus provides us with all that we need.

3. A charge given. The third thing here is the charge to Solomon from David. We read how David called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. He begins (7-10) David said to Solomon: "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who 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.'

So historically, although David is keen to build God's house and indeed gets the go ahead at first, in the end he's told he is not the one to build the temple. No, it will be Solomon's work. The reason recorded is that David shed blood and fought many wars. Solomon was to be a man of peace, as his name suggests, and he was to live in a time of peace - he is the one God wanted to build his house.

Perhaps we can suggest that there is a similarity here in the transition from the age of Christ to the age of the Spirit in which we now are. Christ came to win redemption. His blood was shed and victory was won at the cross. He then ascended to heaven and after ten days he sent the Holy Sprit, the dove, through whom the work of the kingdom now goes on - the building of the temple of God on earth. We then are under a charge from Christ to build the church with the help the Spirit gives.

3. The King and the Temple - the builder encouraged, preparations noted, all called on to help

Three final things then.

1. The builder encouraged, Verses 11-13. David says to Solomon or Christ says to us - Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would. May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

So remember that if we are believers, the Lord is with us and we will be successful in seeking to build his church for that reason. We need discretion and understanding in our privileged position, in order to obey God's law. Then there is this four part exhortation Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. It is easy to be afraid or to get discouraged but there is no need for that. Rather we must find our strength in Christ and be encouraged in him.

2. Preparations noted again. Once again in verses 14-16 there is reference to the preparations David has made for Solomon to do the work. I have taken great pains he says to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. He goes on You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron - craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you. Solomon can get on with the work confidently because he knows the preparations David has made - the materials amassed, the workers assembled.

We are in the same position. Christ has done it all. He has prepared for us all we need. Remember Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Christ says to you don't be afraid, be encouraged, all will be well through me.

3. All called on to help. The final thing here is verses 17-19 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, "Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the LORD and to his people. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD."

Once again, these are Christ's words to believers today - God is with you; he has granted you rest on every side. He has made you a Christian and now you can live for his glory in freedom, serving the Lord. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may know God's presence among you for his praise.

There's a story that goes around in various forms about a child with a serious disease. The child can be saved if the blood of a sibling is transfused into them. The sibling is willing and the operation takes place. The child clearly brightens and then the sibling asks when they will start to die, not realising that they could give blood in this way and survive! It's corny and probably not true but it illustrates courage well. Are we courageous enough to care that much for each other?

Trouble, Mercy and Atonement

Text 1 Chronicles 21 Time 03 03 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We come this evening to 1 Chronicles Chapter 20. It is a difficult chapter in some ways and raises some questions for us, perhaps. However, it is full of relevant teaching for us if we are willing to look to God for his help. It contains the story of how David decided to number the people in a census, an act disapproved of by Joab and condemned by God. It leads indirectly, however, first to punishment but then to the beginnings of what would be the Temple in Jerusalem.

There us an argument for saying that at the centre of the chapter is verse 14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. So here is a terrible event right at the heart of what we find here. That makes us feel a little uncomfortable perhaps but it is the case that this terrible event is surrounded by acts of mercy. Both in verses 13 and 15 the idea of mercy is prominent. In verse 13 we read that David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands." Then in verse 15 it is And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The Angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. The other verses can also be matched in this way. For example verses 2-4 Joab’s objection and David’s insistence and verses 23-25 Araunah’s objection and David’s insistence; verses 5, 6 Journey and tally, verses 20-22 Journey and purpose. If we see verses 29, 30 as a footnote the climax of the chapter is verses 26-28 and the idea of atonement. David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

The footnote (29, 30) explains that The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon unlike the ark. But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

So here in 1 Chronicles 21 we have three common and often repeated ideas that we find throughout Scripture – fall, mercy and atonement. Whatever difficulties we may have with things in this passage, we must not miss these fundamental matters.

We can roughly divide the story up into three parts by asking three double questions

1. Who incited David to make trouble and take a census of Israel and what was wrong with it?

Two questions then

1. Who incited David to take a census of Israel? In the parallel passage in 2 Samuel 24 we read that the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, Go and take a census of Israel and Judah. Here, however, it says that Satan incited David to do it. Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

So here it is, one of those many contradictions that we are told the Bible contains. But is it a contradiction? Not really. Rather, it is an insight into what happened. It is clear that God permitted Satan to act as he did and David to act as he did in turn. The writer of 2 Samuel is simply acknowledging in a very bald way that it is God who was behind all this, as he is behind everything. When we accept the sovereignty of God we accept that he is in absolute control of all things, nothing omitted. It is not always possible to trace directly why things happen but we know that always at the back of every event is the sovereign and all-powerful God. We also know that Satan will miss no opportunity, if he is allowed, to try to harm God's people.

2. What was wrong with numbering the people? The other question is what exactly is wrong with numbering the people. It is clear that the act was wrong (even Joab can see that, verses 2-4 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are." But Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?" The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.) but it is not immediately apparent in what way it was wrong. A number of suggestions have been made. We can mention some four theories.

1 David omitted to collect the atonement money mentioned in Exodus 30. It seems likely that this was a one off event revived later on, however.

2 David acted with wrong motives. He was being proud and self-sufficient in acting as he did.

3 David was planning further invasions – something either lacking in wisdom or contrary to God’s will.

4 David was failing to trust in the Lord. It can be argued from 1 Chronicles 27 that he was planning to carry out a census among those below the age of 20 thus enabling him to ascertain the future strength of his army. This shows a lack of faith as the future is in God’s hands not man’s.

There is no way of knowing whether any of these theories is right. The fact is that it does not say why this act was wrong. All we know is that it was wrong. There is a mystery here again, one we must humbly accept.

The rest of what is said in verses 1-4 is pretty straightforward. The king speaks to Joab about numbering the people. Joab objects but is over-ruled. He goes throughout Israel and then returns to Jerusalem. There is more detail in 2 Samuel.

2. What did Joab do, thinking the command repulsive and what did God do, thinking it evil?

1. What did Joab do? Joab was so convinced that what David was doing was wrong that he decided to frustrate David's plan and purpose. In verses 5 and 6 we read that Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. We often see this where people plan evil and try to carry it out but they are frustrated for various reasons. We should be thankful to God for his providence in this area.

2. What did God do? We then read, much more importantly, in verse 7 that This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel and no sooner had the deed been done than (we read in verse 8) Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." God hears his prayer and Gad the Seer is sent to him. Verses 9,10 The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'"

David is given a choice from three by Gad (11, 12)

So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice:

three years of famine,

three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you,

or three days of the sword of the LORD - days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.' Gad saysNow then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me."

I think we are best to understand verse 13 as David rejecting the middle option of three months fleeing from one’s enemies and leaving to God the choice from three years of famine or three days of plague. Verses 13, 14 David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands."

The upshot was that (15) the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, (ie the third day or maybe sooner) and 70,000 of the people died. So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

In verse 15 mercy comes in powerfully as mentioned - And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand.

We are told that The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Verses 16, 17 probably contain a flashback to what had happened. David (had) looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. David said to God, "Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people."

We are then told that (18, 19) Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD. This we will come to in a moment.

The thing to hold onto here is David’s realisation that God is a God of mercy. This is typical of him. One writer speaks about having your best theology in your darkest moments. That’s how David was. We ought to be the same. Sadly, we tend to think of God’s wrath as being the norm and his mercy the exception Instead, we ought to see, as David saw, that mercy is in fact the norm with God. That is why David is willing to cast himself upon a God who has shown such frightening wrath.

Dale Ralph Davis tells the strange story of a toddler falling into the gorilla enclosure in an Illinois zoo and being rescued by a female gorilla (seven year old Binti). As he says, we are grateful but would not want to trust another child to Binti. Don’t we sometimes think of God like that too? Do we have a distorted gorilla view of God’s mercies?

3. What was the surprising sequel to this story and what does it teach us about atonement?

The last thing to focus on is the sequel to the story and a reminder of something that lies at the very heart of the Christian faith – atonement through sacrifice. Without a proper understanding of these verses at the end we will miss something important. What happens in verse 15 is that God’s hand is stayed. There still needs to be an act of atonement before the wrath is entirely removed. The end of the plague is most intimately tied into the sacrifice that follows.

It is described for us in verses 20-23. While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground. David said to him, "Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price." When we read how the Gentile Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this." that may be a traditional way of bargaining rather than a genuine offer. Certainly David replies (24) to Araunah "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of golf for the site.

And so we end the chapter more or less with an atoning sacrifice Verses 26-28 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. God provides an altar and so atonement can be made and his mercy is revealed in the midst of wrath. Isn’t this a clear pointer to the cross and to what Christ has done? Isn’t this the heart of the faith?

Fighting, Forgiveness and Victory

Text 1 Chronicles 20 Time 24 02 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I'd like us to look this evening at 1 Chronicles 20, the next chapter in the book. You will notice that the chapter is very short - only 8 verses. When you look at the parallel passage in 2 Samuel the same material is covered in two chapters and 58 verses. In fact there are several chapters in 2 Samuel after this that are simply not replicated in 1 Chronicles. There are reasons for this and there are lessons to learn even from what is missing.

As we have often said, we who are believers today are in a battle, a war, a spiritual one. It lacks the physical dimension that we see here but it means to say that there are lessons for us to learn from passages like this one about the spiritual battle that we face.

There are three things to say, firstly in connection with the first three verses and the defeat of the Ammonites and then, thirdly, in connection with the other five verses and what is said of the defeat of these Philistine giants.

1. Learn from what is said here of David's defeat of the Ammonites

Firstly, we read that (1) In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. We are told how He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. Ammon was to the east of the Jordan just north of Moab. Relations were always quite fractious. This current spat you remember had arisen when David tried to show kindness to the Ammonite king Hanun, following the death of his father Nahash. David's sincerity had been doubted and it had led to a major diplomatic incident and eventually a war in which Ammon was roundly defeated. Here we learn that the Ammonite capital Rabbah was taken in this war.

It reminds us of the victories over sin that we know in our lives from time to time. In verse 2 we read how David took the crown from the head of their king - or perhaps their idol - its weight was found to be a talent of gold, (over 100 lbs or 50 k) and it was set with precious stones - and it was placed on David's head. David points forward to Christ and this is a reminder that every time we experience victory over sin, Christ is exalted and he gains a crown as it were.

We also read that He took a great quantity of plunder from the city and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labour with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. This is a reminder of Christ's advancing kingdom and the way that when he is victorious, sin is defeated and we begin to live as we should in his service.

2. Learn from what is not said here of David's defeat of the Ammonites

In the music hall era at the beginning of the 20th century there was a performer called Marie Lloyd who was always being complained about by respectable people for what she sang. The thing with Marie Lloyd is that when people tried to examine her songs for scandal, it was hard to find it. It was not so much what she sang as the way she sang it, or, as someone once put it, it was not what she left in but what she left out that made the difference. What you leave out can be as important as what you put in.

Or to give another illustration, Claude Debussy the French composer famously said of music that it is not the notes but the silence between the notes that makes it. And, of course, it is true that the space between notes, the intervals, is almost as important as the notes themselves.

I say this because the difference between 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles here is that in 2 Samuel we have the sordid tale of how because David remained in Jerusalem instead of going out to battle, as it says here, he fell into adultery with Bathsheba and when he tried to cover up his sin, he made things worse by having her husband murdered.

We can learn from the way the writer handles things a number of things.

1. Generally speaking, the Bible is very frank about the sins of the saints. It lets us know that Noah got drunk, Abraham told lies, Moses was a murderer, Paul and Barnabas argued after Mark let them down and David was an adulterer and a murderer. We too ought to acknowledge that the best men fall. None are perfect.

2. However, there is a reticence about speaking of such sins. It would have been perfectly fair for the writer to have mentioned David's adultery and his other sins at this time but he does not. He draws a veil over it. That same sort of reticence is found in other places. Take Mary Magdalene for example who I think it is clear was a prostitute before her conversion and was the same person as the Mary of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. However, it is not spelled out too clearly. We have to piece it together. We should show the same reticence in speaking about the sins of others.

3. Beyond that there is surely something even greater and that is to do with what happens to our sins after we have confessed them to God and forsaken them. I think we can be pretty confident that they will never be mentioned again.

In Isaiah 43:25 God says to his people I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Jeremiah 31:34 No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Do you remember ever as a child doing wrong and being told that you would be punished but then not being punished because your mam or dad forgot? Sometimes you thought they had forgotten but then they remembered but rarely they really had forgotten. Well, here God deliberately forgets!

Do you know that children's song?

Gone, Gone, Gone, Gone! Yes, my sins are gone.

Now my soul is free, and in my heart's a song;

Buried in the deepest sea;

Yes, that's good enough for me. 

I shall live eternally,

Praise God! My sins are GONE!

No man can forgive you though some priests may claim they can. Only God can do it and he will if you look to him.

3. Learn from what is said here of victories over Philistine giants

The third and final thing I want to say concerns the three giant Philistines mentioned in verses 4-8. There we learn of war with the Philistines and three particular situations. In each case we are told of a Philistine (Sippai, Lahmi brother of Goliath and an unnamed giant) and the person who killed the giant (Sibbekai the Hushathite, Elhanan son of Jair and Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother). There are some other details too and it is noted that these men descended from Rapha. So

Verses 4-8

In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated.

In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.

In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot - twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him. These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

The tallest family in the world at the moment measures an average of 201.18 cm (6 ft 7.20 in), achieved by Sjoerd Zegwaard, Janneke van Loo and their children Dirk, Rinze and Sjoerd H (all from the Netherlands) as verified in Weesp, Netherlands, on 13 October 2019.

Polydactyly is apparently

• Most often in the right hand and left foot
• Most often in hand over feet
• Twice as common among men
• It the USA it occurs today in 1 in 1000 births in the general population
• Among African Americans it occurs 1 in 150 births
• There was a report of a family called Da Costa and all 15 had 24 digits.

It is interesting that though we read of giants on the Philistine side, we learn of none on Israel's side. Nevertheless, these giants were defeated and they were defeated by ordinary men, trusting in the Lord. That is the way for us to be victorious too.

Matthew Henry comments "In the conflicts between grace and corruption there are some sins which, like these giants, keep their ground a great while and are not mastered without much difficulty and a long struggle: but judgment will be brought forth unto victory at last."

One of these giants taunted Israel but he was defeated in the end. God's enemies cannot stand. When their time comes they will fall.

Duty, Victory and Certainty

Text 1 Chronicles 19 Time 10 02 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

1 Chronicles 19, like 2 Samuel 10, tells the story of how David in an act of diplomatic kindness sent a delegation to Hanun, King of the Ammonites, following the death of his father. We are told (2) how David thought, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. The word used is the word for covenant love used often in the Old Testament. Whether David and Nahash had entered formally into a covenant we do not know but David had been shown kindness, probably when he was on the run from Saul, and he felt under an obligation to do something in return. However, David’s act of kindness is misinterpreted and Hanun is convinced that David has hostile intentions. Therefore, the delegation is sent back greatly humiliated with its manhood disfigured and uncovered. This leads to a major war, the Ammonites hiring 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers and many others. Initially Joab and Israel’s army are victorious but the Ammonites and their allies regroup with even more re-enforcements from the other side of the Jordan. This time, under David himself, Israel wins another great victory. It is all very compressed but it is very vivid and one gets a sense of crisis as the story rapidly proceeds and changes in the situation come along.

If we want to divide the chapter up it is worth looking out for the phrase saw that or similar words

NB (This insight is from Dale Ralph Davies)

6 When the Ammonites realised that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah ....

10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans.

15 When the Ammonites realised that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem …

16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers ...

19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David …

Although some feel that David is too good to be true here it is surely better to see these chapters as establishing how faithful David was in his relationships with others before we come to the tragedy of his adultery with Bathsheba. It is not too much to say that David is both a great example to us here and a type of the Saviour who was to come, the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, in the battle scenes Joab, perhaps surprisingly, is an example to us of true faith about the future.

We want to say three main things from the passage.

1. It is your duty to show kindness to those outside the church as well as those within

A W Pink takes the view that David should never have been showing kindness to the Ammonites in the first place. They were the descendants of Ammon son of Lot following his incest with his daughter. They were certainly a cruel and wicked people on the whole and thoroughly bad. In Deuteronomy 23:3-6 Israel is told that No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.

But here there is not a hint of disapproval, however, and it is surely right that David be commended for his act of kindness. He is a model for us. We can learn three or four practical things from his example.

1. When others, believers or not, face trouble we should be sympathetic. Verse 1 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. David thought, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash. David did nothing too grand. He simply showed sympathy. In some ways it was very formal but it was an act of kindness nevertheless and stands as an example to us. Do we have the same spirit? Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

2. We should never forget the kindnesses of others towards us. It seems that the chief thing that prompted the at of kindness on David’s part was the kindness that he had received from Hanun’s father. David thought, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash because his father showed kindness to me. We should never forget an act of kindness but always be ready to do what we can to repay good with good. Romans 13:7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour.

3. We should not be surprised when even the most innocent acts of kindness are misread and rejected. Verses 2-4 So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven't his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?" So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

Of course, it would be naïve to suppose that simply showing kindness will lead to sweetness and light. Here the whole attempt backfires. Clearly the Ammonites are looking for an excuse to quarrel but it is a warning to us. Romans 12:17, 18 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Sometimes it is not possible, however.

4. It is foolish to suppose that a few more little acts of kindness will soon make the world a better place. Perhaps we can expand on this in this way. Sometimes we get people saying this sort of thing and perhaps we start thinking it ourselves at times. It is all very well but the reality is that the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19) who has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see (2 Corinthians 4:4). We ought not to forget that At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. How did we live? We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. (Titus 3:3).

2. In the Lord Jesus Christ ultimate victory is certain

I suppose we can see some parallels with the Lord Jesus simply in the thought of his kindnesses to people, which are so often misunderstood and rejected. We say with Paul (Romans 2:4) Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance? However, the main thing here is the parallel with Psalm 2. We make four points under this second heading.

1. The forces that gather against the Lord’s anointed are many and varied. Here it is the Ammonites aided by all sorts of others. Verses 6, 7 When the Ammonites realised that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle. Others are mentioned too in 2 Samuel.

The names and the preferred weapons change down the years but the same basic intent remains the same. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. Let us break their chains, they say, and throw off their fetters. We should expect such opposition. It is nothing new. When I was growing up the great enemy was modernism, now it appears to be postmodernism. Other isms will follow, no doubt.

2. Even when defeated, they regroup and come again. Here we read of a great victory over this first group. However, they regroup and try again, this time supplemented by more Arameans. Verse 16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them. This again is always the way with those who oppose the Lord and his anointed. It is nothing new. Modernism hasn’t gone away, it is simply regrouping for another attack if that is allowed.

3. Nevertheless, the Lord will ultimately overcome them. This is the great lesson to take from what happens here. Firstly, David sends out Joab with the entire army and even though they are surrounded, with armies on both sides, they are able to (13) Be strong, and ... fight bravely for their people and the cities of their God. They knew The LORD will do what is good in his sight and so they fought until the LORD gave them victory as the Arameans fled and the Ammonites did the same and were routed.

When they regroup and come again, King David himself, the saviour of his people, leads his army out and there is a great victory for Israel. It points to the ultimate victory that Jesus Christ himself will bring about at the end of time. 17, 18 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.

4. In the end they will be subject to the Lord, afraid to rebel again. In verse 19 we read that When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore. A day is coming when all who have not yet kissed the Son will have to sue for peace. They will bow the knee before Christ and acknowledge his Lordship. Such a realisation ought to give us confidence and courage.

3. Victory is certain but we must do our duty, looking to the Lord confident everything is in his hands

Finally, I want us to concentrate on what we read in verses 6-14 about Joab and the victory he leads over the Ammonites. I think it has something to teach us about the balance between the fact that victory is certain and the fact that we have to do our duty.

1. Expect opposition. We have already made this point but it is worth underlining.

2. Be ready to fight. In the light of this, the King commissions Joab to go and lead the fight. Whether we are pastors or not we need to be ready to take a stand.

3. At times we will be under great pressure. Verse 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

4. We need to recognise our situation. Verse 10a Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him.

5. We need a strategy. Joab’s strategy was to lead the best men against the Arameans and have the rest under Abishai fight against Ammonites. 10b, 11 so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. When there are multiple enemies, we cannot all be doing the same thing.

6. We need to be committed to co-operation. In verse 12 we read of an important part of the strategy. Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. That is the sort of way in which we should be working together in our day too.

7. Above all, look to the Sovereign Lord. We tend to think of Joab as hard-headed, a pragmatist and not one who was particularly godly. Here, however, he is spot on when he makes the order of the day (13) Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight. That sums it up – fight bravely, be strong but we are in the Lord’s hands ultimately not men’s. It is the Old Testament precursor of 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. It is what lies behind the famous order attributed to Oliver Cromwell "Trust in God and keep your powder dry". Is this how you conduct yourself? It ought to be.

Kingdom warfare, dedication and service

Text 1 Chronicles 18 Time 27 01 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We can think of 1 Chronicles 18 as the first of three chapters on David's wars. The chapter draws heavily on 2 Samuel 8 and both are summing up sorts of chapter. On first sight, it may look like a rather uninspiring depiction of petty wars for control of trade routes and territory in the middle-east, something that to some extent rumbles on to this day. On closer inspection, however, we will see that it has more to teach us about the Kingdom of God and its advance.

David was no ordinary king. He was the Lord’s anointed and God had promised him victory over his enemies. He points forward to the coming Messiah of these last days and the advance of his kingdom by conflict and conquest. As one writer puts it, these verses are then both history and prophecy, report and preview. It does describe the advance of the kingdom in those far off and relatively primitive days but it also points forward to these last days when the kingdom of God has begun to come with power. These verses can help us in at least three areas.

1. Kingdom warfare - we are involved in kingdom warfare, let’s fight well

The opening verses tell us of four victories David knew over various enemies. One of the key words here is ‘struck’ or ‘smote’ defeated, subdued or struck down. David gained the victory over this series of enemies. Through conflict he gained victory and advanced the kingdom of God in its initial, introductory and very visible form. It was due, however, not to David’s own strength, but to the work of the Lord - The LORD gave David victory wherever he went (6).

• Firstly, to the west, 1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah (2 Samuel 8 Gath and its surrounding villages) from the control of the Philistines. Metheg Ammah may be a place name or may refer to the mother city or Gath and surrounding villages.
• Then to the south, 2 David also defeated the Moabites and they became subject to David and brought him tribute. 2 Samuel 8 tells us that He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. David’s parents had found refuge in Moab at one time. Why the Moabites were dealt with so harshly we do not know. This fulfils Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls all the sons of Sheth. This subjection continued until the death of Ahab.
• And to the east, 3, 4 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument (2 Samuel 8 restore his control) along the Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, even thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
• And finally to the north, 5, 6 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

There is also a mention of the overthrow of Edom in verses 13, 14. The words Edom and Aram look quite similar when written down. It is possible that Edom to the south was meant.

There are some little problems here in our understanding of the text but the main point is clear - that God gave David great victories that made him Lord of all the territory from the far north to the deep south.

All this reminds us that as believers we are called to kingdom warfare. We are to fight the good fight wearing our Christian armour and keeping it bright. We are to stand up for Jesus as Christian soldiers marching as to war. One writer notes a number of particular things arising from the text here.

Remember the certainty of victory for the people of God despite what her enemies may throw at her. Matthew 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Our enemies may do much but they won’t prevail in the end. A chapter like this reminds us of the fact.

Remember that God judges the wicked at the hands of his people, led by his anointed. Again this arises from the text. In 1 Corinthians 6:2 Paul says Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Of course, in New Testament terms, this does not mean using the sword or any such means. It involves rather preaching the gospel. Here we must be careful, however. One commentator complains about this hymn

For not with swords’ loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums,

With deeds of love and mercy The heavenly kingdom comes.

You can see his point. Victory does not come through some bloodless coup. There has to be conflict before conquest. The Christian ministry is a savour of life to some but an aroma of death to others.

Remember that warfare is part and parcel of daily Christian living. We are not called to take up a literal sword or wear literal armour as David and his men did but we are called upon to take up the sword of the Spirit and to wear the spiritual armour that Paul describes in Ephesians 6. Without these there will be no victory.

We can add here that this chapter encourages us to remember that victory is certain for our Saviour Jesus Christ. While we look to him there is hope for the future. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will be triumphant. He goes forth conquering and to conquer. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:25).

We are in a heavenly fight, a holy war, so let’s fight manfully to victory

2. Kingdom dedication – let’s dedicate all we have and are to the glory of God

In verses 7-12 we have a catalogue of the spoils David and his armies collected from conquered and subservient peoples.

David not only won a great victory over Hadadezer king of Zobah but also, we are told in verse 7 that David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And further (8) From Tebah {and Kun} and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze (which we learn in 2 Samuel 8 Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles.)

Then also (9-11) When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, he sent his son Joram {Hadoram} to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze. King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with the silver and gold taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. It would seem that rather than being defeated, Tou voluntarily submitted himself to David’s rule – he kissed the son before he was angry and so did not perish. The application, I trust, is obvious. No nation had to be crushed by David – there was always the option of willing submission. So today all who render up their swords and humble themselves before the Lord have hope.

To this is added another victory (12, 13) Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. It is said again to underline it The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

David clearly had a policy, then, of amassing treasure, all the plunder he gained (gold shields, bronze, articles of silver and gold and bronze, silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued) and dedicating it to the Lord – to be used in the building of the temple by Solomon.

Again, following the lead of a modern commentator, we make two applications:

Are you dedicating all your gifts and graces to the Lord? This was David’s policy with the plunder that he gained from his God-given victories over others. Surely we ought to have a similar policy in making use of the blood bought gifts and graces that are ours through Jesus Christ. What right have we to withhold them when they have been won at such a cost – the cost of Christ’s own blood?

However famous we may become we must be careful nevertheless to give all the glory to God. We learn from 2 Samuel 8 that David became famous after he returned from the striking down of 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt but he did not let that victory go to his head. He took care to put garrisons throughout Edom. He knew the possibility of rebellion was a real one. ‘To God be the glory, great things he hath done’. As with all the other victories, the plunder from Edom was dedicated entirely to God. Let’s dedicate all we have and are to the glory of God.

3. Kingdom service – let’s take up the work that God has given us to do and serve him

Sometimes people will criticise a particular leader for being more interested in foreign affairs than in home policy. There is always the danger for a leader of that happening. It was not a trap that David fell into. We are told in verse 15 that David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. He did what was just and right for all his people.

He was no megalomaniac either but was very good at delegation – something that some of us find rather difficult to be good at. He was good at this on all fronts –

• Military (Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; .... Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites)
• Civil (Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Shavshah or Seraiah was secretary;)
• Ecclesiastical (Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests;)

We are also told that David’s sons were chief officials at the king's side (royal advisers). Perhaps we are to learn here from Christ’s own example of delegation. Certainly in whatever office we are called to in the family, in the church or some other sphere we are to recognise that it has a kingdom role and we are to be careful to exemplify a kingdom lifestyle in the way that we conduct ourselves. A little bit of heaven should come down into our particular role, whatever it may be.

David's Prayer of Thankfulness - A Model for us

Text 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 Time 20 01 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I remember a teacher in school once telling us about an experiment where they took a group of line workers from a cornflakes factory to an abattoir. Apparently, they hardly reacted at all. I don’t know if they took them to see a great painting or the majestic view from a high mountain but I dare say that their reaction would have been similar. Not just factory workers but all of us can too easily become jaded and so unmoved by what is happening around us that we are not moved in the way that we ought to be by the things we see.

Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in our often listless and apathetic response to the Word of God. It is often said but if an angel from heaven came down among us and we could ask him questions we would probably be quite excited. However, having God's Word in the Bible as we do we very often fail to react to it as we ought to.

Here in 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 (as in its parallel in 2 Samuel 7) we have David’s reaction to the wonderful revelation of God’s covenant that he was vouched by God through Nathan the prophet following his proposal that he build a house for God, as we looked at last week. There is nothing listless or jaded about David's reaction. Quite the opposite. He is a very model for us of how we should react to God’s Word. He is a challenge to our apathy and indifference and shows us how we ought to be reacting to God’s covenant grace as it is revealed in God’s Word.

There are three reactions to note – giving thanks, praise and petition. All three ought to be there.

1. Give thanks to God for blessings past and future and for all his goodness

1. Give thanks to God for blessings past. We read in verse 16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: first of all Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? David had just been told that he was not only the king but that he had an everlasting dynasty to follow. At this point he is in Jerusalem, six miles from Bethlehem where he was born. In that sense he had not gone very far but when he thought of all that had happened in the years since Samuel had come and called him from his work as a shepherd boy there, so much had happened. All believers of any length of time can identify closely. Think of what you were. Think of how far the Lord has brought you. What grace there has been. How good the Sovereign Lord has been. We should be filled with amazement and thankfulness. Why me?

I was reading about a very successful American businessman the other day who has gone from rags to riches. He says “When I was starting out, I never thought I would get this far. I was always just trying to do well for myself.” He is amazed at his own success. Every Christian ought to be amazed at how he has been blessed and give thanks to God.

2. Give thanks to God for blessings future. David goes on (17) And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, LORD God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men. If we only had past grace to celebrate, it would be amazing but there is future grace too. We do not know how much longer we will be on earth but we do know that we have a future that stretches into eternity and that is only good. We will be blessed without question. The Bible speaks of a future in glory for all who trust in Jesus Christ. It is there to give us confidence. Worries about the future can paralyse us if we are not careful. We need not have them. If we only look to the Lord we can be confident. Give thanks for such assurances.

Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, use to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew words on it: Ebenezer and JEHOVAH JIREH. The first word means "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." The second word means, "The Lord will see to it or provide." One looked back while the other looked forward. One reminded him of God's faithfulness and the other of God's assurances.

3. Give thanks to God for all his goodness. David sums up in verses 18 and 19 What more can David say to you for honouring your servant? For you know your servant, LORD. (You chose me I did not choose you). For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises. It is all God’s doing. I like that story that John Stott told of Principal Gibson leaving Ridley Hall, Oxford, and of being presented with a portrait in oils. He felt that in the future the question everyone would ask was not ‘Who is that man?’ but ‘Who was the artist?’ That is the question people who really know us ought to ask about us. This is the secret of anything we may achieve.

2. Praise God that he is unique and so are his people and so is his plan of salvation

1. Praise God that he is unique. David goes on (20) There is no one like you, LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. There is no God that we could even imagine who would begin to outdo the true God, God as he is in himself. If we thought more about him, we would think more of him!

2. Praise God that he has a unique people and a unique plan of salvation. In verses 21, 22 David steps back a little and thinks not just of himself but of the people of God as a whole. We always ought to think like that. He thinks of the way God redeemed them. 21 And who is like your people Israel - the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? It is God who redeems his people. Christ died on the cross to provide a way out from sin and from misery for all who trust in him.

Having redeemed his people God will keep them to the very end 22 You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, LORD, have become their God. We belong to the Lord now and we will persevere to the end. What a wonderful fact. In a love that cannot cease he is ours and we are his. What a privilege to be part of the people of God. And you, O LORD, have become their God. Not only are we his but he is ours. He is our God with all that implies.

3. Pray that God will go ahead and do just what he has promised to do for his people

In verses 23-27 David simply prays that God will do what he has promised to do. That is part of what we do in prayer - we remember God's promises and we pray that God will do as he has said he will do. Four things then

1. Pray that God will keep his promises. This really sums up the way David prays and the way we ought to pray. 23 And now, LORD God, keep for ever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised. God has promised abundant blessing to all who trust in him and all he wants from us is that we hold him to his Word. That is largely what prayer is about. As David sat there he took his stand on the promises of God. We need to do the same.

2. Pray that God will be glorified. The reason David prays as he does is so (24) that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, The LORD Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel's God! And the house of your servant David will be established before you. Do we truly want the glory of God? If we really do, we will expressions of this in our prayers and we will pray more than we do.

3. Pray to express your faith in the Lord. Calvin points out more than once that prayer is our chief expression of faith. When David prays he expresses his faith in God. 25, 26 You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. You, LORD, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Is your faith in the Lord too?

4. Pray confidently for God’s blessings. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your sight; for you, LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever. That is how to pray. Do we pray like that? May be the problem is that we do not think enough about God's grace to us and how thankful we should be. Surely more thanksgiving and praise would lead to greater prayerfulness.

Sometimes golfers suffer with a condition they call the yips. It is defined as “Nervousness or tension that causes an athlete to fail to perform effectively, especially in missing short putts in golf.” Some really struggle with it but then they are able to get their confidence back and overcome it. We don't want to have the yips over God. Rather, we should be confident in him. God will never let us down if we look to him.

Consider the God of the Covenant with David

Text 1 Chronicles 17:1-15 Time 13 01 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

1 Chronicles 17:1-15, with its parallel in 2 Samuel 7, records one of the greatest moments in the Old Testament. It is the chapter in which the Davidic Covenant is established. As you know, the idea of covenant, an agreement between two or more persons, is very important in Scripture. Although the Covenant of Grace is in fact one, we can discern a series of covenants in the Old Testament beginning arguably with the Adamic covenant and going on through the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic and then the Davidic covenants. All this leads up, of course, to the new covenant sealed in the precious blood of Christ. On the detail of this subject there is a fair amount of disagreement among believers. In dealing with this chapter, therefore, what I want to do, taking the lead of a contemporary commentator, is to focus not on the covenant itself but on the God of the covenant. In this chapter we can see at least four things that are revealed about his character.

1. See God’s covenant wisdom and follow his will not your feelings

The chapter begins by describing how the time arrived After David was settled in his palace. We know from 2 Samuel that it was a time of peace. At this point we are allowed to eavesdrop on a conversation between David and the Prophet Nathan. Nathan is not introduced but elsewhere we learn that he is one of David’s chief advisors, especially in Temple matters. The scene is not described for us but it clearly took place in David’s Palace, perhaps up on the roof or may be in one of the state rooms or in David’s private quarters. There seem to have been several topics of conversation but then David turns to Nathan and shares with him something that has obviously been on his mind for some time ... he said to Nathan the prophet, Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.

The incongruity of it all was troubling David. Here he was with his fine Palace of cedar but God's ark, the symbol of his presence, was still being kept in a tent! David wanted to do something about it. Nathan could see that a plan was already forming in David’s mind and so he said to the king (2) Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you. Nathan knew, of course, as a prophet, what it was to speak the Word of God. Normally, he would take great care to be sure that he was speaking the Word of God but on this occasion, he felt, there was hardly need for that. David’s idea was so obviously right that he could simply say ‘Go ahead’. Or so it seemed. And of course, Nathan’s instincts were right – almost!

How careful those who profess to speak the Word of God need to be.

When he lay down that night in bed, God spoke to him. 3, 4 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: Go and tell my servant David, This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. David had to be told, not quite ‘No’ but certainly ‘Not yet’. We are used to the expression that what seemed a good idea last night does not at all seem the same in the cold light of the next day. Here that is reversed and what seemed such a good idea in the day time is called into question by a vision in the night and though Nathan is not rebuked directly for his failure, he has to eat humble pie and go and tell David that what he had said was premature. His enthusiasm needed to be tempered by God’s Word.

And so here is a lesson straight away. Sometimes things that seem to be so obviously right and reasonable to us are not always the right thing to do. We have plenty examples of this in the historical books of the Bible. When Eli saw Samuel’s mother Hannah at the Temple, it was obvious to him that she was drunk and he told her so. But she was not. Or recall Samuel himself looking at Jesse’s eldest son Eliab and being sure that this was the man to replace Saul. But he was not. Samuel was wrong. Or what about David being convinced it was right to crush Nabal and his household? Yet, he too discovers that he is in the wrong.

We need to learn to distinguish between right feelings and desires and right actions. David is not condemned for having the desire he had. It is good to be looking for new things to do in God’s service. However, it was not God’s will for him to do what he had in mind. A failure to distinguish here can lead to problems. I have come across women, true believers, who have had a genuine desire to preach. The desire in and of itself is not the problem. The Bible itself says that it is a good thing to desire to do the work of an overseer. The Bible is equally clear that it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church (1 Corinthians 14:35). The same applies to a man who has the desire to preach but is plainly not called by God or anyone who has a desire to be an overseas missionary but would be neglecting prior duties at home to do that work. There are countless applications, I’m sure, as various desires come and we consider what we ought to do or not do.

The principle then is to follow God’s wisdom not our own feelings. There is some comfort here in the fact that God did not let Nathan and David go on in their error very long.

2. See God’s covenant humility and realise that though we should put him first, he always puts us first

I read a story somewhere about Sam Rayburn, the American Speaker of the House of Representatives in the forties and fifties of how when he heard that a journalist had tragically lost his teenage daughter, he not only called on him but humbly offered to make him coffee.

In the opening part of Nathan’s message from God to David, we get a real sense of the humility of God. Things are put in very human terms and there is a little humour there even perhaps.

5, 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

God pictures himself as moving about from place to place, camping if you like, from the time the people left Egypt until that very time. What’s all this about a house of cedar, David? When did I ever speak of such a thing to you or to any of your predecessors? God’s great concern is always with his people, his true temple, rather than with buildings.

It has been a largely unsettled period for the people of God and so God has remained unsettled too. God has plans for his people before he takes up residence in a house of cedar. He won’t rest until he has made sure that they are at rest. It reminds you perhaps of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples in the upper room. It certainly points us to Philippians 2 and the humility of God in Christ. When John speaks of Jesus coming to earth in John 1 he speaks literally of his pitching his tent among us.

The principle then is that God always puts his people first. Yes, he is greater than us and we should serve him and put him first. The truth is, however, that he always puts us first. He stoops to make us great.

3. See God’s covenant grace and realise that though we think we are helping him, it is he who helps us

In verses 7-10 we have the heart of what God has to say to David. God reminds David of his grace in the past and assures him of his grace in the future.

First, in verse 7 there is God’s past grace to David, choosing him, being with him and defeating his enemies Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. We must never forget our origins. 8a I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.

Secondly, in verses 8b-10, there is the promise of future grace to David and his people.

David: Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth.

Israel: And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel.

David: I will also subdue all your enemies. I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you:

God promises that he will follow his previous grace with yet more grace; grace upon grace. It is important to observe that this ‘grace’ is not in response to David doing something for God. The plan to build God a house has been rejected for now. You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. No, I am going to build you one, the LORD will build a house for you that is a household or a dynasty.

The other way round was pretty common in the near east. In Sumer (c2100 BC) the god Enlil chose Ur-Nammu as king and kept enemies away so that he could build him a temple.

Or take Yahdun-Lin, king in Mari, about 1900 BC. His god Shamash gave him great victories after Shamash had built a temple for him.

There is also the victory hymn of Thut-Moses III in Egypt (c 1490-1436 BC) recording the words of the god Amon-Re and his gratefulness for his temple which had prompted him to give victories.

One other – Esarhaddon of Assyria (680-669 BC) rebuilt the temple of Asshur in thankfulness for a long and prosperous reign.

It is not that God’s temple didn’t matter but it could wait. Asshur and Amon-Re were quite different. They were very demanding. But God is the God of all grace.

It is important to note that God’s promises to David are entirely intended to bring about the security of his people. This is why David and his family are to be blessed. David is their representative, their mediator if you like. One writer says ‘God seems possessed over the safety of his people’. He is pre-occupied with it. We know that all the Davidic kings, including David, left something to be desired but God’s grace continued nevertheless through until the coming of Christ, the one Mediator between God and man. If we are in Christ we will know blessing.

The US presidential inauguration is coming up this month. At his, John F Kennedy famously said in 1961 “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. I was going to reverse the sentiment and say we ought to be considering “not what we can do for God but what he can do for us” but then I came across an Oliver Wendell Holmes quote that Kennedy may have cribbed. Holmes said "We pause to become conscious of our national life and to rejoice in it, to recall what our country has done for us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for our country in return." That is the order. Think first of what God has done for you and then what we might do for God.

4. See God’s covenant constancy and realise that though we are weak and often fail him yet he will never fail us

In verses 11-15 we have the covenant itself. Its form points to three weaknesses in David that are also in us and shows that despite these God’s covenant love will continue to be constant. We are such doubters by nature but the form here reassures us that with God all will be well.

1. Though we die, yet God remains constant. Verse 11 begins When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, .... David will not last forever on earth. Soon he will die. This promise assures him that that will not be the end of the story, however. I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. The reference is no doubt initially to Solomon and then to certain ones who follow and points ultimately beyond that to the Lord Jesus himself. You will die, but God will raise up. For us in New Testament times we think of what he did for Christ and we know that we too will rise again in the first resurrection of new birth and then at the end of the world in our bodies too.

At the start of verse 13 we have these amazing words I will be his father, and he will be my son. Perhaps these words do not strike us with the force that they should. God is saying that David’s descendant will not only be David’s son but God’s son too. He will not only sit on David’s throne but on God’s throne too. And isn’t that where Jesus Christ the Son of God is now? Not only that but in 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 Paul extends it and says Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. What is true of Christ is true of his people.

2. Though we sin, the Lord remains constant. Then comes this wonderful promise (13b) I will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. Here is something amazingly reassuring then. Even despite our sin, the Lord still loves us and will continue his goodness to us. This is not a licence to sin, of course, but a word of comfort for us when we see the enormity of our wickedness. Just as God not only cursed the Christ but raised him from the dead so we can be sure that by his unstoppable grace so he will continue to show his live to us at all times.

3. Though much time might pass, yet the Lord remains constant. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever. There is something inevitable about the promise. It will happen and it will go on happening. David’s own physical dynasty lasted some 400 years which is pretty remarkable as far as these things go. Palmer Robertson ‘This tenure probably represents the longest single dynasty in the history of the world’. Of course, beyond, that is the reign of Messiah, which will literally last forever. Let’s never forget that we belong to an everlasting kingdom, an unbreakable kingdom that will last through all eternity.