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1 Chronicles 23-29
Blessing the God
Who Blesses Us

Psalm 59:11-17 The God of Hesed

11.Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.12.For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter.13.Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth. Selah.14.At evening let them return. Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city.15.They shall wander up and down for food, and wait all night if they aren’t satisfied.16.But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your hesed/loyal covenantal love in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress.17.To you, my strength, I will sing praises. For God is my high tower, the God of my hesed/loyal covenantal love."

Observation

59:11-17.

David trusts in God's hesed or the loyalty He has to those with whom He has entered into a covenant relationship. God will always keep His side of the bargain. He will never fail to watch out for those who are loyal to Him. He asks that his enemies be caught in their pride and words so they will know that God rules. He is confident that God will subdue his enemies, because of His hesed, for which David plans to praise Him. Note that God shows His hesed in protecting His servants.


Application

Trust God to be loyal to His promises (hesed) and fight your battles, particularly against the proud liars; then praise Him for being Your strong tower.

Prayer

God I praise You that You are trustworthy and loyal to Your servants.  And that You not only can but will,  protect me from my enemies as I follow you. Thanks. Amen.

Proverbs 16:1-4 Will Your To Do List Succeed?

1.“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer* of the tongue is from Yahweh.2.All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but Yahweh weighs the motives.3.Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.4.Yahweh has made everything for its own end*— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.”

Observations

16:1.

It's our job to plan. God's job is to orchestrate the results.


16:4.

*this phrase and “answer” in verse 1 are the same Hebrew word. Hmmmm...


Application

We need to look at our lives and motives from God's perspective, and commit our ToDo lists to Him.

Prayer

O God who weighs my motives, may I be doing what glorifies You rather than me. Amen.

1Chronicles 23-29 Blessing the God Who Blesses Us

The chronicler was more interested in the religious than the civil history, detailing administrative matters in chapters 23-27 (all of which you can safely omit without negatively impacting your spiritual life), and returning to Solomon in chapters 28 and 29 (which are chapters you really should know). David's prayer in chapter 29 gives a perspective that is vital for pleasing God, as does his charge to Solomon in 28:9.

1 Chronicles 23 Morning and Evening

1.Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.2.He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.3.The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward: and their number was thirty-eight thousand.4.David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of Yahweh; six thousand were officers and judges;5.four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised Yahweh with the instruments which I made, for giving praise."6.David divided them into divisions12.The sons of Kohath...13.Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons, forever, to burn incense before Yahweh, to minister to him, and to bless in his name, forever...30....stand every morning to thank and praise Yahweh, and likewise in the evening;31.and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before Yahweh;32.and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, and the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers, for the service of the house of Yahweh.

Observations

23:1-2.

 These verses introduce the rest of the book. All the intrigue of succession to David's throne recorded in 1Kings is omitted, and summed up in 23:1. The second verse gets expanded in this, and the next four chapters.


23:5.

An orchestra of 4,000 was not big enough to keep Israel focused on God.


23:30.

Thanking and praising God every morning, and every evening was mandated, to keep people focused on what God was doing in their lives.


Application

(And now a word from our sponsor...) DailyTruthbase beats the Daily News and the Nightly News, morning and evening, every day, if you want to be blessed by God. You can review/finish the posts in the evenings instead of watching re-runs. Whodathunk?
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Prayer

God, You are worthy of thanks and praise, morning, evening, and throughout the day. Keep me mindful of Your blessings, so I can appreciate them and You continually. Amen.

1 Chronicles 24 Priests

1.These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron...5.Thus were they divided impartially by drawing lots; for there were captains of the sanctuary, and princes of God...30.These were the sons of the Levites after their fathers’ houses.31.These likewise cast lots even as their brothers the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king...

1 Chronicles 25 Choir

1.Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals: and the number of those who did the work according to their service was...6.All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God; Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman being under the order of the king.7.The number of them, with their brothers who were instructed in singing to Yahweh, even all who were skilful, was two hundred eighty-eight.8.They cast lots for their offices, all alike, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.

1 Chronicles 26 Ushers

1.For the divisions of the doorkeepers...20.Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.26.This Shelomoth and his brothers were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ households, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the army, had dedicated.27.They dedicated some of the spoil won in battles to repair the house of Yahweh.28.All that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated, whoever had dedicated anything, it was under the hand of Shelomoth, and of his brothers.

1 Chronicles 27 Organizational Chart

1.Now the children of Israel after their number, the heads of fathers’ households and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king, in any matter of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year—of every division were twenty-four thousand.
16.Furthermore over the tribes of Israel...22....These were the captains of the tribes of Israel.23.But David didn’t take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.
25.Over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:26.Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri27.and over the vineyards was Shimei and over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi:28.and over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:29.and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat30.and over the camels was Obil; over the donkeys was Jehdeiah: and over the flocks was Jaziz.31.All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David’s.32.Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons:33.Ahithophel was the king’s counselor: and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend:34.and after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the captain of the king’s army was Joab.

1 Chronicles 28 A Practice to Perfect

1.David assembled all the princes of Israel...all the mighty men of valor, to Jerusalem.2.Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, "Hear me, my brothers, and my people! As for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God; and I had prepared for the building.3.But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.’4.However Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.5.Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of Yahweh’s kingdom over Israel.6.He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.7.I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continues to do my commandments and my ordinances, as at this day.’8.Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Yahweh your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.
9.You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.10.Take heed now; for Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it."
11.Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the...temple...the place of the mercy seat;12.and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit...18.and for the altar of incense...the cherubim, that spread out, and covered the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.19."All this," said David, "I have been made to understand in writing from the hand of Yahweh, even all the works of this pattern."20.David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed; for Yahweh God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of Yahweh is finished."21.Behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God. There shall be with you in all kinds of work every willing man who has skill, for any kind of service. Also the captains and all the people will be entirely at your command.

Observations

28:1-8.

David reiterates the Davidic Covenant to the leadership of the nation, and charges them, with God as a witness, to observe and seek out all the commands of God, so they can enjoy the promised land and pass it on their children.


28:9-10.

Verse nine should be a better known and memorized verse. We should seek to perfect it in our lives. It has five parts: The main commands: know and serve; The manner in which one serves: perfect heart and willing mind; The reasons for such service: God knows and judges hearts and minds; The result of wholehearted service: seek and find God; The result of not serving wholeheartedly: forsake and be cast off, forever. Even though God specifically chose David, Solomon, (Israel, and Jerusalem), they did what was wrong, and suffered consequences. When the nation abandoned Him, those individuals were cast off. However, the generation hearing these words had hope, for God had brought them back into the land to continue His program of blessing (as promised in the Abrahamic and Deuteronomic Covenants).


28:11-21.

Just like God gave Moses specific instructions for the Tabernacle, so God gave instructions to David for the Temple.


Application

Study and apply 28:9 to your life. Bonus points for memorizing it in your favorite version.

Prayer

God, I want to know and serve You with all my heart and mind; prompt me to seek You whenever my thoughts and desires wander. Amen.

1 Chronicles 29 A Prayer to Ingrain

1.David the king said to all the assembly, "Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for Yahweh God."2.Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God...3.In addition, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, since I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,4.even three thousand talents of gold...5....Who then offers willingly to consecrate himself this day to Yahweh?"6.Then the princes...captains...rulers...offered willingly;7.and they gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents...8.They with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of Yahweh, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.9.Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to Yahweh: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
10.Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, "You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever."11.Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty! For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, Yahweh, and you are exalted as head above all.12.Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all; and in your hand is power and might; and it is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all.13.Now therefore, our God, we thank you, and praise your glorious name.14.But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.15.For we are strangers before you, and foreigners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no remaining.16.Yahweh our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you a house for your holy name comes from your hand, and is all your own.17.I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now have I seen with joy your people, that are present here, offer willingly to you.18.Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart for you;19.and give to Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision."

Observations

29:1-10.

David gives about $6 Billion US of his own funds, on top of the $230 Billion that was dedicated from the spoil from battles. The leaders gave almost $10 Billion, not counting the precious stones and base metals. But they are only giving back to God a portion of what He had given them (see prayer below). There is great rejoicing, because people with a heart for God gave willingly to God, for His mandated purpose.


29:10-19.

I still remember where I was standing in 1976 when I first read verses 10-12 and decided to memorize them (wish I remembered the verses that well). I had been reading Jim Elliott's “Shadow of the Almighty” and the quote “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” was rattling around in my brain as I read this prayer. It doubled the impact. Check out this link to see how Jim wrote the words in his journal. David blesses God in recognizing that God owns it all; He gives some to us as a test, so that we have the opportunity to demonstrate uprightness in giving it back. This applies to more than money, but to everything God has entrusted to us. God gives to us, so we can give back to Him. (Only the first half of this paradigm applies to spouses - Genesis 3:12.) See the series on “Faithfulness: How to Hear the Words 'Well, done, good and faithful servant'” (in the back of the TOYL book on Truthbase.net) for a Biblical perspective on getting and giving money, as well as being a good steward of all the other things God has entrusted to us.


Question

What do you have that you can't keep? How can you exchange it for something that you can't lose?

Application

Go back and pray David's prayer in you own words, and mean it.

Prayer

God, You are worthy of all we could give You. Thanks for accepting back our lives, and all we have. Amen.

Digging Deeper

God in a nutshell: God is great, and owns everything: power, glory, victory, majesty, riches, honor, power and strength. God blesses us, materially and spiritually, so we can bless Him in return. He tries our hearts, to see if we recognize and acknowledge His authorship and ownership of all we have. He takes pleasure in our uprightness. God is knowable, if we put the effort into seeking Him daily; we can have a relationship with Him, but only on His terms. He knows what we value, and what we intend, and judges incorrect values and motives. He chooses people and peoples to bless, but will forsake them if they don't obey and forsake Him.

Us in a nutshell: We can know and serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind, and experience consequent blessing, if we put the effort into seeking and obeying Him. We have the opportunity to delight Him by recognizing that He is the one who gives us what we have; those rightly related to Him can seek and receive the power, honor, riches and strength He offers. We can forsake God, and in doing so, not only forfeit the blessings He's given us, but wind up being forsaken by Him as well.

Where to go for more

Truthbase.net
The Faithfulness Series at the end of the TOYL book.