Daily Bible Devotionals

“Then David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to the schedule of their service.  There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they were divided.  Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers’ houses, and eight heads of their fathers’ houses among the sons of Ithamar.  Thus they were divided by lot, one group as another, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of the house of God, from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar.”  1 Chronicles 24:3-5 (NKJV)

Some people believe God has not been fair to them.  They look at others with better lifestyles, more interesting jobs, or a beautiful spouse, and they feel cheated.  They know God is omniscient (knowing all things), omnipresent (always present in their lives), and omnipotent (having the power to affect change), but they have serious questions about His character.  How could He possess all those attributes yet withhold their idea of “blessings” for them?  If you have felt this way about God at times, you are not alone.  I have felt that way.  Surely, the Levites entertained that idea, as their duties were being decided by a roll of the dice (lot).  And so did the apostle Peter, as he compared his ministry calling to that of the apostle John.  

“Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”  Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”  Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me.”  John 21:20-22 (NKJV)

After recounting the great victories of the Bible’s faithful men, the writer of Hebrews then lists a group of equally faithful martyrs who suffered greatly.

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still, others had trials of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”  Hebrews 11:35b-40 (NKJV)

It’s easy to see how someone could read those verses and wonder how God could be so unfair.  But there is one problem with that notion.  God is NOT fair.  He is JUST.  Fairness assumes everyone gets the same thing.  Justice demands that God (in His infinite wisdom) always chooses rightly and knows how to dispense His blessing of grace through hardship as well as abundance.  Believers who acknowledge that, have truly found peace, which passes understanding!  (Philippians 4:7)

“The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.  The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever. Now the sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.” 1 Chronicles 23:12-15 (HCSB)

Several years ago, a friend showed me a magazine advertisement for a high-end tequila maker.  No, we were not planning a church staff party.  He brought the ad because the tequila company was owned by the son of a relatively well-known pastor friend.  My friend could not understand how the son of a successful pastor could be engaged in such a worldly business venture.  I assured my friend that ministry callings cannot be assumed or thrust upon the next generation.  Apples may not fall far from the tree, as they say, but even preachers’ kids must choose whether they will personally remain connected to the tree’s root!  (John 15:5)

Aaron’s sons Nadab & Abihu chose to offer unauthorized fire to the Lord, and they got toasted for it!  Despite the efforts of Hebrew scholars to protect Moses’ image (changing the spelling of Moses’ name in Scripture), God has allowed it to be exposed that Moses’ grandson initiated pagan worship.  (Judges 18:30)

“Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.”  Judges 18:30 (NKJV)

Moody University’s Dr. Michael Rydelnik, in the New American Commentary Studies The Messianic Hope, exposes the Hebrew Masoretic Bible compilers’ wrongful edit.

“This verse records the establishment of the first pagan priesthood in Israel.  The consonantal text’s original reading indicated that “msh” (Mosheh or Moses) was the grandfather of Jonathan, the founder of this pagan priesthood.  The Masoretes inserted the raised letter “n” (or “nun”), making the word read “mnsh” (Menasseh or Manasseh).  According to the Hebrew scholar Tov, the suspended “nun” was a correction of ‘an earlier reading which ascribed the erecting of the idol in Dan to one of the descendants of Moses…the addition can therefore be understood as a deliberate change of content.’”  Rydelnick goes on to say, “The motive for the change is critical.  Keil and Delitzsch cite R. Tanchum, who said that the written ‘Moses’ reading ought to be corrected with a suspended “nun” so that it would read ‘Manasseh.’  Keil and Delitzsch also quote Rabba bar bar Channa who argued for the ‘Manasseh’ reading ‘because it would have been ignominious to Moses to have an ungodly son.’  Therefore, the nun was suspended to protect the honor of Moses.”

Important to note is how God is no respecter of men (or their children).  We stand before the Lord as individuals, each of us called into a holy priesthood.  (1 Peter 2:9)

“And David said to Solomon: ‘My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God; but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around.  His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.”’” 1 Chronicles 22:7-10 (NKJV)

Reading today’s passage, I am reminded of the old man who was bragging to a friend about  his new hearing aid.  His friend asked, “What kind is it?” The man glanced at his watch and said, “About 4:30.”  Sometimes, your response testifies that you aren’t hearing the conversation clearly!

David believed he heard the Lord say his son Solomon would build the temple.  Because the name Solomon is derived from the word “shalom,” meaning “peace,” David assumed the Lord was talking about his immediate son, Solomon.  So, David began setting aside provisions and architects & builders so Solomon could begin construction without hindrance upon David’s death.  

Indeed, Solomon oversaw the temple’s construction in Jerusalem, and the Lord blessed it with the signs of His presence.  But when the Lord was speaking to David, there was ANOTHER “Solomon” that He was ultimately referring to; Not just the boy named “Peace” (Solomon), but the man whose title is “Prince of Peace.”

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16 (NKJV)

“The book of the genealogy of Messiah Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” Matthew 1:1 (NKJV)

Just as David had subdued all of Israel’s enemies, clearing a pathway to a peaceful reign for Solomon, God is doing so, even now, for Messiah Jesus.  That is why Jesus quoted David’s prophetic Psalm 110:1, where David testifies to God’s statement of the certainty of security for the Messiah’s Kingdom.  

“The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’”  Matthew 22:44 (HCSB)

The temple in Jerusalem was beautiful, but the kingdom of Solomon became corrupted.  Only the Kingdom of Jesus is established FOREVER.  (1 Chronicles 22:10)

“So Gad came to David and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Choose for yourself, either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.” Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.’ And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress.  Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’” 1 Chronicles 21:11-13 (NKJV)

When I was a boy living in Shreveport, Louisiana, I recall opening the door of our home and chatting with a man who was holding a clipboard.  He asked me about various aspects of our lives, and I was happy to oblige.  When I think about that moment today, I would be terrified to know my own children would open the door to a stranger, much less carry on a 30-minute conversation!  But those were different days, and people had more trust back then.  It turns out the man was with the United States Census Bureau, and he was gathering information for our government.  

Given my pleasant experience with census takers for many years, I was perplexed why King David’s census was considered evil by the Lord.  Furthermore, why was Joab, the head of David’s army, so against it?  David’s census was sinful because David was not taking God at His Word, that He would establish David’s kingdom.  David was not interested in counting heads; he counted who was “for” or “against” him.  He had stopped walking by faith and trusted his own eyesight, what he could see and account for.  Obviously, the census must have revealed that the majority of “Israel” was against David’s anointed kingship.  (**At that time, the kingdom was divided by those who were still influenced by Saul’s hatred of David {aka Israel} and those who supported David {David’s family tribe Judah, plus some of the Levites}).  Hence, God’s fury broke out against “Israel.”

Once David saw the gravity of his sin, (that his lack of faith had led to the destruction of the very people he was anointed to shepherd), his heart for his “enemies” turned toward empathy.  David, the fearful king, turned back into David, the shepherd.  He pleaded with the Lord that His discipline would be turned from the people and directly onto himself; it was his own sin that led to their plague.  (Hebrews 12:5-11)

“And David said to God, ‘Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered?  I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done?  Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.’”  1 Chronicles 21:17 (NKJV)

We are reminded of the sinless One, the “Son of David,” who gave His life for us.

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Chronicles 20. Click the links below to watch or listen now.

“It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. Then David said, ‘I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.’ So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father.  And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.  And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, ‘Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you?  Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?’ Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. Then some went and told David about the men; and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed.  And the king said, ‘Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.’ When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maacah, and from Zobah.” 1 Chronicles 19:1-6 (NKJV)

In the midst of a rapid-fire retelling of David’s various conquests, the author of 1 Chronicles slows down to focus on an incident of disrespect and public humiliation.  David’s ambassadors have been stripped naked, their beards & heads shaved.  This disrespect is in stark contrast to chapter 8, where Tou, king of Hamath, chooses to stand alongside David when he learns how David had conquered Hamath’s mortal enemy.  It reminds us of how we must choose to embrace Jesus or fight against Him after we learn He has conquered our enemies, death & Satan.  Yesterday, a king blessed Israel, and he was blessed; today, a king curses Israel, and he is destroyed.

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)

Perhaps we should consider what God considers to be an act of war.

“Adulterers and adulteresses!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4 (NKJV)

It is true that God did not send Messiah Jesus into the world to condemn people on the occasion of His first coming.  (John 3:16-18)  And God wants none to perish, but for all to come unto repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)  But that does not mean there is not a reckoning forthcoming.  Jesus’ second coming will not be a heartfelt counseling session.  He will enact vengeance as David rode out to avenge his ambassadors.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)  (Matthew 7:21-23)

“David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities, David also took huge quantities of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze reservoir, the pillars, and the bronze articles.  When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items. King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all the nations—from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites. 1 Chronicles 18:7-ll (HCSB)

Whether or not you like the New York Yankees baseball team, you must admit their winning tradition is impressive. Sure, you can argue that they spend too much money on players or that they are overhyped, but the fact is they almost always have a winning season, even if they don’t go to the World Series. People expect the Yankees to win, and, quite frankly, we are surprised when they lose. Winning can be that way; winning can become so routine that it becomes boring. That is kind of how we felt about Israel during the early part of David’s reign. They just win so much that we lose interest in the narrative.  

We must resist the urge to skip past the next two chapters because God is trying to communicate something to us who seek His Word: 1) Battles will still come to the faithful. His “shalom” (peace) is not the absence of conflict. His peace passes understanding precisely because we have hope in the midst of conflict. 2) Trials that we face will ultimately be won by His power. Notice how David is fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses sue you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)

The nations who curse David and war against Israel are defeated and David takes their spoils. Those who fear David and seek to make peace with Israel willingly offer up their wealth as gifts. As a result, they fall under David’s protection. And what did David do with those spoils? He set them aside to honor the Lord.

“Now David said, ‘Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.’ So David made abundant preparations before his death.” 1 Chronicles 22:5 (NKJV)

“Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.’  But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ‘Go and tell My servant David, “Thus says the Lord: You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent and from one Tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’”1 Chronicles 17:1-6 (NKJV)

It was a beautiful night up there on the roof of David’s cedar palace.  Beef BB-Q, roasted vegetables, choice Golan wine, Levitical band, and singers echoing through the alleyways…all complete with a perfect view of the Tabernacle, the tent where the ark of the covenant resided.  But something is eating at King David as he stares down at the Tabernacle.  Is it right for the king to live in a house of cedar while the ark of the Lord is in a tent?  David thought not, so he declared to his best friend, the prophet Nathan, that he would build the Lord a house of cedar like the king’s palace.  It seems like a benevolent gesture, but nobody asks God if He wants a house.  Nobody considers that the sheer presence of the Tabernacle is a hint that Israel will someday be in exile again.  Perhaps that is why the Levites (whose job was to minister at the Tabernacle) had no inheritance in the land.  Their inheritance was to serve the Lord.  Because so, the Levites could keep their inheritance, no matter where the Lord caused (or drove) them to dwell.

“At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as it is today. For this reason, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God told him.” Deuteronomy 10:8-9 (HCSB)

The problem with a temple is that temples themselves, with all of their opulence, can be worshipped more than the God they are built to honor.  Temples can also house idols.  Pagan practices incorporated into temple worship can defile a temple and infuriate God, as the bed of an adulterer can be defiled and disgust the spurned spouse.  Then, God must seize the worshipful attention of His people by dramatic means.  Only when Israel is ready to worship the Lord again will He allow the temple to be rebuilt.  But, we are getting ahead of the story.  No, David will not build a temple for God.  His son, Solomon, will.  But it will be destroyed, as will the temple that is rebuilt.  (Ezra 1:1-3)  

Ultimately, we await the New Jerusalem, the everlasting temple-city (Revelation 21:2), where Messiah Jesus builds a house for us! (John 14:1-3)

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place.  Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength.  Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!  Tremble before Him, all the earth.  The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved.” 1 Chronicles 16:23-30 (NKJV)

Many years ago, my family moved to suburban Chicago.  Having never lived outside “Dixie,” we were so excited to learn that Chicago had “Little Italy” and “Chinatown” sections of the city, not to mention thriving Eastern European & Latino cultures.  Growing up in Arkansas, Taco Bell was the most exotic thing we ever experienced!  So, we would take these day trips to the various ethnic centers of Chicago, and the whole experience was amazing.  Still, even though we had a good time living among the hospitable Italians, Chinese, Polish, etc., for a day, there was the lingering reality that we were foreigners on their turf.  I never walked away from those areas of town with a compelling desire to learn their language, explore their literature & philosophers, or adopt their traditional dress, apart from the random T-shirt.  At the end of the day, we were sheep of a different fleece.

Whenever we read the TANAKH (Old Testament), it is easy to simply view the narrative as pure history with little to no application for today’s world.  And while there is a growing multitude of Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus), for the vast majority of Christians, the Old Testament recounts the history of a foreign people.  For so many folks, they might as well be reading about the history of the Ming Dynasty.  Perhaps that is why so few Christians read the Old Testament.  It may also explain why most Christians don’t read their New Testaments, either, for that matter.  After all, the entire Bible (Genesis-Revelation) is a Jewish book written by Jewish guys who primarily explain to other Jewish guys that Jesus is the Messiah.  All the while, they are trying to figure out how to cope with all those Gentiles who were coming to faith in the Jewish Messiah!

In today’s passage, the Lord reminds us that He is not just the God of Israel (the Jewish people).  Rather, He is the God of the whole earth!  After all, He created the whole earth with all its people.  All religion, apart from that written in the Bible, is man-made and, hence, false.  God’s hatred of false gods is inflexible; He says the world He created is firmly established and shall not be moved.  And He underscores Israel’s reason for existing as His “Chosen”: To glorify His Name and tell of His wondrous works, in the hope that people who are weak in their faith will be encouraged and that people who do not know Him will turn from their sin, embrace Him and His Word, and receive salvation. (Gen 22:15-18; Acts 17:22-31) This has ALWAYS been His desire for ALL people throughout history.  Biblical history is also OUR story.