Reading: I Chronicles 17 – 20
Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went (I Chr. 18:1-6).
When David was nearing the end of his life and preparing his subjects to accept his son Solomon as their king, he shared the reason God had given him when denying his request to construct a permanent Temple in Jerusalem. Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for My name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood (I Chr. 28:2-3). In chapter 18 of today’s reading, we are offered an overview of just what God meant when he called David a man of war.
David approached Nathan about his desire to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord during a time of hard-won peace (17:1). David had already fought many, many battles in the service of God, and there were still battles yet to be fought. God’s plan for David was to finally fulfill the obligations of the Israelites in relation to their inheritance of the promised land. Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it (Num. 33:52-53).
In addition to this, God enabled David to provide Solomon with the two things he would need above all else for the construction of God’s permanent Temple. First, David’s conquests established secure borders for the nation of Israel and ensured that Solomon ascended to the throne of a nation at peace. Secondly, God filled the coffers of Israel with the spoils from David’s battles, gold, silver, and brass. This would allow Solomon to proceed with construction without fear of running out of money before the work was completed.
David’s life of service to the Lord was not an easy one. From the moment he first drew the jealous ire of King Saul to the last-minute power struggle between his surviving sons for his throne (I Kings 1), David’s life was punctuated with conflict and unrest. As today’s reading attests, he was indeed a man of war, but more than that, he was a man of deep and abiding faith. He lived to serve God, and in that service, he was content.
And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth (I Chr. 17:8).
Thought for Today: For the faithful wealth is not a goal and warfare should not be aspired to, but as with all things God still finds a use for them.
Christ Portrayed: By David, the shepherd-king (I Chr. 17:7; comp. Matt. 1:1-2; Rom. 1:3), symbolic of Christ as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and King of saints (all believers) (Rev. 15:3).
Word Studies: 17:7 sheepcote = pasturelands; 18:4 houghed = crippled by cutting leg tendons; 19:4 hard by = close to; 19:6 odious = detestable, offensive.
Pray For Staff: Gilbert Palafox • Country: Myanmar (formerly Burma) (55,167,330) Southeast Asia • Major Languages: Burmese, Ethnic Languages • Restricted Religious Freedom • 89% Buddhist; 3% Baptist; 1% Roman Catholic; 4% Muslim (Sunni); 1% Animist; 2% Other (Baha’i, Jewish, Cao Dai) • Prayer Suggestion: Remember that nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen. 18:14).
Optional Reading I Corinthians 4.