In Today's Email:
I Chronicles 16 Notes
In this chapter the Ark of the Covenant is set in Jerusalem.
vs. 1-7 – This parallels II Samuel 6:18-19. The Ark is placed in a special tent in Jerusalem and the people celebrate. For a deeper dive into what happened around the Ark in this tent, see my article: https://www.baptistbasics.org/2022/06/19/the-mysterious-tabernacle-of-david/
vs. 8-36 – This psalm is a compilation of other psalms, specifically 105:1-15, 96:1-13, 106:47-48, 107:1, and 136.
vs. 37-43 - David here organizes the divided worship between the Ark and the Tabernacle. It is still strange to imagine having these two being separate, but they will never be reunited. The next home for the Ark will be the Temple.
I Chronicles 17 Notes
In this chapter David is not allowed to build the Temple and God give him the Davidic Covenant.
vs. 1-10 – This parallels II Samuel 7:1-11. David desires to build the Temple but God does not allow him to.
vs. 11-15 – This parallels II Samuel 7:12-17. God establishes the David Covenant.
vs. 16-27 - This parallels II Samuel 7:18-29. David offers a prayer/psalm of thanksgiving.
I Chronicles 18 Notes
In this chapter David spreads his kingdom to its greatest extent.
vs. 1-13 – This parallels II Samuel 8:1-14. David battles and defeats the armies of Philistia, Moab, Zobah, Damascus, and Edom. There is a supposed contradiction between II Samuel 8:44 and I Chronicles 18:4, being 700 horsemen vs. 7,000 horsemen. The best explanation for the difference in numbers here is that II Samuel 8:3-4 describes a battle “to recover his territory” while I Chronicles 18:3-4 describes a campaign “to stablish his dominion”. The campaign described in I Chronicles does not include any more pitched ground battles but many cavalry skirmishes. In vs. 8 there is an additional comment about the brass captured by David being used in the construction of the Temple.
vs. 14-17 – This parallels II Samuel 8:15-18. The leaders of David’s government at the height of David’s power.
Closing Thoughts
With as much a role that music plays in our church services today, it is amazing to realize that David appears to be the one responsible for introducing it into Israel’s corporate worship. Certainly there were songs of praise before, but there is no record of them being used in the Tabernacle or by the priests until David. Music is one of God’s greatest gifts to us, and through it we can return our gift of praise to Him.
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “Magnify Jehovah’s Name”, written by James Montgomery in 1822. It echoes the psalm of David in chapter 16 calling us to praise the Lord.
Magnify Jehovah's Name;
For His mercies ever sure,
From eternity the same,
To eternity endure.
Let His ransom'd flock rejoice
Gather'd out of every land,
As the people of His choice,
Pluck'd from the destroyer's hand.
In the wilderness astray,
In the lonely waste they roam,
Hungry, fainting by the way,
Far from refuge, shelter, home:
To the Lord their God they cry;
He inclines a gracious ear,
Sends deliverance from on high,
Rescues them from all their fear.
Them to pleasant lands he brings,
Where the vine and olive grow;
Where from verdant hills, the springs
Through luxuriant valleys flow.
O that men would praise the Lord,
for His goodness to their race;
For the wonders of His word,
And the riches of His grace!