1 Chronicles 24:4
“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.”
Webster’s dictionary defines a chronicle as “a historical account of events arranged in order of time without analysis or interpretation.” The main purpose of 1Chronicles is to give an historical record of the nation of Judah. This chapter focusses on the descendants of Aaron, the priest. While it may seem less than devotional to read a list of names, I think it is worth noting, that a system based on heritage would require a huge emphasis upon raising the next generation to follow the Lord. If Israel was going to remain as the people of God, then the priests would have to raise their children to love, trust, and obey the Word of God and the God of the Word.
The death and resurrection of Christ has ushered in a new covenant that is no longer based on heritage. We become a child of God, and a priest in our home, the moment we place faith in Christ. This, however, does not diminish the need to raise our children to love, trust, and obey the Lord. We should make it our chief aim to train up our children in the way they should go so when they are old they will not depart from ways of God (Proverbs 22:6). Some basic tools to help us do that include teaching them the Scriptures, setting a godly example, and being sure our home is filled with an atmosphere of grace.
Pastor Jim
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us not to forsake the gathering together of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25). In other words; get to church! That is the heart of what David is singing about in this Psalm. He begins by declaring what a blessing it is to have someone invite him to the house of the Lord. Even as the king of a nation, David was still a man, and as a man, it would be wonderful to receive an invitation from someone to attend worship.
Life is filled with trying experiences. We are often faced with difficulties we would not wish on our enemies, or with circumstances we would love to change. These experiences can shake us at the core of who we are and cause us to look outside of ourselves for assistance. We can learn a vital lesson from the Psalmist, who, in the midst of his difficulty, chose not to look out to his friends, or back to his old ways, or around at what others might be doing, but instead, he chose to look up to the only One who could truly assist him in his time of need.
When it comes to worship, we can learn much from King David. The longest book in the Bible is a book of praise songs, and David was its largest contributor. In addition to being a king and a prophet, he was also called the Sweet Psalmist of Israel. In our text, we find David bringing an offering to the Lord. Because of his position as king, Ornan offered him the field and the animals free of charge. Instead of accepting the gift, David made a statement that should become a foundational principle in our worship, “I will not offer that which cost me nothing.”
The devil is crafty and a master of deception. Paul referred to him as an angel of light, because of his ability to disguise himself in order to fool the Christian.
It is not always the longest, or even the most creative works, that become the most well known. I am not a poet, and cannot speak to the artistic side of things, but I doubt whether any poem is as well known as “Roses are red and violets are blue…” Sometimes, the simplicity of things is exactly what is most needed. In a songbook filled with some of the most elaborate and beautiful expressions of praise, we find a simple song, consisting of only two short verses. It is the brevity of this song that magnifies its content. We find the Psalmist emphasizing two things that make God worthy of the praise of all the nations. He states, God is kind, and His word is true.
This chapter records the successful military endeavors of King David. We read of his defeating, or subduing, at least eight separate kingdoms, as he established Israel among the strongest of the nations. His military exploits resulted in peace and prosperity for Israel, and the entire region. However, I think it is worth noting that while we read, “David attacked, David defeated or David subdued”, scripture makes it clear, he did none of these things on his own. His exploits were accompanied by both the presence of the Lord and a host of faithful men. As the chapter concludes, we read of Joab, Jehoshaphat, Zadok, Abimelech, Shavsha, Benaiah and David’s sons, all of whom served alongside the king, making this success possible. David started out as a Lone Ranger, stepping into the valley of Elah when no one else would, but as time went on, a host of others teamed with him to accomplish the work of God.
David learned it is possible to have a great desire to do something, that is not the will of God. His heart burned within him to build a more permanent structure to house the Ark, and to provide a place for sacrifice. He prayed, sought godly counsel, and went forward with his plans, only to find out later, God had other plans for his life, and for the completion of the task. There are some important lessons we can glean from this story.
Jim Gallagher 