1 Chronicles 27 - 29 and Psalm 132
In summary:
These chapters describe not only the prosperity and security of Yahweh’s people under David’s reign but also their humility in receiving them.
These chapters describe not only the prosperity and security of Yahweh’s people under David’s reign but also their humility in receiving them.
In more detail:
All of the organization described in 1 Chronicles 27, just like the previous chapters, reflects the order of Yahweh’s just dominion over all creation. Through the blessing of their God, Yahweh’s people administer their praise and worship and now their defense in an orderly way in the midst of large numbers, prosperity and peace.
As they enjoy these blessings, His people must realize the limits of their abilities and remind themselves that grace comes from Yahweh, a lesson that each Israelite had to understand and fulfill according to Deuteronomy 26:1-11. In these verses he had to go to the tabernacle, give the firstfruits of his harvest and declare, “A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty and populous. And the Egyptians
treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor… And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Oh LORD, have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:5-6, 8-10). Now in 1 Chronicles 27, without the ceremony but with the same humility in the midst of abundant blessing, the king and his governors must recognize the prosperity of the people and the security that they enjoy is due to Yahweh: “David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count, but did not finish. Yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David” (1 Chronicles 27:23-24).
They learned their lesson, and a blank space in the royal registry testifies to the humility of their repentance and their thankfulness for the blessings they’ve received.
Humility in the midst of abundant blessing also characterizes David’s plans for the building of the temple. There we find a declaration of praise that captures the reason for its construction:
“Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever” (1 Chronicles 29:10). They will build the temple because Yahweh is worthy of praise and
worship. The phrase: “Blessed are you, O LORD” does not mean that we can add something to Yahweh, that we can do Him a favor or give Him something He needs. It is a declaration in a loud voice, a clear announcement to all listeners that Yahweh is exalted and worthy of their attention. “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father” is a title that not only recognizes the historical fact of Yahweh’s covenant with the
forefathers Abraham and Jacob but also underlines Yahweh’s faithfulness up to David’s generation, too. “Forever and ever” means that it looks toward the future and even to eternity past and present with the certainty that Yahweh’s faithfulness is never exhausted.
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty” (1 Chronicles 29:11). For several chapters the chronicler has described the greatness of King David by telling us of his battles, his administration and organization, his wealth and the great number of people under his dominion. But Yahweh surpasses him in all of these characteristics and achievements. Yahweh Himself defines greatness because He is more than sufficient for Israel and for all creation. He not only declares what righteousness and justice are but also has the power to impose them and make all
creation submit to them. The glory speaks of Yahweh’s beauty, the attraction mixed with fear that draws a believer to approach Him cautiously in the desire to know Him better. The victory expresses the decisive way in which He makes His enemies submit to His just decrees. His majesty describes that aspect of His glory which leaves believers open-mouthed in wonder, almost without words to describe in awe His exceptional attributes.
David’s reign described up to this point in 1 Chronicles has its greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty, but it is simply a reflection of Yahweh’s reign, the One who has all of these attributes in their most excellent form.
“For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours” (1 Chronicles 29:11). David’s dominion extended over all of Judah and later, over all Israel for a total of 40
years; Yahweh’s dominion extends over all creation for all time. “Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11). Here David
touches the theme of the whole Bible, Yahweh’s just dominion, and he notes that Yahweh exercises that dominion with incomparable excellence. He gives an example of His just dominion when he says, “Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:12).
He describes our appropriate response to His glory when he says, “And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:13). And while we praise His incomparable glory, we feel the shame of our own insignificance before Him: “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things have come from you, and of your own we have given you” (1 Chronicles 29:14). It is impossible for us to add to Yahweh’s glory; we only can reflect it or return what He in His benevolence has shared with us. “For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own” (1 Chronicles
29:15-16).
Through these praises, David shows that even the preparation for the construction of the temple was an opportunity to worship the incomparable God whose eternal dominion and majesty he would try to reflect.
All of the organization described in 1 Chronicles 27, just like the previous chapters, reflects the order of Yahweh’s just dominion over all creation. Through the blessing of their God, Yahweh’s people administer their praise and worship and now their defense in an orderly way in the midst of large numbers, prosperity and peace.
As they enjoy these blessings, His people must realize the limits of their abilities and remind themselves that grace comes from Yahweh, a lesson that each Israelite had to understand and fulfill according to Deuteronomy 26:1-11. In these verses he had to go to the tabernacle, give the firstfruits of his harvest and declare, “A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty and populous. And the Egyptians
treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor… And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Oh LORD, have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:5-6, 8-10). Now in 1 Chronicles 27, without the ceremony but with the same humility in the midst of abundant blessing, the king and his governors must recognize the prosperity of the people and the security that they enjoy is due to Yahweh: “David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count, but did not finish. Yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David” (1 Chronicles 27:23-24).
They learned their lesson, and a blank space in the royal registry testifies to the humility of their repentance and their thankfulness for the blessings they’ve received.
Humility in the midst of abundant blessing also characterizes David’s plans for the building of the temple. There we find a declaration of praise that captures the reason for its construction:
“Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever” (1 Chronicles 29:10). They will build the temple because Yahweh is worthy of praise and
worship. The phrase: “Blessed are you, O LORD” does not mean that we can add something to Yahweh, that we can do Him a favor or give Him something He needs. It is a declaration in a loud voice, a clear announcement to all listeners that Yahweh is exalted and worthy of their attention. “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father” is a title that not only recognizes the historical fact of Yahweh’s covenant with the
forefathers Abraham and Jacob but also underlines Yahweh’s faithfulness up to David’s generation, too. “Forever and ever” means that it looks toward the future and even to eternity past and present with the certainty that Yahweh’s faithfulness is never exhausted.
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty” (1 Chronicles 29:11). For several chapters the chronicler has described the greatness of King David by telling us of his battles, his administration and organization, his wealth and the great number of people under his dominion. But Yahweh surpasses him in all of these characteristics and achievements. Yahweh Himself defines greatness because He is more than sufficient for Israel and for all creation. He not only declares what righteousness and justice are but also has the power to impose them and make all
creation submit to them. The glory speaks of Yahweh’s beauty, the attraction mixed with fear that draws a believer to approach Him cautiously in the desire to know Him better. The victory expresses the decisive way in which He makes His enemies submit to His just decrees. His majesty describes that aspect of His glory which leaves believers open-mouthed in wonder, almost without words to describe in awe His exceptional attributes.
David’s reign described up to this point in 1 Chronicles has its greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty, but it is simply a reflection of Yahweh’s reign, the One who has all of these attributes in their most excellent form.
“For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours” (1 Chronicles 29:11). David’s dominion extended over all of Judah and later, over all Israel for a total of 40
years; Yahweh’s dominion extends over all creation for all time. “Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11). Here David
touches the theme of the whole Bible, Yahweh’s just dominion, and he notes that Yahweh exercises that dominion with incomparable excellence. He gives an example of His just dominion when he says, “Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:12).
He describes our appropriate response to His glory when he says, “And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:13). And while we praise His incomparable glory, we feel the shame of our own insignificance before Him: “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things have come from you, and of your own we have given you” (1 Chronicles 29:14). It is impossible for us to add to Yahweh’s glory; we only can reflect it or return what He in His benevolence has shared with us. “For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own” (1 Chronicles
29:15-16).
Through these praises, David shows that even the preparation for the construction of the temple was an opportunity to worship the incomparable God whose eternal dominion and majesty he would try to reflect.
