1 Chronicles 15-16

What’s Happening?

For three months, King David has been preparing to bring God’s ark into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 13:14, 15:1). The ark was where God spoke from, and inside the ark were the Ten Commandments (Exodus 25:10-22). (The Ten Commandments were a summary of God's legal guidance to Israel.) David wants the ark in Jerusalem so that God’s guidance and law will be at the center of his kingdom. But the last time he tried to do this he failed to follow God’s guidance and broke one of his laws. He allowed his soldiers, rather than God’s priests, to handle the ark—and one of David's men died as a result (1 Chronicles 13:7-11, 15:13). 

David will not make the same mistake twice and resolves to transport the ark precisely the way God prescribed. David declares that from now on only priests from the tribe of Levi may handle the ark (1 Chronicles 15:2) To that end, David finds and gathers all those qualified to bring God’s ark into God’s capital city (1 Chronicles 15:3-10). David deputizes several priests as leaders and warns them to handle the ark in the way God’s law guided them (1 Chronicles 15:11-15). They’re also told to appoint priestly singers, musicians, and guards to surround the ark once it enters its new home (1 Chronicles 15:16-24).

With all these preparations made, David leads a procession of priests and Israel’s leaders to finally bring the ark into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:25-26). When Jerusalem’s citizens see their king leading the ark of God’s guidance into their capital, they start singing and celebrating (1 Chronicles 15:28-29). The priests celebrate with sacrifices, and David hosts a feast for the entire city, celebrating that God’s guidance has made its home in the center of God’s people (1 Chronicles 16:1-3). 

With the ark finally at rest in Jerusalem, David appoints priests to continually create and sing songs in front of the ark, and David writes the first one (1 Chronicles 16:4-7). It calls all of Israel to praise the God who has made an embattled and nomadic tribe into a secure kingdom (1 Chronicles 16:8-22). It demands all of creation to worship Israel’s God who has been faithful to give them their land. It invites all nations of the world to come to Jerusalem and experience God’s power and guidance for themselves (1 Chronicles 16:23-33). And all God’s people respond to David’s song with “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:34-36). From now on Israel will be a nation centered around God’s guidance and laws (1 Chronicles 16:37-42). 

Where is the Gospel?

On Israel’s throne is a king who follows God’s laws. And this king has placed God’s ark, the place from which God speaks and guides his people, at the center of his administration. In many ways, this is the high point of the book of Chronicles. God’s King and God’s people are united by their shared commitment to follow God’s laws. God’s ark lives in the middle of them, promising to guide them no matter what they will face.

Like Israel, we need God’s guidance and laws at the center of our lives. And the good news is that God has sent Jesus to be the King who can do that for everyone, no matter where they live. Just as David appointed priests and made sacrifices so that God’s ark could move into Jerusalem, Jesus was an appointed priest who sacrificed himself so that God’s guidance and laws could move into our hearts (Hebrews 10:16). Because of Jesus, the center of God’s guiding power isn’t centered in an ark in a faraway country, but inside those who pledge that Jesus is their King.

Our lives are complicated. We will make thousands if not millions of important decisions in our lifetime. If we knew them in advance we'd be overwhelmed by the sheer number, let alone the responsibility to make the choice that best lines up with God’s law. But you do not need to be overwhelmed, and you do not need to be afraid that you’re one small decision away from ruining your faith (Luke 12:11-12). God lives in the center of your being. He has written his laws on your hearts and he will always guide you (Hebrews 8:6-12). But even when we, like David, fail to follow all God’s laws, we don’t need to worry. The same sacrificial death Jesus offered in order to place his laws inside of us, is the same sacrifice that secures God’s forgiveness forever. 

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who guides his people. And may you see Jesus as the one who lives in the very center of your being.