1 Chronicles 9:35-14:17

What’s Happening?

After nine chapters of genealogies, we’re given a sober warning: failure to listen to God is national suicide. Israel’s first king, Saul, is fighting and losing to Israel’s ancient enemy, the Philistines (1 Chronicles 10:1-2). He’s grievously wounded. Rather than allowing himself to be captured, Saul commits suicide and lets his people be captured (1 Chronicles 10:3-7). When the Philistines find his body, they cut off his head, strip him naked, and celebrate his demise (1 Chronicles 10:8-10). The Chronicler tells us that all this happened because Saul failed to seek God’s guidance in either his law or through his prophets (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).

In the wake of Saul’s defeat, all of Israel begins to flock to David and pledge allegiance to the king God chose to rule Israel (1 Chronicles 11:1-3). God is with David and guides him; and he immediately secures a new capital city, Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11:4-9). The more David follows God’s guidance, the larger and more victorious his army becomes (1 Chronicles 11:10-47). Eventually, even those once loyal to Saul defect to David, recognizing that to fight for David is to fight for God (1 Chronicles 12:1-39). While Saul’s unlistening rule brought defeat and death, King David’s listening to God brings unity, victory, and joy to Israel (1 Chronicles 12:40).

As a symbol of David’s desire to rule Israel according to God's guidance, David makes plans to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 13:1-4). 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 was supposed to have his own copy of all God’s laws (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). But David doesn’t follow God’s written guidance on how to handle the ark. He mishandles this holy object, and one of David's men is killed as a result (1 Chronicles 13:7-11). Afraid his neglect might spill over and affect Jerusalem, David diverts the ark to the home of a priest until he is able to properly bring the ark into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 13:12-14).

As David listens to God’s guidance more closely, God causes other nations to recognize Israel’s success. The nation of Tyre gifts the fledgling nation of Israel the raw materials needed to build a royal palace (1 Chronicles 14:1-7). But the Philistines, the same nation that went to war with Saul, are not pleased with Israel's ascendency (1 Chronicles 14:8-9). But unlike Saul, David asks for God’s guidance and God defeats the Philistines (1 Chronicles 14:11-16). In response to these victories, it is not long before all of Israel’s neighbors begin to fear the upstart nation of Israel (1 Chronicles 14:17). 

Where is the Gospel?

When God’s king listens to God’s voice, he thrives. But when he doesn’t, he dies. The original readers of Chronicles would have seen a parallel between Saul’s humiliation and Israel’s humiliation. Just as Saul's head and armor were carted off to Philistine temples, Jerusalem’s leadership, holy objects, and armory were carted off to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:15-20). The tragedy of Israel’s first king became the tragedy of Israel as a nation. If they, as a new generation of leaders, want to rebuild their country, they must, like David, ask for God’s guidance, listen to God’s voice, and humbly obey.

Ultimately, the unity, victory, and peace David began to lead his people into would only be fully realized in David’s descendent, Jesus (Matthew 1:1). Like David, Jesus frequently asked God for guidance (Luke 5:16, 6:12). Like David, Jesus obeyed what God asked of him (John 5:19, 14:31), so much so that Jesus is called God’s guidance made flesh (John 1:14). But when it mattered most, when David tried to bring God’s guidance into the middle of his kingdom to guide all their decisions, David failed to listen and it cost someone his life. But where David failed, Jesus did not. Obediently, Jesus gave up his own life so that God’s guidance might permanently reside not in an ark in a city, but in all his people (Philippians 2:8). Because of Jesus, God’s guidance lives in us permanently (John 14:26). And there is nothing that can stop God’s unity, victory, and peace from reigning over God’s people forever.

 See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who guides his people into life and peace. And may you see Jesus as your King who has listened to God’s guidance and is leading us to victory.