Free Daily Bible Study Podcast

2 Chronicles 3–4 | 1 John 3 | Nahum 2 | Luke 18

In a previous meditation, we looked at the only story in 1 Chronicles that recorded David’s sin: the story of the census that he took.1 As we discussed, one of the reasons that story was included is to provide the backstory of how David purchased the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, since that site became the location where the temple would eventually stand: “Then David said, ‘Here shall be the house of the LORD God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel’” (1 Chron. 22:1).

In our reading for today, then, we find this detail reiterated in 2 Chronicles 3:1: “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” This verse, however, adds another unexpected wrinkle by giving us more information about the temple’s location. Here, we learn that the temple is built on Mount Moriah. This information is extremely significant, since Mount Moriah was the place where God tested Abraham, saying, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Gen. 22:2). We learn here something shocking: the temple is built on the very spot where Abraham had nearly offered his son Isaac up as a sacrifice so many years before.

But more than just an interesting correlation of locations, there is also an interesting correlation of stories between the sacrifice of Isaac and the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. In both cases, Yahweh provided a substitute to spare his people—in the case of Abraham, Yahweh provided a ram whose horns were caught in the thicket that Abraham offered as a substitute for Isaac (Gen. 22:13). In the case of David, Yahweh allowed a sacrifice on Ornan’s threshing floor to turn away his wrath from the people of Israel (1 Chron. 21:26–27).

Together, both of these stories announce that the temple would be the place where Yahweh’s people would shed the blood of animal sacrifices as a substitute for themselves. When the people sinned, the sacrificial animals would die in their place to avert Yahweh’s wrath. And ultimately, these stories point forward to the way that David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would endure the suffering of the cross, not because of his own sin, but as the substitutionary sacrifice Yahweh provided to avert his wrath from us.

The LORD will provide—and he has provided—nothing less than his own Son as your substitute. Jesus died in your place, for your sins, so that you might be reconciled to God.

1 See the November 25 meditation for 1 Chronicles 21.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Chronicles 2 | 1 John 2 | Nahum 1 | Luke 17

Although the narratives of Solomon in the books of Chronicles undercut any idea that Solomon represents the pinnacle of Yahweh’s kingdom on earth, we still read that Solomon does important work in building the temple. Solomon’s reign was certainly important, but everything about him anticipates the coming of Someone greater—and the story from 2 Chronicles 2 points forward to that person in a significant way.

In 2 Chronicles 2:7, Solomon asks King Hiram to send him “a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided” (cf. 1 Kgs. 7:13–14). The skilled craftsman whom Hiram sends is named Huram-abi (2 Chron. 2:13). Huram-abi here becomes the equivalent of Bezalel and Oholiab, the two skilled craftsmen filled with the Spirit of Yahweh and with the skill and knowledge to do all the construction of the tabernacle during the days of Moses (Ex. 35:30–39:43).

But we should not overlook a crucial detail about Huram-abi: he is a man born to an Israelite mother and a father from Tyre—that is, a Gentile father (2 Chron. 2:14). Think about that for a moment—a half-Gentile is the chief craftsman who builds Solomon’s temple! This information is incredibly important in the overarching storyline of the Bible, since the fact that the chief craftsman of Solomon’s temple was a descendant of both an Israelite and a Gentile foreshadows the way in which Jews and Gentiles would one day together build the temple of Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 2, Paul explains that Jesus Christ tore down the dividing wall of hostility (a barrier to keep Gentiles farther away from the temple than Jews were allowed to be) between1 Jews and Gentiles, reconciling us together to create one new man in place of the two (Eph. 2:11–16). And through this reconciliation, Paul continues, Jesus Christ has begun to use Jews and Gentiles together as the materials out of which he is building a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells (Eph. 2:17–22). Just as Solomon’s temple was built through the offspring of a marital union of a Jew and a Gentile, so also the temple of Jesus is being built with Jews and Gentiles who have been reconciled through the cross. For Christians, therefore, racial reconciliation is not a second-tier goal. Jesus Christ died in order to put away racial hostility among his people, making peace by the blood of the cross so that representatives from every tribe, language, people, and nation might be unified in the church.

In what ways are you pursuing reconciliation and unity with fellow blood-bought children of God who are different from you?

1 Frank Thielman, Ephesians, BECNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), 161–86. For more information, see also the meditation for March 16.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Chronicles 1 | 1 John 1 | Micah 7 | Luke 16

As we studied 1 Chronicles, we noticed all the ways that the Chronicler put David front and center in the story of Israel. We might think, then, that we will find a similar expansion of Solomon’s role, since he is the immediate son of David; however, in 2 Chronicles, we find that the Chronicler actually avoids giving us as many details about the life of Solomon as we read in the accounts from 1 Kings.

Here in 2 Chronicles 1, for example, Solomon’s stories are significantly truncated. In 1 Kings 1–2, we read about how Solomon established his kingdom against Adonijah by executing vengeance upon the enemies of his father, David, but we read nothing of that here in 2 Chronicles 1. Then, while we do have the story from 1 Kings 3 about how Solomon asked Yahweh for wisdom when Yahweh offered him anything that his heart desired, we do not find the story of how Solomon wisely identifies the rightful mother of the baby of two prostitutes that we read in 1 Kings 3:16–28. Furthermore, in 1 Kings 4:1–19, we read a list of all of Solomon’s officials—a list similar in kind to the lists of David’s officials that we saw back in 1 Chronicles 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, and 23–27. But, where the Chronicler extensively details all the various officials in the various departments of David’s administration, we find no such list of Solomon’s officials anywhere in 2 Chronicles. Finally, we do read a description of Solomon’s wealth in 2 Chronicles 1:14–17, but it is not nearly as long as the one given in 1 Kings 4:20–34.

Why would the Chronicler go to such lengths to document detailed descriptions of David’s kingdom but comparatively pass over large swaths of details regarding Solomon’s kingdom? In fact, the writing of these narratives prevents us from thinking that Solomon is the greater Son of David whom we have been anticipating—the ultimate Davidic king. The shrinking footprint of Solomon in the books of Chronicles keeps us longing for Someone greater than Solomon (Matt. 12:42).

There is a warning here not to allow anyone or anything in our lives to displace the Lord Jesus in our hearts. It is all too easy for us to look to good things—families, relationships, careers, hobbies, or even political candidates—as the solution to our problems, so that we tie up our hearts in them and expect to find some kind of salvation there. But if even King Solomon himself was not the great Son of David who would reign forever on the throne of Israel, why should we believe that our own stand-ins for Jesus will suffice? In the words of the Apostle John, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 29 | 2 Peter 3 | Micah 6 | Luke 15

We looked yesterday at ways these final chapters in 1 Chronicles portray David as a new Moses, and here in 1 Chronicles 29:6–9, we find yet one more story along those lines in the freewill offering of the Israelites to contribute materials for the building of the temple. The word for “freewill offering” in 1 Chronicles 29:6 first appears in the Bible in Exodus—once in Exodus 25:2 to invite a freewill offering for the construction of the tabernacle and then in Exodus 35:21 and 29 to describe the freewill offering that the people do contribute for the building of the tabernacle. Just as Moses had collected the freewill offering to build the first dwelling place of Yahweh in the tabernacle, so now David also collects a freewill offering for the temple.

But nevertheless, 1 Chronicles ends on a somewhat puzzling note: why doesn’t David usher in the ultimate, final, consummated kingdom of God here? As we have noted a couple of times, the story we have in 1 Chronicles omits David’s sin with Bathsheba, as well as his failure to deal with the rebellion of Joab and Absalom (among others) in his midst, so why then does David pass away from the scene here? The first book of Chronicles leaves this question entirely unanswered.

In fact, the Chronicler writes this description of David deliberately in order to establish a pattern that David’s greater Son would follow. In the same way that David did not consummate God’s kingdom on earth here at the end of 1 Chronicles, so also Jesus ascended to his Father in heaven after his resurrection without bringing his people straight into their eternal rest with him. As we read the final story of David in 1 Chronicles 29, we are meant to feel the same way as did the apostles of Jesus before his ascension, when they asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Is it now, Lord Jesus? Are you coming to put away permanently the curse of sin and death and to bring your people into their eternal home so that we can be with you forever now?

The joyous—yet incomplete—story of David’s departure is written to stoke the flames of our desire for Jesus. Do you long for your Savior to return? Do you pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)? Are you purifying yourself as he is pure while you await his appearance (1 John 3:3)? Are you gathering oil and trimming your wicks (Matt. 25:1–13) and wisely investing the talents he has entrusted to you (Matt. 25:14–30)? The day is coming when he will return, and on that day, let none of us fail to have made ourselves ready to embrace our bridegroom. Today, trust in him as you await his appearing.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 28 | 2 Peter 2 | Micah 5 | Luke 14

As we come to the end of David’s life in 1 Chronicles, there is one question we have not yet addressed: Was David right to take such an active role in reshaping the worship in Israel in the way that he did? We need to avoid bringing in the baggage of our own culture’s assumptions, since we often glorify the ability to bring new ideas as the quintessential leadership quality. In the Bible, however, it is the innovations in worship—for example, high places, new altars, and new places for worship away from Jerusalem—that receive the strongest condemnation of all the sins the later kings of Israel and Judah commit. Should we worry that David might be disobeying Yahweh here? As we discussed in our meditation for 2 Kings 9, one of the ways the biblical authors make their points is through the repetition of stories, and here in 1 Chronicles 28, we see two clear repetitions that portray David as a new Moses rather than a usurping innovator who rejects Moses.

First, we read in 1 Chronicles 28:19 that David’s plans for the temple have come directly from Yahweh: “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan.” David has received direct revelation to plan how to build everything in the temple, from its various houses, treasuries, rooms, and vestibules to all the division of work within the temple, as well as all the furniture it would house (1 Chron. 28:11–18). This passage covers virtually the same elements as the plans for building the tabernacle that Moses received from Yahweh in Exodus 25–31.

Second, David charges Solomon with nearly a direct quotation from the words Moses spoke when commissioning Joshua as Israel’s next leader in Deuteronomy 31:7–8: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Here in 1 Chronicles 28:20, David now says this: “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.”

David is not rejecting Moses—rather, he is a new Moses. Even here, however, the focus is not so much on David himself as it is on the ultimate Son of David whom Yahweh would raise up for the salvation of his people. We will continue looking at the conclusion of David’s life tomorrow.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 26–27 | 2 Peter 1 | Micah 4 | Luke 13

David assigns a group of the non-priestly Levites who were not called to the ministry of music to serve instead as gatekeepers in 1 Chronicles 26 (cf. 1 Chron. 9:17–32). While some of these gatekeepers were Merarites (1 Chron. 26:19), the primary group are called the Korahites (1 Chron. 26:1)—that is, the sons of Korah, who was the Kohathite who led the rebellion against Moses in Numbers 16. Though their ancestor Korah had sinned grievously against Yahweh, they are nevertheless called near to a particular place of privilege to serve as gatekeepers of the house of God. The influence of the Korahites, however, extends far beyond the gatekeeping duties that they executed thousands of years ago. They left behind Psalms 42, 44–49, 84, 85, 87, and 88—psalms that the church treasures to this day.

Knowing that the sons of Korah were devoted to standing guard at the temple helps us to understand better why one of these gatekeepers would write Psalm 84, where we read, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God….For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Ps. 84:1–2, 10). They are the doorkeepers for the house of their God, and they rejoice in the privilege of dwelling in the shadow of the house of God.

But even the fact that the Korahites were gatekeepers seems to influence their choice of themes in the psalms they write, so that they frequently describe Yahweh as their refuge, stronghold, and protection. For example, take Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble….the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Ps. 46:1, 7, 11). Or, Psalm 48: “Within her [Mount Zion’s] citadels God has made himself known as a fortress” (Ps. 48:3). Just as the gates where the Korahites served protected the temple, so also Yahweh himself acts as a refuge and a fortress for his people.

It is a tender thing, then, for Jesus to describe himself as the true shepherd of the sheep to whom the gatekeeper opens (John 10:3), as well as the very door through whom we may enter into God’s presence and find salvation (John 10:7–18). It is the presence of Jesus that is better than a thousand days elsewhere, and it is Jesus himself who serves as our refuge and strength, and who stands as our fortress. For all those who are weary and oppressed, let us flee to Jesus, a very present help to us in times of trouble, both now and forevermore.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 24–25 | 1 Peter 5 | Micah 3 | Luke 12

In 1 Chronicles 25, David directs and organizes a division of the non-priestly Levites to serve as musicians in the house of God. As we discussed in the meditation from 1 Chronicles 16, David appoints three leaders of the musicians, one from each clan of the tribe of Levi: Asaph the Gershonite, Jeduthun (who also goes by the name Ethan) the Merarite, and Heman the Kohathite. These leaders, however, are not merely skilled musicians, but they prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals (1 Chron. 25:1). Each leader is explicitly called a prophet in some way: Asaph prophesies under the direction of the king (1 Chron. 25:2); Jeduthun prophesies “with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the LORD” (1 Chron. 25:3); and Heman is “the king’s seer” (1 Chron. 25:5). In other words, music wasn’t as much about sound as it was about declaring the prophetic word of Yahweh. Furthermore, David establishes formal musical training, with teachers and pupils actively working together to develop the next generation of musical (and prophetic) leadership among the Levites (1 Chron. 25:7–8).

This prophetic ministry of music continues into the new covenant, with Paul commanding the church to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). Notice the context of the church’s singing: we are to sing so that the word of Christ may dwell in us richly—that is, the prophetic word of Christ written down in the Scriptures. Additionally, we sing so that we may teach and admonish one another in all wisdom—that is, so that we may train the next generations to be conformed to the image of Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24).

But where music was the exclusive ministry of the Levites under David, this is the ministry of all God’s people under David’s greater Son. As we talked about at length during our study of the book of Numbers, the non-priestly Levites were given lesser privileges than the Levitical priests but greater privileges than the rest of Israel. The reason for this was both to protect and preserve the holiness of God but also to foreshadow the day when Jesus Christ would cleanse and sanctify all his people as the new dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Here too, the ministry of the Levites foreshadows the way God would lead all of us into musical ministry in our worship.

Singing to the Lord is a great privilege that we must not take lightly, and Christ himself came as the ultimate Son of David in order to qualify all of us to sing in his presence. Brothers and sisters, let us therefore sing for joy to the Lord.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 23 | 1 Peter 4 | Micah 2 | Luke 11

In 1 Chronicles 23, David actively reshapes the worship of Israel by redefining the roles of the Levites in temple service. The rationale for all of what David does is found in 1 Chronicles 23:25–26: “For David said, ‘The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.’” Remember that the chief role of the various clans of the non-priestly Levites was their work in moving the tabernacle and all its holy things from site to site, as Yahweh led his people in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Num. 3–4). But with the permanent establishment of the temple in Jerusalem, those duties are no longer required. David, then, assigns new responsibilities to the non-priestly Levites: from this point forward, the Levites will assist the priests with cleansing the temple and preparing to make the offerings, and the Levites will offer praise and thanks to Yahweh whenever the priests make sacrifices (1 Chron. 23:28–32).

We should see here a shift toward greater involvement of all God’s people in worship. Previously, the priests were really the only people involved in worship at all, but now, the rest of the Levites not only assist the priests but they are also assigned the duty of praising and thanking Yahweh during the sacrifices. And, while the remaining Israelites are still relatively passive in worship at this point, this shift anticipates a day when all God’s people would be actively involved in worship. Since Jesus has offered himself as the final sacrifice and as our great high priest, we no longer need other priests who mediate between us and God. Instead, our pastors and elders are called to lead us in worship—not to perform worship in front of us as we passively watch, but to lead us into active engagement in worship. So, just as the Levites were involved alongside the priests, we also ought to be engaged when we come before the Lord in worship.

Ask yourself these questions: Are you prayerfully listening to the reading of the word and actively listening to the sermon while your pastor preaches, or do you permit your mind to wander? Are you singing out loud, or do you simply listen to others sing? Do you offer your own heart up during the congregational prayers, or are you simply letting the words wash past you? We have a great privilege—and therefore, a great responsibility—to involve ourselves in the worship of Yahweh. Why, then, do we treat worship as though we were spectators, consumers, or critics? For the glory of Jesus Christ and the sake of your soul, worship the Lord this week in spirit and in truth.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 22 | 1 Peter 3 | Micah 1 | Luke 10

A new section begins with our reading today from 1 Chronicles 22, where we will start reading even more explicitly about the reforms David makes to Israel’s worship. Over the next few chapters, David will organize the Levites, the priests, the musicians, and the gatekeepers in the temple, but he begins by charging his son Solomon and the other leaders of Israel to set their minds to the task of building a temple in which Yahweh will dwell in their midst. From this chapter, we learn two important principles surrounding the theology of the temple that we have not previously seen.

First, we find out why David has been so involved in preparing for the building of the temple up to this point: he is worried about the youth and inexperience of his son Solomon, since the house in which Yahweh will dwell must be “exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands” (1 Chron. 22:5). This is important, since it shifts the credit for the temple away from Solomon and places it on David. Of course, the important point isn’t to glorify David but rather that this directs Israel’s hope beyond the first son of David to the ultimate Son of David who would eventually become the dwelling place of God among his people.

Second, we learn the reason why Yahweh did not allow David to build the temple: he had shed too much blood (1 Chron. 22:8). Instead, Yahweh wanted to give the building of his temple to a man who had rest from his surrounding enemies (1 Chron. 22:9). More than that, David urges Israel’s other leaders to dedicate themselves to the task of building the temple because of the fact that Yahweh had given his people peace on every side from their enemies through the blood David had shed (1 Chron. 22:18). Just as Yahweh had dwelt generally with his people in the Promised Land when he gave them rest on every side from their enemies during their conquest of Canaan (Josh. 21:44, 23:1), so now the temple in Jerusalem becomes the specific place where he will dwell with them through the peace David has wrought.

And yet, we know already that this temple will be destroyed by the Babylonians. The theology of the Chronicles, then, isn’t pointing forward to a new temple that would be just like the old one. Rather, the Chronicles teach us that there would be a better temple than what Solomon built for us, built by Jesus Christ, who did not shed the blood of others but who gained rest from his enemies by rising from the dead after his own blood was shed. This new temple, then, would not be built with gold, silver, and bronze but with something far more precious: with the people whom Jesus Christ purchased with his own blood (1 Cor. 3:10–17).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Chronicles 21 | 1 Peter 2 | Jonah 4 | Luke 9

In today’s reading from 1 Chronicles 21, we find the major exception to the way that the Chronicles avoid mentioning David’s sin. And yet, even here we find two key differences from what we read in 2 Samuel 24 in the way this story is told. Most significantly, we read in the very first verse of this story that it was Satan who “stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1). In 2 Samuel 24:1, however, we read this: “Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’” So, which is it? Did Satan incite David, or did Yahweh? Is this an error or a contradiction in the Bible, or is something else going on here?

In fact, everything we have studied so far helps us to see exactly what is happening here. In the narratives of Samuel and Kings, we saw Yahweh building his case against his people before sending them off into exile as judgment for their sin, so it is no surprise to see that Yahweh is angry with David and with Israel in 2 Samuel 24. God himself does not tempt anyone to sin (Jas. 1:13), but we must not forget that the greatest possible punishment for sin is to be handed over into deeper sin. We may reconcile these two seemingly contradictory versions of the same story, then, by recognizing that Yahweh is handing his people over to judgment when he permits Satan to tempt David.

But the other detail that the Chronicler adds in this account of the story comes in the additional information we gain about the threshing floor that David buys from Ornan the Jebusite in 1 Chronicles 22:1: “Then David said, ‘Here shall be the house of the LORD God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.’” In other words, this story isn’t included to demonstrate David’s guilt so much as to provide the backstory for the eventual location of the temple. Even when we read of David’s sin in the Chronicles, the Chronicler ties those actions to the larger story of Israel’s worship.

This has much to teach us about what it means to live by grace in the new covenant. Under the new covenant, we learn that because Jesus took upon the wrath of Yahweh for us at the cross, then we are no longer on trial. To be sure, there are still consequences for our sins as our heavenly Father disciplines his children, but even the consequences for our sins are opportunities to return to the once-for-all, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, where we may find complete pardon, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God. When you sin, flee to David’s greater Son Jesus, that you might be washed clean and reconciled with your Father in heaven.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.