1 Chronicles 11-13
What I Noticed Today (1 Chronicles 11-13)
1 Chronicles 11-29
The next 18 chapters cover the reign of David as king over a united Judah and Israel.
1 Chronicles 11
Note: Some people, like Saul and David, became leaders because God chose them, set them apart, and anointed them for a specific work. Others, like Joab and the mighty men, became leaders because they rose to a challenge.
In verses 1-3, the elders of Israel came together at Hebron and anointed David king, and David made a covenant with them (1 Samuel 16:1-13).
In verses 4-9, David and his army marched to Jerusalem, which was still in the hands of the Jebusites who were Canaanites.
- Joab went up against the city first, and that earned him the title of commander of David’s army.
- David made Jerusalem his headquarters and rebuilt the city.
- David became more and more powerful because the Lord was with him.
In verses 10-49, the balance of 1 Chronicles 11 recounts the exploits of David’s mighty men
Note: The list is often referred to as 30 men, but there are perhaps as many as 45 men mentioned. This is because the list spans several decades of time. Some died early on and others were added.
In verses 10-14, the three mighty warriors of David’s inner circle are introduced.
- Jashobeam was chief of the 30.
- Eleazar, son of Dodo, stood with David and did battle against the Philistines.
Note: The three warriors referenced in verse 12 are Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah (2 Samuel 23:11).
In verses 15-22, David and his army were camped at Adullam preparing to do battle against the Philistines. David complained of being thirsty, and three of the chief 30 warriors broke through enemy lines to bring David water.
Note: This is a different group of three warriors.
- David refused to drink it because the warriors had risked their lives to get it.
- Instead, David poured the water out on the ground as an offering to the Lord.
- Abishai, Joab’s brother, was the commander of this group of three, but not a member of the other group of three.
In verses 23-25, Benaiah is described as the most honored among the 30 but not a member of the three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
In verses 26-47, the fighting men are listed
Note: This list is similar to 2 Samuel 23:24-29 except that there are an additional 16 names listed after Uriah the Hittite.
1 Chronicles 12
Note: 1 Chronicles 12 covers the period of time from when David was hiding from Saul in the wilderness of Ziklag to his coronation in Hebron.
Note: Saul drafted men into his army (1 Samuel 14:52), but the men of David’s army came to him voluntarily. Some of David’s best men came from Saul’s tribe, the Benjamites.
In verses 1-7, the men who joined with David at Ziklag are listed. It includes 23 men who were from the tribe of Benjamin (Saul’s tribe).
In verses 8-18, eleven men who were Gadites from the eastern side of the Jordan River joined David.
In verses 19-22, seven men from Manasseh joined David and helped him defeat the Amalekites.
In verses 23-40, lists by tribe the numbers of soldiers who joined with David at Hebron.
- When David was anointed king at Hebron, a total of some 300,000 men had joined with him, including the Levites and the high priest (1 Chronicles 12:23-37).
- The joining of these soldiers from across the tribes brought joy to the people, and they celebrated for three days.
1 Chronicles 13
David attempts to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem.
In verses 1-6, the ark of God had been in Kiriath-jearim for several decades, and David decided to bring it home to Jerusalem.
- He consulted his leaders, but not the Levites.
- They did their best to honor God by bringing the ark on a new cart pulled by oxen preceded by a large contingent of worshippers, but this was not according to the directions God had given the people.
- Had David consulted the Levites about how to move the ark, they could have told him it was to be carried with poles on the shoulders of the Levites (Exodus 25:12-15).
- Uzzah died when the oxen stumbled, and he reached out to steady the ark. God struck him dead.
- The Ark was holy and was not to be touched by anything or anyone who was not also holy.
- At first, David was angry but then became fearful because of God’s anger.
- Rather than continuing on with the Ark, David left the Ark in the home of Obed-edom, a Gittite.
- Obed-edom prospered for three months while the Ark was with him.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Both Saul and David were selected and anointed by God to lead the people of Israel. David’s character was such that he was faithful to God while Saul was not. This character of David’s is what led the people from all the tribes to come together to support his reign as king.
- David’s leadership allowed others to rise and develop into strong leaders, and together, they were able to take the city of Jerusalem from the Canaanites.
- David’s heart was in the right place when he decided to bring the Ark of God into Jerusalem, but he went about it the wrong way. He should have consulted with God first; then instead of failing, he would have been successful!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.