Scripture Reading: First Chronicles 22:2—29:30
First Chronicles 22:2—29:30 is a supplement to the history of David.
David’s preparation of the materials for the building of the temple of God in abundance typifies Christ’s provision for the building of the church of God with His unsearchable riches (1 Chron. 22:2-5, 14-16; 29:2-5a). All the riches provided by Christ are Christ Himself. David was a type of Christ, fighting the battle and gaining the victory. Christ is the unique One who is qualified to provide the materials for the building up of the church of God. The spiritual significances of all the materials provided by David are covered in the life-study of 1 Kings 5—7.
David’s preparation in his affliction, in his trials, and in the victory of his fightings typifies Christ’s rich provision for the building of the church of God in His trials and victory over Satan with his power of darkness. According to the record of the New Testament, Christ lived a fighting life, fighting mainly against God’s enemy Satan. In His victory He prepared all the materials for the building up of the church of God.
In 1 Chron. 22:6-13, 16b we have David’s charge to Solomon for the building of the temple of God in peace. The father David was a fighter to gain the provisions. The son Solomon was not a fighter but a peaceful king. In peace he enjoyed what was gained and attained through his father’s victories.
In verses 1 Chron. 22:17-19 David charged all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon in building the temple of God.
Chapters twenty-three through twenty-six are a record of David’s arrangement of the order of the services of the priests and the Levites. This typifies that as the Head of the Body Christ has set up an order in His Body for all the members to keep. We need to realize that there is an order in the Body of Christ, with the various members set in a particular place. The arrangement in the Body is not a matter of who is higher and who is lower; rather, the arrangement is altogether a matter of what has been ordered by Christ. We need to realize that all the members of the Body are necessary and useful, and we should be content with where Christ has placed us in His Body.
David made Solomon his son the king over Israel, indicating that all the priests and Levites were under him (1 Chron. 23:1).
The priests, the sons of Aaron, were ordered in twenty-four divisions, or sections (1 Chron. 24:1-19). In the church life today we serve in different sections.
David also arranged the divisions of the services of the Levites (1 Chron. 23:2-32; 24:20—26:32).
The services of the descendants of the three sons of Levi — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari — are described in 1 Chron. 23:2-23. The total number of the Levites was thirty-eight thousand males from thirty years old and upward (vv. 2-3). Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of Jehovah; six thousand were to be officers and judges; four thousand were to be gatekeepers; and four thousand were to praise Jehovah with the instruments made by David (vv. 4-5). The genealogies of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari are given in verses 6 through 23.
All the serving Levites from twenty years old and upward were to serve alongside the priests to take care of all the business affairs for the temple of God (vv. 24-32). In today’s church life some of the younger ones should bear some service for the older ones.
The rest of the Levites, both old and young, cast lots for their duty even as their brothers the sons of Aaron (1 Chron. 24:20-31). This is a further indication that every serving one had to be in the proper order.
David and the leaders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman (a descendant of the great rebel Korah — Num. 16 — and a grandson of Samuel — 1 Chron. 6:33), and Jeduthun, appointed by King David as the leaders, to prophesy (to sing) with lyres, harps, and cymbals, and divided them into twenty-four divisions (ch. 25). To sing praises to God was the main part of Israel’s worship to God (cf. Eph. 5:19). Today we need to have more singing of praises to God.
The doorkeepers, some of whom were the descendants of Korah the great rebel, were divided into divisions to keep the gates of the temple on the east, north, south, and west, and the gate of the storehouse (1 Chron. 26:1-19).
Of the Levites, some were assigned to keep the treasures of the house of God and the treasures of the dedicated gifts dedicated by David the king and the heads and the captains out of the spoil won in battles, for the repair of the house of Jehovah, and all that Samuel, Saul, Abner, and Joab had dedicated (vv. 20-28). This shows that whereas David prepared the materials for the building of the temple, others gained spoil through their victory over the enemies and then offered this spoil to God for the maintenance of the house of God. This can be compared to the situation with the church today. In a sense the church has already been built by Christ through His apostles, and now we are simply maintaining, or repairing, what has been built.
Of the Levites, some were appointed to the outward duties over Israel, as officers and judges (vv. 29-32).
David’s arrangement in order of Israel’s services to God related to the temple of God typifies the Spirit’s arrangement in order of the church services in the New Testament (1 Cor. 12:4-11; 14:40).
First Chronicles 27 speaks of the officers in the administration of David’s government.
The officers who served the king were of twelve divisions, twenty-four thousand in each division, taking care of the king’s affairs month by month throughout all the months of the year (vv. 1-15). This was excessive, and it might have been a hidden factor in the rebellion after the time of Solomon. Any enjoyment that is too luxurious cannot last. Today no one should have an enjoyment that is excessive and too luxurious.
Thirteen captains ruled over the twelve tribes and the house of Aaron (vv. 16-22). Here we should note that David did not take the number of the children of Israel from twenty years old and under because of the fear of the wrath of God (vv. 23-24). David’s numbering of the people had offended God (2 Sam. 24), and thus he did not dare to count the younger ones.
There were officers over the king’s treasures and overseers of the property that belonged to the king (1 Chron. 27:25-31).
David had counselors, teachers, friends, and the captain of his army (vv. 32-34).
The governmental order in David’s administration typifies the submission to the authority and headship of Christ in the church in the New Testament (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 4:15).
First Chronicles 28 and 29 are a record of David’s assembling at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel.
In 1 Chron. 28:2-8 we have David’s address to the assembly.
David introduced his son Solomon to be the builder of the temple of God (vv. 2-7). David said that he had it in his heart to build a house for Jehovah. However, Jehovah told him that he would not build a house for His name but that Solomon his son would build His house (vv. 2-3, 6).
David charged the leaders to observe all the commandments of Jehovah in order that they might possess the good land and leave it as an inheritance forever to their children (v. 8). If they behaved properly before God, they would enjoy the land and leave the land as an inheritance to their children.
In verses 9 through 21 David charged Solomon his son to serve God and to build the temple of God. He charged Solomon to serve God with his “whole heart and with a willing soul, for Jehovah searches all the hearts and understands every imagination of the thoughts” (v. 9). Then David charged Solomon to build the temple of God according to the pattern that he had by the Spirit, having God’s presence, with the priests, the Levites, the willing men with wisdom for any service, the leaders, and all the people wholly at his command (vv. 10-21).
David’s preparation of the materials and his gifts for the building of the temple of God stirred up the leaders of Israel to offer willingly their gifts to God for the building of His temple, so that both the people of Israel and David the king rejoiced with great joy (1 Chron. 29:1-9). In this matter David and the leaders of Israel were one.
Verses 10 through 19 are David’s blessing to Jehovah in the sight of all the assembly.
First, David praised God for His greatness, power, splendor, victory, and majesty (vv. 10-12).
Next, David thanked God that it was of Him that he and the people could willingly offer back to God all things which they had received from Him (vv. 13-17). They had received so much from God, and what they had received they offered back to God for the building of the house of God.
David continued by asking God to keep and establish the heart of His people Israel in this sound condition and give Solomon his son a wholeness of heart to keep God’s commandments, testimonies, and statutes and to do all and build the palace (the temple) of God (vv. 18-19).
Verses 20 through 25 describe the response of all the assembly.
The people blessed Jehovah, offered sacrifices to Him, and worshipped Him (vv. 20-21).
The people ate and drank before Jehovah and made Solomon the son of David king a second time. All Israel obeyed him, with all the leaders and mighty men and all the sons of King David submitting themselves to Solomon the king. Jehovah magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed upon him a royal majesty that had never been on any king before him over Israel (vv. 22-25).
David died at a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor (v. 28).
Although we need to know these historical matters, I do not have much burden concerning them, for they are not the center, the reality, the goal, of the Bible. The center, the reality, and the goal of the Bible is God’s economy. God’s economy is that God would become a man to make man God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead for the producing of the New Jerusalem as the increase and expression of the Triune God for eternity. The New Jerusalem is built by God’s constituting Himself into man to make man the same as God in life, in nature, and in constitution so that God and man may become a corporate entity.
