First Chronicles - Chapter 20
I never knew that Chronicles was so interesting until in our church we
started meditating on these chapters every day. We belong to a church which
follows Lenten season and we gather every day in the evening for an hour or two
to sing and read the word of God. It all started on one Wednesday, also called
Ash Wednesday. We gathered and we were told that we would be concentrating on
reading from 1 and 2 Chronicles. We thought it would not be interesting at all,
yes, reading stories in the Bible is good and reading other books such as
Proverbs or New Testament writings is good, but what would Chronicles offer us.
We were all a little apprehensive in the initial stages, but as we went
on reading, we found that the Lord God has a special plan for us and he wants
us to read and understand his word, whether it be from Chronicles or any other
book.
We took this seriously and started meditating chapter by chapter every
day.
Surprisingly, every person in the congregation is very interested and
they are reading in advance and coming prepared to the services. It is not that
you can say something and everyone listens, they are all reading in advance and
are coming prepared for a new revelation from the word. This is a bigger
responsibility, now that you have to share from the Word of God, a dry subject
and make it interesting and learn some practical applications.
I thank God for the church we attend, each and every person is doing
the same. They are reading and when their time approaches to share the word,
they are getting prepared thoroughly.
After saying all this, I would like to share some points from chapter
20. I was asked to share some points about this chapter and I did not have a
clue as to what I should share from just 8 verses.
But as I read more from the word of God, I started realizing that there
are many more hidden truths in the verses and I need to study more. I went to
different commentaries, of which Henry’s commentary was very helpful to me. I quickly
took to the text as a fish takes to water and started getting myself involved
in the verses… very soon I found out that there is more under the hood than
that which is stated in just the above 8 verses. Not to be heretical or
skeptical, but I was cautious and asking the Lord to reveal the inner truths … I
was reminded of the verse in the book of John that the Truth will set you free
and that Jesus is the truth… how comforting this thought was… so in pursuit of
truth I set out reading the 20th chapter.
Let me now lay down my understanding of the concept in the given 8
verses.
1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time
that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted
the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David
tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.
In the first verse, it says ‘and it came to pass’… I stopped
immediately at the very phrase. In the Bible I find in many places this phrase
which says ‘and it came to pass’. Yes, how true it is. Everything will come to
pass one day. Nothing is permanent and nothing is forever, we need to keep this
in mind when we look at everything that belongs to this world. We need to be
cautious as to how we approach the worldly things. We might get too attached to
them and might forget the eternal truths… let us always remember that
everything will come to pass and it is the word of God that stands forever. In
spite of knowing such eternal truths, somehow, we do not want to acknowledge it
and we do not want to accept it.
In the same verse, I read that it said, ‘…at the time that kings go to battle,
but David tarried at Jerusalem.’ This is a really intriguing and interesting verse.
At the time when kings go for battle, King David also should have been in the battle
field. He should have led the army and have brought victory to Israel. He should
have been a leader by showing through his example. Here, sadly, we find that he
is at home and he is taking rest. It is not mentioned in this chapter, but we
can find the sad story of David in II Samuel 11th and 12th
chapters. Oh, how I wish that David is in the battle field. Oh, how I wish that
we all like David be in the battle field and not on the terrace watching
something that we should not watch.
There is a wide gap between the first verse and the second verse. The
story, though not mentioned here, for other purposes, is still a warning to us
that Idle mind is a devil’s workshop. In the Book of Matthew, 12th
chapter, it is mentioned that when a demon is gone out of a person/house, it
goes out and finds no place to rest. It roams in all places and then comes to
see the same place where it left. When it finds to be empty and unoccupied, it
goes out and calls 7 more demons that are more dangerous than him and they
enter into the person/house. The Bible says that the latter part will be worse
than the beginning of that person. Oh, how true it is. We need to be careful as
to how we keep our minds. If we keep it idle, definitely, we can be assured
that demons will come and rule you.
That is the main reason, why we need to keep ourselves occupied with
the word of God and prayer and fellowship. In fact, it is for our own good that
the Lord has given us fellowship.
Let us know recapitulate what David did when he tarried at Jerusalem.
He could have worshipped the Lord, he could have played and enjoyed with his
family. He could have done so many things, but when he went on the terrace one
day, he found a woman bathing. He could not turn away his eyes and the Bible
says that he lusted after her. In his lust, he does all bad things. How strange
it is that when is overcome by something, he/she forgets reasoning and logic. Here,
we find David doing all the things are against the heart of the Lord. The
person who was called ‘a man after God’s own heart’ was doing things that are
against God’s heart. How pathetic the condition of man when he falls in sin and
tries to cover it up.
David tried every way to cover his sin, in fact he goes to such an
extent that he gets Uriah drunk and tries sending him to his house, but even in
the drunken state, Uriah was making sense, and David, though not drunk
physically, was in the wrong. Sin skews our perception. It makes us see gray
areas and loopholes and then tries to blame others and do all the bad things.
David now things of murdering Uriah, so his mind starts scheming things
which are not right for a person of such stature.
Lesson learnt:
1.
Do not be idle. Idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
Inundate yourself with the word of God and be filled with the Holy Spirit, then
you will not entertain evil thoughts.
