1 Chronicles 21 - 27

Study 9 – 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

1. David had let his victories go to his head. He had allowed all of the praise to fuel his narcissistic darkside. The size of David’s army was not the source of victory. The victory was due to the blessing of God. By numbering the troops David was taking responsibility for victories away from the blessing of God. The fact that David placed himself in the hand of God for three days rather than place his confidence in his million man army for three months and the fact that David refused to sacrifice an offering that cost him nothing are signs of true repentance.
   
   
2. The Lord offered David a choice and He was willing to stop the hand of the angel of destruction before the allotted three day time period was up. The very site at which the Lord stopped the destruction was the site at which David’s son Solomon was to later build the Temple of God.
   
   

Study 10 – 1 Chronicles 22:2-19

1. David was well aware that there was nothing more important than the worship of the Lord. For this reason he went to the most extravagant means in the preparation for building the Temple. He wanted the entire world to know that God was at the center of the culture of the nation of Israel and that He was worthy of the very best that they could offer.  This was so contrary to the people in Malachi’s day that were willing to offer lame and blind sacrifices on the altar of the Lord. David also knew better than to go against the command of God and start building the temple on his own.
   
   
2. Key to the success of the nation of Israel and necessary before even construction on the Temple began would be the devotion of heart and soul to seeking the Lord by being careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord had given Moses for Israel.
   
   

Study 11 – 1 Chronicles 23 and 24

1. The Levites that were sons of Aaron were the priests who served in the presence of the Lord the rest of the Levites had the responsibility of serving as attendants of the priests and were to help them in their work in the Temple. The duties of the Levites to carry the tabernacle and its furnishings were no longer necessary because God had allowed Israel to find rest in the land.
   
   
2. Christ became our High Priest forever and all of us serve Him by being obedient to the Word of the Lord. We no longer need the sacrificial system and everything that goes with it because our Great High Priest has become the sacrifice for us.
   
   

Study 12 – 1 Chronicles 25 – 27

1. The sons of Asaph, Hemam and Jeduthun were set apart for the ministry of praise. Their ministry of praise is called prophesying because prophecy simple means declaring the Word of the Lord. We far too often think that prophesying only consists of telling of future events. Overwhelming in the Word of the Lord prophecy is a reference to declaring the Word of the Lord.
   
   
2. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul refers to the Church as a body or a living organism. In that illustration he makes it clear that there are different ministries for different people and that all are needed in order to fulfill the will of God as we work in His Kingdom.