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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
2 Sam. 5:11-25, 1 Chron. 14
When I read through this passage in 2 Samuel 5, I wondered why David and his men would carry off the Philistine idols rather than destroying them. Then I read in 1 Chronicles 14 that David had them burned. Better. I then also noticed that the author of 1 Chronicles added a statement after the second defeat of the Philistines that was absent in 2 Samuel. He wrote, “Then David’s fame spread throughout the lands, and the LORD caused all the nations to be terrified of him.” (1 Chron. 14:17). Clearly, the Chronicler wanted to present David in a better light than did the prior historical accounts. What’s not so clear is why. Was he embellishing the truth to make David seem larger than life, or what?
Some brief research, probing for an answer, landed me at an article by the Bible Project concerning this very thing. The article pointed out that the Chronicler likely wasn’t embellishing. Rather, he was pulling additional information from other sources for a very specific purpose. The goal, per the article, “was to reshape the stories of Israel’s past to rekindle hope for the future.” Since David is a representation, albeit an imperfect one, of the Messiah, the writer chose to highlight the ways in which this is true rather than focusing on the flaws in David’s own human character. Thus, the combined book of Chronicles is a reminder to the post-exile Jews, and to all of us who follow, of how Israel’s history tells the story of our future hope in God’s promise of redemption. Pretty cool.
2 Sam. 6, 1 Chron. 13 & 15
In light of what I just learned about the book of Chronicles, I pondered how this story of moving the Ark fit the intended purpose. One thing that immediately stood out to me is the order. The Chronicler separated the two transportation attempts, placing records of God’s blessing on David in between. Another obvious difference is the Chronicler’s elaboration on the second, successful move. Perhaps this highlights, among other things, how we can learn from our mistakes and that when we respond in humility, God continues to pour out His blessing on us in spite of them. It also offers hope of restoration; that we can and will be reunited with God’s presence with joy and singing when we seek His help in doing things the right way.