If you are reading and studying along with us; you might be wondering what the word chronicle means. I looked it up for us. The simple definition has been provided so the word, chornicle, does not get in the way of our understanding of God’s Word for us today.  A chronicle record is a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence.  It is not an analysis or interpretation of those events but merely a historical record of account arranged in chronological order of the time and occurrences. A later example would be reading a chronicle of the Civil War that took place in our country.  Those who stood out above the rest because of their acts of bravery that changed the outcome of their nation are typically listed.

Now we come to the chronicle summary of King David’s reign, the shepherd boy who became King of Israel because he was known as a “man who ran after the heart of God.”  David had to fight a lot of battles even after the fall of King Saul before becoming God’s newly appointed King and taking the throne. 

It is good to note that Our King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus, our Savior will be born to Mary and Joseph who both born in the hereditary line of David. It was foretold that the Messiah would come from the “line of King David.” Chronicles of the wars, battles, thrones of great men and women who ruled for a time, riches given and taken, along with all manmade kingdoms will all pass away when Jesus comes back to claim His own as the Kingdom of God forever.  Hold that thought as we read.

1 Chronicles 11

David Becomes King Over Israel

All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem

⁴ David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there ⁵ said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

⁶ David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

⁷ David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. ⁸ He built up the city around it, from the terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. ⁹ And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him.

David’s Mighty Warriors

¹⁰ These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors—they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised— ¹¹ this is the list of David’s mighty warriors:

Jashobeam, a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

¹² Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴ But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the Lord. ¹⁹ “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

²⁰ Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ²¹ He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²³ And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²⁵ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁶ The mighty warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, ²⁷ Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, ²⁸ Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth, ²⁹ Sibbekai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰ Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, ³¹ Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, ³² Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, ³⁴ the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, ³⁵ Ahiam son of Sakar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, ³⁶ Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, ³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, ³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, ³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, ⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, ⁴² Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him,

⁴³ Hanan son of Maakah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, ⁴⁵ Jediael son of Shimri, his brother Joha the Tizite, ⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷ Eliel, Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

By the time David moved to capture Jerusalem, he had already been king of Israel for seven years. The Lord must have guided David in a special way when he chose Jerusalem to be his capital because Jerusalem would play a strategic role in the working out of God’s great plan of salvation. God had promised the Israelites that He would appoint a place where they could come to worship Him (Deuteronomy 12:1–7). Jerusalem was that place before Jesus came to teach of the Kingdom of God.

Zion is the New Jerusalem; the City in the Kingdom of God!

The writer of Hebrews explains;

“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:18-24

The church now sees the earthly Jerusalem as a divided city, a city of traditions in conflict; but the heavenly Jerusalem as a symbol of the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus and the eternal home of His people.

See Revelation 21–22 for more chronicles of true facts from Jesus who revealed Truth to John! God has set His King, Jesus, on the throne (Psalm 2:6), and one day He will speak in His wrath and judge those who oppose Him and His truth.

Here is a glimpse of our future written down in John’s Revelation from Jesus;

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”—John from Jesus, Revelation 21:1-5

“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” Psalm 2:6

God is speaking of Jesus, His Son, who was, is, and always will be our eternal king—written by the Psalmist, David, centuries earlier!

Yes, God has everything under His sovereign control—even if we don’t see, hear, or feel it, God IS in the details of our lives.  Gods love never changes.  God never fails. And God is always with us.  That’s the Truth!  And Jesus? He is at the Center of it all!

Lord,

Our prayer this morning; Open our eyes, help us to intentionally listen for your voice with determined, relentless focus on what we have learned through your Word.  May we see you at work, fulfilling  Your Plan of redemption in each one You have created.  Here is my life.  Use me as your physical hands and feet to point the Way to Your salvation and help to overcome.  You are King of my life!  You are the One I trust because you are Life to me!  May the Kingdom of God dwell in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen