1CH 22Sophy. You read to me all about David in the Book of Samuel, why is it written over again in Chronicles?
Mamma. Because God's revelation of Himself would not be complete without these two accounts. In Samuel it is the history of God's people, as it actually occurred. But the Book of Chronicles was written long after.
When the people had been carried captive into a strange land, on account of their wickedness, God gave this history as explaining to them, and to us also, His reasons and the grounds He had for so punishing the people; and He also tells out His purposes about them, to His servant to write down. Chronicles is God's own account of them, as it appeared in His sight. Their names, their mighty deeds, God remembered all the good He could of them, and their evil deeds were only remembered to show how God treated them, and how His wonderful purposes were carried out to lead them into greater blessing.
S. How did the story of David numbering the people, show that God had a purpose to bless them?
M. By making a new beginning for the people of God. At the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite they began again, not under the law, though the law was there to judge them if they broke it. But it was a new thing to have a king who was always in favor, and to be set in the rest that God had made for His people. I think God gave this account to His servant to write in order to show how, all along, He was thinking of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would come as the true Solomon, the son of David. He will do all God's will, and will be king over His people Israel.
It must have been a wonderful comfort to the prophet to think of this, when he saw the children of Judah captive in Babylon, and the other ten tribes scattered in Assyria. And to know that the day would come when a greater than David, and a greater than Solomon, would lead their praises, and gather together, not at Gibeon in the place of fear; but round His own blessed Person, as the King of Righteousness and King of Peace. He will come forth with bread and wine to bless the people in the name of Jehovah.
S. How soon will that be, Mamma?
M. As soon as Jesus has saved all the members of His body, the church, which is His fullness, and taken them to be with Him where He is. Then He will come back to the earth, where a very few of the children of Israel will be watching for Him to come; the rest will be like the nations of the earth, following after a king who will set himself up in his own name. But Jesus will reign till all His enemies will be put under His feet. Then, like David, He will appear before God for His people and lead them into God's rest.
S. But Jesus did no sin as David did.
M. Quite true. In Him is no sin. But Jesus took the sin upon Him before God, as if He had done it; and Jesus bore the judgment of it in His own body on the tree. So when Jesus comes as God's "Man of rest," it be a rest that He has made Himself, by shedding His blood upon the cross. So that He can then say of Satan, and of all the, enemies of God, they are sunk like lead in the mighty waters. David quite understood this, when in his psalm he sung of the everlasting covenant; and of the joy of the whole earth at the presence of the Lord, when He should come to judge the earth. Then they shall say that He is good, and that His mercy endures forever! Then also they will say: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel forever and forever!
S. Why did David get the stones and cedar-wood if he might not build the house of God?
M. Because his heart was set upon God's house being built, even if he was not to do it himself. God had taught David what suited His presence. In all his sufferings, David had learned the mind of the Lord in a peculiar way. And because Solomon, his son, was young and tender; and the house to be built for God ought to be exceedingly magnificent, of fame, and of glory throughout all countries.
David called for Solomon his son and told him the great things God had said about him, and that he was to have the great work to do of building a house for God. Then David prayed that God would give him wisdom and understanding to take care of God’s people, and to do what was right himself; so the Lord would prosper him. In David's trouble about his sin in numbering Israel, he had prepared for the house of the Lord, gold and silver, and brass and iron abundantly; and Solomon was to add still more. And David commanded all the princes to help Solomon, and to set their heart and soul to seek the Lord, and to build a sanctuary for the Lord, and to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels, into the house that was to be built to the name of the Lord.