Establishment of the Kingship According to God's Counsels -: 1 Chronicles 11

Narrator: Ivona Gentwo
1 Chronicles 11  •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 10
Listen from:
• BibleTruthPublishers.com
1 Chronicles 11
The end of the old man is the beginning of a new era. This truth is confirmed here. Without any preamble whatever, David's reign begins at Hebron. Saul, the king according to fallen nature, is dead, but that is not enough. David himself, the Lord's anointed, initiates his reign at Hebron, the place that so speaks of death. All that precedes Hebron (2 Sam. 1-3), the gradual way in which David's reign is established, the long war between his house and that of Saul, the former growing stronger, the latter, weaker—all this is passed over in silence in Chronicles. At the very outset the Spirit of God announces the final establishment of David's reign.
A little characteristic phrase missing in the account in Samuel is added here in 1 Chron. 11:33Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel. (1 Chronicles 11:3): "They anointed David king over Israel according to the word of Jehovah through Samuel." The establishment of David's reign is here linked with God's unchangeable word and His counsels of grace.
In 1 Chron. 11:4-94And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. 6And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief. 7And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. 8And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9So David waxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him. (1 Chronicles 11:4‑9), which describe the capture of Jerusalem, we again find a noteworthy difference from the account in 2 Sam. 5:6-96And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. 7Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. 8And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. 9So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. (2 Samuel 5:6‑9). Here there is not a word about "the lame and the blind hated of David's soul...!" and on the other hand, Joab, who is completely left out of the account in Samuel, here occupies the first place after David: "And David said, Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief" (1 Chron. 11:66And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief. (1 Chronicles 11:6)). Here he is not the ambitious, vindictive man, but the man destined, according to God's counsels, to conquer the fortress of Zion for the king. It is even said of him in 1 Chron. 11:88And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. (1 Chronicles 11:8): "Joab renewed the rest of the city." Not a word about his character, nor about his doings up to this moment. His struggle with Abner, his revenge upon this noble captain, the murder he committed, are all passed over in silence, as well as David's pained expression: "And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness!" (2 Sam. 3:3939And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness. (2 Samuel 3:39)). Would we not say, if we had only read the account of Chronicles, that Joab was an upright man without reproach? The truth is that here Joab is simply the instrument prepared to install the Lord's anointed, the king according to God's thoughts, at Jerusalem.
David's mighty men are enumerated at the beginning of this account (1 Chron. 11:10-4710These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time. 12And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. 13He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance. 15Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 16And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. 17And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate! 18And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, 19And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest. 20And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three. 21Of the three, he was more honorable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three. 22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day. 23And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties. 25Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard. 26Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite, 29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite, 35Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri, 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite, 45Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite. (1 Chronicles 11:10‑47)), while they are enumerated at the end in 2 Sam. 23. Here they bring in the kingdom. They "showed themselves valiant with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel" (1 Chron. 11:1010These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. (1 Chronicles 11:10)), so accomplishing the plans which God had before made known. They are then enumerated. Among the first three Shammah, although referred to, is not named. A few names mentioned in Samuel are omitted here and a great many are added. Thus our chapter refers to 81 mighty men (30 of them being recorded without being named); 2 Sam. 23 names 37 of them; there they are enumerated as supporters whom David needed to confirm his throne; in our present chapter they have only to acknowledge what God had done in establishing David as His anointed, and cannot do other than support a kingship come forth from the counsels of God Himself. Also they appear before us at the beginning of his reign.
Let us note an even more remarkable detail. Uriah the Hittite, who closes the list in 2 Sam. 23 in testimony against David's sin and fall, appears here as hidden among the other mighty men (1 Chron. 11:4141Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, (1 Chronicles 11:41)). His name is not highlighted as the accuser of David and of that which was the shame of his kingdom. Likewise, everything pertaining to the terrible fall of the Lord's anointed is completely passed over in silence. Eliam also, the son of Ahithophel (2 Sam. 23:3434Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, (2 Samuel 23:34)), whose father was so intimately associated with the consequences of David's sin, is omitted in our chapter.
The senseless attacks of rationalists against the books of Chronicles oblige us to insist upon all these details, for their general effect is the best refutation of those who see in the Chronicles only a wretched compilation made at a time much later than that which the book ascribes to itself, a compilation made without order, with falsified documents, full of invented names and screaming errors. Oh the folly of human reason when it ventures to judge God's thoughts and would replace them by its own imaginations!
The Kingship of David According to the Counsels of God