4.23 1 Chronicles 10-12

1 Chronicles 10-12.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, friends and neighbors. Welcome to the Sunny Side of Life Bible in a Year Experience. Join me each day as I read the Bible from start to finish. I'm reading from the Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation, published by Tyndale House Publishings. I pray this daily reading will bless you as much as it does me. So let's get started. April 23rd, 1 Chronicles, chapters 10 through 12. Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboah. The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melcheshua. The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him. Saul groaned to his armor bearer, take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to taunt and torture me. But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died there together, bringing his dynasty to an end. When all the Israelites in the Jezreel valley saw that their army had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons on Mount Gilboa. So they stripped off Saul's armor and cut off his head. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul's death before their idols and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. They placed his armor in the temple of their gods, and they fastened his head to the temple of Dagon. But when everyone in Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, all their mighty warriors brought the bodies of Saul and his sons back to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones beneath the great tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord's command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David, son of Jesse. Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel, and the Lord your God told you, you will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel. So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel, and they anointed him king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel. Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, or Jabus, as it used to be called, where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. The people of Jabus taunted David, saying, You'll never get in here. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the city of David. David had said to his troops, Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies. And Joab, the son of David's sister Zariah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David's armies. David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the city of David. He extended the city from the supporting terraces to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem, and David became more and more powerful because the Lord of heaven's armies was with him. These are the leaders of David's mighty warriors. Together with all Israel, they decided to make David their king, just as the Lord had promised concerning Israel. Here is the record of David's mightiest warriors. The first was Josham, the Hakmanite, who was leader of the three, the mightiest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill three hundred enemy warriors in a single battle. Next in rank among the three was Eliazar, son of Dodi, a descendant of Ahoah. He was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas Damim, and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled, but Eliazar and David held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord saved them by giving them a great victory. Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullum, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The three, who were among the thirty, an elite group among David's fighting men, went down to meet him there. David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. David remarked longingly to his men, Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem. So the three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. God forbid that I should drink this, he exclaimed. This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me. So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the three. Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the thirty. He once used his spear to kill three hundred enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the three. Abishai was the most famous of the thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the three. There was also Beniah, son of Jehoida, a valiant warrior from Kebzeo. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was seven and a half feet tall, and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver's beam. Beniah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it. Deeds like these made Beniah as famous as the three mightiest warriors. He was more honored than the other members of the thirty, though he was not one of the three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard. David's mighty warriors also included Asahal, Joab's brother, Elhanan, son of Dodo from Bethlehem, Shema from Herod, Hilaz from Palon, Era, son of Ichesh from Tokoah, Abiazar from Enathoth, Sibekai from Husha, Zalman from Ohoa, Mahari from Nedapha, Heled son of Baana from Netapha, Ite son of Ribay, from Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin, Beniah from Pirathan, Huri from Nahaesh, Abi Alban from Eraba, Asmaveth from Bahurim, Eliabah from Shaalban, the sons of Jason from Gizan, Jonathan son of Shagi from Harar, Ahim son of Shara from Har, Ilifal son of Ur, Hefer from Mikira, Ahijah from Palan, Hezra from Carmel, Peri from Isbi, Joel, the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, Zelak from Amon, Nahari from Birath, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruya, Erah from Jatir, Gareb from Jatir, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ali, Adina son of Shizah, the Rubenide leader who had thirty men with him, Hana son of Maakah, Josh from Mithna, Uziah from Ashrath, Shema and Jael, the sons of Hotham from Aurora, Jedel son of Shimri, Joah his brother from Tiz, Helial from Mahava, Jerobi and Joshiah the sons of El Naam, Ithma from Moab, Eliel and Obed, and Jasel from Zobah. The following men joined David at Ziklag, where he was hiding from Saul, son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle. All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Their leader was Ahazar, son of Shema, from Gibeah. His brother Joash was second in command. These were the other warriors, Jezel and Palat, sons of Asmaveth, Baraka, Jehu from Anapoth, Ishmael from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the thirty, Jeremiah, Jehazel, Johanan, and Jazabad from Gedera, Eluzai, Jeremoth, Baaliah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah, from Haruf, Elkanah, Ishiah, Azrael, Joazar, and Joshabaam, who were Korahites, Joelah and Zebediah, sons of Jeroam, from Geter. Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains. Ezar was their leader, Obadiah was second, Eliab was third, Mishmenh was fourth, Jeremiah was fifth, Ati was sixth, Elial was seventh, Johanan was eighth, Elzebad was ninth, Jeremiah was tenth, Macbani was eleventh. These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand. These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks. Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. David went out to meet them and said, If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you. Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the thirty, and he said, We are yours, David, we are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you. So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops. Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he set out with the Philistines to fight against Saul, but as it turned out, the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion they sent them back, for they said, It will cost us our heads if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us. Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Zikleg, Adna, Josebad, Jedel, Michael, Josebad, Elihu, and Zilithai, each commanded one thousand troops from the tribe of Manasseh. They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army. Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God. These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the Lord had promised. From the tribe of Judah, there were six thousand eight hundred warriors armed with shields and spears. From the tribe of Simeon, there were seven thousand one hundred brave warriors. From the tribe of Levi, there were four thousand six hundred warriors. This included Jehoida, leader of the family of Aaron, who had three thousand seven hundred under his command. This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior, with twenty two members of his family, who were all officers. From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's relatives, there were three thousand warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time. From the tribe of Ephraim, there were twenty thousand eight hundred brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan. From the half tribe of Manasseh, west of the Jordan, eighteen thousand men were designated by name to help David become king. From the tribe of Issachar there were two hundred leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. From the tribe of Zebulon, there were fifty thousand skilled warriors, they were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David. From the tribe of Naphtali there were one thousand officers and thirty seven thousand warriors armed with shields and spears. From the tribe of Dam there were twenty eight thousand six hundred warriors, all prepared for battle. From the tribe of Asher, there were forty thousand trained warriors, all prepared for battle. From the east side of the Jordan River, where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh lived, there were one hundred twenty thousand troops armed with every kind of weapon. All these men came in battle array to Hebron, with a single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival, and people from as far away as Issaar, Zebulon, and Aftali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel. That's it for today, friends. Feel free to read ahead on your own. Before I go, let's share the Lord's Prayer together. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, power, and glory forever.

unknown 12:14

Amen.