THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

The Books Of The Chronicles: God's Preservation Of His Davidic And Levitical Covenants

XVII. Edifying The Next Generation

(1 Chronicles 22:1-29:30)

 

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

            In view of what is happening in today's world, the next generation needs to be spiritually edified:

            (1) A Yale University "nationwide survey of 21,678 U. S. high school students found that nearly 75% of the students' self-reported feelings related to school were negative." (Tracy O'Shaughnessy, "Anxiety in high school" (Republican-American, February 4, 2020, p. 1C)  Co-author of the study "Marc Brackett " said, "'Stress levels have consistently gone up in high school students in the last 20 years.  Suicide rates have gone up as well.'" (Ibid.)

            (2) Besides the stress that students face in high school, the adult world they will face will present them with major stressful issues: (a) Arkansas Representative Steve Womack, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, as cited in the January 29, 2019 Wall Street Journal story, "Trillion-Dollar Deficits Seen for Years," wrote: "'I hope that more eyes will be opened to the stark reality we face.  It is imperative that we put our country on a responsible fiscal path.'"  (b) Financial stress in government affects  us at the state level as "residents leaving high-tax blue states for low-tax, pro-growth red states over a 10-year period represents $129 billion in lost revenue . . . for local stores, restaurants, businesses, home ownership and commerce." (William R. Bellotti, former deputy commissioner of the Connecticut state Department of Labor under Republican former Governor John G. Rowland, in a letter in the Republican-American, February 3, 2020, p. 8A)

            (b) It occurs in the mainstream media.  Michael Barone's piece, "Historians cry foul on Times" (Ibid., January 29, 2020, p. 10A) wrote of the New York Times' "1619 Project," an effort by articles to re-write American history to assert that "the central driving force in American history, the underpinning of everything from corporate capitalism to suburban sprawl," has been "slavery and its effects."  Even "University of New York's James Oakes" complained that the Times' 1619 Project articles are "not only ahistorical, they're actually anti-historical."

            (c) It occurs in the legal realm.  Jonathan Shugarts' story, "Notorious" (Ibid., February 1, 2020, p. 1A) told how a Connecticut "notorious killer who fed his wife's body into a wood chipper . . . will soon be a free man" as a "result of . . . a now-changed law that allowed inmates to earn 'good time' credits that reduce sentences."  Remarkably, if he had been "sentenced using current state law, he would not be eligible for any credits based on his crime," Ibid.

 

Need: So we ask, "In view of the stress of today's world, how can we spiritually edify the next generation?!"

 

I.               In 1 Chronicles 22:1 to 29:30, David repeatedly expressed concern over the daunting leadership challenge his young, inexperienced son Solomon would face when he became king after David:  

A.    In 1 Chronicles 22:5 and 29:1, David repeatedly referred to Solomon as na'ar and rak, a "youth" and "tender; undeveloped." (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1364, 1375; B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 654-655, 940).

B.    Consequently, in 1 Chronicles 22:12 David wished the Lord might give Solomon sakal and binah, "good sense" and "discerning understanding" respectively to obey Scripture for blessing. (Ibid., Kittel, p. 1365; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. II, p. 877, 104)

C.    Furthermore, in 1 Chronicles 22:13 and 28:20, David urged Solomon to be strong and of a good courage, not to fear or "be demoralized" (hatat, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1365, 1375; The Analyt. Heb. and Chaldee Lex. (Zon.), 1972, p. 756; Ibid., H. A. W., v. I, p. 336) in trusting and obeying the Lord for blessing.

D.    David's concern for Solomon was based not only on his son's youthfulness and lack of experience, but also on the daunting situation Solomon would face once he assumed the throne in his father's place (as follows):

1.      Solomon would be responsible for constructing the temple of God, what was to be a magnificent structure to be a good testimony to the Lord in a nation that was surrounded by pagan Gentiles, 1 Chronicles 22:5b.

2.      This splendid temple's ministering priests and Levites had to be organized for the temple functions to be a blessing and a good testimony before the lost pagan world.

3.      However, Solomon also had a civic responsibility as king -- the oversight of Israel's national defense that demanded organization and respectable leadership to provide for a peaceable atmosphere in the nation so that the people could worship God at His temple as a testimony to the onlooking pagan world.

II.            Accordingly, David made EXTENSIVE, PRACTICAL preparations to lessen Solomon's burdens as king while also directing his son on setting a wise course for his future administration (as follows):

A.    David made extensive preparations for the material construction of God's temple, 1 Chronicles 22:14-19:

1.      He amassed gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone materials for the building, 1 Chronicles 22:14, 16a.

2.      David acquired stone masons, carpenters and other artisans to perform the work, 1 Chronicles 22:15.

3.      He also directed experienced administrative officials to help Solomon oversee the work, 1 Chr. 22:17-19.

B.    David organized the Levites to perform the temple functions (1 Chronicles 23:2-24:31), he arranged for the worship service musicians (1 Chronicles 25:1-31), he appointed guards to protect the holiness of the temple area (1 Chronicles 26:1-19), he assigned treasurers for the collections of the donations (1 Chronicles 26:20-28) and delegated officers to administer judgment on legal cases based on the Law (1 Chronicles 26:29-32).

C.    David organized the army, dividing it into 12 divisions with each division serving a month out of the year for the nation's defense, 1 Chronicles 27:1-22.  [David also took a census of the fighting men, a lack of faith in violation of Deuteronomy 17:16a, 1 Chronicles 27:23-24; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 1 Chronicles 27:23.]

D.    David then set administrators over his estates and properties as king (1 Chronicles 27:25-31) and appointed counselors to help him as king in decision-making issues the king faced, 1 Chronicles 27:32-34.

III.         David then summoned his administrators and son Solomon to direct them to perform their various functions toward helping Solomon construct the temple, 1 Chronicles 28:1-21.  David also gave Solomon the plans for the temple God had given him in a vision, 1 Chronicles 28:11-21, esp. v. 19.

IV.          King David also urged the people to contribute funds toward the temple construction, and they gladly gave of their wealth, making the temple project a nationally unifying venture, 1 Chronicles 29:1-22a.

V.             David then made Solomon king while he was still alive, causing his administrators to submit to Solomon and providing a smooth transition from David's reign to Solomon's rule, 1 Chronicles 29:22b-25.

VI.          When David then died, he left an orderly, peaceful nation of Israel for Solomon, 1 Chronicles 29:26-30.

 

Lesson: Concerned about the daunting circumstances his young, inexperienced son Solomon would face after his passing, David encouraged and advised Solomon to heed God's Word while also organizing as best as he could all that was needed in his administration to make Solomon's start as Israel's king a success.

 

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ for salvation to have eternal life, John 3:16.  (2) If concerned about the daunting set of circumstances the next generation of believers will face, may we (a) encourage and advise them on heeding Scripture and trusting the Lord (b) while organizing matters materially and administratively for them best to make their assignments from God manageable for them.

 

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . ) 

            In view of the big issue of stress many youths face as seen in the Yale study in our introduction, the single best edifying advice we can give the next generation of believers is Biblical instruction on guarding their inner man.

            Such a directive is found in Proverbs 4:23-27 [along with 2 Corinthians 4:8-18], for stress reduction comes from guarding one's inner man from harm, a necessity that is commanded in Proverbs 4:23 with its process being explained in Proverbs 4:24-27 (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 914).  We then explain this process (as follows):

            (1) First, one should guard his inner man by not voicing words that deviate from what he knows is upright, Proverbs 4:24.  One's words reflect his heart, and if his heart is twisted, he is more easily misled by twisted words and thoughts from others, cf. 2 Timothy 3:13b with the example of Eve in Genesis 3:1-6a.  Keeping our speech upright then helps us keep our thinking upright, making us less vulnerable to deception and manipulation by others!

            (2) Second, one should guard his inner man by focusing on upright goals in life, not letting himself become distracted from them, Proverbs 4:25.  In 2 Timothy 3:4 NIV, Paul stated this truth another way, claiming we must not let ourselves be distracted by lawful but civilian affairs if our Commanding Officer, Christ, has called us as spiritual soldiers to fulfill His specific assignment as spiritual soldiers!  Staying focused on our divine callings then works to keep us from being manipulated or misled by wicked, self-serving, destructive parties!

            (3) Third, we should guard our inner man by taking sensible paths to reach our upright goals, Proverbs 4:26.  Such paths are "level," fitting our abilities (Proverbs 4:26a NIV), and they are also firm, or stable and safe for us to traverse (Proverbs 4:26b NIV).  We need to take reasonable paths, ones that keep us from stressing our inner man.

            (4) Fourth, we should guard our inner man by sticking to the right path once we set ourselves on that path, Proverbs 4:27.  Swerving off to the right or to the left from the initially upright path eventually causes us to walk into evil or calamity, what can only eventually harm our inner man, Proverbs 4:27 NIV.

            (5) Fifth, for  believers in this current dispensation, unjust trials wage war against the inner man, but we can trust the Holy Spirit to renew our inner man from the effects of unjust trials, 2 Corinthians 4:8-18, esp. v. 16.

            May we trust in Christ for salvation.  May we give the next generation God's directives for blessing.