THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

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

VII. Responding Well When We Sense We Are In Need

(1 Chronicles 14:1-17)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

In today's world, we often sense that we have significant needs in various realms of experience. We illustrate:

(1) Rich Manieri, a professor of journalism at Asbury University in Kentucky, wrote the op-ed, "And in other news . . ." (Republican-American, October 14, 2019, p. 8A) claiming, "I thought it a public service to highlight some news stories you might have missed because they were barely covered or buried" in news outlets.

(a) One story was about President Trump's friend Kanye West telling a supportive crowd on October 6th, "'We got a right to our opinions, right?'" with Mr. Manieri adding, "Not according to some of the emails I receive."

This story reflects the pressure we can face in today's world against freely voicing our views.

(b) Another story told how Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris shared her plan to give workers "up to six months of paid family and medical leave" with no word on what such a plan would cost. Mr. Manieri added, "Who's going to pay for it? If your answer is 'other people,' well done," Ibid.

This story gives an ominous tone about a possible higher tax burden in the future for American taxpayers.

(c) Another story told of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y who texted, "'We need to have a real conversation about decarceration & prison abolition in this country,'" Ibid.

This story hints of possible future government reluctance to imprison violent criminals to the harm of society.

After reporting on these and other stories, Mr. Manieri added, "OK, I promised different, not good." (Ibid.)

(2) U. S. Attorney General William P. Barre recently spoke at Notre Dame University of our country's social problems and the ineffective programs being used to address them, saying, "'(T)he reaction to growing illegitimacy is not sexual responsibility, but abortion. The reaction to drug addiction is safe injection sites. The solution to the breakdown of the family is for the state to set itself up as an ersatz husband for the single mother and an ersatz father for the children. The call comes for more and more social programs to deal with this wreckage -- and while we think we're solving problems, we are underwriting them.'" (Ibid., "Quotable," October 16, 2019, p. 10A; brackets ours)

(3) Also, we believers often face personal trials that leave us keenly aware of intense personal needs: in this current year alone, we have noticed a vast array of serious personal trials believers we know have faced.

Need: So, we ask, "If we sense we are in need in one or more realms of life, how would God want us to respond?!"

I. God indicated that He was establishing David's kingdom for the welfare of His people, 1 Chron. 14:1-2:

A. Hiram king of the prominent port city of Tyre sent David messengers, building materials and workmen to build him a palace (1 Chron. 14:1), indicating David was gaining great respect from significant foreign kings.

B. David thus perceived that God was elevating his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel, 1 Chronicles 14:2.

II. However, 1 Chronicles 14:3-17 reveals David still sensed his kingdom needed more national security, and he reacted both wrongly and rightly to various issues he faced with contrasting long-term results:

A. David reacted to his sense of needing more national security by marrying more women, a terrible move:

1. Regardless of God's circumstantial signals so far, David still sensed a need for more national security, so he married more women that would make him allied to more people groups. (1 Chronicles 14:3-7; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to 2 Samuel 5:13) David ended up with 8 wives and several concubines who bore him over 20 sons. (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 460)

2. However, God had commanded Israel's kings not to multiply wives to themselves lest marrying many women who were idolatrous would turn their hearts away from the Lord, Deuteronomy 17:17.

3. In addition, David's tendency to continue to marry more women left him vulnerable to looking for more women, leaving him more vulnerable to committing adultery with Bathsheba that led to catastrophic problems in David's family and a costly civil war for Israel, 2 Samuel 11:1-20:26.

B. David reacted to his sense of needing victory over the Philistines by seeking God's aid, a great move:

1. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, to squelch his power like they had squelched Saul's power before David became unmanageable for them, the Philistines gathered to fight David in the valley of Rephaim a "few miles southwest of Jerusalem," 1 Chron. 14:8-9; Ibid., p. 606.

2. Sensing his need for help against the Philistines, David rightly sought God's help, asking the Lord if he should fight the Philistines and if God would give him victory over them, 1 Chronicles 14:10a.

3. The Lord answered that David should fight the Philistines, that he would defeat them, 1 Chron. 14:10b.

4. David indeed defeated the Philistines who even abandoned their pagan idols and fled, 1 Chron. 14:11-12a.

5. Seeking to heed Deuteronomy 12:1-3, David burned the idols the Philistines left behind, 1 Chron. 14:12b.

6. The pagan Philistines thought that David's burning of the images of their god at the valley of Rephaim had incited their god's fury against him there, so they gathered again at the same battlefield, believing the Philistine god would take vengeance on David there that they might defeat him, 1 Chronicles 14:13.

7. God knew that David could be tempted by Philistine theology to fear the Philistine god's retaliation in a repeat battle at Rephaim, so when David asked God if he should fight the Philistines again, the Lord gave him a battle plan to counter what fear he might have of an alleged angry Philistine god, 1 Chron. 14:14-15:

a. The Lord had David attack the Philistines at their rear flank near the balsam trees, 1 Chron. 14:14 ESV.

b. When David was to hear the sound of a marching army over the tops of the nearby balsam trees, he was to attack the Philistines since the Lord's army was helping David gain the victory, 1 Chronicles 14:15.

c. This directive would greatly encourage David that God would give him victory over an alleged angry Philistine deity: (i) the Philistines' god was Dagon, lord of the storm with its thunder, lightning and rain, Zon. Pict. Ency. Bible, vol. Two, p. 2-3. (ii) Dagon's spirit was thus believed to function above men up in the storm clouds over the treetops. (iii) When David then heard the sound of marching above the balsam trees going before him and toward the Philistines without any storm cloud present that would be associated with the Philistine god Dagon, David knew that it was the spiritual army of Israel's God that was marching over any alleged Dagon up there to attack the Philistines. That would encourage David.

8. David thus obeyed God in attacking the Philistines, and he defeated them from Gibeon to Gezer, a distance of 15 miles, leading all the other surrounding foreign nations to fear David, 1 Chronicles 14:16-17.

Lesson: When David sensed he was still in need regardless of God's encouragement, when he chose an unbiblical, human solution by marrying more women, it led to long-term, catastrophic trauma, but when he chose to rely on God by heeding Scripture and seeking God's help in prayer, God greatly aided David in his kingdom.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ for salvation, John 3:16. (2) If we sense we need help in life, may we not rely on human resources apart from God, but seek God's help in prayer and follow His Scriptural directives.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

We apply the sermon's lesson of seeking God's help and heeding Scripture to the issues in our introduction:

(1) On the President's supporters having a right to their views when many oppose the idea, Proverbs 17:28 ESV states: "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." Though we believers have the constitutional right to free speech, God asserts that it is not always wise to exercise that right especially when we face a hostile crowd that is angrily opposed to our view.

Also, Proverbs 15:1 ESV claims, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." If we must share our view before those who angrily oppose it, we should give it in a gentle way to calm the anger of others.

(2) On presidential candidate Kamela Harris' plan to install a program that would greatly raise taxes, Proverbs 27:23-27 calls even a king to give thought to basic income streams like his hay fields and flocks to offset the threat of losing his entire accumulated wealth as king. Focusing on basic income streams hedges against large financial losses.

(3) On U. S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's call to abolish all prisons in the nation, and the threat to society's welfare were this to occur, Psalm 127:1-2 reveals that unless the Lord not only builds the house, but also guards the city in which the house is located, all efforts for a protected family and society are vain. We must thus trust God to provide for us the room we need to enjoy a peaceable family life with children, offspring who grow up to be officials in society and legally overcome their enemies in the gates of the city where the rulers rule, Psalm 127:3-5.

(4) On U. S. Attorney General Barr's concern for sexual responsibility and countering substance abuse and the breakdown of families aside from relying on inadequate social programs, all such issues can be abundantly solved if male heads of households believe in Christ for salvation (John 3:16) and rely on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23) to revere God and heed Scripture, Psalm 128:1,4. In widening circles of contact starting with such men, first their marriages, then their families, then society, both national and international, will be blessed, Psalm 128:2-6.

(5) On very intense needs we face in our personal trials in our lives, Psalm 55:22 ESV promises, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."

May we trust in Christ for salvation from sin. If we then sense we need help with troubling problems we face, may we NOT address them by relying on human might and wisdom, but turn to God and Scripture.