July 29th, 2012
I Chronicles 27
“Symphonic Worship”
Background Information:
- Although a national militia consisting of 12 units of 24,000 each (a total of 288,000) is not unreasonable, the stress in this passage on unit commanders and divisions suggests that here too the Hebrew word for “1,000” should perhaps be taken as the designation of a military unit. To designate a division as “1,000” would be to give the upper limit of the number of men in such a unit, though such units would ordinarily not have a full complement of men. If this approach is followed, the figures in the following verses would be read as “24 units” instead of 24,000. (N.I.V. Bible study notes on 1 Chronicles 27)
- v.23 – By counting those 20+ only, David is probably following the same prescription for counting given to Moses by God in Numbers 1:3
- v. 24 – This is the same Joab that tried to stop David from doing this in 1 Chr. 21.
- v.30 – “Obil” is a name that is a form of the Arabic word, ābil, which literally means, “one who feeds camels”. It only makes sense that someone well-versed in camel-keeping be the one who kept the camels. It also only makes sense that the church allow those gifted in particular areas to utilize their giftedness in edifying the church as a whole.
- V.33 – Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba (cf 2 Sa. 11:3, 23:34), who joined Absalom in a revolt against David, and committed suicide when Absalom did not heed his counsel.
- We move now from the temple organization to the civil government, for the nation of Israel, both were ordered by God and governed by His divine law. There were twelve army units and each one served for one month of the year. Of course, when needed, the units could be called together quickly. If you compare 1 Chron. 11:10ff with the list of leaders in vv.2-15, you will see that David’s “mighty men” were in charge of the army. He had proved these men in many places of testing, and he knew he could trust them. (Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament, pp. 366-367)
- How interesting that a son of Abner was one of David’s trusted officers (v.21). Abner had tried to maintain Saul’s dynasty after Saul was slain and had created problems for David (2 Sam. 1-4). David obeyed Deut. 24:16 (Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament, p. 367)
The question to be answered is… If “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”, what can the 21st century church glean from the account of David’s appointed officials?
Answer: Each person mentioned here had different responsibilities, different God-given talents, and were given responsibilities accordingly. They were not random people placed in random positions of leadership. They had proven themselves and demonstrated giftedness in their areas of service. As a result, Israel experienced a time of peace which paved the way for much progress to be made in preparations to build the temple. The 21st century church should function much the same way. We need to discover how God has gifted us for service, and serve accordingly, so that the building and edification of the church can happen.
The word for the Day is… Gifts
What can this account of history teach us in becoming the church God wants us to be?
I. A great church can only become great as its people step up and serve in their God-gifted roles. (Ex. 28:3, Eph. 2:10, Rom. 12:6)
Therefore he who would find Christ must first find the Church. How should we know where Christ and his faith were, if we did not know where his believers are? And he who would know anything of Christ must not trust himself nor build a bridge to heaven by his own reason; but he must go to the Church, attend and ask her. Now the Church is not wood and stone, but the company of believing people; one must hold to them, and see how they believe, live and teach; they surely have Christ in their midst. For outside of the Christian church there is no truth, no Christ, no salvation. (Sermon for the Early Christmas Service; Luke 2:15-20 (1521-1522). Luther’s Works, American Ed., Hans J. Hillerbrand, Helmut T. Lehmann ed., (Sermons II), vol. 52:39-40)
A. As Christians, we are given gifts, and we are to use them accordingly! (1 Cor. 14:12)
Each of these different men had his distinct sphere for which he was doubtless specially qualified; and it was his duty— not to be jealous of others, nor eager to imitate them, but— to be faithful in his own province. How much happier we should all be if we recognized our specific work in God’s house, and kept to it, being content to serve the King as He has seen fit to determine, rendering Him the produce in due season. (F.B. Meyer Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27:31, http://preceptaustin.org/1Chronicles_devotionals.htm#27)
B. We need to embrace the gifts God has given us and refrain from envying others’ gifts or areas of service. (1 Cor. 12:14-21)
Believers have an organismic unity like that of a body; indeed, they are parts of such a body, the body of Messiah. Therefore, all members of the Messiah’s body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free, have their places determined by God and have appropriate functions (ministries) which they should find and develop, trusting God for empowerment by the Holy Spirit. They should appreciate, not envy, others’ ministries and gifts. The purpose of the gifts is not self-aggrandizement but building up the whole body in love. (David H. Stern, The Jewish New Testament Commentary, p.480)
II. Just as the building of the temple was streamlined by Israel’s unity, so too, building a great church is streamlined as its members unite and utilize their gifts in fulfilling God’s purposes for the church. (John 17:23; 1 Cor. 1:10; 1 Cor. 12:7, 18; Eph. 4:3; Col 2:2; Col. 3:14)
The multitude which is not brought to act as a unity, is confusion. That unity which has not its origin in the multitude is tyranny. -Blaise Pascal
Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
There was great variety in office and gift. He who cared for the work of the field could not have known how to care for the flocks. The overseer of olive-yard and vineyard would have been a poor hand with the camels and asses. One sort of talent was needed for the herds, and another for the wine cellars; and yet there was unity in the common service of the king. We are reminded of the words of the Apostle, describing the variety in unity which must obtain in every healthy church: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord; diversities of operations, but the same God.” (F.B. Meyer Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27:31, http://preceptaustin.org/1Chronicles_devotionals.htm#27)
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION:
A. Find out how God has gifted you to serve. (Rom. 12:6, 1 Cor. 12:7, 11; 1 Cor. 14:12)
Ways to find out…
1) Study what the scriptures say about it. (hillsdalefmc.net has a whole section devoted to this very purpose… just sayin’)
2) Pray about it. (ask for God’s guidance in discovery)
3) Consider what you do well, or what comes natural to you.
4) Ask mature Christians who know you well.
B. Once you find out how God has gifted you to serve, dive in and do it! (Rom. 12:6, 1 Cor. 14:12)
Worship Point:
Worship becomes easy as people discover how God has gifted them, and fulfill their purpose in Christ’s church by utilizing their gifts for His glory. As people plug-in to their God-given roles, barriers that hinder worship fall down naturally.
Spiritual Challenge:
If you are a Christian, discover how God has gifted you to serve the church and start serving. As you do, your faith will continue to grow as you function in the area(s) God has designed you for.
Quotes To Note:
Two basic principles enumerated in these two books prevail throughout the OT, namely, obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings judgment. In the Chronicles, when the king obeyed and trusted the Lord, God blessed and protected. But when the king disobeyed and/or put his trust in something or someone other than the Lord, God withdrew His blessing and protection. Three basic failures by the kings of Judah brought God’s wrath: 1) personal sin; 2) false worship/idolatry; and/or 3) trust in man rather than God. (The MacArthur Study Bible)
It is worthy of remark, that Obil, an Ishmaelite or Arab, was put over the camels, which is a creature of Arabia; and that Jaziz, a Hagarene, (the Hagarenes were shepherds by profession,) was put over the flocks: nothing went by favour; each was appointed to the office for which he was best qualified; and thus men of worth were encouraged, and the public service effectually promoted. (Adam Clarke Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27:34)
How great an error it would have been had any of these begun to account the produce of cattle or ground as his own. He had nothing that he had not received, and whatever he controlled had been entrusted to his care for the emolument and advantage of his sovereign. Yet, how few of us realize that we are put in business with God’s capital, for God’s use. We take all and give Him a percentage, instead of using all for Him and keeping a percentage for ourselves. In this we rob God, and greatly err. We must acknowledge that both we and all we possess belong to Him. (F.B. Meyer Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27:31, http://preceptaustin.org/1Chronicles_devotionals.htm#27)
Often, today, people don’t believe there is much wrong with the human race, and with themselves in particular. As a result, they don’t see very much need for God’s grace. Perhaps, they think, God might help me out in a tight corner here or there, but basically I can get along fine without him. All that God then has to offer, it seems, is a kind of spiritual enhancement of ordinary life, a gentle enrichment of what’s already there rather than a radical rescue from imminent disaster. (N.T. Wright, Paul for Everyone; Prison Letters, p.22)
One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life, always. (A.W. Tozer, Man: The Dwelling Place of God, p)
Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole Church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life. (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, p.63)
Gifts are abilities God gives us to meet the needs of others in Christ’s name: speaking, encouraging, serving, evangelizing, teaching, leading, administering, counseling, discipling, organizing. Graces, often called spiritual fruit, are beauties of character: love, joy, peace, humility, gentleness, self-control. Spiritual gifts are what we do; spiritual fruit is what we are. Unless you understand the greater importance of grace and gospel-character for ministry effectiveness, the discernment and use of spiritual gifts may actually become a liability in your ministry. The terrible danger is that we can look to our ministry activity as evidence that God is with us or as a way to earn God’s favor and prove ourselves…Here’s how this danger can begin. Your prayer life may be nonexistent, or you may have an unforgiving spirit toward someone, or sexual desires may be out of control. But you get involved in some ministry activity, which draws out your spiritual gifts. You begin to serve and help others, and soon you are affirmed by others and told what great things you are doing. You see the effects of your ministry and conclude that God is with you. But actually God was helping someone through your gifts even though your heart was far from him. Eventually, if you don’t do something about your lack of spiritual fruit and instead build your identity on your spiritual gifts and ministry activity, there will be some kind of collapse. You will blow up at someone or lapse into some sin that destroys your credibility. And everyone, including you, will be surprised. But you should not be. Spiritual gifts without spiritual fruit is like a tire slowly losing air. (Tim Keller, Redeemer Report March 2007 article, “Ministry Can Be Dangerous to Your Spiritual Health.”)
As the members in the human body, so the different members of the mystical body of Christ. All are intended by him to have the same relation to each other; to be mutually subservient to each other; to mourn for and rejoice with each other. He has also made each necessary to the beauty, proportion, strength, and perfection of the whole. Not one is useless; not one unnecessary. Paul, Apollos, Kephas, &c., with all their variety of gifts and graces, are for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, Eph. iv. 12. Hence no teacher should be exalted above or opposed to an other. As the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee, so luminous Apollos cannot say to labourious Paul, I can build up and preserve the Church without thee. The foot planted on the ground to support the whole fabric, and the hands that swing at liberty, and the eye that is continually taking in near and distant prospects, are all equally serviceable to the whole, and mutually helpful to and dependent on each other. So also are the different ministers and members of the Church of Christ. (Adam Clarke commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:27)
Calvin, who saw that the Devil’s chief device was disunity and division and who preached that there should be friendly fellowship for all ministers of Christ, made a point in a letter to a trusted colleague: “Among Christians there ought to be so great a dislike of schism, as that they may always avoid it so fast as lies in their power. That there ought to prevail among them such a reverence for the ministry of the word and the sacraments that wherever they perceive these things to be, there they must consider the church to exist…nor need it be of any hindrance that some points of doctrine are not quite so pure, seeing that there is scarcely any church which has not retained some remnants of former ignorance.” (Charles W. Colson, The Body, 1992, Word Publishing, p. 107-108.)
“To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they may be one, even as we are one”? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, “Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless… Unite, unite!” Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel. (Charles H. Spurgeon, The Essence of Separation, quoted in The Berean Call, July, 1992, p. 4.)
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