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TRHCK THROUGH THE BIBLE
I. CHRON.—THE TEMPLE DESIRED AND APPROACHED
A. Genealogies. 1. —x. |B. David. xi.—xxix.
I. General. The Nations. i. I. David made King. xi., xii.
i. Beginnings. Adam to Ishmael. 1-28 | i. The Crowning at Hebron. xi. 1-3
ii. Related to Israel. 29-54 ii. The Taking of Jebus. xi. 4-9
iii. The Mighty Men. xi. 10-47
iv. The Gatherink of the People. xii.
11. Particular. The Chosen. ii.—x J* 1 ® Arkt . , . . TT e ™ * *
i Sons of Israel ii 1 2 ’• From Kinath-jeanm to House of Obed-edom. xiii.
li. Judah. 11. 3—iv.23 . _ Dea *- h ° f Uzza -
iii. Simeon. Reuben. Gad. }; xiv
Manasseh. iv. 24-v. ■». From Obed-edom to Jerusalem xv.-zvl. 6
iv. Levi. vi. 1-81 . „ Michals Contempt.
v. Issachar. Benjamin, Naphtali. 1V ' are ™ h esl p . XVE
Manasseh. Ephraim. Asher, vii. _ . ® a*? 1 ’ __ _ .. . ,
vi. Benjamin. viii. T - Deslre t 0 Bulld a Home for 019 Ark - IVIL
-vii. Conclusion. ix., x.
111. David's Reign. xvin. —xxi.
i. Victories and Gathering of Treasure for Temple, xviii.—xx.
ii. The Numbering of the People. xxi.
IV. The Temple. • xxii.—xxix.
i. The Site. xxii. 1.
ii. Preparation of Material. xxii. 2-5
iii. Charge to Solomon. xxii. 6-16
iv. Charge to Princes. xxii. 17-19
v. Arrangements of Levites. xxiii., xxiv.
vi. Arrangements of Song Service. xxv.
vii. Arrangements of Porters. xxvi. 1-19
viii. Arrangements of Keepers of Treasure. xxvi. 20-32
Parenthesis. Internal Order of the Kingdom. xxvii.
ix. The Final Charge. xxviii.
x. The Ceremony of Giving. xxix. 1-25
xi. Death of David. xxix. 26-30
HE two books of Chronicles cover the
period of history already studied in
1 and 2 Kings. They record this his
tory, however, from an entirely differ
ent standpoint. The outlook is almost
exclusively confined to Judah, the
chronicler never referring to Israel save
in cases of absolute necessity. Within
the tribe of Judah, moreover, the his-
Z - • - L-T ■ .
tory is that of the house of David, all other mat
ters being referred to only as they affect, or are
affected by, the Davidic line. Moreover, the story
of these two books centers around the temple. The
chief matter in David’s reign is his interest in
preparing for it, while in Solomon’s the chief in
terest is in the building thereof. Their distinct
ive note is that of religion, and its bearing on the
national life. In the first book certain genealogies
aie given, which lead up to David, and proceed
from him. Then the story of his time is told in
its relation, pre-eminently, to the religious life.
It has been truly said that, while the Kings de
scribe the history from the prophetic standpoint,
the Chronicles describe it from the priestly. The
book may be divided into two parts: Genealogies
(1: 10) f David (11-29).
A. GENEALOGIES.
The period included in these genealogical tables
is that from Adam to the restoration under Ne
hemiah. They are not exhaustive, but serve a
clearly defined purpose in that they indicate the
divine choice of the channels through which God
moved to the accomplishment of His purpose. Side
issues are traced in certain directions, but only
as they touch upon the line of the Divine progress.
This fact is illustrated at the very beginning. The
only son of Adam mentioned is Seth. Through him
the line is traced through Enoch to Noah. Then
the genealogies of Japheth and Ham are given be
cause of the relationship of their descendants to
the chosen people of God. The direct line of the
Divine movement is taken up through Shem, and
finds new departure in Abram. There is another
digression from Abram in the tracing of the de
scent through Ishmael, and also that through the
sons of Keturah. The direct procession continues
through Isaac. A third excursion traces (he de
scendants of Esau. Through Israel the program is
Appearing Tbery Week fturint 1907. (Copyright American Serial Rithts applied Tor by The Golden Site Publishinf Co. All Riihts Reser bed.)
I. CHRONICLES.
By G. CAMPBELL JTO'RQAN, Westminster Chapel, London, England.
The Golden Age for April 25, 1907.
carried forward. His twelve sons are mentioned,
and all of them are subsequently referred to ex
cept Dan and Zebulun. The direct line of interest
in tracing the Divine method passes through Judah,
and so on through Jesse to David. Os his sons
nineteen are named, but further descent is traced
through Solomon, and the kings of Judah, on to
the period of captivity. In tracing these genealo
gies it is interesting to notice how choice is based
upon character; and, moreover, how in the Divine
progress there is constant deviation from the line
of merely natural descent. The actual first born
of the sons of Israel was Reuben, but he, through
sin, forfeited the birthright, which passed to Jos
eph. And yet, again, the Prince foretold was to
come, not through Joseph, though to him had been
given the birthright, but through Judah.
A long section is devoted to the priestly tribe.
In the final movement the genealogies of each of
the sons of Levi culminated in the person of one
man, that of Kohath in Heman, that of Gershom
in Asaph, that of Merari in Ethan. This division
ends with the story of the death of the king chosen
by men. It is a terrible picture of a man of mag
nificent capability going down in utter ruin. Rout
ed by his enemies he died by his own hand in the
midst of the field of defeat. The reason of such
failure is clearly declared. He transgressed against
God, and then sought counsel of one who had a
familiar spirit. Magnificent indeed was the ruin,
but it was ruin. Saul was a man than whom no
other had greater opportunities, but his failure
was disastrous. Os good standing in the nation,
distinctly called and commissioned by God, honored,
with the friendship of Samuel, surrounded by a
band of men whose hearts God had touched, every
thing was in his favor. From the beginning he
failed, and step by step passed along a decline of
conduct and character, until he passed away, hav
ing failed himself, and dragged his nation to such
confusion as threatened its very existence.
B. DAVID.
In this division of the book there are four move
ments, the story of David’s crowning, events con
nected with the ark of God, the account of his
reign, and matters concerning the building of the
temple.
The chronicler passes over in silence the story
of the seven years in which David reigned over
Judah, and commences with the crowning of He
bron. Immediately he had thus been recognized
as king of the "whole nation, he captured Jebus.
which became the city of his heart, and the metrop
olis of the nation. The account of the mighty men
and their deeds is full of color. It is particularly
interesting in view of what these men were in
the days of David’s exile. From being a
company in debt, in danger and discontented,
they became “ mighty men of valor .... trained
for war,” their one unifying inspiration being their
loyalty to David. They “came with a perfect heart
to Hebron to make David king.” Thus he entered
upon his kingdom under the most auspicious cir
cumstances.
The king’s consciousness of the true strength of
his kingdom is manifest in his anxiety concerning
the ark of God. It had been at Kiriath-jearim,
and neglected for long years. He now set himself
to bring it into the midst of the people as a rec
ognition of the nation’s relationship to Jehovah.
The long neglect of the ark would seem to have
rendered the people unfamiliar with all the par
ticular regulations for its removal, which they at
tempted by a device of their own. The swift judg
ment on the man who stretched out a hand to save
the ark is evidence at once of the presence of God
among His people, and of the necessity for perfect
conformity to His minutest instructions.
At this time there commenced a commercial
friendship with Hiram, which continued into the
reign of Solomon. The statement is now made of
David’s multiplication of wives. The silence of the
chronicler concerning his sin is remarkable through
out this book. Two victories over the Philistines
are described.
Again, David turned his attention to the ark,
bringing it up from the house of Obed-edom to
Jerusalem. Companies of instrumentalists and
singers accompanied the ark, and "with high jubi
lation it was borne by the priests into the tent
prepared. One shadow’ fell across the brightness
of the day. It was that of the mockery of Michal,
Saul’s daughter. The incident illustrated the per
petual inability of the worldly-minded to appre
ciate the gladness of the spiritual. The chronicler
gives us the psalm sung by the trained musicians
on this occasion. It is a compilation of parts of
three to be found in our Psalter, and is a general
ascription of praise, merging into a call to remem
ber the works of God, and His government cove
nant with the people.
The presence of the ark in the city seems to
have created the desire in the heart of David to
provide for it a permanent and more worthy rest
ing place. Os this desire he spake to Nathan, who,
acting without Divine consultation, charged him to
go forward. Both prophet and king, however, had
to learn that God’s ways are not man’s ways. While
David’s desire was not granted, yet when in com
munion with God he had been brought to the place
of a resting worshipper, he was permited to make
great preparation for the building of tlie temple
by his son.
The next section tells the story of David’s reign,
and first gives the account of his victories over
surrounding foes. In view of his desire to build
the temple of God, it is of special interest, to no
tice how, in all these wars, he was amassing treas
ure with that end in view. The victories of David
were the direct result of God’s blessing upon him.
Yet in the midst of them he sinned his greatest
sin, and that, notwithstanding the fact that in his
deepest heart he desired to build God’s house.
One statement in this book is all that in any sense
can be construed into a reference to that sin:
“But David tarried at Jerusalem.”
The cause of David’s action in numbering the
people is distinctly stated to be Satan. Therein
lies a revelation of its nature. The one sin of Satan
is that of pride and ambition, and this was the
si.i] °f David. In the place where the mercy of
(Concluded on Page 12),