May 4th~An Exchange of Faith

1 Chronicles 26:1-28:21

The Chronicler kept detailed lists of the gatekeepers, the treasurers and other officials, the military commanders and divisions, the leaders of the tribes, and the important officials of David’s kingdom. Did you notice that Obeedom and his sons were listed as gatekeepers; he was the one who had cared for the Ark of the Covenant all these years. In return, “God had richly blessed him” (26:4, 5).

Then, David gathered all of these leaders together and revealed three breaking developments. First, he shared his plans to build a Temple in Jerusalem, a place “where the Ark of the Covenant could rest permanently” (28:2). Second, because David was a warrior and had shed much blood, the King told the crowd that it would be his son Solomon who would finish the work. Third, David named Solomon as his successor to the throne of Israel.

After communicating the big news, David took advantage of the opportunity he had, with everyone there, to encourage and challenge them. He said, “With God as our witness, I give you this charge... Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance” (28:8). The challenge was to obey the Lord; the encouragement came in that if the people obeyed, their children would inherit the land permanently.

Then, after David charged the people, he turned to Solomon and offered a challenge to him as well. He was setting the example for the people, putting feet to the challenge he had just given. Here was a father training and encouraging his son to “get to know the God of your ancestors. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him; but, if you reject Him, He will reject you” (28:9,10).

It is interesting that when Solomon ends his book of Ecclesiastes, that record of his search for the meaning of life, he said something very similar to his father’s challenge. “Fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of every person...” (12:13). Although Solomon will have his own struggles in life, he ended up in the same place as he had begun, the same place to which his father David had pointed him. In essence, it is because of the Lord that we live; our meaning and purpose are found in our relationship with Him.

Daily Reflection

How are you doing with the counsel of David and Solomon? Consider just the verbs in their challenge. Do you know the Lord? Are you worshipping Him, fearing Him, obeying Him, and serving Him?

If you are a parent, like David, are you passing your faith on to your children? If you are a daughter or son, like Solomon, are you growing in the faith of your parents? Parents must not force their children to follow in their footsteps. They are to lead, train, demonstrate, encourage, equip, protect, and pray; but, children must choose to follow the Lord themselves, or their parents’ faith will never be their own. You must choose to serve God daily, to obey His commands, to glorify His name, and to trust Him in all things. What will you decide?

BiAY.org | Day 124 — 241 Days to Go