Rehoboam

Rehoboam, 1st king of Judah, is discussed.

Introduction

Rehoboam is the son of Solomon and Naamah. He becomes king of Israel upon Solomon's death. 1 Kings 14 tells us that he took the throne when he was 41 years old and reigned for 17 years. Most sources site the begin of his rule to be 931bc, which would mean he lived from 972-914bc and was king from 931-914bc. Some scholars date the split of the kingdom to 922bc.^[1] This would place Rehoboam's reign from 922-905bc, and his birth in 963bc. The bulk of Rehoboam's reign is given in 1 Kings 12, 1 Kings 14:21-31, and 2 Chronicles 10-12.
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Relationship with God

Kings were to lead by example, and whether the king followed God's law or not directly effected the state of the nation. Thus each kings' relationship with God is clearly defined. Rehoboam's relationship with God appears to be pretty bad. Rehoboam causes the kingdom to split by not listening to the elders. God sends word to Rehoboam through a prophet named Shemaiah to cease fighting with the northern tribes, however, Rehoboam fights with them for his entire reign (1 Kings 12:22-24 and 1 Kings 14:30). This tells us Rehoboam didn't listen to God. In 2 Chronicles 11:16-17, we learn that under Rehoboam, Israel followed the ways of God for 3 years. Considering the fact that he reigned for 17 years, this isn't a lengthy period of faithfulness. 2 Chronicles 12 confirms that while Rehoboam had brief moments where he submitted to God, his was known for his ungodly behavior.
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Family History

As the son of Solomon, Rehoboam was also the grandson of David and Bathsheba. He is thus descended from the tribe of Judah, which makes him a descendant of Boaz and Ruth.

Given the timeline, Rehoboam would have been about 2 years old when David died. One of my grandfathers died when I was 2 (about to turn 3) years old and I have no memory of him; however I still managed to pick up some of his habits. Likely, Rehoboam wouldn't have retained any memories of David, but it would have been possible for him to pick up some of David's mannerisms, quirks, and habits if he was around him long enough.

Rehoboam's mother is named Naamah. Naamah was not an Israelite, despite God specifically commanding kings to marry Israelite women. Her ties to Ammon and paganism likely influenced both Solomon and Rehoboam.^[2]

Rehoboam marries many women, like his father. The details of his marriages are listed in 2 Chronicles 11. Many of these women are quiet closely related to him, though not close enough to be defined as incest biblically. Maachah, the daughter (or granddaughter) of Absalom (Rehoboam's uncle who tried to steal the throne), becomes Rehoboam's favorite wife. Although Rehoboam has 28 sons and even more daughters, it is Maachah's son who succeeds him on the throne. Maachah's son is called Abijah, Abijam, and Abia throughout the text.

Battles and Wars

Egypt

In the fifth year of his reign, the city of Jerusalem is attacked by Shishak, the king of Egypt (1 Kings 14:25). Shishak, which is also written Shishaq, is generally identified as Egyptian pharaoh Shoshenq I. Interestingly, Shisak is the first pharaoh mentioned by name in the Bible. The account of Shishak launching an attack on Jerusalem is listed in the history texts of Egypt, as well.^[3][4]

Shishak brings a considerable army for his attack and is able to raid the Temple of all of its treasures. Although it is not mentioned, I have to wonder if this includes the Ark of the Covenant; after all the ark is not mentioned again after it is placed in the Temple under Solomon's rule. The Israelites were likely devastated by such a defeat, and were not able to replace the expensive treasures from before. Instead, Rehoboam replaces everything with brass replicas.

Note that some sources do not identify Shoshenq I as Shishak, instead they suggest Shishak should be identified as Thutmose III.^[5] This would require a significant change in the timeline as Thutmose III was pharaoh of Egypt from 1479–1426bc.^[6] On the other hand, Shoshenq I was pharaoh of Egypt from 945–924bc. Using the generally agreed upon date that Rehoboam began his reign in 931bc, his 5th year would have been 926bc, 2 years before the end of Shoshenq I's reign.^[4]

Cases have also been made for Rameses II to be the pharaoh called Shishak. Reading the different hypothesis is quite interesting.If you are interested in Biblical timelines and/or matching Biblical events to secular events, you should look up the information on which of these kings actually his Shishank.
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Israel

It isn't surprising that Rehoboam would have been furious when the northern kingdom split from him. I can't think of a single point in history where part of a country decided to form it's own sovereign nation and the original king (or president) didn't fight to retain the territory. Some of this is about pride, but many times, it's also about wealth and power. The northern kingdoms consisted of 10 whole tribes as opposed to Judah's 2 tribes. The loss of these 10 tribes robbed Judah of both wealth and man power, something no nation wants to lose. Rehoboam did just as one would expect and went to war with Jeroboam.

Liberty taken with the depiction of Rehoboam
the Bible does not give a description of Rehoboam.

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Related Posts

References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 605. 2014
2. Elizabeth Fletcher. "Naamah, wife of Solomon". Women in the Bible. 2006
3. Associates for Biblical Research. "What evidence has been found of the Egyptian king, Shishak?". Christian Answers. 1999
4. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Sheshonk I". Encyclopædia Brittanica. July 2, 2010
5. Elizabeth Mitchell, PhD. "Will the Real Shishak Please Stand Up?". Answers in Genesis. March 2, 2012
6. Peter F. Dorman and Margaret Stefana Drower. "Thutmose III". Encyclopædia Brittanica. July 1, 2010

The Great King David

David was a legend in Israel; no wonder the Israelites expected his reincarnation in the Messiah.

A lot of attention is given to David throughout the Bible and 1 Chronicles is almost exclusively about David. Although much of this is repeated from 1&2 Kings, it made me stop to think about the importance of David. When Jesus came as the Messiah, the Jews were expecting another David, this legendary man of war whom they had read so much about. They expected Jesus to battle the Romans the way David had battled the Philistines and usher in the age of peace of prosperity that followed with Solomon. When Jesus turned out to have a different agenda, they rejected Him. David was a great leader and on fire for God, but there are 2 points that must be made. In Chronicles, we learn the David was denied the right to build God's Temple because he was violent. This proves that even though God loved David and even though he truly repented when he committed sins, David's militaristic campaigns which left the earth defiled with blood, defiled David too. He wasn't good enough to build the Temple because he'd participated in too much violence. The second thing we notice is that Jesus does not come the way David did. Jesus carried out His mission in peace, like Solomon, and stayed away from battle. Together, this gives us that God prefers peace and reasoning as we follow Him as opposed to military campaigns in His name. Of course Ecclesiastes does tell us that there is a time for everything. On many occasions, war was necessary and in David's case he had to secure Israel for Solomon to have a peaceful reign in which to build the Temple. This is why David is not condemned for his actions. We live in an imperfect world, so sometimes, the best option for us is still ugly.
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References

1 Chronicles 27-29: The Last Days of David

The last few chapters of 1 Chronicles summarize David's legacy. Although the chapters are centered on David's rule as king, it is obvious that the main focus is on pricelessness of God.

Introduction

The last few chapters of 1 Chronicles summarize David's legacy. We are given a method to estimate the cost of materials used to construct the Temple, as well as, an example prayer to God. Although the chapters are centered on David's rule as king, it is obvious that the main focus is on pricelessness of God.
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Divisions of the State

In the previous chapters, we were given divisions related to the Temple and the service of God, but 1 Chronicles 27 outlines divisions dedicated to serving the nation and the king. We are told about the army, the princes of each tribe, and the overseers of the nations wealth.

Captain	Tribal Affiliation
Jashobeam	Judah
Dodai
Benaiah	Levi
Asahel
Shamhuth
Ira
Helez	Ephraim
Sibbecai
Abiezer	Benjamin
Maharai
Benaiah	Ephraim
Heldai

The army was divided into 12 units of 24,000 men with one unit serving per month during times of peace. Would assume from the number 12 that each division represented a different tribe, but when the captains of the units are listed this doesn't seem to be the case. Only some of the captains are identified by tribal affiliation and we see two captains from the Tribe of Ephraim. Likely each unit consisted of a mix of tribes and the captains were merely the best of all the army. This method would help unify the nation of evade the possibility of tribes turning on each other. If the units were organized by tribe, it would be much easier for a civil war to break out. Of course, we know that eventually the nation splits in half anyway.

Just as we have governors of states today, back then each tribe had a ruler. These leaders were important and influential among their tribe, and likely acted as liaisons between the tribes and the king. Despite 1 Chronicles 27 only naming one person per tribe, several passages of the Bible is indicates that there could be more the one prince of a tribe. Perhaps there existed a ranking among princes that elevated only one to ruler—a succession line, basically. The Tribe of Manasseh, which was split across the Jordan, is the only tribe to have 2 leaders, because each half of the tribe had their own a leader.

The last set of divisions given in 1 Chronicles 27, involve the men who oversaw the riches of the king and nation. These men were in charge of the treasuries, vineyards, herds, army, etc. It is here that we find Joab listed as the general of the army. His name had been noticeably absent when discussing matters of the army previously. Joab's murderous habits likely demoted his status, causing the chronicler to give him less focus. Interestingly the man over the camels was an Ishmaelite. This is further proof that strangers were brought into the fold of Israel. Those who made themselves loyal to God were apparently joined into the nation. Another set of familiar names found in this list is that of Ahithophel, who turns on David during Absalom's rebellion, and Hushai, who spies for David during the same time period.
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Appointing Solomon King

In 1 Chronicles 28, David makes a public showing of declaring Solomon heir to throne and giving him detailed instructions on building the Temple. This action was likely for the people, and to ensure there was no confusion or rebellion against the throne. Although we are not told when during David's rule this occurs, it seems likely that it occurs after Absalom's rebellion. In 1 Chronicles 29, Solomon is officially made king. Interestingly it says he was made king for the second time. This furthers the idea that first time was during Absalom's rebellion, which was done in haste, and this time was probably more formal and deliberate.^[1]

David presents Solomon with gold and riches for the Temple's construction and encourages him to be strong. Much emphasis is placed on the fact that God will see Solomon through the task. At first I wasn't sure why Solomon would need a pep talk about building a Temple. In my mind this was an easy task compared to Moses, or Joshua, or David. After deeper thought, it started to make sense.

People are often weary of change and the Temple would be a major change for Israel. Once it was constructed, there would be a centralized location for sacrifices to God. With that, people would have to travel to fulfill their duties. This would be an inconvenience, and may have been a contributing factor to the decline of Israel's relationship with God. When Solomon began construction, I imagine there would have been a fair amount of pushback from the people. David didn't want hesitancy form the nation to effect Solomon's ability to complete the task.
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David and the Magnificence of the Temple

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/JJ Jordan

The chronicler's focus on David's legacy are his exact contribution to the Temple. This reiterates how important it was that the Temple be built and how instrumental David was in its construction, despite not being the one to actually build it. David contributes 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of silver. This is equivalent to 226,194.28lbs of gold and 527,786.66lbs of silver.^[2] Today, gold is worth $39,776.87 per kilogram and silver is worth $579.68 per kilogram.^[3][4] By doing a little math, we see that David essentially contributed $4,081,106,843.94 worth of gold and $138,775,393.14 worth of silver.

That's enough to place the Temple at #4 on the list of today's most expensive buildings of the world.^[5] However, that wasn't everything that went into the Temple! The people also donate gold, silver, brass, and iron to the Temple. The most important part about the giving of the people, isn't the price associated with it however, it's the fact that they gave willingly. David didn't issue a donate or die decree or scare the people into giving; they truly wanted to please God and gave of their own free will.

Nonetheless, a considerable amount of wealth is added to the Temple due to this. The people gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 drams of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of brass, and 100,000 talents of iron. A dram is approximately 1lb^[6], making the amount of gold donated about 386,990.47lbs, which is worth $6,982,269,470.17. The people donated 753,980.93lbs of silver, which is worth $198,250,558.25. The average price of brass today is $1.16 per pound;^[7] the Israelites donated 1,357,165.67lbs of brass, which is worth $1,574,312.20. Iron costs $0.02 for .1kg if buying in bulk or $7.20 for .1kg.^[8] Since the Israelites donated 7,539,809.37lbs of iron, I'm going to use the bulk price to estimate its worth at $684,000.00. In total, the people donated $7,182,778,340.62 to the construction of the Temple! If we add the people 7.18 billion to David's donation, we can estimate the cost of the temple to be about 11.4 billion dollars! This would rank it at #2 on the list of today's most expensive buildings of the world, and remember, this total doesn't include anything Solomon added.
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Sacrifices

After pulling together that much wealth, the Israelites decide to offer sacrifices to God in celebration; this includes 1000 bulls, 1000 rams, and 1000 lambs. Reading this makes me understand the passage where God says He hates animal sacrifice (Isaiah 1:11). How sad is it that this many animals had to die to express gratitude and repentance? Although God mandated feasts and outlined sacrifices, you should note that God doesn't command them to sacrifice 3,000 animals at this point. This is something the Israelites did on their own. God didn't desire animals to die, however, there death was necessary to atone for our sins before Jesus' sacrifice. Over time, the Israelites confused this with God delighting in the sacrifice of blood.
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Prayer

When David ends his reign and transfers power to Solomon, he does so by praying to God. This prayer one of the many examples given of how we should pray to God. David exalts and praises God, then attests to God's mercy. He asks God to help Solomon keep the commandments. Even then, they knew that it is impossible to keep the commandments without God's help!
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 729. 2014
2. "Talents (Biblical Hebrew) to Pound Conversion". Unit Conversion; visited March 2017
3. "Gold Prices Today Per Ounce & Gold Chart Historical". APMEX; visited March 2017
4. "Silver Prices". APMEX; visited March 2017
5. Alice Young. "The 10 Most Expensive Buildings in the World". Constructing Global. June 10, 2016
6. "Dram". Bible Hub; visited March 2017
7. "Brass - US Scrap Prices". Recycle In Me; visited March 2017
8. "Iron Element Facts". Chemicool. October 6, 2012

1 Chronicles 23-26: Levite Duties

Not only did David gather materials for building the Temple, he began preparing the Levites for the shift that they would experience regarding worship.

Introduction

The next few chapters of 1 Chronicles is devoted to the duties of the priesthood. Not only did David gather materials for building the Temple, he began preparing the Levites for the shift that they would experience regarding worship. Once the Temple was set in Jerusalem, the Israelites would have a specific place of worship and enemies would have a specific location to attack. This would have a major effect on how the Levites were to carry out their duties. David sets up offices and divisions to carry out musical praise, guard duty, and more.
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Number of Levites

Perhaps to remind the audience of who the Levites were, 1 Chronicles 23 gives the genealogy of the Levites, starting with Levi and his sons. Following the descendants Merari, Kohath, and Gershon, we are reminded of important Levites, as well as, introduced to Levites that are given duties by David. Much of the genealogy can be found in Numbers and Exodus.

David's illegal census allowed the number of Levites present in Israel to be counted, and we are told there were 38,000 men. Of these men, 24,000 were to perform the general work for God's House. 6,000 men were made officers and judges. 4,000 were assigned to be porters or guards, while another 4,000 were assigned to be musicians. Musicians were required to perform daily before the Ark.

Aaron's Sons

Aaron had 4 sons, but 2 of them died for committing sin in the holy place (of all places!). Thus, the priestly lineage spanned only from the two living sons: Eleazar and Ithamar. The legitimacy of these two lines led to the establishment of two high priests, Zadok and Ahimelech, because they both had rightful claim to the title.

We are told that Eleazar had more chief men in his lineage, and Ithamar only had half of that number. Due to this imbalance, David assigned lots and shifts at the tabernacle with size in consideration. The priests were assigned shifts to take up their duties at the Temple, based on the lots they were given.
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Musicians

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Mariusz Prusaczyk

Many Levites were assigned to provide music for the Lord in praise. There are three families specifically placed in charge of the music: those of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. One family plays the harp (or something similar—it's generally referred to as a psaltry)^[1], another family plays the cymbals, and the final family plays the trumpet. This number of men assigned to this task is very large and shows the importance of music in worship.
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Porters (Gatekeepers)

Chapter 26 gives details on the divisions of the porters or gatekeepers. These men were responsible for protecting the holy objects and kept guard at the gates leading to the Temple. Assignments were given by casting lots for which division would guard which gate. Most of the people assigned to guard the fate were from the Levite tribes of Merari and Kohath.
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Other Duties

The Gershonites, on the other hand, were assigned to keep watch over the treasury. Another group of Levites was also assigned to administering the law and presiding as judges over the people.
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References

1. "Psaltery". BibleStudyTools.com; visited February 2017

1 Chronicles 22: David Prepares Solomon to Build the Temple

David does what he can to insure his son is well prepared to take up the mantle and build the Temple. This is a lesson for parents everywhere.

Introduction

David doesn't let God's decision that he would not be the one to build the Temple deflect his dedication to the task. Instead, David does what he can to insure his son is well prepared to take up the mantle and build the Temple. This is a lesson for parents everywhere.
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David's Actions

David collects wood, iron, and brass, so that the materials will be ready when Solomon takes the throne. Many of these materials are garnered from his military conquests. Clearly David didn't want anything hindering or delaying Solomon's ability to construct the Temple. This proves that David didn't just want to be the person who built God a home, but he wanted God to have a home. Many of us would have went our own way after learning that the honor wouldn't fall on us, but David continued working toward God's Will.

Not only does David stockpile these materials, he leaves instructions to Solomon and explains to the duty his son has to carry out the construction of the Temple. David also instructed the princes of the nation to cooperate with Solomon when the time came; he wasn't leaving anything to change! God promised to give Solomon rest from Israel's enemies so that his reign would be peaceful, unlike David's. This would make Solomon a man of peace and free up more men to build the Temple.
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The Lesson

Photocredit:Unsplash.com/Liane Metzler

There are many blessings that take generations to be realized. For instance, Harriet Tubman saved some slaves, but she could save them all. Sometimes we make decisions that do not effect us, but will effect our children. As we grow old, we can chose to take on life insurance or not, and if we choose not to, we can put our children in debt.

David knew that building a home for God was important and that his son would be called to carry out the duty. David could have taken the spoils of war he won and done anything he wanted to with the wealth. However, David knew that this would leave his son scrambling before the Lord. In doing this, he wouldn't just be cheating his son, he would be cheating God. We have a responsibility to our youth to prepare them for the call God has for them. Sometimes this mean monetarily, but sometimes it just means educating and preparing them for a relationship with God.
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References

1 Chronicles 18-21: David's Military

David was a powerful leader and led his military to great success. Perhaps pride in his army is what leads to him carrying out the illegal census.

Introduction

David defeats many great armies during his time, including the Philistines, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians. A major shift in Israel's relationship with God can be seen by viewing the outcome of David's battles with these nations versus the outcomes just before the exile. During David's reign the Syrians became servants of Israel, but just before the exile, Israel is forced to serve Syria. Their military strength is directly correlated to their faith in God. Similarly, our success (note, what we consider success may not necessarily the same as what God does) is directly correlated to our relation with God.
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Preparation

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/JJ Jordan

When David wins battles, he also acquires spoils of war. The spoils, particularly the brass, that he acquires are stored and put aside for the Temple. David may not have been able to build the Temple but he was still in a position to make sure the necessary preparations were made.
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Ammonite/Syrian War

The information given on the war between Israel and Ammon, which later includes Syria, is given in both 1 Chronicles 19 and 2 Samuel 10.

When the Ammonites' king dies, his son Hanun takes over. David had been friends with the previous king, so he sent men to comfort the newly crowned king Hanun. However, the people of Ammon were suspicious of David and treated the men he sent disgracefully instead. They convinced Hanun that these men were actually spies. Naturally when these men returned, David was angry with the Ammonites. Knowing that this would cause war, the Ammonites hired 32,000 chariots from Syria.

David's captain, Joab, is forced to fight a two front battle. Joab takes men with him to fight the Syrians and sends men with his brother, Abishai, to fight the Ammonites. Israel defeats the Syrians so thoroughly that the Syrians become servants of Israel and refuse to help Ammon anymore. Ammon does not give up so easily, however; they take a year to regroup and reinitiate the war. David does not attend the battle, but Joab defeats them and destroys the city of Rabbah. The crown of the Ammonite king, which was very valuable, is taken by David.
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Philistine War

The Israelites also battle with the giants of the Philistines. The Philistines were known for their giants, like Goliath. The summary of the Israelites' victory over these giants is given in 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20. This time we learn that the brother of Goliath, killed by Elhanan, was named Lahmi. David's brother, Jonathan, kills a giant who has 6 fingers and 6 toes on each hand and foot. A third giant named Sippai was killed by Sibbechai.
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Controversial Census

1 Chronicles 21 brings us back to the issue discussed in the post on 2 Samuel 24; the bulk of the discussion on the "contradictions" found in this chapter, but I'll touch on it here briefly. There are 2 major conflicts in the retelling of David's illegal census: who prompted him to number the people of Israel and how many men were found.
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Who Authorized the Census?

Was it God or was it Satan that orchestrated the census? 2 Samuel 24:1 says God told him to do it, but 1 Chronicles 21:1 says Satan was behind the census. This is largely considered a contradiction by non-believers, but it actually makes sense

Satan can only do what God allows—remember he had to ask permission to torture Job. In 2 Samuel 24:1 we see that God was angry with Israel and set against them. Thus, in anger, God allowed Satan to tempt David into carrying out an improper census.

Moreover, God had already outlined how censuses were to be carried out during Moses' time and 2 examples are given to us in Numbers. There were clearly times when God called on his people to number all those eligible for war and there were clear protocols for carrying out such a census. David didn't follow these protocols though, and Satan would have been the one to convince him to do it his way instead of God's. Thus, even if God had required David to number the people, Satan would have been the one to convince David to do so contrarily to God's decree.
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How Many Israelites?

According to 1 Chronicles 21, David determines that there were 1,100,000 people in Israel and 470,000 men in Judah. Benjamin and Levi are not included in these numbers. 2 Samuel records a different set of numbers: 800,000 men from Israel and 500,000 men from Judah. A major difference in the text is the wording. 2 Samuel 24 specifies that the men from Israel were "valiant men" there were likely men in the army that were not considered valiant. These men would have been included in the general total given in 1 Chronicles 21, hence the 300,000 extra men. The men of Judah are described as swordsmen in 1 Chronicles, but this distinction is not made in 2 Samuel. Thus, it is possible that the extra 30,000 were military personnel who did not use swords. A full description of this is found in the post on 2 Samuel 24.
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David's Reaction

David quickly realizes that he has sinned and rushes to repent. When he repents, God gives him a choice of 3 punishments. David states that he does not want his shame to come on him by the hands of a man and opts for direct punishment from God instead. God sends pestilence upon Israel which kills 70,000 men.

David begs for mercy from God when he sees an angel with his sword drawn against Jerusalem. The angel appears at Ornan's threshing floor, the future home of the Temple. David asks God to transfer the punishment to himself since it is he who ordered the census. This is the sign of a true leader; he is willing to take the fall for his mistakes rather than have the nation be punished unjustly.

Ornan also sees the angel; perhaps this is why he was so willing to sell the land to David. David didn't want a free handout, though; he insisted that Ornan be compensated. Giving to the Lord something that has been given to you is not like re-gifting in our world today. Giving something to God that you didn't work for is meaningless.
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References

1 Chronicles 17: The Temple

But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.1 Chronicles 22:8 KJV

God tells David he isn't to build the Ark, but we don't find out why until a few chapters later.

Introduction

David wanted to build the Temple, but God stopped him. God told the prophet Nathan that David wasn't going to be the one to create his home and many people wonder why. 1 Chronicles 17 and 2 Samuel 7 discuss David's desire to build the Temple and God's response.
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A Theory

One group theorizes that Solomon was chosen because of his wisdom. They believe that Solomon constructed a hidden room in the Temple, with the help of his Egyptian bride, to conceal the Ark. Although no mention of the Ark is made from the time it enters the first Temple onward, they believe it is still in Jerusalem in this hidden space.^[1] Egypt is known for their expertise in hiding things; in fact new chambers may have been recently discovered in one of the pyramids just last year.^[2][3] If the Egyptians were involved with the process it seems likely that a hidden room is possible. Of course, God could have given Solomon this knowledge directly if He wanted to, why include the Egyptians?

If this theory proves true, it seems to me that the plan was carried out by Solomon without inspiration from God. Kings were not to marry foreign women and God would have possessed the knowledge to to create a secret chamber. It seems odd that God would send Solomon to the Egyptians to carry out such a task. Of course, it is also possible that the Egyptian princess was meant to help and Solomon decided to make her his wife on his own. It is one of the Bible's many mysteries.
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The Bible Speaks

But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.1 Chronicles 22:8 KJV

While the theory mentioned above is impressive, the Bible actually tells us why David wasn't allowed to build the Ark in 1 Chronicles 22. David may have had great faith, but David was a man of war who killed many people; David was violent. God shows that is His preference that we be wise and peaceful over violent when he tasks Solomon with building the Temple instead.
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References

1. Edoardo Recanati. "The Ark of the Covenant". Israelhai.org; visited February 2017
2. Adam Boult . "Scientists discover two mysterious ‘chambers’ in the Great Pyramid of Giza". The Telegraph. October 18, 2016
3. Owen Jarus. "Chambers Hidden in Great Pyramid? Scientists Cast Doubt". Live Science. October 17, 2016

1 Chronicles 13, 15&16: The Ark Comes Back to Jerusalem

A discussion on transporting the ark back to Jerusalem. This parallels 2 Samuel 6.

Introduction

In 1 Samuel 6-7, Saul leads the Israelites in taking the Ark back from the Philistines. Once recovered, it is entrusted to Abinadab in Kirjathjearim. David references this in 1 Chronicles 13:3 when he points out that in Saul's day the Israelites had left the Ark in Kirjathjeraim without thought. David knew that God's Ark was to be in the place God had appointed (Jerusalem) and he intended to get it there! 1 Chronicles 13, 15, and 16 parallels the information given in 2 Samuel 6, and tells us of the Ark's journey from Kirjathjeraim to Jerusalem.
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Death of Uzza

David takes quite the procession with him to retrieve the Ark. This honor was given because the Ark was the holiest object God had instructed the Israelites to create. In this procession of people was a man named Uzzah (or Uzza). Uzzah tries to steady the Ark but is struck dead by God for touching the Ark. Seeing this, the other men become afraid and decide to leave the ark with Obededom, who's family is blessed by the Lord for keeping the Ark.
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Relating to Today

Uzzah's death is one of those things that makes you stop and think. Even David thought God had "made a breach upon Uzzah" (1 Chronicles 13:11, 2 Samuel 6:8). Uzza is seemingly doing the right thing, but is subsequently punished... Why?

The first thing we should note is that the Ark was being transported by a cart, which isn't how the ark was supposed to be transported in the first place. The Ark was to be carried by the Levites using the staffs created specifically for it. I'm not sure how much the Ark weighed, but I'd wager it was heavy enough to put some strain on the shoulders of men who weren't used to carrying it. Placing it in a cart and letting oxen pull it was easier and more convenient.

We often fall into the trap of compromising God's Word to do the convenient thing. Wether we try to create our own Sabbath day so as not to disrupt or inconvenience our managers or we take part in worldly customs so as not to seem odd, we place ourselves—and perhaps those around us—in the same danger Uzzah was in.

If the Israelites had followed God's instructions concerning the Ark, it would have been held steady by the Levites appointed to carry it. Of course, if the Israelites had followed God's Word, the Ark would never have taken from them in the first place. Nonetheless, if the Levites were carrying the Ark as instructed, one man faltering would not have placed the Ark in danger of falling to the ground. Furthermore, someone jumping in to save the day would have grabbed the staff to steady the Ark.

Uzzah may have been right in his fear of the Ark falling, but he was just as wrong as everyone else in letting them transporting it in such a manner. In the chapters surrounding the verses (in both 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles) we never see Uzzah step up to tell anyone that they shouldn't be carrying the Ark in that manner. He knew the Ark was holy enough that it couldn't touch the ground, so why did he think he could touch it?

Uzzah was in the position where his options probably looked bleak. He could touch the Ark to steady it, and die. Or he could have left it alone and possibly witness it falling. Had the ark fell, however, there was a pretty good chance God would have punished everyone right then and there. Uzzah made the decision he thought was best; despite angering God in the process, he may have saved the lives of his fellow men.
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The Final Move

After the event with Uzzah, David makes sure that the ark is being taken care of precisely the way Moses described. He realizes that they were punished for not following God's protocol, so he demands the Levites sanctify themselves and take up their duty. David also assigns them to positions to praise God with music. As they carried the Ark, those in charge of the trumpet, cymbals, etc., likely played to rejoice and praise God.

Now that everything was in order, they could bring the Ark back to Jerusalem safely. Once the Ark was in Jerusalem, they sacrificed 7 rams and 7 bullocks unto God. This was a great time of celebration. We are retold that David danced before God and his first wife, Michal, despised him for this (2 Samuel 6:16 and 1 Chronicles 15:29).
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Keepers of the Ark

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/darkip

An man named Asaph and his brothers were left to minister before the ark. Obededom and his 68 brothers were to be porters. Zadok was the high priest. Heman and Jeduthun were placed in charge of music.

Music was clearly apart of worship from the beginning, however today there is much confusion over what is acceptable music versus unacceptable music. Many argue that since we are to be set apart from the world, our music should be too. having been to a church where I couldn't tell if I was in the club or the church, I understand this point of view. However, God never specified a proper genre, and even our hymns today match popular music from a different era. I thin kGod can come through any genre. I think the main concern is what your spirit takes in when you hear a particular song. There are certain songs where the music is all you hear; it invokes a fleshly desire to dance—these are the song where God gets lost in the worldiness of the music. However there are also contemporary gospel songs in which you can feel the Spirit moving.
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David's Psalm

Some of the psalms found in the Book of Psalms were penned by king David, and in 1 Chronicles 16 that we find that before anything was done, David's delivered a psalm of praise to God. The structure of the psalm is as follows: giving thanks, worship/praise, recounting His blessings, history of the covenant, worship/praise, thanks.
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References

1 Chronicles 11&12, 14: David Becomes King

1 Chronicles' treatment of David after his anointing through his crowning as king of Israel.

Introduction

Chapters 11, 12, and 14 give a more in depth look at David's leadership.
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David is Anointed

The beginning of chapter 11 tells us about the anointing of David. This information is also given in 1 Samuel 16. David was anointed king well before he actually took the throne.
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Valiant Men

Several verses in 1 Chronicles 11 discuss David's "30 valiant men," but if you count the number of men listed, you will note that there are more than 30. Some of the names mentioned, such as Uriah who is killed by David to hide his sin with Bathsheba, definitely died before David. Likely, when these men died, another man was appointed to take each man's place. David probably kept the group at 30, which is why they're always referred to as the 30 valiant men.
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David Hides from Saul

Tribe	Men Sent
Asher	40,000
Benjamin	3,000
Dan	28,600
Ephraim	20,800
Issachar	200
Judah	6,800
Levi	4,600
Manasseh	18,000
Naphtali	38,000
Simeon	7,100
Zebulun	50,000

Chapter 12 covers David's time in hiding from Saul. If you remember from 1 Samuel 30, David hid in Ziklag. We are given a list of the men who followed him, which includes details on which tribes had men come to join him (Gad and Manasseh). 217,100 men join David! With such an army, the Philistines feared that having David among them was dangerous because he might turn back to Saul and come against them. This is the end of the loose treaty that bound David and the Philistines.
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David's Many Wives

David takes many wives, something that was likely not encouraged by God. While the Bible doesn't condemn multiple wives, it definitely forbade kings from taking "too many" wives (see Deuteronomy 17:15-17). From a modern view point we would likely think anything more than 1 is too many, and if we compare David to his son Solomon, David doesn't seem like he has many wives anymore. However, compared to other Godly men such as Moses, Abraham, and Jacob, he still has too many wives. Moses only had 1 wife—2 if you are part of the camp that believe Zipporah and the Ethiopian woman were two different women. Abraham had a total of 3, but his third wife was likely taken after Sarah, his first wife, died. Jacob topped these men with 4 wives, but we see he only intended to have 1 wife. So how did David get away with so many?

My History of the Old Testament professor once asked us why God was OK with some people breaking the rules and I think David is perfect example to talk about this question. God doesn't explicitly condemn David for marrying lots of women, neither do we see Him explicitly condemn Solomon for the same. However, it is the love of women that gets both men into trouble with God. David lusts after Bathsheba causing him to commit adultery, then murder to cover up his adultery. Solomon gets sucked into the paganism of his wives and disappoints God as well. I think God doesn't explicitly condemn their behavior because we see the ramifications of it and should be able to conclude that it isn't good. In every example of a multi-wife family, we see problems: jealousy, paganism, and warring of nations. With the exception of Jesus, no human in the Bible perfect.
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Back in Battle

The Philistines were smart not to trust David. Once he becomes king, it is inevitable that he Israel goes to battle with them. David follows through with God's original command about war and commands his army to burn the images of the Philistine gods on the battlefield. This is part of why David was said to be a man after God's heart; he didn't hesitate to follow God's instructions.
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References

1 Chronicles 10: Saul's Death

1 Chronicles version of 1 Samuel 31 & 2 Samuel 1, discussing how Saul died.

Introduction

We're only given a single chapter on Saul by the chronicler, who spends most of his time talking about David. It is interesting to me because this is a typical pattern found in most cultures. Leaders who disappoint us are not spoken of as often as those who carry significant impact or are loved. By the time the chronicler was born, Saul would have been just a tiny speck in history. Although he was the first king of Israel, he hadn't been very remarkable and it was David's line that inherited the throne. Although the chronicler does not go into great detail about Saul, we are given two important confirmations in this chapter.
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How Did Saul Die?

Many people complain that the account of Saul's death is a contradiction. In 1 Samuel 31 we are told that Saul killed himself, but in 2 Samuel 1, an Amalekite tells David he killed Saul. People often forget that 1 and 2 Samuel are actually the same book, and the two passages were likely written by the same author. Which means the person likely knew and meant to give two different accounts. The important distinction is that in the first account we are being told what happened, but in the second, a man is telling his version of the story. This man isn't the first man to lie. Since David and Saul were are odds, the man probably thought if David believed he had killed Saul, he would gain favor. 1 Chronicles 10 confirms that Saul killed himself, further supporting the theory that the Amalekite man was lying to David.
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Condemnation

The Chronicler only gives enough information on Saul to explain why Saul was condemned as king. We see him condemned for consulting a familiar spirit and for not abiding in God's law. Despite these transgressions, the Israelites still rescued his body to give him a proper burial. This should remind us that no matter how a person choses to live their life, we have a duty to treat humans with dignity in both life and death.
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References

1 Chronicles 1-9: Genealogies

Insights from the genealogies are pointed out.

Introduction

The first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles gives us the lineage of the Israelites. It starts by walking us through from Adam to Noah to Abraham, then traces the lineage of Ishmael and Isaac, before zeroing in on the 12 tribes of Israel. It is a bit hard to follow the names due to multiple wives and chronology bouncing between brothers. Below are a few things that stood out to me.
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Ephrath, Caleb's Wife

Caleb, one of the only two spies to trust God to lead the Israelites to victory, married a woman named Ephrath. I find this interesting because throughout the Old Testament we hear about the Ephrathites. When I first read the word "Ephrathites" I thought it was a misspelling of Ephraimites, but I noticed that the people referred to as Ephrathites all grew up the region known as Judah, specifically around Bethlehem. Once I realized this, I assumed they were dubbed the "Ephrathites" because the descended from a man named Ephrath. However, 1 Chronicles 2 makes me wonder if they inherited this name from a woman? Resources state that the name is given after the old name for Bethlehem, Ephratah.^[1] Of course, that only makes me wonder how Bethlehem received that name in the first place...
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Canaanite Women

Whites in the South spent a lot of time trying to craft their version of Christianity to paint Black people as inferior and deserving of slavery. People even twisted the Curse of Canaan to extend to Ham in attempt to justify the treatment of slaves. Interestingly when we look at the lineage of Judah laid out in 1 Chronicles 2, we can see that the line of Judah sprang from a Canaanite woman. This means David, Solomon, and Jesus all have ties back to Canaan and to Ham.
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Simeon

The end of 1 Chronicles 4 covers information on Simeon's descendants who essentially merged into Judah. However, a remnant of Simeonites survived through the reign of Hezekiah and killed the Amalekites living in the land to establish their own place.
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References

1. "Ehrathite". BibleStudyTools.com; visited February 2017

1&2 Chronicles

This history, origins, and contents of Chronicles are examined.

Introduction

Like Kings & Samuel, Chronicles started as 1 book. Chronicles repeats much of what we are told in Genesis and Kings concerning the history and lineage of Israel, though it focuses on the Southern kingdom of Judah. Chronicles is title Dibre Hayyamim in Hebrew, which is roughly translated The Matters of the Days. In Greek, the book is called Paraleipomenon, which means things omitted. The latter title possibly refers to text in Kings that reminds us the details of each king are recorded elsewhere. The English title of Chronicles came about when Jerome referred to the book as a chronicle.^[1]
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Authorship

Most scholars attribute the text to Ezra.^[2][3] Compelling evidence of Ezra's authorship includes the style of writing and the fact that 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 is exactly the same as Ezra 1:1-2. Since this is not explicitly confirmed, however, most scholars refer to the author as the chronicler.
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Date Written

Chronicles was one of the last books of the Old Testament to be written despite its placement almost in the center of the books. Estimating the date of authorship isn't as hard with Chronicles because there are two facts given to help us pin point the date. First, we know that the book was written after the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile. The Babylonian captivity ended in 538 bc,^[4] which places the date of authorship some time after 538 bc.
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Purpose

One of the reasons many people (myself included) struggle to find significance in the book of Chronicles is that it appears to be a retelling of everything we've already been told. Chronicles lists the genealogy from Adam all the way to the line of David, which isn't the most interesting thing to read. Chronicles also covers information on the kings, mirroring the books of Samuel and Kings. So why is it included?

The previous books were all meant to tell this history of how things fell in to place, while Chronicles was meant to showcase spirituality. The author of Chronicles expands on things we didn't learn in the previous books, while omitting events we did learn about. The pattern of which events are highlighted versus which are left out shows that the author was more concerned about the spiritual progress of Israel than anything else. This would also explain why the chronicler focused on Judah over Israel.^[2]
The second fact we have to work with is the chronicler's diligence at recording the history of David's lineage. The last ancestor of David mentioned in Chronicles is Anani, who was born about 8 generations after Jehoiachin. Scholars estimate that Anani was born 425 bc and 400 bc. The Septuagint adds 5 more generations between Anani and Jehoiachin. Accounting for these generations, Anani would have been born between 325 bc and 300 bc. Since descendants of David born after Anani are absent from the text, scholars assume the text was written during Anani's life time. This would date the book to some time between 425 bc and 250 bc; if Anani was born in the 5th century bc, we can conclude the text was written earlier (between 425 bc and 350 bc).^[2][3][5]
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A Chance To Think

Chronicles also gives believers a chance to exercise our thinking skills. Since it reiterates the history from man's beginning through the Babylonian exile, it's also the place where people go to point out "contradictions." I discussed some of the supposed contradictions between Chronicles and 2 Samuel 21-24 already, but as I step through the text, I'll try to point out the others. The Bible isn't a children's book, so sometimes we have to dig for answers. I believe that God wrote the Bible this way to inspire us to consult with Him for answers.
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References

1. "III. Title and Canonical Placement". Asbury Bible Commentary, via Bible Gateway; visited February 2017
2. William MacDonald. Believer's Bible Commentary, pg. 423-425. 1998
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 683-686. 2014
4. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Babylonian Exile". Encyclopædia Britannica. February 2016
5. "Book of Chronicles". Wikipedia; visited February 2017