At the start of 2 Samuel we saw in the introduction that there are parallel passages in 1 Chronicles, which appear to come from the same source materials. But both authors had been selective.
Samuel and Kings were written for the people who were already in exile, and compiled as records of God’s dealings with his people.
The authors were careful to include records of the sins of the kings and people that had led to God’s ultimate punishment. They also sought to show that the situation the people found themselves in was actually part of a much bigger plan, and that although the future looked bleak, God was still in control.
Then where does Chronicles fit?
This was written for the returning Jews after the exile.
Why was it written? What were the needs of the returning people?
The biggest question for them was: Is God still God? Can he still be trusted? Are his covenants still in force? They may have returned to their land, but as subjects under a Persian King – do God’s promises to David have any meaning now?
Continuity with the past was demonstrated by the Temple in Jerusalem, now being rebuilt by the Lord’s specific direction to that same Persian King. The author reminds the people that the Temple was instituted by God through David and his son, and that it was one of the main legacies of the Davidic line.
He also emphasises that the Priesthood and the Levites continued in their God-given duties, and that the Law and the Prophets must also be upheld. Failure to be obedient to the commands of God would bring dire consequences.
Another theme is the continued hope of a Messiah which will come from David’s line, and because of this his depictions of the Kings are more idealised, ignoring failings and instead emphasising the ideal kingship and encouraging godliness and covenant obedience.
In answer to the question ‘Is God still interested in us?’ the answer is ‘Look at the genealogies. Proof that God has always been with us to this very day’.
So let’s look then at the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles. These are genealogies, starting, logically, with Adam. They chart the history of the Jewish race, and then focus in on David (Chapter 3), charting his continued line all the way to the returning exiles.
(A copy of David's family tree is available HERE)
Next we have details about the other tribes, majoring on the Levites.
Then starting in Chapter 8 we have details concerning the provision of Israel’s first king, Saul, which leads into details about David in Chapter 11.
In Chronicles there is no mention of the seven years David spent in Hebron before the death of Ish-Bosheth and the uniting of the Northern tribes. It seems that the writer wishes to emphasise that David was king of all Israel. So in this narrative, David is crowned King of all Israel at Hebron, and he takes Jerusalem and establishes himself in his new Capital.
To emphasise David’s acceptance by all Israel, we next have the list of the War-lords who threw their lot in with David, and who David regarded as his ‘Mighty Men’ see 1 Chronicles 11:10-47. (Not listed in 2 Samuel until chapter 23.)
So hopefully that explains why it is sometimes difficult to understand the timings of the narratives.
Now we need to look more closely at Jerusalem, City of David. Mentioned at the time of Abraham as Salem, it had been a fortified city long before the Israelites entered the promised land and had resisted all attempts to capture it, until the time of David.
How big was it in those days?
Jerusalem occupied an area of about 12 Acres.
The following is very specific to where our church is situated – you will need to find a local landmark to describe for your own situation!
If you started at the school next to the Community Centre, going away from you up Avery hill towards the A380, that would be the sort of terrain that Jerusalem was built on: a rocky limestone hill, with a spring at the bottom, and houses built on terraces cut into the hillside. And the A380 would be a natural valley, rather than a man-made one, and the city site widened to the left as you went up the hill like an inverted triangle. At the top, beyond the city boundary the hill continued more or less level, with the A380 on the right. This would eventually become the temple mount.
Let’s read 1 Chronicles 11:4-9
4 David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there 5 said to David, "You will not get in here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.
6 David had said, "Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander-in-chief." Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.
7 David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him.
As it was David’s intention from the start to make Jerusalem his own capital city, I wonder if he gave instructions not to damage it more than necessary when it was overrun by his troops? Anyway once it was captured and cleared of the Jebusites he has a blank canvas to work on:
Who did they use for the rebuilding work?
All the men of Israel were conscripted into the Army. They would have peacetime occupations, businesses, farms etc. but while they were at war they were under army control. So it was that both David and his commander-in-chief Joab had a ready supply of skilled workers and labourers. The place was swarming with soldiers. Jerusalem had the feel of a very military town.
When the building work was complete the majority of the men were free to return to their own towns and carry on their civilian jobs. There were however professional soldiers and officers, who would need barracks and suitable officer accommodation - the empty town was ideal. David too needed somewhere suitable to live.
2 Samuel 5:11 says:
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.
Jerusalem was built on quite a steep hill which had been terraced in order to build houses. David's palace was built towards the top of the hill, maybe backing onto the city wall.
Who decides where the officers will live? Who will take the houses immediately surrounding the new Palace?
You don’t want strangers as your neighbours, looking into the Palace grounds, watching through your windows.
Let’s look again at the passage in 1 Chronicles. Turn with me to
1 Chronicles 11:7-12
7 David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him.
10 These were the chiefs of David’s mighty men—they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised—11 this is the list of David’s mighty men:
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.
12 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.
Now skip down to 1 Chronicles 11:24,25
24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. 25 He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
Who were the Three? And the Thirty?
Men who had given David ‘strong support’. Brave, loyal, trusted men. Men who would protect David with their lives.
If I was King of what was effectively a military dictatorship I would feel happier if my most trusted senior officers were the ones who lived in the houses immediately surrounding the Palace. It’s not hard to imagine that when not out fighting, the Mighty Men would be David’s near neighbours.
Now skim down the list of the Thirty and look at verse 41
41 Uriah the Hittite,
Not an unknown soldier – actually a very well known soldier. One who had been selected to have a house near the palace specifically because he was well known.
Let’s remind ourselves what had happened during the fighting season last year. 2 Samuel 10:13-19
13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the River; they went to Helam, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them.
So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.
This left the Ammonites very vulnerable, and with the coming of spring again, David was now preparing to send his troops to finish the job. But remember 2 Samuel 21:17 'But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."
David had captured Jerusalem to use as his capital city, and built his palace. The empty houses surrounding his had been allocated to his mighty men and their families.
So it is that we have a popular successful King, told to stay at home in his new palace as the nation’s figurehead, surrounded by a bodyguard of famous fighters: 1 Chronicles 11:24-25; men who are well able to lead his troops on his behalf while David attends to the affairs of state. David’s attention can also turn to preparations for his son to build the Temple after he has succeeded him. (1 Chronicles chap 22).
That is how the Chronicler portrayed David, but sadly he was also human as our continuing study in 2 Samuel will reveal.
Read 2 Samuel 11:1-5
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful
How far can you actually see from your palace roof? I would guess only to those houses fairly near the palace. (2 Samuel 11:8 suggests that this house was lower than the palace.) Does David know that his neighbour is one of his mighty men? Probably. Has David noticed Uriah’s wife before?
Is this the first time he has seen her? Or is this just the first time he has the opportunity to take advantage of her, now her husband is away? Does Bathsheba know David has seen her?
3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
Stop a minute – we’ve seen that Uriah is one of the Thirty; but who is Bathsheba’s father? – Eliam. In 2 Samuel 23:34 we see that he was another of David’s Mighty Men.
4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
