UBF Daily Bread

ALL ISRAEL CAME TO MAKE DAVID KING

Passage: 1_Chronicles 12:23~40

Key verse: 23

Others Join David at Hebron

²³These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron^(A) to turn^(B) Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:^(C)

²⁴from Judah, carrying shield and spear—6,800 armed for battle;

²⁵from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100;

²⁶from Levi—4,600, ²⁷including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, ²⁸and Zadok,^(D) a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

²⁹from Benjamin,^(E) Saul’s tribe—3,000, most^(F) of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;

³⁰from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans—20,800;

³¹from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king—18,000;

³²from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do^(G)—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

³³from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;

³⁴from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

³⁵from Dan, ready for battle—28,600;

³⁶from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle—40,000;

³⁷and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon—120,000.

³⁸All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel.^(H) All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. ³⁹The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking,^(I) for their families had supplied provisions for them. ⁴⁰Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies^(J) of flour, fig cakes, raisin^(K) cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy^(L) in Israel.

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1. People who understood the times (23-37)

God had chosen David to be the king of Israel; but the people had to wait on God's time. After Saul's death, David went to Hebron and was anointed king of Judah. The northern Israel tribes followed Ish-bosheth, Saul's son. After 7? years, the time came. Men, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do, came to make David king of all Israel (32). Some had been loyal to Saul until then. They came from all 12 tribes of Israel to unite their nation under one shepherd king God had chosen.

2. Great joy in Israel (38-40)

People want leaders who care about them and who are blessed by God. The men of Israel came in one mind fully determined to make David their king and shepherd. They were armed for battle, but they did not come to fight--they came with food and drink to rejoice and celebrate, for God had given them a shepherd who loved God.

Prayer: Lord, may we understand our times and do what we should. Raise up leaders who love you.

One Word: Understand the times and do what you should