~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)
Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here.
My brothers were older when I was born, so apart from occasionally being hit on the head with a basketball and called dumb when I teased them about girls, I didn’t live through the brunt of a boy’s household. With the birth of my oldest, however, I have been immersed in all things monster truck, dinos, and tractors—Minecraft, sports, and construction. The highlight of his day – no matter what I do – is to play ‘dinos’ with his dad, which really just means wrestling for 15 minutes.
When his cousins are over, he loves to play ‘battle,’ and he’ll tell me sometimes of the preparations he’s making in his room for when the next war erupts between the girls and the boys. (It really is comical to watch the boys find wherever they can in the house to hit each other, while the girls play ‘kids’ and rock their little stuffed animals to sleep.)
Today, we read of the battles that David waged against the neighboring nations. David is described in 1 Samuel 16:18 as someone “who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” We just get a glimpse of these exploits today in our readings from 1 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles 18:6b says, “The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.”
David was continuing the work that the first Israelites who entered the promised land were called to do. He was conquering the land for the Lord and ridding it of the influence of the Canaanites.
Interestingly, later on, one of the reasons that God gave David for not being able to build the temple is the fact that he is a warrior. 1 Chronicles 28:3 says, “but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’”
David followed God’s command to conquer the land, but in doing so, he was also limited in what he was able to do. In obedience, he had to let the dream of building the temple pass to his son. He used the time he reigned to help gather and prepare so that Solomon would have what he needed to build the temple.
Solomon, whose name means peace (it is derived from the Hebrew word Shalom), would go on to build the temple. In his reign, the Israelites experienced unprecedented peace and prosperity.
I find it interesting to think about the battles that David faced (and the foreshadowing of the peace of Solomon’s reign) as we consider Ephesians 2. This chapter lays out the gospel in its full glory. Ephesians 2:14 says, “For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.”
In the gospel, we recognize our original place before God – as someone removed from him, hostile to him, and dead in sin. And, we also recognize our way to peace: Through Christ, the hostility between God and us is torn down.
In David’s time, the enemy was the surrounding nations, but we know that our enemy is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12). David had to wage war, and victory against the enemy was only accomplished through bloodshed. We have victory in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)! The battle is already won. David could not build a temple but had to wait for peace in this world. Our peace is not tied to any physical circumstance; it rests on the peace we already have in Christ.
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory in Christ!”
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think that God told David he was not able to build the temple? Why did the temple need to be constructed by a man of peace, not war?
- If the Israelites were battling against surrounding nations, what are we battling against now? How does this change how we live?
Prayer
Lord,
Thank you for the gift of your son! We praise you and are so thankful that we have peace with you in Christ! Help us to fight the battles we are called to against sin and darkness in the world – knowing that you have the victory in Christ!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Seek Grow Love 