Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 1 Chronicles
chapters 12 through 15, the time when David was
on the run from Saul. Chapter 12 Now these were
the men who came to David at Ziklag while he
was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish.
And they were among the mighty men, helpers in
the war, armed with bows, using both the right
hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting
arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul's
brethren. Jozer and Jeshubim the Korahites, and
Jola and Zebediah the sons of Jeroham of Gidor.
Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in
the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained
for battle, who could handle shield and spear,
whose faces were like the faces of lions, and
were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. Ezer
the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
Mishmanah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Atai
the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Joanan the eighth.
These were the sons of Gad, captains of the army.
The least was over a hundred, and the greatest
was over a thousand. These are the ones who crossed
the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed
all its banks, and they put to flight all those
in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came
to David at the stronghold. And David went out
to meet them, and answered and said to them,
If you have come peaceably to me to help me,
my heart will be united with you. But if to betray
me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in
my hands, may the God of our fathers look and
bring judgment. Then the Spirit came upon Amasai,
chief of the captains, and he said, We are yours,
O David. We are on your side, O son of Jesse.
Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers,
for your God helps you. So David received them
and made them captains of the troop. And some
from Manasseh defected to David when he was going
with the Philistines to battle against Saul.
But they did not help him, for the lords of the
Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying,
He may defect to his master Saul and endanger
our heads. When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh
who defected to him were Adna, Josabad, Jediayel,
Mikael, Josabad, Elihu, and Zelitei, captains
of the thousands who were from Manasseh. And
they helped David against the bands of raiders,
for they were all mighty men of valor, and they
were captains in the army. For at that time they
came to David day by day to help him, until it
was a great army like the army of God. Now these
were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped
for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn
over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to
the word of the Lord. Of the sons of Judah, bearing
shield and spear, 6 ,800 armed for war. Of the
sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor, fit for
war, 7 ,100. Of the sons of Levi, 4 ,600. Jehoiada,
the leader of the Aaronites, and with him 3 ,700.
Zodak, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from
his father's house, 22 captains. Of the sons
of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, 3 ,000. Until
then, the greatest part of them had remained
loyal to the house of Saul. Of the sons of Ephraim,
22 ,800, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout
their father's house. Of the half -tribe of Manasseh,
18 ,000, who were designated by name to come
and make David king. Of the sons of Issachar,
who had understanding of the times, to know what
Israel ought to do, their chiefs were 200, and
all their brethren were at their command. Of
Zebulun, there were 50 ,000 who went out to battle,
expert in war with all weapons of war, stout
-hearted men who could keep ranks. Of Naphtali,
1 ,000 captains, and with them 37 ,000 with shield
and spear. Of the Danites, who could keep battle
formation, 28 ,600. Of Asher, those who could
go out to war, able to keep battle formation,
40 ,000. Of the Reubenites and the Gadites and
the half -tribe of Manasseh from the other side
of the Jordan, 120 ,000 armed for battle with
every kind of weapon of war. All these men of
war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with
a loyal heart to make David king over all Israel.
And all the rest of Israel were of one mind to
make David king. And they were there with David
three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren
had prepared for them. Moreover, those who were
near to them, from as far away as Issachar and
Zebalun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys
and camels, on mules and oxen, provisions of
flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins,
wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly. For
there was joy in Israel. Then David consulted
with the captains of thousands and hundreds and
with every leader. And David said to all the
assembly of Israel, If it seems good to you,
And if it is of the Lord our God, let us send
out to our brethren everywhere who are left in
all the land of Israel, and with them to the
priests and Levites who are in their cities and
their common lands, that they may gather together
to us. And let us bring the ark of our God back
to us, for we have not inquired at it since the
days of Saul. Then all the assembly said that
they would do so, for the thing was right in
the eyes of all the people. So David gathered
all Israel together from Shehor in Egypt to as
far as the entrance of Hamad. to bring the Ark
of God from Kirjas -Jerim. And David and all
Israel went up to Bala, to Kirjas -Jerim, which
belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the
Ark of God the Lord, who dwells between the Sherbim,
where his name is proclaimed. So they carried
the Ark of God on a new cart from the house of
Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ayah. drove the cart.
Then David and all Israel played music before
God with all their might, with singing, on harps,
on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals,
and with trumpets. And when they came to Kidon's
threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to hold
the ark, for the oxen stumbled. Then anger of
the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck
him because he put his hand to the ark, and he
died there before God. And David became angry
because of the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah.
Therefore the place is called Perez Uzzah to
this day. David was afraid of God that day, saying,
How can I bring the ark of God to me? So David
would not move the ark with him into the city
of David, but took it aside into the house of
Obed -Edom the Gittite. The ark of God remained
with the family of Obed -Edom in his house three
months, and the Lord blessed the house of Obed
-Edom and all that he had. Chapter 14 Now Hiram
king of Tyre sent messengers to David and cedar
trees with masons and carpenters to build him
a house. So David knew that the Lord had established
him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was
highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and
David begot more sons and daughters. And these
are the names of his children whom he had in
Jerusalem. Now when the Philistines heard that
David had been anointed king over all Israel,
all the Philistines went up to search for David.
And David heard of it and went out against them.
Then the Philistines went and made a raid on
the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of
God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines?
Will you deliver them into my hand? The Lord
said to him, Go up, for I will deliver them into
your hand. So they went up to Baal -perazim,
and David defeated them there. Then David said,
God has broken through my enemies by my hand
like a breakthrough of water. Therefore they
called the name of that place Baal -perazim.
And when they left their gods there, David gave
a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
Then the Philistines once again made a raid on
the valley. Therefore David inquired again of
God, and God said to him, You shall not go up
after them. Circle around them, and come upon
them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall
be, when you hear a sound of marching in the
tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go
out to battle. For God has gone out before you
to strike the camp of the Philistines. So David
did as God commanded him, and they drove back
the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far
as Gezer. Then the fame of David went out into
all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him
upon all nations. Chapter 15 David built houses
for himself in the city of David, and he prepared
a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent
for it. Then David said, No one may carry the
ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has
chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister
before him forever. And David gathered all Israel
together at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of
the Lord to its place, which he had prepared
for it. Then David assembled the children of
Aaron and the Levites of the sons of Kohath,
Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of
his brethren. And the sons of Merari, Asaiah
the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his
brethren. Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief,
and one hundred and thirty of his brethren. Of
the sons of Elizabethan, Shemaiah the chief,
and two hundred of his brethren. Of the sons
of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his
brethren. Of the sons of Uziel, Aminadab the
chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren.
And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests,
and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel,
Shemaiah, Eliel, and Aminadab. He said to them,
You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the
Levites. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren,
that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God
of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.
For because you did not do it the first time,
the Lord our God broke out against us, because
we did not consult him about the proper order.
So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves
to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
And the children of the Levites bore the ark
of God on their shoulders by its poles, as Moses
had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites
to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied
by instruments of music, stringed instruments,
harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with
resounding joy. So the Levites appointed Haman
the son of Joel, and of his brethren Asaph the
son of Berechiah. and of their brethren, the
sons of Merari, Etan the son of Cushiah, and
with them their brethren of the second rank,
Zechariah, Ben, Jeziel, Shemiramoth, Jael, Uni,
Eliab, Benaiah, Masaiah, Matithiah, Eliphela,
Micniah, Obed -Edom, Jael, and Azaziah, to direct
with harps on the Shemineth. Kenaniah, leader
of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the
music, because he was skillful. Berechiah and
Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. Shebaniah,
Josaphat, Nethanel, Amasei, Zechariah, Benaiah,
and Eleazar the priests were to blow the trumpets
before the ark of God, and Obed -Edom and Jehiah
doorkeepers for the ark. So David the elders
of Israel and the captains over thousands went
to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord
from the house of Obed -Edom with joy. And so
it was, when God helped the Levites who bore
the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they
offered seven bulls and seven rams. David was
clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all
the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and
Canania, the music master, with the singers.
David also wore a linen ephod. Thus all Israel
brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord
with shouting and with the sound of the horn.
with trumpets and with cymbals, making music
with stringed instruments and harps. And it happened
as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to
the city of David, that Michal, Saul's daughter,
looked through a window and saw King David whirling
and playing music, and she despised him in her
heart. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as
much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey. God
bless you and have a great day.