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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.

Bible Chapter Studies

I CHRONICLES CHAPTER 21

I Chronicles 20 opened with David’s nephew and Commanding General Joab, leading our forefathers in an engagement of a siege against the Ammonites at their capital city of Ramah; while David sat in his palace back in Jerusalem. Just prior to completely overrunning and capturing the city, Joab sent a messenger back to the king in order for him to come and take the credit for the city’s capture so that, the city would not be named after Joab. After David arrived on the scene, our forefathers did indeed sack the city and then David went over to the Ammonite king and removed his crown from of the head of the carcass of the dead king. David then sorted the civilians from the soldiers, the soldiers he put to death, and the civilians he set to laborious work. He also established a military outpost in the city for overseeing the people, and for a forward defensive lookout.

The last half of the Chapter discussed his engagement, wars and victory over our forefather’s principle enemy: the Philistines and the giants who were among them at Gezer and Gath.

This all transpired at the height of David’s reign and rule over the Nation of the House of Israel. Sadly for David, it was during this time that his actions caused him to fall from Father’s Grace as, it was during the siege of Ramah, while his army was forward deployed that he spied that pretty young woman who was taking a bath in the fountain and he lusted after her, lay with her and had gotten her pregnant while her husband was on the front lines of the siege at Ramah. David sent a messenger to the front, to have Uriah return to Jerusalem under the guise of providing the king a report of the happenings of the siege. David tried to hide his sin of getting Bath-sheba pregnant by having Uriah lay with his wife. But, Uriah would have none of it while his men were engaged in war. After several unsuccessful attempts, David finally sent uriah with a note to Joab to put him at the hottest part of the battle and then have his fellow soldiers step away from him in order for him to be killed. Father looked at this deed as murder and was angered at and with David. This assists in explaining the first verse of the parallel chapter: II Samuel 24 which reads: II Samuel 24 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”   —>    .

With that introduction being said, let’s go to Father and ask Him for His Blessings on our Study of His Word: “Father, we come to you right now to thank you for inviting us to Your table in order that we might be able to partake of and receive Your Spiritual Meat, and Father, as we prepare to dine on the sustenance which sustains our inner man, we ask that You Oh LORD open our ears and eyes, that we might be able to hear and see your Truths, open our hearts and minds and prepare us in order that we may receive Your Truth. We Pray for Your Understanding of Your Word, we seek Your Knowledge in Your Word, and most importantly Father, we Pray for and desire Your Wisdom from Your Word, in Jesus’ Precious name we Pray, thank You Father, Amen.”

I Chronicles 10:1-
   II Chronicles 36:21
   HISTORY (UP TO THE
   CAPTIVITY.) (Division.)
11:1-II Chronicles 36:21
   THE HOUSE OF David
   ESTABLISHED. (Division.)
11:1-29:25 EVENTS IN
   DETAIL. (Introversion.)
11:1-29:30 DAVID. (Division.)
17:1-22:19 The Temple.
   David’s preparation for
   it.
17:1-22:19 THE TEMPLE.
   DAVID’S PREPARATION
   FOR IT. (Introversion.)
21:1-22:1 SITE OF TEMPLE
   PREDICATED. (Alternation.)
21:1 Incitement.

I Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel (he will rule as YAH; or, the prince that prevails with YAH) (Yis-raw-aleי) (secondary map), and provoked David (loving; or, well-beloved) (Daw-veedי) to number Israel.   —>   Father’s Word makes a very long leap here in this verse from its parallel: II Samuel 24:1-2, but you have to understand that, here in The Books of the Chronicles, we’re reading from the true fact, Divine standpoint, i.e., the esoteric—understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite—whereas in II Samuel 24:1-2, we were reading from the historical factual standpoint, i.e., from the exoteric—suitable for or communicated to the general public. With that mouthful being said, what I’m trying to get across is that, in The Books of Samuel this verse takes place at the end of David’s reign and rule and the closing out of Samuel, which means that much has taken place in Samuel as compared to here in Chronicles. This is I Chronicles 21:1 and our last Chapter was I Chronicles 20 where we read of the siege of Ramah however, in Chronicles the siege of Ramah took place in II Samuel 11 and this verse takes place in II Samuel 24.

With all that out of the way, did you notice how the Chapter opened? It opened with the word “And” so therefore, it opened with a polysyndeton—or, Many Ands (Genesis 22:9,11; Joshua 7:24; Luke 14:21). The repetition of the word “and” at the beginning of successive clauses, each independent, important, and emphatic, with no climax at the end (Compare Asyndeton—the lack of conjunctions—and Luke 14:13).

So, we see that Father allowed satan to provoke David to number Israel, much the same as Father allowed satan to bring calamity upon Job. And sadly, in reality, David allowed himself to be tempted by satan, much as we too allow satan to tempt us and Father allows that in order to see if we will stand up to satan and tell him to get behind us — IN Jesus’ NAME — Luke 10:19.

This numbering of the men of Israel was given in a military sense; however, as I stated, it was Father Who gave the permission, but it was satan’s suggestion that moved David to take this numbering or census of all the men of Israel. Remember, it has always been Father Who gave our forefathers the victory; so why then, is this census being taken? Before, David had taken only the number of people that he needed, and Father prepared the way for the victory. Sometimes it only took a few men to destroy an entire army. We saw in Joshua; Judges and the previous chapters in The Books of Samuel that one man would kill hundreds of men in one place, for Father touched that person and gave him the strength and wisdom to defeat his enemies. It was satan who David listened to and caused him to want to know how many men in his army he had in his army, and brethren, you always want to be very careful as to who you are listening to, and to the instructions which that person is giving you. Our adversary satan likes nothing better than to whisper sweet things which sound “oh so good,” into our ears and mind in order to deceive us into going against Father’s instructions. He will play mind games with us if we allow him to, just as he was doing here with David.

It was satan’s pride which caused his fall, and he will use your pride to try to give you the big head and cause you to also fall. The deceiver, satan, was trying to tell David that he didn’t need Father, for he has a vast number of men in order to do the job himself. Sadly, David listened to satan, and his pride built to the point of doing exactly as satan instructed him to do. David was not relying on Father for his protection, but he mustered up an army of hundreds of thousands, and turned to that army for his strength. David should have learned by this time that it was Father Who gave him the victory, but, sadly, he messed up again. Don’t be too hard on him brethren, as we too fall, over and over again.

So, it was this census taking which brought the last great sin by David in his lifetime. It was also through a census taking by Caesar that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem to fulfill another promise of Father, and there it would be that the Christ child was born to the Virgin Mary.

Israel=The kingdom of Israel consists and comprises of both a People, and a territory. The People were and are our Father, our Creator ELOHIM’s Chosen People. Chosen only in the sense that they were the lineage through which He Himself will\would be born in the flesh as His Only Begotten Son: Jesus Christ. That lineage began with Adam, then his son Seth, down to Noah, then his son Shem, down to Abram, then his son Isaac, and the his son Jacob whom Father renamed Israel, on to his two sons Levi—actually, Levi’s son Amram amd his son Aaron and his descendants—and Judah—and his son Pharez, then his son Hezron, then his son Aram, then his Amminadab, then his son Nashon, then his son Salmon, then his son Boaz, then his son Obed, then his son Jesse, then his son David. Both lineages culminated and terminated at Mary—cousin to Elisabeth, wife of Zacharias, whom the Holy Spirit overshadowed while she was yet a virgin, and after Michael the arch angel had told would come to pass. When Father had changed Jacob’s name to Israel and then he had his twelve sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napthali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin—who went into captivity to Egypt for those 200 plus years, when Father led them out by the hand of Moses, they became known collectively as, the House of Israel. As for the territory, see the links of the 2 maps in the verse to understand the land mass which comprised the territory of Israel. † As to the etymology of the name Israel, according to Abarim Publications, the meaning of the name Israel is not clear; but, yet, it’s huge. The meaning of Israel is not singular and distinct; but, consists of many nuances and facets and bulges with theological significance. Judging from Genesis 32:28, the form ישראל (Israel) appears to be a compilation of two elements. The first one is the noun אל (EL), the common abbreviation of ELOHIM—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: ELOHIM—the genus God. EL is essentially the Almighty, though the word is never so rendered. EL is ELOHIM in all His strength and power. It is rendered “God” as ELOHIM is, but EL is God the Omnipotent. ELOHIM is God the Creator putting His omnipotence into operation: The second part of our name appears to be related to the verb שרה (sara): However, even though Genesis 32:28 uses the enigmatic verb שרה — which is assumed to mean to struggle but which might something else entirely — it’s by no means certain that this verb is etymologically linked to our name Israel. When we say, “we named him Bob because that seemed like a good idea,” we certainly don’t mean to say that the name Bob means “good idea.” The first part of the name Israel looks a lot like the verb שרה that explains this name; but, this apparent link is possibly a mere case of word-play. In fact, the name Israel may have more to do with the verb ישר (yashar), meaning to be upright. Note that the difference between the letter שׂ (sin) as found in the name ישׂראל (Israel) and the letter שׁ (shin) as found in the verb ישׁר (yashar) didn’t exist in Biblical times and as it was invented more than a thousand years after the Bible was written: For a meaning of the name Israel, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List, Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary and Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) unanimously go with the verb שרה of which the meaning is unsure. Undeterred, NOBSE reads God Strives, and BDB proposes El Persisteth or El Persevereth. Alfred Jones figures that the mysterious verb שרה might very well mean “to be princely,” and assumes that the name Israel consists of a future form of this verb, which hence would mean to become princely. And so Jones interprets the name Israel with He Will Be Prince With God.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3478, - ישׂראל, - Yiśrâ'êl, pronounced - Yis-raw-ale’, and means: From H8280 and H410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: - Israel. Total KJV occurrences: 2,576.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary: The description of Israel in the Smith’s Bible Dictionary is extensive and too long to post here; so, I’ll instead just post the link to it: Israel.

David=I could spend days discussing David and his life; literally, an entire Book—II Samuel—covered most of what David accomplished as king of Israel. David was a man after Father’s own heart, and though he made a few mistakes, David always tried to please Father in all that he did; therefore, Father loved David; so much so that, He chose David as the Line to bring forth the Branch, The Bright Morning Star, Immanuel\Emmanuel, God in the Flesh: Jesus. Even though Father chose David, it doesn’t mean that David never sinned as, David indeed did sin. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers; and, then had that soldier murdered by ordering his being put on the front lines of the hottest part of the battle. David was not perfect; however, he was obedient in the end; and, in the end, he left judgment in Father’s hand. All the other kings of Judah and some of the kings of Israel will be judged; or, compared to David; and, the one thing which can always be said of David, is that, not one time had David ever fallen away into idolatry. But, what else can we take away from David? If you sin: repent to Father and then leave the correction and judgment in Father’s hands. † While researching the etymology of the name David we find that most Bible translators and commentator will render the name David as Beloved; but, as always with important names, the etymology of the name David is disputed. However, we can’t help noticing the distinct similarity of this name with the Hebrew root דוד (dwd) that yields דוד (dod), generally meaning beloved. This word is also the Hebrew word for uncle — I Chronicles 27:32, for instance, speaks of דוד־דויד, or “David’s uncle”: The distinct difference between the name דוד (David) and the word דוד (dod) is that in the name David the letter waw counts for a consonant, while in the word dod it counts for a vowel. A consonant and a vowel are completely different entities and they’ll never mean the same, no matter how many times you write them with the same symbol (in this case the waw). If the name was meant to mean Beloved, then it was perhaps given to David after he became king and beloved. In his father’s household he wasn’t much of a hit, after all. But then, if this name was meant to mean Beloved, why hasn’t history given us the tales of King Dod? Harris Archer Waltke (HAW) Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament lists David under dod but admits that “the name is conjectured to come from dod, beloved, but the etymology is uncertain. It has been compared with the Mari term dawidum, Lsquo;leader,’ but this too is unsure.” Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary too lists the name David under the derivations of the root dod, but also makes mention of A.H. Sayce’s note of a sun-god named Dodo — דודה — which was worshipped in East-Jordan Israel. Zion, now known as the city of David, was then apparently known as the city of the god Dod. But where Dod went the way of the dodo, king David is eternally remembered as the beloved king. And this is curious for more than one reason. But whatever the reason, Israel’s identity of a Kingdom is associated with a king whose name is not a regular Hebrew word, but which is spelled identical to the word for Beloved, and pronounced completely different. Perhaps, and this is a wild guess, the name Dod was altered to David to charge it with the tone of the word דוה (dawa), meaning infirmity.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1732, - דּוד, or דּויד, - dâvid, or dâvı̂yd, pronounced - daw-veed’, or daw-veed’ and means: From the same as H1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse: - David. Total KJV occurrences: 1076.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we find that the description of David in the Smith’s Bible Dictionary is extensive and too long to post here; so, I’ll instead just post the link to it: David.

21:2-8 The sin.
21:2-8 THE SIN. (Alternation.)
21:2 Command of David.

I Chronicles 21:2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the People, “Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba (well of the oath; or, well of the oath) (be-ayrי shehי-bah) even to Dan (a place in Palestine colonized by the Tribe of Dan; and, a judge) (dawn); and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.”   —>   Having Joab and the rulers of the People numbering the People from Beer-sheba to Dan, meant that they would be numbering the People from the very north, to the very south of all the lands in all Israel.

That I may know it=This was purely egotistical, and/or prideful on David’s part as, again, it wasn’t Father Who said to do this, or caused David to number his People, it was satan — the father of ugly, egotistical pride, as noted by Father in Ezekiel 28.

Joab=Of the 125 verses mentioning him, and the 146 matches for his name and the Strong’s Hebrew word number—H3097—associated with his name, Joab, is the most spoken about of David’s three nephews by his sister Zeruiah; three of those 125 verses and 146 matches—Ezra 2:6; 8:9; and Nehemiah 7:11—are of Joab’s descendants. Joab was Zeruiah’s middle son, with Abishai being the older, and Asahel being the younger. † Some of Joab’s more notable facts are: Before David became king of the entire House of Israel; while Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was king of the divided House of Israel, appointed by Saul’s captain Abner, Joab and a contingency of men met to face off with Abner and his men at the Pool of Gibeon. The men had gathered to conduct mock-war in order to prevent all-out war between the two nations; however, sadly, their simulated war of sending out 12 men from each side to fend against each other in a “winner take all” mock war sport quickly escalated into something more sinister: war, as each man grabbed his foe by the beard and they all thrust each other through with their weapons of war, killing each other. That little war-play intensified and worsened; and, the next thing they all knew, they were engaging in real war, with Joab’s 600 battle-tested warriors overpowering Abner’s men who had just suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Philistines. It was at this little mock-war which quickly turned into true war that Joab’s younger brother Asahel chased down the more experienced Abner, who warned him off three times to no avail, and when Asahel charged; Abner had no choice but to defend himself; and, he slew the younger, less experienced Asahel. Joab considered it murder, and later, he conspired and murdered Abner for it. † Because of his fearless courage and leading the assault on the fortress of Jebus, Joab was promoted to the rank of General as can be read in I Chronicles 11:4-6 and 27:34. † The etymology of the name Joab consists of two elements: The first one being יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHVH, or Yahveh, the sacred and personal name of our Father. This very short abbreviation of YHVH also occurs in the names Jochebed and Jonathan. The second element of the name Joab is אב (ab): The name Joab means Yah Is Father. New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Yahveh Is Father. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Lord Father or Whose Father Is The Lord.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3097, - יוֹאָב, - yô'âb, pronounced - yo-awbי, and means: From H3068 and H1; Jehovah-fathered; Joab, the name of three Israelites: - Joab. Total KJV occurrences: 145.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The most remarkable of the three nephews of David, the children of Zeruiah, David’s sister. Joab first appears after David’s accession to the throne at Hebron. Abner slew in battle Asahel, the youngest brother of Joab; and when David afterward received Abner into favor, Joab treacherously murdered him. There was now no rival left in the way of Joab’s advancement, and at the siege of Jebus he was appointed for his prowess commander-in-chief — “captain of the host.” In the wide range of wars which David undertook, Joab was the acting general. He was called by the almost regal title of “lord," ”in II Samuel 11:11 and “the prince of the king’s army” in I Chronicles 27:34. In the entangled relations which grew up in David’s domestic life he bore an important part, successfully reinstating Absalom in David’s favor after the murder of Amnon (II Samuel 14:1-20). When the relations between father and son were reversed by the revolt of Absalom, Joab remained true to the king, taking the rebel prince’s dangerous life in spite of David’s injunction to spare him, and when no one else had courage to act so decisive a part II Samuel 18:2 and 11-15. The king transferred the command to Amasa, which so enraged Joab that he adroitly assassinated Amasa when pretending to welcome him as a friend in II Samuel 20:10. Friendly relations between himself and David seem to have existed afterward (II Samuel 24:2), but at the close of his long life, his loyalty, so long unshaken, at last wavered. “Though he had not turned after Absalom, he turned after Adonijah” (I Kings 2:28). This probably filled up the measure of the king’s long-cherished resentment. The revival of the pretensions of Adonijah after David’s death was sufficient to awaken the suspicions of Solomon. Joab fled to the shelter of the altar at Gibeon, and was here slain by Benaiah.”.

Beer-sheba=Beer-sheba was named by Abraham, when he and Abimelech swear an oath between the two men that, it was Abraham who had dug the well which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken from Abraham’s servants. Abraham separated 7 ewe lambs and gave them unto Abimelech as a token of the oath. † The territory of Beer-sheba marked the boundry of Israel with the southern limit of the land of Israel in the common phrase “from Dan even to Beer-sheba” Judges 20:1 I Samuel 3:20, etc.. † On re-opening it, Abraham’s son Isaac gave it the same name Genesis 26:31-33. It was a favorite place of abode of both Abraham and Isaac Genesis 21:33-22:1; Genesis 21:19; 26:33; 28:10. It is mentioned among the “cities” given to the Tribe of Simeon in Joshua 19:2; I Chronicles 4:28. “From Beer-sheba to Dan,” covered a distance of approximately 144 miles Judges 20:1; I Chronicles 21:2; II Samuel 24:2, became the usual way of designating the whole Promised Land, and passed into a proverb. The kingdom of the ten Tribes extended from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim II Chronicles 19:4. The name is not found in the New Testament. It is still called by the Arabs Bir es-Seba, i.e., “well of the seven,” where there are to the present day two principal wells and five smaller ones. It is nearly midway between the southern end of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. † The etymology of the name Beer-sheba is a compound of two elements. The first section is the Hebrew verb באר (baיar), meaning declare or make plain: The second section is the Hebrew verb שבע (shaba) meaning swear, adjure: For a meaning of the name Beersheba, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List read Well Of The Oath. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary proposes also The Well Of Seven.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H884, - בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, - be'êr sheba‛, pronounced - be-ayrי shehי-bah, and means: From H875 and H7651 (in the sense of H7650); well of an oath; Beer Sheba, a place in Palestine: - Beer-shebah. Total KJV occurrences: 34.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The name of one of the old places in Palestine which formed the southern limit of the country. There are two accounts of the origin of the name. According to the first, the well was dug by Abraham, and the name given to Judah Joshua 15:28, and then to Simeon Joshua 19:2; I Chronicles 4:28. In the often-quoted “from Dan even unto Beersheba” Judges 20:1, it represents the southern boundary of Canaan, as Dan the northern. In the time of Jerome it was still a considerable place, and still retains its ancient name -- Bir es-Seba. There are at present on the spot two principal wells and five smaller ones. The two principal wells are on or close to the northern bank of the Wady es-Seba. The larger of the two, which lies to the east, is, according to Dr. Robinson, 12 1/2 feet in diameter, and at the time of his visit (April 12) was 44 1/2 feet to the surface of the water. The masonry which encloses the well extends downward 28 1/2 feet. The other well Isaiah 5 feet in diameter, and was 42 feet to the water. The curb-stones around the mouth of both wells are worn into deep grooves by the action of the ropes of so many centures. These wells are in constant use today. The five lesser wells are in a group in the bed of the wady. On some low hills north of the large wells are scattered the foundations and ruins of a town of moderate size.”.

Dan=Dan was the 5th son of Jacob, the first born of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaiden. Dan was named by Rachel who exclaimed, “God has judged me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son” as we read in Genesis 30:6 † There is nothing significant written of the patriarch Dan in Father’s Word, and really, the first we read of anything concerning him is during Jacob’s death bed Blessing where we read: Genesis 49:16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. [49:17] Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
—>   Dan shall judge his people=This prophesy came to pass and was fulfilled in Judges 15:20; obviously, not by Dan himself as he was dead and Home with Father during the time of the Judges; therefore it was fulfilled by Samson who Judged Israel for 20 years. Dan shall be a serpent=Again, this is not speaking directly of the patriarch Dan; but, to his descendants. Sadly, Dan’s descendants were extremely prone to idolatry, as a matter of fact, it was the Danites who were the first Tribe to fall into idolatry, and we can read of it in Judges 18 where we read that they went looking to expand their boarders, and they came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah who had several false gods and idolatrous instruments; namely, a graven image, an ephod, a teraphim, and a molten image. Well, they stole Micah’s idolatrous instruments and convinced a Levite who had been living with Micah, to go with them and be a priest to them. Because of their falling to idolatry, they are omitted from Revelation 7:4-8, and Ephraim is there merged with Joseph. † The etymology of the name Dan: Dan was named by Rachel who exclaimed, “God has judged me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son” Genesis 30:6. Later, Jacob — now named Israel — gathers his people around his death bed, he says, “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel” Genesis 49:16. Hence it’s pretty safe to say that the name Dan comes from the Hebrew verb דין (din) meaning to judge, contend, plead: For a meaning of the name Dan, Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary and the New Oen Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List agree on Judge. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Judge, Judging.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: 1835, - דָּן, - dân, pronounced - dawn, and means: From H1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory, likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them: - Dan. Total KJV occurrences: 70.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(a judge), the well-known city, so familiar as the most northern landmark of Palestine, in the common expression “from Dan even to beersheba.” The name of the place was originally LAISH or LESHEM Joshua 19:47. After the establishment of the Danites at Dan it became the acknowledged extremity of the country. It is now Tell el-Kadi, a mound, three miles from Banias, from the foot of which gushes out one of the largest fountains in the world, the main source of the Jordan.”.

21:3 Joab’s objection.

I Chronicles 21:3 And Joab answered, “The LORD make His People an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?”   —>   Joab isn’t too happy with David’s decision to number the People of Israel. Why? Because, he remembers when David had that little rag tag army of only two hundred soldiers and they weren’t afraid of any foe they faced no matter their strength in numbers, because they knew Father was fighting their battles for them. So, the numbers with, or against, made no difference at all. Here, Joab tells David that he Prays Father multiplies by 100 the number of troops that David is told he has. Not because he wants more people, but because again, the numbers just don’t matter. Joab is wanting two things: (1) David to see the evil in this numbering, and (2) David’s understanding of this.

The explanation of why Joab protested so strongly is found in the wording: — ...why will he be a cause of tresspass to Israel?   —>   See, Joab knew this would be a sin in Father’s eyes, and he therefore was trying to prevent David from sinning. Also, Joab didn’t want the Nation to suffer for the sin of, or by, their king, as had happened before. Sadly, as we’ll discover, the Nation will indeed suffer for this.

LORD=YHVH — Father in His role as the Covenant Maker.

Trespass=Guilt, in the Strong’s Concordance, Hebrew word number: H817, - אָשָׁם, - 'âshâm, pronounced - aw-shawmי, and means: From H816; guilt; by implication a fault, also a sin offering: - guiltiness, (offering for) sin, trespass (offering). Total KJV occurrences: 46. We can compare this numbering with when Father was leading our forefathers up, out of Egypt and He had them number themselves as they erected the Tabernacle and they paid with a ransom: Exodus 30:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [30:12] “When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. [30:13] This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. [30:14] Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. [30:15] The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. [30:16] And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.”   —>   The ransom paid for the Tabernacle totaled 600,000 and the site of the Temple was obtained at the cost of 70,000 souls.

21:4 Joab’s objection.

I Chronicles 21:4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem (founded peaceful; or, the habitation of peace) (Yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im).   —>   The parallel to this verse, II Samuel 24:4, gives us just a little more info, telling us that it was not only Joab who was objecting and opposing David, but also, the Captains of the host of Israel. Like Joab, these men also didn’t like it and they voiced their opinion; but naturally, the king’s word is law, therefore David’s desires became law. So, Joab and the leaders of the tribes numbered the People of all Israel, of all the tribes of both houses: the House of Israel and House of Judah alike. This process of drafting men, was a process which was done by the military, and for the military. They complied with the king’s order; however, the entire time, Joab and all the captains of David’s army were protesting that it just was not needed. Remember, it was satan who put the idea in David’s mind, and the numbering was for the use of satan’s work, that work being, the undermining the position and protection that Father was giving to Israel. The purpose was that the people would turn to themselves for their protection, and away from Father.

Jerusalem=Jerusalem, like several other of the cities of our forefathers, is rich in history. When our forefathers moved into the Promised Land, Jerusalem—Jebus as it was known as at the time; though, we can also go back as far as the Book of Joshua; Joshua 10:1, and the Book of Judges; Judges 1:8 and read that it had already been called Jerusalem—was in the hands of the Canaanites, and more specifically, the Jebusites. It stayed that way for hundreds of years before David, as king, mustered the troops to fight against the Jebusites and capture Father’s most favorite place in all His Created Universe. † We find in the entomology of the name Jerusalem that, that without a doubt, the second and dominant part of the name reminded—then and now—of the word שלום (shalom), meaning: peace. The root of this word, שלם (shalem), denotes completeness, wholeness and soundness: In this sense, the name Jerusalem is related to some other famous names from the David saga: Solomon and Absalom. The first part of the name Jerusalem may likely have reminded a Hebrew audience of the verb ירה (yara), throw, cast or shoot; Perhaps the name Jerusalem was never changed, but only Hebraized, because it seems to mean Rain Of Peace. Jerusalem was to be the radiating heart of a world of completeness and wholeness. It seems that history supplied her with a most suiting name. As I said in the opening of the description here; Jerusalem is rich with history, far too much to list here; but, of particular note, or importance is this tidbit: it was the land that our Father took to be His Wife;—Ezekiel 16:3—but, as can be read in Jeremiah 3:8, because of our forefathers being sottish, He issued her a bill of divorcement. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find it is Hebrew word number: H3389, - ירוּשׁלם, or ירוּשׁלים, - Yerûshâlaim, or Yerûshâlayim, pronounced - Yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im, or Yer-oo-shaw-lah'-yim , and means: A dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of H3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) H3384 and H7999, founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine: - Jerusalem.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: The description of Jerusalem in the Smith’s Bible Dictionary is extensive and too long to post here; so, I’ll instead just post the link to it: Jerusalem.

21:5 Joab and the
   Captains’s obedience to
   the command.

I Chronicles 21:5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah (celebrated; and praised; celebrated ) (Yeh-hoo-dawי) was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.   —>   We read in II Samuel 24:5-8 that, it took Joab and the Captains 9 months and 20 days to go through all Israel to take this census. Remember, Joab is Commanding General, and he is using members of the Israelite Army to conduct this numbering. So, this long period of time that the General and soldiers are on this mission, indicates to us that there is a great peace upon the Nation at present. When they departed from David, they first passed over the Jordan River and then stopped in Aroer, then in the river valley which belonged to Gad, to Gilead, Dan, Zidon, to Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites, and the Canaanites, then to Judah and lastly to Beer-sheba.

Joab gave the sum=There is a difference of numbers given by Joab in the two accountings: Here in I Chronicles 21, the sum of the number is 1,000,000, whereas, in II Samuel 24 the sum is 800,000. The numbers do not conflict; but in fact are complimentary. How and or why you might ask? Because, as it states in II Samuel 24, the number is of “valiant men that drew sword,” but here in I Chronicles 21, the number is “all they of Israel,” not just the valiant men.

The men of Judah=Again, here, the number is 470,000, but in II Samuel 24 it’s 500,000. The same reasoning applies, i.e., men that drew the sword, as compared to, valiant men that drew the sword.

Now, with all this being said, if we were to take the 800,000 men of Israel and the 500,000 men of Judah and add the total sum, we’d arrive at the sum of 1,300,000, which, 13 in Biblical numerics denotes rebellion, apostasy, defection, disintegration, revolution, etc.. The first occurrence — Genesis 14:4, fixes this, and the second — Genesis 17:25, confirms it. It, and its multiples, are seen in all numbers, and in the Gematria of all names and passages that are associated with rebellion, etc..

Nine=In Biblical numerics denotes Finality of judgment. It is 3x3, the product of Divine completeness. The number nine, or its factors or multiples, is seen in all cases when judgment is the subject.

Judah=The kingdom of Judah came about because of king Solomon not being able to honor and serve Father, and Father Only. After Father had appeared to him in that dream and asked him, “Ask what I shall give thee.” and he told Father that all he desired was the wisdom to be able to properly lead His—Father’s—People, Father gave him that wisdom; and, so very much more. However, as his life progressed, Solomon began to accumulate wives; and, in doing so, he brought into the kingdom, all their foreign, false gods. This angered Father, and Father appeared to him again and told him that He would rip the Nation into two separate and distinct Nations which would become known as “House of Israel,” — consisting of ten tribes and making up the Northern Portion of the Territory known as Israel; and, “House of Judah,” — consisting of 2 tribes which occupied the southern portion of the territory of Israel, of which Jerusalem was it’s Capital City. The Nation existed from 880-477B.C., a total of 403 years, and had 19 kings and 1 usurper queen rule over her. Those who repatriated after the 70 year captivity to the Babylonians, moved into the providence known as Judea in Hebrew, and\or Judaea in Greek. † The etymology of the name Judea comes from the Hebrew name Judah, which in turn comes from the verb ידה (yada) , meaning to praise: The Greek name Judea is also part of a cluster of words that have to do with the name Jew. See our article on that name for the details. The name Judea should be understood to mean Place Of The Jews, which in turn means Place Of Those Who Praise.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3063, - יהוּדה, - yehûdâh, pronounced - yeh-hoo-dawי, and means: From H3034; celebrated, Jehudah (or Judah) , the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory: - Judah.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “When the disruption of Solomon’s kingdom took place at Shechem, only the tribe of Judah followed David, but almost immediately afterward the larger part of Benjamin joined Judah. A part, if not all, of the territory of Simeon I Samuel 27:6; I Kings 19:3, compare with Joshua 19:1 and of Dan II Chronicles 11:10, compare with Joshua 19:41,42. Was recognized as belonging to Judah; and in the reigns of Abijah and Asa the southern kingdom was enlarged by some additions taken out of the territory of Ephraim II Chronicles 13:19; 15:8; 17:2. It is estimated that the territory of Judah contained about 3450 square miles. Advantages. — The kingdom of Judah possessed many advantages which secured for it a longer continuance than that of Israel. A frontier less exposed to powerful enemies, a soil less fertile, a population hardier and more united, a fixed and venerated centre of administration and religion, a hereditary aristocracy in the sacerdotal caste, an army always subordinate, a succession of kings which no revolution interrupted; so that Judah survived her more populous and more powerful sister kingdom by 135 years. History. — The first three kings of Judah seem to have cherished the hope of re-establishing their authority over the ten tribes; for sixty years there was war between them and the kings of Israel. The victory achieved by the daring Abijah brought to Judah a temporary accession of territory. Asa appears to have enlarged it still further. Hanani’s remonstrance II Chronicles 16:7, prepares us for the reversal by Jehoshaphat of the policy which Asa pursued toward Israel and Damascus. A close alliance sprang up with strange rapidity between Judah and Israel. Jehoshaphat, active and prosperous, commanded the respect of his neighbors; but under Amaziah Jerusalem was entered and plundered by the Israelites. Under Uzziah and Jotham, Judah long enjoyed prosperity, till Ahaz became the tributary and vassal of Tiglath-pileser. Already in the fatal grasp of Assyria, Judah was yet spared for a checkered existence of almost another century and a half after the termination of the kingdom of Israel. The consummation of the ruin came upon its people in the destruction of the temple by the hand of Nebuzaradan. There were 19 kings, all from the family of David.”.

21:6 Joab and the
   Captains’s obedience to
   the command.

I Chronicles 21:6 But Levi (attached; or, joined) (lay-veeי) and Benjamin (son of (the) right hand; or, son of the right hand, fortunate (bin-yaw-meneי) counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.   —>   As we see and read here, Joab did not count the number of People in the Tribes of Levi and Benjamin. Why, again, as we read here, he correctly thought that it would be and was abominable to Father YHVH. See, Father had had Moses and several others throughout His Word take a census of His People for several different reasons: (1) as I have already detailed above, to purchase the land the Temple was set upon, and as a ransom for His Tabernacle; (2) we read in Numbers 1 He wanted them numbered for order of Service in Israel’s Army; (3) in the very next Chapter, Numbers 2, He numbered them for their layout, or order of how He would have them assigned within their encampment which they setup at night and also as they marched toward the Promised Land; (4) then in Numbers 3, He took the sum of the Levites and Priests; (5) in Judges 7, He had His Judge: Gideon, number the People in the Army in order to whittle them down to where there would only be 300 men to go up against a force much larger then themselves so that, He would get the credit for their victory; these were to name but a few numberings Father had had our forefathers do.

I suspect Joab did not number the Tribe of Benjamin because of what had happened to the Benjamites roughly 200 years previous, i.e., their decimation, after they refused to join in the fight against the miscreants of Gibeah who had raped to death, the concubine of a Levite who was under the protection of a fellow Ephraimite when the sodomite Gibeans wanted to defile the Levite by having queer sex with him. For their joining the Gibeans against the fellow Israelites, the eleven other tribes had slain all the warriors, leaving only a little over 600 men, women and children alive to continue the Tribe into the future.

Levi=Levi was Jacob’s third eldest son, he too was born of Leah. Levi was confederate with his older brother Simeon in exacting revenge on the Hivites for Shechem’s raping their sister Dinah, and as such, during the Blessing by their father Jacob, Levi received the same as Simeon. Genesis 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. [49:6] O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. [49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.. That being said; it was the descendants of Levi—namely Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, then Kohath’s grandchildren: Aaron, Miriam, Moses, and then Aaron’s sons and so forth—whom Father choose to bestow His Priesthood upon, Moses is included in this grouping as, he was Aaron and Miriam’s younger brother, and it was he whom Father choose to lead our forefathers up out of their bondage to the Egyptians. Yes, Levi’s descendants were indeed scattered throughout Israel; however, it was because they were the Priesthood and they became Father’s Inheritance: Numbers 18:20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, “Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. [18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.   —>   There is no finer inheritance. During the Blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 33 we read: Deuteronomy 33:8 And of Levi he said, “Let Thy Thummim and thy Urim be with Thy holy one, Whom Thou didst prove at Massah, And with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; [33:9] Who said unto his father and to his mother, ‘I have not seen him; ’ Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew his own children: For they have observed Thy word, And kept Thy covenant. [33:10] They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law: they shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon Thine altar. [33:11] Bless, LORD, his substance, And accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rise against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise not again. ”   —>   Levi’s descendants would become the High Priest and Priest line; and, as such, the High Priest would bear the Urim and Thummim, the two stones which in the Hebrew language means “lights,” and “perfection.” “Lights” in the manner that brought all judgments of gilt to light, and “perfection” for moral perfection, and thus, innocence. The two stones were part of the Priest’s Breastplate and worn in a bag which was attached to the Breastplate. When any legal decision needed to be made, the Priest had to be present, especially concerning land or of the such. The Thummim stone would be cast down and the way the stone landed determined innocence or guilt. If a moral decision was to be made the Urim stone was cast, and the pointing determined it to be yes or no, guilt or innocence. The decisions were made on yes or no, right or wrong, and—though this is a bad analogy, it’ll still put it forth—it was sort of like flipping a coin to see what the answer would be; however, the reality was that Father had complete control over the two stones for, it was at His command that the Levites used this method to receive their answer, or judgment. The Levitical Priests were also Father’s choice that shall teach all of the tribes the full Commandments, Judgments, Laws, Ordinances and Statutes of our Father. Now, as to the numbering of the Levites in the Book of Numbers, the Levites were left out of the numbering of the House of Israel, because Father numbered them separately in Numbers 3 where we read their numbers were: 22,300 males a month old and up; but, in Numbers 4, their numbers were 8,580 ages 30-50. Levi’s encampment as they came out of Egypt and wandered in the wilderness, was in the midst of the camp, surrounded by all the other Tribes. The sign on Levi’s Standard was Libra, or more anciently “the Altar.” † There is some controversy about the etymology of the name Levi, the Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary suggests that the name Levi was derived from the word Levite, instead of vice versa, and that the word Levite has to do with a Minaean word for priest. Another suggestion is that the name Levi (לוי) is derived from the name Leah (לאה) and means Weary, rather than something else. Harris Archer Waltke (HAW) Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament disagrees with this kind of ‘strong disclaimers’ and (as does New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List) derives the name Levi from the verb לוה (lawa) meaning join, be joined. This is the verb that Leah uses when she names Levi, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne to him three sons” (Genesis 29:34).. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find it is Hebrew word number: H3878, - לוי, - lêvı̂y, pronounced - lay-veeי, and means: From H3867; attached; Levi, a son of Jacob: - Levi. See also H3879, H3881 Total KJV occurrances: 66.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The name of the third son of Jacob by his wife Leah. The name, derived from lavah, “to adhere,” gave utterance to the hope of the mother that the affections of her husband, which had hitherto rested on the favored Rachel, would at last be drawn to her: “This time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons” Genesis 29:34. Levi, with his brother Simeon, avenged with a cruel slaughter the outrage of their sister Dinah [DINAH]. Levi, with his three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari, went down to Egypt with his father Jacob Genesis 47:11. When Jacob’s death draws near, and the sons are gathered round him, Levi and Simeon hear the old crime brought up again to receive its sentence. They no less than Reuben, the incestuous firstborn, had forfeited the privileges of their birthright Genesis 49:5-7 [LEVITES].”.

Benjamin=Benjamin was the 12th and youngest son of Jacob, born of Jacob’s First Love: Rachel, who died immediately following giving birth to and naming her second son, the younger brother to Joseph. Knowing she was in fact dying, Rachel named this son: Benoni, meaning, son of my sorrow. Upon his wife’s passing, Jacob changed his name to Benjamin. There is nothing of significance written in Father’s Word concerning anything Benjamin might have done; so the first we read of him is when his older natural brother Joseph is in Egypt and his step-brothers come down to buy corn from the Egyptians during the famine. Joseph immediately recognizes his step-brothers and put them to test to first see if they recognize him, and then to see if they might do to their youngest brother like they had done to him. After several attempts by Joseph to see if they would fail Benjamin, when they stand together to defend and protect their youngest brother; Joseph, satisfied that they would not, finally reveals himself to them and tells them that he holds no grudge because what happened to him was of Father’s design. That is the last we read of the man Benjamin until we come to the Blessings of Jacob in Genesis 49, where we read: Genesis 49:27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.”   —>   Ravin as a wolf=The Benjamites did indeed become as ravening wolves as, both king Saul, and over a thousand years later Paul, whom Father renamed Saul were both from the Tribe of Benjamin, and we can see how Benjamin’s descendants responded when the need arose when we read I Samuel 11:6-11, what happened in I Samuel 11:6-11? An enemy named Nahash, a Ammonite king came against our forefathers; and, when they agreed to surrender to him, he told them that he would only accept their surrender if they voluntarily allowed him to cut out each man’s right eye. That thought got their attention as, nobody wanted that; so, they sent messengers to king Saul and we’ll allow Father’s Word to chronicle what happened: I Samuel 11:6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.   —>   And the Spirit of God came upon Saul=Father wasn’t going to take any chances with His People, He immediately placed His Spirit—rūach—upon Saul in order for him to have the intestinal fortitude to stand against this aggression of Nahash and the Ammonites. Came=Came mightily as It did back in I Samuel 10:6 and 10:10. His anger was kindled greatly=Righteous indignation! How many times have you heard Christian pastors and Christians say that we shouldn’t become angry or get mad at things or people? That we should do “as Christ told us” and “love them” and “turn the other cheek?” We’ll that isn’t how Father wants us to be; as, if something is against Him, His Plan, or His Will, or even against correct moral righteousness, we are allowed and expected to get angry, stand up for, and fight for, what is right. Love them yes; but, sometimes that love requires “tough love,” and you need to take the correcting rod to them in order to make them “do right.” I Samuel 11:7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen.” And the fear of the LORD fell on the People, and they came out with one consent.   —>   Saul did the correct thing by cutting and dividing—hewing—this oxen for two reasons: (1) he knew by his statement of his cutting theirs if they didn’t show-up; that, he’d be getting into their wallets, and no man wants that; and (2) it also would assist in their no longer being able to provide for themselves. Fear of the LORD fell on the People=Again, Father’s ruach touched the Israelites and, they came out as “one man” and consented to go to war and fight for what was right. I Samuel 11:8 And when he numbered them in Bezek (lightening), the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.   —>   Children of Israel...men of Judah=Here, we have the start of the dividing of the two Houses of Israel: House of Israel — ten tribes to include Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and half of Manasseh, with a sprinkling of Levitical Priest hood, and House of Judah— two tribes to include Judah and, Benjamin, with half of Manasseh and a sprinkling of the Levites. If you are going to understand Father’s Word, you must fix in your mind, the division to each of these separate groups of people; for, Father deals with each of these houses separately. In Jeremiah 3:8, because of their idolatry, Father divorced Israel whom He had taken to wife in Ezekiel 16:8. It was through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, that Father now draws all his people of the house of Israel back to him. These two Houses will not be joined back together until the prophecy of Ezekiel 37 comes to pass, and that event will transpire at the entering into the Millennium Age when the kingdom of Jesus Christ is established right here on earth. Men of Judah thirty thousand=In Numbers 1:27, the number of those who were twenty years and older which were able to go to war; was, 74,600, then in Numbers 26:22 that number increased by one thousand nine hundred; up to, 76,500; however, now, approximately 450 years later, all they can muster is a mere, 30,000 warfighters. Why? Because Saul knew of the division that was started back in Genesis 48-50, and thus he treats Israel—all of the tribes except Judah—as separate from Judah. There were three hundred thousand warfighters of the house of Israel, and only thirty thousand of Judah. Remember, Benjamin was very limited because most of their tribe had been killed off right there in Gibeah, three hundred years prior to where we read in I Samuel 11. I Samuel 11:9 And they said unto the messengers that came, “Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help.’ ” And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.   —>   Help=
Deliverance, or salvation. And tehy were glad=Yeah, I bet they were happy that their man king was mustering the troops and going to come to their rescue. They wouldn’t have to wait long either; for, as the messengers had told them — “by the time the sun gets hot tomorrow, the army will be there ready to fight.” I Samuel 11:10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.”   —>   They’re getting a little cocky, aren’t they? But, I guess if you have an army of three hundred plus thousand coming to back your claims up, you have the luxury to be slightly cocky. They tell Nahash and the Ammonites, that tomorrow, “you won’t even have to come to us as we’ll come out, and you can pluck out the eyes of all you can” — just a little covertness on their part, that they don’t mention the three hundred thousand man backing they’ll have. I Samuel 11:11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the People in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.   —>   Saul put the People in three companies=See how you immediately become more intelligent when Father’s Spirit comes upon you? Saul himself, would never have known how to plan this military strategy and operation. Saul divided the Army into three divisions and they arrived at the outskirts of Jabesh sometime between 3AM and 6AM, just prior to the sun coming up, and they went right into battle. They attacked and slew the Ammonites while they were least expecting it; for, they thought they had already won the battle. They had let their guard down; and because of it, now the Ammonites were either dead, lying on the battlefield, or scattered to the four corners of the earth. Samuel, the man of God, was with them and had brought Father YHVH’s blessings with Saul and the Israelite Army. Israel—just like we today—always has the victory when they have Father’s blessings on their side. This is something our —the United States Military of today, 2017, better start considering. It seems our top brass have completely forsaken Father YHVH, and they are allowing the removal of Father YHVH’s name from all their logos and sayings, and also allowing itself to be run by these same children of belial in their acceptance of homosexuals, all in order to be politically correct. But, we see how strong they became when they became as ravening wolves as prophesied in Genesis 49:27. Now, let’s read of Moses’ Blessing and Prophesy of Deuteronomy 33:12: Deuteronomy 33:12 And of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; And the LORD shall cover him all the day long, And he shall dwell between his shoulders.  —>
As we know, the name “Benjamin” in the Hebrew means “son of my right hand.” Therefore, this is a great promise; as, it is a promise of protection for these people. Paul was a Benjamite, as recorded in Romans 11:1: Romans 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away His People? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.   —>   The thing that is between your shoulders, is your heart, the thing which sits atop your shoulders, is your head, and between your ears, is your mind which does your thinking and guides you in all that you do and think. Paul too was as a ravening wolf in his zeal to persecute Christians, at least he was until Father got a hold of him; then, his zeal changed and be became as a ravening wolf in trying to spread Father’s Word. Benjamin’s numbers during the first numbering, in Numbers 1:36-37 totaled 35,400; then, during the second numbering, in Numbers 26:38-41 their numbers were 45,600, an increase of 10,200. Benjamin’s numbers as compared to the rest of the Tribes after the second numbering was 9th; or, 4th from the bottom. Benjamin’s encampment as they came out of Egypt and wandered in the wilderness, was on the West side of the Tabernacle, to the North of Ephraim, who was the Standard Bearer. All of the offspring of Rachel were on the West side of the Tabernacle. The sign on their Standard was gemini (twins). † The etymology of the name Benjamin: The name Benjamin consists of two elements, the first one being the common Hebrew noun בן (ben), meaning son: The second part of the name Benjamin comes from the noun ימין (yamin), meaning right hand or right side, from the root ימן: The name Benjamin means Son Of The Right Hand (meaning, Son Of Strength, Son Of The South).. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1144, - בִּנְיָמִין, - binyâmı̂yn, pronounced - bin-yaw-mene', and means: From H1121 and H3225; son of (the) right hand, Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him, and it’s territories (map): - Benjamin. Total KJV occurrences: 166.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The youngest of the children of Jacob. His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, near the latter, B.C. 1729. His mother, Rachel, died in the act of giving him birth, naming him with her last breath Ben-oni (son of my sorrow). This was by Jacob changed into Benjamin Genesis 35:16,18. Until the journeys of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself into Egypt we hear nothing of Benjamin. Nothing personal is known of him. Henceforward the history of Benjamin is the history of the tribe.”.

21:7 Result.

I Chronicles 21:7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.   —>   We’ll discover in a little bit why Father smote Israel, but first, let’s keep our eye on David and what he did. Father brought about the smiting of the Nation because of the pride and turning away of Father by David. See, up until this point, David always depended upon Father and allowed Him to lead and guide him. But now, his being king over the most powerful Nation in the world at this time, his ego—which has swelled, to almost the size of the Nation—has caused him to start depending on himself and the People and not Father, hence his desire to know the number of People in the Nation.

21:8 Result.

I Chronicles 21:8 And David said unto God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech Thee, do away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.”   —>   I have sinned=Sinned as used here by David, is in the Strong’s Concordance, Hebrew word number: H2398, - חָטָא, - châṭâ', pronounced - khaw-tawי, and means: A primitive root; properly to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn: - bear the blame, cleanse, commit [sin], by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend (-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin (-ful, -ness), trespassive. Total KJV occurrences: 238. To châṭâ', is to miss the mark—as in Judges 20:16. Also, of the feet, to stumble and fall—Proverbs 19:2. Hence, morally, a coming short, blameworthiness—not necessarily willful. An act of thought, word, or deed, not a condition. Usually—but by no means always—rendered sin, and other words also so rendered.

I hope you can see why this made Father angry. What it shows is, that David is no longer depending of Father for the protection, for strength and victory. He is taking the odds of satan’s systems for determining whether to go to battle or not, David did all this after Father had been so good to him and met all his other needs.

I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly=This is exactly the correct course of action that you also want to do after it registers in your mind that you have sinned against Father. When you realize you have sinned, then is time for you too to come clean and confess of your sins before Father. David now knows in his heart that he had erred greatly, and that he had been listening to satan. By doing what he did, he had insulted Father. Notice that David went directly to Father, he didn’t go to the Priests, nor did he did not try to cover over his sin. He confessed his sin exactly as to what he did, and he begged for forgiveness. That is the only thing that can make things right before Father, for nothing is hid from Him. We are living in a real world, and when you fall, fess up to it, and accept the correction which comes your way, i.e., kiss the paddle. We repent because, we have a merciful Father, and you can count on His forgiving you of your sins.

21:9-15 Punishment.
21:9-15 PUNISHMENT.
   (Introversion.)
21:9-12 Divine offers.

I Chronicles 21:9 And the LORD spake unto Gad (a troop) (gawd), David’s seer, saying,   —>   We never hear of them all being together but, David obviously had several prophets or seers: we know there was Ethan—who was also known as Asaph—Gad, Nathan, Heman, and Samuel. The last time we heard of this prophet Gad, was back in I Samuel 22:5 when he came to David who was hiding out in the Cave Adullum, and Father had sent this one to tell David to leave the cave which was situated in the land of Israel’s enemies — the Moabites, and return to Judah. This time the news from this prophet isn’t going to be sweet in David’s ears, or good for Israel.

Gad=Gad was a prophet, or “seer,” or “king’s seer” during the reign and rule of king David. We first hear of him when, Father sent him to tell David to leave the “hold,” or cave Adullum and through whose advice he left it for the forest of Hareth I Samuel 22:5; II Samuel 24:11-19; I Chronicles 21:9-19; II Chronicles 29:25. Gad announced Father’s judgment upon David for his numbering of the people. “The arm of flesh will fail us, we dare not trust our own.” Gad the prophet advised the erection of the altar, and is also before us as an associate of the prophet Nathan. † The etymology of the name Gad comes from the verb גדד (gadad), meaning to cut or invade: The name Gad indicates a fortune for which a troublesome, invasive effort is made. For the meaning of Gad, the New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Good Fortune. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has the same, but adds Good Luck. A more accurate translation would be Harrowing Fortune.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1410, - גָּד, - gâd, pronounced - gawd, and means: From H1464; Gad, a son of Jacob, including his tribe and its territory, also a prophet: - Gad. Total KJV occurrences: 71. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(a troop), “The seer,” or “the king’s seer,” i.e. David’s I Chronicles 29:29, II Chronicles 29:25 was a “prophet” who appears to have joined David when in the old I Samuel 22:5. He reappears in connection with the punishment inflicted for the numbering of the people II Samuel 24:11-19; I Chronicles 21:9-19. He wrote a book of the Acts of David, I Chronicles 29:29 and also assisted in the arrangements for the musical service of the “house of God” II Chronicles 29:25.”.

I Chronicles 21:10 “Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus saith the LORD, ‘I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.’ ’ ”   —>   Father sent this prophet of His to David, to tell him that Father is giving him his choice of three different punishments. As with like when we too fall short and sin, though we repent, and receive Father’s forgiveness, we still have to pay for our transgressions. Though the entire nation didn’t fall short and sin, only their king, the nation is still going to pay for the sin. This is the correcting that comes about in the real world. Just as those who consume too much alcohol know that the head-ache comes after the night of drunken binge drinking; and that the fine is issued after the writing of the speeding ticket, and so forth. When a sin has been committed, there must be, and is, a correction which takes place afterwards. Those partaking in the perversions of sodomy, should know that, there comes the sickness and Aids: these are Father’s punishment on mankind—His creation—for their lewdness. Yes, Father forgives sin when we repent; but He also allows for the natural processes to take its course. David’s sin was in not trusting in Father for the protection of his People, and this was an insult to our Father.

I offer thee=The word “offer,” as used here by Father, is in the Strong’s Concordance, Hebrew word number: H5186, - נָטָה, - nâṭâh, pronounced - naw-taw, and means: A primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of applications: -  + afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield. Total KJV occurrences: 214.. I impose on thee. It is not an actual choice of which David can decline, it is an offer of selection, it is also an imposing by Father, much as He imposed judgments on Israel during the time of Ezekiel, which can be read of in Ezekiel 14 which reads: Ezekiel 14:21 For thus saith the Lord GOD (YHVH ADONI); “How much more when I send My four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?   —>   Father told Moses in Leviticus 26 when He was leading the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt, the Blessings He would bestow upon them if they would harken unto Him; and the cursing(s) or punishments He would bring upon them if they rejected Him, and His Commandments, Judgments, Laws, Ordinances, Statutes and the Covenant He made with them. The sword shall avenge refers back to Leviticus 26:25 which reads: Leviticus 26:25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of My Covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. The famine came in II Samuel 21 because of Saul and his attacking the Gibeonites which Father had told our forefathers many years previous not to do: II Samuel 21:1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.”. The noisome beasts; Father told our forefathers He would send them, If they walked contrary to Him in Leviticus 26:22 which reads: Leviticus 26:25 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.. While the pestilence is about to befall David and our forefathers.

I Chronicles 21:11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, “Thus saith the LORD, ‘Choose thee   —>   I cannot explain why but, somebody chose to end this verse when it should not have as, there is no comma, no semi-colon, or no period; it just ends and picks up in the next verse as if there is no break. In the parallel verse II Samuel 24:12, there is no break or separation, the words of the two verses continue, finishing the statement by Father.

I Chronicles 21:12 Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel.’ Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to Him That sent me.”   —>   These are the three punishments David has to choose from for Israel because of his actions. Hard choices all three: a three year famine—this reads three years in II Samuel 24:13—would cause many deaths within the nation; while fleeing from your enemy for three months would also mean many deaths, but also, that would mean that David was a coward and on the run, which just didn’t set well with David. David did not want to show himself to be a coward before his people, so the third choice seemed to be the better of the three.

The angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel=This portion of Father’s Judgment is not included in the wording of II Samuel 24:13.

In all three of these instances, tens of thousands of people are going to lose their life and return Home to Father. Not an easy choice to have to make, and David being the shepherd that he is, he doesn’t like either of these punishments; however, he has no choice except to pick one, as, as we read in verse v21:11 above, Father said He was offering, read that, “imposing on” the nation, one of three. We’re about to see the tally of his census reduced, so, it was really taken for nothing.

21:13 David’s decision
   made.

I Chronicles 21:13 And David said unto Gad, “I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are His mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.”   —>   In this, we see that David has selected choice number three. How or why? Well, had he selected choice number one, it would have meant that they either would have starved, or would have had to have relied upon someone else to provide their food for the next three to seven years. David didn’t care for the prospect of that; choice number two would have meant, being put to flight as the army of their enemy would be coming against them, and they wouldn’t have the protection of Father over them to stop it.

In both the first two choices, David knew that he’d be placing the Nation in man’s hands, and again, he didn’t much care for the prospect of that. So, in his selecting choice number three, he knew the matter was in Father’s hand, and though he didn’t much care for what the outcome was going to be, he knew that Father was fair and just, and having the situation in His hands was much better than in man’s hands.

21:14 David’s Choice
   carried out.

I Chronicles 21:14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
—>   This reads slightly different, and adds some more info for us in it’s parallel: II Samuel 24:15, which reads: II Samuel 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.   —>   Even to the appointed time=The Septuagint and the Syriac both point out that this was only until noon, or, mid day, on the day it actually started. So, this “time” could really have meant that Father stopped it in time for the evening sacrifice. It’s a good thing the “appointed time” had arrived as, as we’ll see, the Angel of the LORD went down to Jerusalem and, had He not stopped, He would have continued His destruction on many of the People in Jerusalem as well, as we’re about to read.

Seventy thousand men=Remember, when Joab completed his numbering, the numbers were: Israel 1,000,000, and Judah 500,000; well, David just found himself 70,000 less. A serious blow to anyone’s army in one day.

Now, you might ask why Father took Home 70,000 people when this was “David’s sin?” For our answer to this, we go back to the beginning of this Chapter’s parallel: II Samuel 24:1, where we read: “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel...” why was Father’s anger kindled against Israel? See, He was still a little angry from when they turned and followed Absalom in his rebellion against Father’s anointed: David, when Absalom stood up against his father and tried to steal the throne from him.

21:15-22:1 Expiation.
21:15 Divine forbearance.
21:15-22:1 EXPIATION
   OF THE SIN. (Introversion.)
21:15 Entreaty for the
   land. David’s

I Chronicles 21:15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and He repented Him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, “It is enough, stay now thine hand.” And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan (strong; or, active) (or-nawnי) the Jebusite (trodden, that is, threshing place; or, couriers) (yeb-oo-seeי).   —>   The LORD beheld...He repented Him=Brethren, there is nothing wrong with having to repent as, as we read here, even Father does so occasionally. Let’s check out this word repent in our Strong’s Concordance, when we do, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H5162, - נָחַם, - nâcham, pronounced - naw-khamי, and means: A primitive root; properly to sigh that is, breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry, that is, (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself): - comfort (self), ease [one’s self], repent (-er, -ing, self). Total KJV occurrences: 108.. Dr. Bullinger in his commentary in his Companion Bible says that this is a “Anthropopatheia, or, Condescension (Genesis 1:2; 8:21. Psalm 74:11. Jeremiah 2:13. Hosea 11:10). Ascribing to God what belongs to human and rational beings, irrational creatures, or inanimate things.”. But, what this is saying is that Father had pity for all the pain and suffering He was causing on His People; therefore, He told His Angel to cease His destroying. This destroying Angel is the same Who He sent through Egypt the night He led our forefathers up, out of the land of Egypt during the Exodus from same. But notice also, this only lasted until noon on the first day, can you imagine how many would have died and returned Home to Him, had He not stopped His Angel?

See, by David putting the decision back on Father, the decision became Father’s as to how far He should go, and where the end would be. When the right time came, then Father said, “that is enough, stop the slaughter.”

Why did Father truly stop His Angel? Let’s continue to the next verse.

Ornan=Ornan is only mentioned one time in Father’s Word. He is mentioned several other times; however, that is by the other name he is mentioned by: Araunah. † Ornan, Araunah was a Jebusite who dwelt in Jerusalem before it was taken by the Israelites. Father sent His destroying Angel, to punish David for his vanity in taking a census of the People. He stayed His Angel in his work of destruction near a threshing-floor belonging to Araunah which was situated on Mount Moriah. Araunah offered it to David as a free gift, together with the oxen and the threshing instruments; but David refused and insisted on purchasing it all, at its full price II Samuel 24:24; I Chronicles 21:24,25; but, according to the Law of Sacrifices, he could not offer to Father that which didn’t cost him anything. † It was on the same parcel of land which originally belonged to Araunah, that Solomon afterwards erected the temple II Samuel 24:16; II Chronicles 3:1. † The etymology of the name Ornan comes from the root group ארן: It’s not clear where the double נן (nun-nun) of our name comes from. It may be the remnant of the common ון extension, which localizes or personifies the root (see the name Arnon). The name Ornan would thus mean Cedar Man. For a meaning of the name Ornan, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Large Pine. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary does not translate either version of this name, and doesn’t particularly comment on the name Ornan. New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List entirely omits the name Ornan.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H771, - אָרְנָן, - 'ornân, pronounced - or-nawnי, and means: Probably from H766; strong; Ornan, a Jebusite: - Ornan. See H728. Total KJV occurrences: 12.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(active) I Chronicles 21:15; II Chronicles 3:1. [ARAUNAH].”.

The Jebusite(s)=There is very much history\information concerning “The Jebusite” and the Strong’s Hebrew word associated with it; Hebrew word number: H2983. The name, title, or word, Jebusite, is mentioned 14 times in Father's Word, 12 of which, are outside the genealogical listings of Genesis 10 and I Chronicles 1; however, the Strong’s Hebrew word associated with it, is mentioned in 39 verses with 41 matches. The Jebusite was the founder of Jebus; however, after our forefathers inhabited the land, they renamed it: Jerusalem. The Citadel was afterward Zion, which was South of Moriah II Samuel 5:6-9, we can compare this with Ezekiel 16:3,45 which explains the connection of the Jebusite here, with the Amorite and the Hittite (Heth) of v1:15 below. † The etymology of Jebusite comes from the Hebrew verb בוס (bus), meaning to trample down: None of the sources used offer an interpretation of the ethnonym Jebusit,, but for a meaning of the name Jebus, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Treading Down and New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List has Trodden Underfoot.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H2983, - יבוּסי, - yebûsı̂y, pronounced - yeb-oo-see’, and means: Patrial from H2982; a Jebusite or inhabitant of Jebus: - Jebusite(-s).. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The Jebusites, were descended from the third son of Canaan Genesis 10:16; I Chronicles 1:14. The actual people first appear in the invaluable report of the spies Numbers 13:29. When Jabin organized his rising against Joshua, the Jebusites joined him Joshua 11:3. “Jebus, which is Jerusalem," ” lost its king in the slaughter of Beth-horon Joshua 10:1,5,26, with which we can compare with Joshua 12:10. Was sacked and burned by the men of Judah Judges 1:21, and its citadel finally scaled and occupied by David II Samuel 5:6. After this they emerge from the darkness but once, in the person of Araunah the Jebusite, “Araunah the king,” who appears before us in true kingly dignity in his well-known transaction with David II Samuel 24:23; I Chronicles 21:24,25.”.

21:16 David. Seeing.
21:16 David. Humiliation.

I Chronicles 21:16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the Angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.

Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.   —>   Father stopped His Angel why? It wasn’t because of David acknowledging his sin, nor was it because he and the elders of Israel clothed themselves with sackcloth and ashes. No, it was because this city of Jerusalem has a very special place in Father’s heart. It is His Most favorite place in All His Created Universe. It was the land whom He took to wife until His People polluted it, at which time He wrote her a bill of divorcement.

Saw the Angel of the LORD stand between=This reminds me of another time and incident in which one saw Father’s Angel standing with His sword drawn. First, a little background: — As Father was leading our forefathers up, out of Egypt, Balak, the king of Moab saw our forefathers and thought that they would slaughter he and his people the way our forefathers had slaughtered the Amorites. So, Balak sent messengers—with the rewards of divination in their hands—to a Hittite king who was a medium, or spiritualist, one named, Balaam, to have him place a curse on our forefathers. Balaam inquired of Father Who told him that he was to neither go with Balak’s messengers, nor offer to curse Israel as, they are a Blessed People. Balak was not satisfied with Balaam’ answer and reply so, he again sent messengers to him to ask him to curse Israel, this time with the promise of a promotion, and offers of whatever he wished and a large sum of money. Father told him that he was not allowed to pursue this but, the next morning Balaam rose up, saddled his ass and form here, we’ll allow Father’s Word to chronicle it for us: Numbers 22: Numbers 22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.   —>   Balaam saddled his ass and went without waiting for them to come to him. So, in other words, he didn’t meet the requirements of the condition which Father YHVH gave to him before he could go with Balak’s messengers, and because he didn’t meet this condition, we’ll see Father’s anger. We now come to a portion in Father’s Word that I like because, it shows that Father can and will utilize any creature that He created to get our attention. I think we see a little bit of humor from Father here too. [22:22] And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the Angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.   —>   Note again, this is Father in His role as The Creator (ELOHIM) of All things, not He in His role as Covenant maker\keeper: (YHVH). Note also that this verse says he “went,” meaning, he was really going, emphasizing the fact that Balaam was doing this against Father YHVH, and showing that the condition was not really meant as a condition but, was said in facetiousness. In other words, Father did not want Balaam to go with them at all, hence the Angel of the LORD stood in his way. [22:23] And the ass saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way, and His sword drawn in His hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.   —>   Balaam thinks his ass is turning aside because it just doesn’t want to act right but, Father revealed Himself to Balaam’s ass here, but not to Balaam himself yet. Father has His sword in His hand ready to smite Balaam, so really, his ass is saving Balaam’s life — but Balaam doesn’t know that. [22:24] But the Angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.   —>   There really was no place for Balaam’s ass to go. It really was just trying to save it’s master’s life. [22:25] And when the ass saw the Angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: And he smote her again.   —>   She was trying to get his attention but, he wouldn’t listen. Why wouldn’t he listen? Because Father has his eyes closed to this point; but, He’ll open them in the not too distant future. This is just as it is with most Christians today — their eyes are closed by Father YHVH. [22:26] And the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.   —>   Father and Balaam’s ass are really trying to get Balaam’s attention but, h’s just not getting it. I like the word “narrow” here because, in the Hebrew, it means “tight place,” and that is exactly what Balaam is in here, a “tight spot.” [22:27] And when the ass saw the Angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.   —>   Here we have Balaam’s ass trying to save Balaam from being smitten by Father, and what does he do, he smites his ass. [22:28] And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, “What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”   —>   This should have gotten Balaam attention but, as we’ll see, Balaam doesn’t bat an eye and answers his talking ass. Father opens the mouth of Balaam’s ass here and shortly He will open the eyes of Balaam himself. Don’t lose the fact that it was Father Who opened the ass’s mouth here, so that it spoke. We can compare this here with satan, who in both Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 where both declare he was “that old serpent” speaking to Eve in Genesis 3, but yet, a serpent doesn’t have the organs for speech. Do people consider that when they read Genesis 3? No. [22:29] And Balaam said unto the ass, “Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill thee.”   —>   Balaam truly is lucky here because Father could have smote him at any time He wanted to, just like He did with Nadab and Abihu. Balaam is so angry that he’ll speak to his ass and tell her he wants to kill her, but yet, he doesn’t consider the astonishing fact that she spoke to him. [22:30] And the ass said unto Balaam, “Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?” And he said, “Nay.”   —>   Again, Balaam is not shocked by his ass speaking to him; he just answers her like he is having a conversation with another human being. He replies to her that “no, you’ve never done me wrong before,” but he doesn’t ask then why she is doing so now. [22:31] Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way, and His sword drawn in His hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.   —>   Yes, now Father has opened Balaam’s eyes, and what does Balaam do? He immediately bows himself down. In other words, he prostrates himself on the ground, and I’m sure inside he is wailing and gnashing his teeth, just like it will be at the end, after Father opens the eyes of those who bowed themselves to the pretend-to-be-jesus—anti-christ. [22:32] And the Angel of the LORD said, unto him, “Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before Me: [22:33] And the ass saw Me, and turned from Me these three times: unless she had turned from Me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.”   —>   In speaking with Balaam in this verse, Father really emphasized the pro-nouns “thee” and “her.” Father is telling Balaam that he is only alive now because, his ass saved him by doing what she did. [22:34] And Balaam said unto the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned: for I knew not that Thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displeases Thee, I will get me back again.”   —>   Balaam knows now that, yes, he has sinned and he is apologizing to Father and he “gives” Him his permission to do as He wishes to Balaam. This is how we to should be when we realize that we have sinned against Father. Sinned= As used in this verse, it is in the Strong’s Concordance, Hebrew word number: H2398, - חָטָא, - châṭâ', pronounced - khaw-tawי, and means: A primitive root; properly to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn: - bear the blame, cleanse, commit [sin], by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend (-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin (-ful, -ness), trespassive.. [22:35] And the Angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, “Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.   —>   But only the word that I speak unto thee, that thou shall speak=I like this in this verse because, this is the only way Father’s Word should be given! He HAS already spoken it and it should be taught this way: Verse–by–Verse, Chapter–by–Chapter, and Book–by–Book. Father gives us—man—limited permission to speak His word.

21:17 David. Humiliation.

I Chronicles 21:17 And David said unto God, “Is it not I that commanded the People to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let Thine hand, I pray Thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on Thy People, that they should be plagued.”   —>   David did correctly in acknowledging his sin and accepting the responsibility for and of it, but that still was not why Father stayed His hand. It was because of Jerusalem being His Most Favorite Place in All His Created Universe.

But these sheep=Obviously David is meaning the people but, he being a “type” for the true Shepherd, is doing what a good shepherd should do: concerning himself with his flock.

21:18-22:1 Angel. Message.
21:18-22:1 ANGEL.
   MESSAGE. (Alternation.)
21:18 Angel’s command to
   David.

I Chronicles 21:18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.   —>   This altar was for offering burnt sacrifices.

Remember brethren, Jerusalem had been called “Jebus” before David had captured it— and the Jebusites, as we read in Genesis 10:16 are the descendants of Canaan, Noah’s son Ham’s son with his mother, Noah’s wife—and when Father and David found her, Jerusalem—Jebus before David renamed her—was a very unclean city, where, these Adamic heathen were observing many nefarious religious practices. When we inspect closer, we find that the position of Ornan’s “threshing floor” was exactly where the “Dome of the Rock” is today, in Jerusalem, and it was where the temple was build. It was right there on Mount Moriah, where so many other religious events have taken place.

This is the very spot where Christ was crucified and then ascended into heaven. This is also the place, where, as we read in Genesis 22, Abraham offered up Isaac to be a sacrifice, and just like here I Chronicles 21, Father stepped in then and said, “That’s enough,” as He withheld Abraham’s hand from sacrificing his son Isaac. It all happened here, right in the same spot of Ornan’s threshing floor. This was no accident that this location was selected for the sacrifice that David would give, for as we read in Ezekiel 16, Father made an everlasting covenant with this same location in Jerusalem. Father said that this spot was His most favorite spot in all His Created Universe.

Likewise also, it is from this same spot that Father is going to build his eternal temple, and rule the world through all eternity. So, this is why Father made David do what He is ordering here. Mount Moriah has another name also, for it the New Testament it is also called Mount Zion, and many hymns, gospel songs, and contemporary Christian songs have been written of our marching to Zion, in the eternity, and we will approach mount Zion for one purpose, and that is to worship and give our praise and honor to the KING of kings, and LORD of lords, Jesus the Christ.

21:19-26 David. Site of
   altar.
21:19-26 DAVID. SITE OF
   ALTAR. (Introversion.)
21:19 David’s Obedience.
   Visit commenced.

I Chronicles 21:19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.   —>   David has repented and is now trying to come back under Father’s good graces. How will he accomplish this? He will do so because, from this point going forward, he is going to do everything that he does by the book, i.e., exactly as Father instructed that sacrifices are to be offered. This is important to the key of David, that we pay attention to all the details of the entire Word of Father.

21:20 Reception.

I Chronicles 21:20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.  —>
As Ornan and his sons are out in their threshing floor threshing wheat when, Ornan turns at the sound of David and his procession approaching, and can you imagine his surprise at seeing Father’s Angel standing before Jerusalem with His sword drawn, ready to strike another fatal blow to the city? What a sight that must have been!

What did he and they do when they saw this spectacularly frightening sight? They hid themselves, that’s what they did. At least until they knew they were going to be safe.

21:21 Reception.

I Chronicles 21:21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.  —>
After he recovered from his shock at seeing Father’s Angel, Ornan, who knows and understands that his king is approaching, hurriedly goes toward his king and immediately bows and prostrates himself before his king.

Again, what an intense shock this must have been to this man Ornan as, first he sees Father’s Angel, and then he sees his earthly king approaching, he had to have been thinking to himself, “what’s next?”.

21:22-25 Negotiation.

I Chronicles 21:22 Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the People.”   —>   Check out this “the place” in your Strong’s Concordance brethren, we find that it is Hebrew number: H4725, - מָקוֹם, מָקֹם, מְקוֹמָה or מְקֹמָה, - mâqôm , mâqôm, meqômâh or meqômâh, pronounced – (1,2) maw-komeי or (3,4) mek-o-mahי, and means: From H6965; properly a standing; that is, a spot; but used widely of a locality (generally or specifically); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind): - country, X home, X open, place, room, space, X whither [-soever]. Total KJV occurrences: 401., and refers to: “the entire place,” in other words, all of Ornan’s place, which afterward becomes the area where Solomon built Father’s Temple. It is not “goren” as we read in II Samuel 24:24, where it is merely “the threshingfloor.” We can know and understand this because, 600 shekels of gold for the “makom,” as compared to only 50 shekels of silver for the “goren,” two distinct and separate transactions. First, David will buy the threshing floor, the threshing instruments and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver, then later, he’ll come back and finish purchasing all of Ornan’s place for the 600 shekels of gold.

I Chronicles 21:23 And Ornan said unto David, “Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.”   —>   I give it all=Wow, listen to how generous Ornan is being to David, he offers to give him not only his entire area, but he’ll even throw in all his threshing instruments as well — an offer just too good to be true. Either Ornan is, as I just said, a very generous person, or this is, as I also just said, an offer “just too good to be true.” Should David accept this offer of Ornan’s and then offer it up to Father as an offering, whose burnt offering would David actually offering up brethren? His own or, Ornan’s? Brethren, if David would take this, it would not be an offering from him, as, he doesn’t own any of it, it’s Ornan’s. It has to be bought and paid for, in order to be his. This is much like when Abraham needed to purchase a burying place for Sarah, he was at the time, living in Kirjath-arba, which was in Hebron, in the land of the Canaan, therefore, he bought the burying place from the sons of Heth, which in reality were Adamic because Canaan was Ham’s son, and the sons of Heth were the offspring of Canaan. Likewise also, Shem begat Eber, who begat Peleg, who begat Reu, who begat Serug, who begat Nahor, who begat Terah, who begat Abram. But, from Canaan on, his offspring stopped worshipping Father in order to serve and worship other, false gods, therefore, Abram, didn’t know the sons of Heth, nor did he know they too were of the same lineage, from Noah. But, since they didn’t worship Father, it was best that he bought the sepulchre instead of allowing the sons of Heth to give it to him, otherwise he would have been indebted to them, and, they could have asked for it back at any time, even to today. This land which is in the same land as Ornan’s, is bought and paid for: — free and clear.

What this really is brethren, is a test from Father. Father was checking David to see if David is paying attention to the instructions which are laid out in His Word. Has God ever tested you? What good is a sacrifice if it wasn’t yours in the first place to give? A sacrifice is something of value that you give up, without expecting anything in return. You simply cannot sacrifice anything that is not yours. You must sacrifice and tithe and give to Father that which is yours, and it doesn’t matter what the size, large or small, but it has to be something of your possession. If it is not yours, it is not your sacrifice, and it becomes worthless before the Father.

What this also is, is a trap from ole slewfoot — satan, just like the trap that David fell into when he listened to satan, and ordered the census taken. Here, satan through Ornan is saying “you don’t have to buy it, it is yours for the taking; not only will I give it all to you, but here are your sacrifices free and clear of all debt.” This sounds oh so good, so what could be wrong with what Ornan wanted to Do? Again, it wouldn’t have been David’s, that’s what’s wrong

Threshing instruments=These threshing instruments in the Strong’s Concordance, are Hebrew word number: H4173, - מוֹרַג or מֹרַג, - môrag or môrag, pronounced – mo-ragי or mo-ragי, and means: From an unused root meaning to triturate; a threshing sledge: - threshing instrument. Total KJV occurrences: 3., and were threshing sledges composed of bulks of timber with sharp stones or iron spikes—resembling teeth—with which we can compare with those used in Isaiah 28:27 and Isaiah 41:15.

I Chronicles 21:24 And king David said to Ornan, “Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.”   —>   Just like Abraham who declined Ephron the son of Zohar’s offer concerning the cave of Mach-pelah—the burying place of Sarah, and then Isaac, Abraham, and Leah—David here, also rightfully so, declines Ornan’s “oh so generous” offer, and instead tells him, that he pay for it, and once David paid the price for the threshing floor, and the oxen, and the wood, and the instruments, then they belonged to David and Father would then accept his sacrifice.

I Chronicles 21:25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.   —>   Six hundred shekels of gold=So we see that, David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold for his land, it is for this reason that the Temple is on Israelite land, and therefore, nobody else can lay claim to it, the Deed-of-Title is still in Israeli hands to this day. Also, the number “fifty”—which were the number of shekels in silver that David paid Ornan for the threshing instruments—in biblical numerics, denotes Jubilee: Pentecost, and it is all wrapped into the amount paid for this sacrifice. Father would not accept the sacrifice of borrowed possessions, and because David understood that Father meant business when it came to His Holy Things. You don’t fool around with Father’s Things and His Ways and get away with it. Father does not like free loaders, and that is why true Christians pay their own way; why they tend to Father’s House, why they pay the price for the pasture where they are fed at, and they know the value of the ways and the Word of God.

21:26 Obedience. Object
   effected.

I Chronicles 21:26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. —>
From heaven by fire=Brethren, this should put you in mind of I Kings 18, when Father accepted and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice by completely consuming it with His devouring fire, it should also put you in mind of Hebrews 12:29 which reads: Hebrews 12:29 For our God a cnsuming fire.. Today, we no longer offer sacrifices by fire, nor by slaughtering an animal as, Jesus paid the price when He went to that cross for all our sins. But, at the time, all sacrifices accepted by Father were consumed by fire from heaven, not kindled on earth.

Two more quick notes or reminders concerning all this brethren: (1) remember, it was Father YHVH Who told His Prophet Gad to tell David to come up to this site here at Ornan’s threshing floor to offer these sacrifices; and (2) remember also, this site is the future site of where Solomon will build the Temple to\for Father.

In this Chapters parallel, II Samuel 24, this is where the Chapter and the entire two Books of Samuel end.

21:27 YHVH’s command to
   Angel of the LORD.

I Chronicles 21:27 And the LORD commanded the Angel; and He put up His sword again into the sheath thereof.   —>   Father has now put a complete stop on the pestilence and the plague which He brought about upon Israel. Again, did Father plague the entire Nation because of David’s actions only? No, our forefathers themselves were also not obeying Father, His Commandments, Judgments, Laws, Ordinances and\or Statutes, which is Why He plagued them; they brought this pestilence upon themselves much the same as it is we who judge ourselves at the Great White Throne Seat of Judgment. Father laid out the rules, IF we obey, we can have eternal everlasting life with Him, if we don’t obey, we don’t — our choice, our decision.

Sheath=There is almost a strange and\or curious thing concerning this word “sheath” used here in this verse as, right here is the only time in Father’s Word is it used. We find that in the Strong’s Concordance, it is Hebrew word number: H5084, - נָדָן, - nâdân, pronounced - naw-dawnי, and means: Of uncertain derivation; a sheath (of a sword): - sheath. Total KJV occurrences: 1..

21:28-22:1 David. Site of
   Temple.
21:28-22:1 DAVID. SITE OF
   TEMPLE. (Alternation.)
21:28 David’s sacrifice.

I Chronicles 21:28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.   —>   Not changing Father’s Word, meaning, or the intent of His Word but, let’s rearrange the order of the words written here and add in a few to put this in the correct perspective. It should have been written this way as to get the correct meaning: “At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then from that day forward he (David) offered sacrifices there through the Priests.”. So, in other words, David, and Israel began offering their sacrifices through the Priests at this site — the future site of the Temple. Of course, we having the knowledge of what happened to our forefathers, they didn’t only sacrifice there, they offered illegal sacrifices to Father and their other false gods in other places as well, hence His first dividing the Nation into two separate Nations, then sending the Nation of the House of Israel into captivity to the Assyrians and then scattering them up over the Caucasus Mountains, and later the Nation of the House of Judah into captivity to the Babylonians. Neither Nation today truly knows who they are as most don’t Study Father’s Word, hence they all call themselves “Jews.”

21:29 Station of Tabernacle.

I Chronicles 21:29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon (hilly; or, hill city) (ghib-ohnי).   —>   Don’t allow this “the high place at Gibeon” to throw you brethren as, at this time, this was still an authorized place to Worship Father YHVH. We read in I Chronicles 16:39 that, one of the two High Priests at this time, Zadok, was with Father’s Tabernacle which was still in Gibeon—along with the Altar of Burnt Offering—at this time, and it—they—would remain there until Solomon completed the Temple during the seventh year of his reign and rule over the Nation of the House of Israel. The city of Gibeon was a part of the territory which had initially been allotted to the Tribe of Benjamin and then later, given to the Levitical Priests.

But what this is saying brethren, is, that, David now realizes that the spot where Father told David to go and purshcase—Ornan’s threshingfloor—was a Holy Place, and it was where Father wanted for His People to come to, to Worship Him, again, this would be the future site of His Temple.

Gibeon=At the mention of the city\town\name Gibeon, the hair on the back should immediately rise. Why? Because there is much, much history between our forefathers and the Gibeonites. The first mention of the city\town\name is found in Joshua 9, where we read that the Gibeonites—also known as the Hivites—had deceitfully come to Joshua and our forefathers “claiming” they came to them from far away, so far away, that: their clothes were falling off their backs; their shoes were worn-out; and their food was moldy etc.. The reality was that, they were from the city next to where Joshua and our forefathers were. Why did they claim so? Because as we read in Joshua 9, (1) they didn’t want to be killed by our forefathers and (2) they falsely claimed they wanted to Honor, Love, Serve, and Worship Father YHVH. † We read in the very next Chapter, Joshua 10, the adverse effects of Joshua and the elders covenant which they made with the Gibeonites: they now had to fight with them against those who Father had told our forefathers to utterly destroy. Wait you say, they were doing what Father wanted them to do, utterly destroy the Amorites and such, oh yeah, I concur but, they were fighting on the side of the Gibeonites who they were also supposed to utterly destroy; and why was it that they were fighting with them? Because the Amorites were angry with the Gibeonites for making a compact with our forefathers and saving themselves; plus, with the Gibeonites joining unto Israel, that left the Canaanites with a major fighting force being gone and thus they woudn’t be able to defeat the Israelites—not that they would have been able to anyway as, with Father one your side, you have the victory. † Later in time, Gibeon was given to the Tribe of Benjamin as part of their inheritance, and then even later still it was given to the Levites. † As we read in II Samuel 2, it was at the pool of Gibeon that the armies of Saul and David met and under the guidance of Abner and Joab, Commanding Generals of their respective armies, met and played the mock war which ended badly as, the twenty-four men who me on the simulated battlefield each grabbed each other by the beard and stabbed each other thru with their swords leaving all twenty-four men dead. † It was also in Gibeon that Father appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what it was that his heart desired. † There are several more accounts of things which happened with our forefathers at Gibeon but, I’ll move on to the etymology now. † The etymology of the name Gibeon comes from the root גבע and is probably related to the noun גבעה (gibeah), meaning hill: The ון (waw nun) upon which our name ends is a common way to quantify the core idea of a root into a unit that acts out the verb. The name Gibeon literally means Hill Town New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List or High Hill Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary does not offer an interpretation of the name Gibeon but does list it under the root גבע.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1391, - גִּבְעוֹן, - gib‛ôn, pronounced - ghib-ohnי, and means: From the same as H1387; hilly; Gibon, a place in Palestine: - Gibeon. Total KJV occurrences: 37.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary where we read: “(hill city), one of the four, cities of the Hivites, the inhabitants of which made a league with Joshua Joshua 9:3-15, and thus escaped the fate of Jericho and Ai. Compare Joshua 11:19. Gibeon lay within the territory of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25, and with its “suburbs” was allotted to the priests Joshua 21:17, of whom it became afterwards a principal station. It retains its ancient name almost intact, el-Jib. Its distance from Jerusalem by the main road is about 6 1/2 miles; but there is a more direct road reducing it to five miles.”.

21:30 David’s fear.

I Chronicles 21:30 But David could not go before it (i.e., the Mosaic Tebernacle which was in Gibeon) to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the Angel of the LORD.
—>   Sadly, there are unknowledgeable or unlearned “Bible scholars” who falsely teach concerning this verse, that the reason David could not go to Gibeon at this time was, because it too far a distance for David to travel which is completely untrue. See, Gibeon, which was in the hands of the Tribe of Benjamin at this time, shared a border with Jerusalem which was belonged to the Tribe of Judah, and therefore, the Tabernacle was only approximately 8 miles away. So, these unlearned scholars assertion that it was too far, just does not hold water.

This author believes that the reason was because, David, seeing Father’s Angel standing between he and Gibeon indicated to David that Father was saying that he—and His People, Israel—was—were—no longer to go to Gibeon and offer sacrifices and Worship Father there; that Jerusalem was now the only authorized place to offer sacrifices and Worship Father. This author believes the first verse of the next Chapter supports his claim: I Chronicles 22:1 Then David said, “This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.”   —>   Remember, he was still in Jerusalem looking toward Gibeon and he saw Father’s Angel standing between he and Gibeon, and that was when he declared “This (in other words, this very spot, right here) is the house of the LORD God...”.

Dec 2018

This Bible Study was written by Scott Reis and is provided in order to be used as a private Bible Study Tool. Therefore, it may be copied in whole or in part and shared for private Bible Study; however, it may not be reproduced and published as an original work.

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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.

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I CHRONICLES CHAPTER 21

Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.