As the Chronicler proceeds to tell us about David’s reign we realize that we have read most of his history in Samuel. Yet there are differences. What the Chronicler focuses his attention on addresses a specific spiritual need for the Jews returned from exile. The people are disillusioned and apathetic. The kingdom is gone and there seems to be no leader to unite them. They think they are merely a group of individuals with nothing to unite them except that they are subjects of a pagan king. “Not so!” says the Chronicler. Those who first came to follow David when he was fleeing Saul were individuals drawn from all the tribes. These men remained loyal to David and so loyal to the Lord who bound them together as His victorious fighting force.
The people who have retuned from exile must realize that the survival of the community depended on mutual loyalty to each other as well as to Him via those leaders whom the Lord had chosen. This is true for we who are Christians. We are also bound by ties of loyalty to the Lord and so to each other. We are not just a group of individuals who are separated by race, class socio-economic status, or denominational affiliation. All Christians are our brothers even those who disagree with some of our favorite theological opinions. Our survival as a church depends on a joint response to the demonic attacks coming from our culture. We must realize we must band together with all true believers to preach the gospel, not our pet doctrines. Only as we preach the truth that Jesus is God can we bring the light of Christ into the lives of those living in darkness.
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