Observation: As the chronicler discusses the transition of kingship from David to Solomon, this is how he words it ... for a second time, they made Solomon king. What he leaves out is the coup of Adonijah. Solomon was David's planned successor, but Adonijah garners the support of both the military leaders and the priests. David as a dying act confirms Solomon, and anoints and coronates him. Solomon then must deal with Adonijah and his supporters, after which he is publicly anointed king.
This coup is the first two chapters of 2 Kings, but is unaddressed in 1 Chronicles. This is similar to David's sin with Bathsheba, and the issues pertaining to his census of the fighting men for which he was punished. These incidents are mostly ignored because they are not related to the narrative of Chronicles, which is ... the work of the Lord. While the books of Samuel and Kings seem to cover the relationship Israel - and specifically it's kings - has with Yahweh, Chronicles is more about the relationship Yahweh has with Israel. It documents how the people have grown and advanced through dozens of generations, and how the Lord has blessed them with riches and prosperity and wise council. This is the important story of the bible.
Application: I was thinking the other day about my testimony. Yes, my testimony includes my perspective of how my redemption and salvation transpired. However, at its core, my testimony is about God choosing to answer my prayer, pour out his love upon me, and transform my life. I literally did nothing good, and God acted in response.
This is the important part of every story in life ... what the Lord is doing. His actions manifest in our lives, our worldly outcomes, our activities, our 'stuff', but the power is that the Lord is the one acting and loving and guiding and speaking and showing and providing and fixing and accomplishing and making.
When I speak of my life, may I truly - and explicitly - be telling people about what the Lord is doing.
Prayer: Lord, all things in my life are the result of you. I thank you for the blessings, but I also just thank you for the actions. More and more, may my story not be about me, but about you. Amen.
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