1 CHRONICLES LESSON 23


     We will begin this lesson in I Chronicles 20:1 "And it came to
pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out
[to battle], Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the
country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But
David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it."

     It appears, that the army, that was beseiged in the city, was
never destroyed in the last lesson. David had led the army against the
Syrians and defeated them, but the Ammonites had not been destroyed. A
year had passed and in the spring, the army, led by Joab, attacked the
Ammonites who were scattered throughout the country side. The Joab
attacked Rabbah. It appears, there was victory over the city, as well.

     I Chronicles 20:2 "And David took the crown of their king from
off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and [there were]
precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he
brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city."

     We know, from the last lesson, these people were wealthy. They
had sent 3,000,000 shekels of silver to hire soldiers to fight for
them. A talent is speaking of 125 pounds. That is a lot of gold. It is
also too heavy for a person to wear on his head. I would think that
several of his men held it on his head. The crown was, probably, on a
statue, or idol, of some kind. The main message, here, is that there
was great wealth in this city which David and his men took as spoil.

     I Chronicles 20:3 "And he brought out the people that [were] in
it, and cut [them] with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes.
Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And
David and all the people returned to Jerusalem."

     The Ammonites were so cruel themselves, is possibly the reason
for the cruelty of David here. They brutally killed these people is
enough to say about this. The Ammonites had caused their own children
to be killed by walking through the fire in sacrifice to their false
god.

     I Chronicles 20:4  "And it came to pass after this, that there
arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the
Hushathite slew Sippai, [that was] of the children of the giant: and
they were subdued."

     Gezer, in other places, is spoken of as Gob, and in another place
as Gath. It was located about 18 miles northeast of Jerusalem. The
Philistines were constantly an enemy. Sibbechai was a prominent family
of Judah, the Zarhites. Sippai was from the family of giants. He was a
Philistine. Sippai is the same as Saph. The message, here, is that
Sibbechai killed Sippai.

     I Chronicles 20:5 "And there was war again with the Philistines;
and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the
Gittite, whose spear staff [was] like a weaver's beam."

     The giant, Goliath, was a huge man, but it took only one stone
from the sling of David to topple him. The fact that a man of great
stature gets in a battle with a small man, does not necessarily mean
the giant will win. We see Elhanan killing the brother of Goliath
here. We may assume he was great in size, as well. The strength of
Almighty God in David and in Elhanan, was what killed the giants. A
small man full of the LORD, had great power. Physical strength is not
what wins battles. It is not the size of the man in the battle, but
the size of the heart in the man that wins.

     I Chronicles 20:6 "And yet again there was war at Gath, where was
a man of [great] stature, whose fingers and toes [were] four and
twenty, six [on each hand], and six [on each foot]: and he also was
the son of the giant."

     Not only was he unnatural, with his 24 fingers and toes, but was,
possibly, clumsy, as well. Great size makes it difficult to move
around very quickly. He was frightening to look at, but not very agile
in battle.

     I Chronicles 20:7 "But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of
Shimea David's brother slew him."

     Jonathan was the nephew of David and, probably, had heard many
times how David had slain the giant. This, probably, gave him the
courage to come against the giant. This giant defied Israel as Goliath
had done, And David's nephew, Jonathan, killed him.

     I Chronicles 20:8 "These were born unto the giant in Gath; and
they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants."

     The giant, and all 4 of his sons, were slain by David and those
who served David. Jonathan was mentioned, in particular, as killing
one of them. We do not know whether David actually killed any of the
sons, or whether his men did it. Either way, it would be credited to
David.
















                      1 Chronicles 23 Questions


1.  How much time elapsed from the last lesson to the time of this
    lesson?
2.  Who had defeated the Syrians?
3.  What time of year was this speaking of?
4.  Who smote Rabbah?
5.  How much did the king of Ammon's crown weigh?
6.  How many pounds is that?
7.  Whose head was it placed on?
8.  David and his men brought __________ spoil out of the city.
9.  What terrible death was inflicted upon the people?
10. What terrible thing had these Ammonites done to their own
    children?
11. There arose war at Gezer with the ______________.
12. Who did Sibbechai kill?
13. What are some other names for Gezer?
14. Where was it located?
15. What family was Sibbechai from?
16. Sippai was from what family?
17. Sippai was the same as _________.
18. Who slew Lahmi?
19. Verse 5, says Lahmi was whom?
20. Goliath was toppled by what?
21. How many fingers and toes did the giant, in verse 6, have?
22. Who killed the giant in verse 7?
23. The family of the giant fell by whom?