Justin Houtz

1 Chronicles 15, James 2, Amos 9, Luke 4

DateVersionReading Plan
@November 20, 2024ESV (2016)M’Cheyne Plan 2024

1 Chronicles 15

1 Chronicles 15:1–2 (ESV)
15 David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever.

“Three months elapsed between the time of David’s first attempt to move the ark and this renewed effort. The king prepared a tent in Jerusalem as its official resting place. He followed the instructions given to him … that the ark should be carried only by Levites.” (CSB Notes)

1 Chronicles 15:13–15 (ESV)
13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

“The ark was now carried by the right men and in the right way, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD (v. 15). Hence, this effort met with success (16:1).” (BBC)

1 Chronicles 15:29 (ESV)
29 And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

“The portrayal of Michal’s response is shorter here than in Samuel (2 Sam 6:16, 20–23). It further highlights the contrast between the houses of David and Saul (1 Chr 13:3; 14:10 and note), as Saul’s daughter is the only one in Israel not celebrating the ark’s return.” (FSB)

“When Michal, David’s first wife, saw the king dancing before the ark in public (v. 25), she despised him in her heart. This moment finalized their estrangement. Of all David’s wives, Michal never bore him any children.” (CSB Notes)

James 2

James 2:5 (ESV)
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

“God’s choice of the poor here is not favoritism because the choice was not based on bias. Discrimination occurs when one ignores the fact that the “law of freedom” (1:25) applies to all people, obligating us to treat everyone equally.” (CSB Notes)

“The poor are God’s elect, God’s elite, heirs of God, and lovers of God. Repeatedly we find in Scripture that it is the poor people, not the rich, who rally to the banner of Christ. Our Lord Himself said, ‘The poor have the gospel preached to them’ (Matt. 11:5). It was the common people who heard Him gladly, not the wealthy or aristocratic (Mark 12:37). Not many noble are called, but the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised, and the insignificant (1 Cor. 1:26–29). Rich people are ordinarily poor in faith, because they trust their riches instead of the Lord. On the other hand, poor people have been chosen by God to be rich in faith. A survey of the citizens of His kingdom would reveal that most of them have been poor. In the kingdom, they will occupy positions of wealth and glory. How foolish, then, and how perilous it is to treat with contempt those who will one day be exalted in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior.”

James illuminates the upside-down kingdom and the understanding that the poor in the world are rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. Worldly prosperity is a stumbling blocks to faith as it lead to pride and self-sufficiency. Even as followers of Christ, this is a difficult truth to grasp. We can intellectually claim its veracity and yet still live in a practical pursuit of wealth and possessions in order to achieve comfort or security. Let it then be for us that we marry mental ascent with the lived reality, actively favoring a richness of faith and kingdom treasure over the mammon of this world that is sure to pass away.

Amos 9

Amos 9:13–15 (ESV)
13  “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
14  I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
15  I will plant them on their land,
and they shall never again be uprooted
out of the land that I have given them,”
says the LORD your God.

“Just as God had promised to bring famine to Israel and nearly to exterminate the nation, he promises in these verses to give them abundant crops and a large population. The statement that the plowman will overtake the reaper is hyperbole for fruitfulness and served to assure the people that they would enjoy eternal well-being.” (CSB Notes)

Luke 4

Luke 4:16–19 (ESV)
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus speaks to whom He had been sent and the recipients of the good news, namely, those of lowly estate. This is similar to James’ sentiment above in which it is not the worldly mobile and prosperous but the poor, captive, blind and oppressed for whom Jesus came to bring liberty and sight. Furthermore, we read of Jesus’ words in Mark 2:17: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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