Learning Resilience. (1 Chronicles Chapter 20)

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Episode Notes: Learning Resilience. (1 Chronicles Chapter 20)

Today we enter 1 Chronicles chapter 20, a short chapter with a big lesson.

 A lesson about resilience, about staying faithful to God’s calling even when the circumstances around you shift, stretch, or strain your obedience.

Transcript

Learning Resilience. (1 Chronicles Chapter 20)

Welcome to The Bible Journey Daily Podcast, a place where God can speak through His Word.

I’m your host, Jeremy McCandless, and every day we open the Scriptures together, and we do that because the Bible isn’t just a book to be read. It’s a journey to be lived. And you’re invited to take that journey with us.

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Today we enter 1 Chronicles chapter 20, a short chapter with a big lesson.

A lesson about resilience, about staying faithful to God’s calling even when the circumstances around you shift, stretch, or strain your obedience.

Let’s begin with the big picture.

The Lord gave Israel a job to do. Among other things, they were to eliminate the inhabitants of Canaan, not as an act of cruelty, but because those nations were steeped in idolatry, child sacrifice, as well as spiritual corruption. Israel was meant to be a holy people in a holy land.

But frankly, Israel never fully obeyed. They did not eliminate the Canaanites as God commanded. They compromised. They tolerated them. They coexisted with them; some even married Canaanite women. And those nations became thorns in their side for generations.

Old Testament scholar Gordon Wenham notes that Israel’s failure to drive out the Canaanites “became the seedbed of later apostasy,” a reminder that partial obedience is still disobedience.

The closest Israel ever came to fulfilling God’s command was during the reign of David. David extended the kingdom farther than Israel had ever seen. He defeated the Ammonites, the Philistines, and other hostile nations. And in the process, Scripture gives us insight into how he did it, insight that can help us learn resilience in our own walk with God.

So, let’s look at David’s conquests with one question in mind:

What did David do to get the job done? And what can we learn from him?

Turn with me to 1 Chronicles chapter 20.

This chapter is short, only eight verses and it divides neatly into two parts:

1.     David’s battle with the Ammonites

2.     David’s battle with the Philistines

Let’s begin in verse 1. The Battle with the Ammonites (vv. 1–3)

“It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon. And they came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem, and Joab defeated the city and overthrew it.”

This is the chief city of the Ammonites, Rabbah, known today as Amman, the capital of Jordan. It sits just east of the Jordan River.

Now here’s what’s significant: Kings normally went to war in the spring for two reasons:

1.     The spring rains had ended, making roads passable and battlefields firm.

2.     The barley harvest was complete, freeing farmers to join the army.

This was the traditional rhythm of ancient warfare.

But David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab went to war without him. And this is where the story intersects with 2 Samuel 11–12 — the Bathsheba narrative. 

The siege of Rabbah likely lasted about two years, and during that time, while David remained in Jerusalem, he fell into sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his own mighty men.

Chronicles does not mention David’s sin. Why? Because the Chronicler has a different purpose.

Old Testament scholar Andrew Hill explains that the Chronicler “selects material that highlights the positive aspects of David’s reign,” focusing on God’s faithfulness rather than David’s failures. Samuel gives us the full moral complexity; Chronicles gives us the theological emphasis.

Verse 2:

“And David took the king’s crown from his head and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance.”

A talent of gold weighs about 75 pounds — an enormous crown, likely symbolic rather than practical. David takes the crown, the spoils, and the wealth of the city.

Verse 3:

“And he brought out the people who were in it and put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So, David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.”

The Hebrew wording here is somewhat obscure, but the point is clear: David conquered the Ammonites. He subdued their cities. He brought their territory under Israel’s control. And then he returned to Jerusalem.

Thus the Ammonites came under David’s authority.

Why Samuel and Chronicles Tell the Story Differently

Like I said, because the Chronicler’s purpose is theological, not biographical. He emphasizes the positive aspects of David’s reign, the faithfulness of God, and the establishment of the Davidic kingdom.

As Derek Kidner puts it, “Chronicles is not rewriting history but retelling it with a pastoral purpose.”

Transition

So, in this first segment, we’ve seen:

·         Israel’s calling

·         Israel’s failure

·         David’s resilience

·         Joab’s leadership

·         The fall of Rabbah

·         The Chronicler’s theological focus

In the next segment, we’ll look at the second half of the chapter and David’s battles with the Philistines. In this, we will discover how God uses resilience, teamwork, and faith to accomplish His purposes.

Now, I mention all of this because 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles often record the same events, but with differences in detail, emphasis, and arrangement. And that’s perfectly legitimate. The biblical authors are not writing modern journalism; they are writing theological history. They select, arrange, and highlight material to communicate God’s purposes.

A simple illustration helps:

Matthew selects material to show Jesus as the promised Messiah, structuring his Gospel around five major discourses.

Mark is writing to Romans and emphasizes Jesus as the Servant of the Lord, and his account is fast‑moving, action‑oriented, rarely quoting long teachings, and seldom referencing the Hebrew Scriptures.

Different audiences.

Different emphases.

Different theological aims.

And in these books the Chronicler writes with pastoral intent, shaping Israel’s memory to inspire renewed faithfulness. Samuel gives us more of a raw biography; Chronicles gives us the theological highlight reel.

So, the first part of 1 Chronicles 20 records David’s victory over the Ammonites.

The second part will now record his victories over the Philistines.

Let’s look at . The Battle With the Philistines (vv. 4–8)

Verse 4:

“Now it happened afterward that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.”

This is fascinating.

David’s men are now fighting descendants of Goliath, giants from the same lineage, the same region, the same warrior culture.

Verse 5:

“Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.”

The Chronicler highlights the size of the spear, a “weaver’s beam.” Scholars estimate such a spear shaft weighed around 17 pounds. That’s not a weapon for an ordinary soldier. It’s a weapon for a huge giant of a man.

Verse 6:

“Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty‑four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.”

This is one of the most unusual descriptions in Scripture, a warrior with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. Such people exist today, but in the ancient world, it would have marked him as extraordinary, intimidating, as well as physically imposing.

Verse 7-8:

“So, when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.”

Three giants.

Three battles.

Three victories.

And notice something important:

David didn’t kill these giants; his men did.

The Chronicler is making a point:

David’s kingdom advances not only through David’s strength, but through the strength of those who stand with him.

Old Testament commentator Dale Ralph Davis notes, “God’s kingdom work is never a solo enterprise; Yahweh delights to use ordinary men to accomplish extraordinary victories.”

That’s exactly what we see here.

The Chronicler frames David’s conquests with references to the Philistines at the beginning of this section in chapter 18 and here again at the end of chapter 20. Why?

Because Israel had no more persistent foe than the Philistines. They were technologically advanced, militarily aggressive, and geographically close. Israel never fully dominated them, not even under David.

So, the Chronicler has shown us:

Philistine battles in chapter 18

Philistine battles in chapter 20

Philistine giants defeated by David’s men

Philistine threats subdued but never entirely eliminated

This is resilience.

This is perseverance.

This is the long obedience in the same direction.

Matthew Henry puts it memorably:

“What will a finger more on each hand do, or a toe more on each foot, if you are in contest with omnipotence?”

In other words: Giants don’t matter when God is on your side.

The fact is that David was not alone in these fights. David did not accomplish God’s mission alone. He stayed in Jerusalem while Joab led the army.

His men killed the giants.

His commanders subdued the Philistines.

His servants extended his influence.

God gave Israel a job to do, and they did it together.

The Chronicler then describes David acting decisively to rid his kingdom of internal and external threats. He set up garrisons in neighbouring states (chapter 18), extended Israel’s influence, and secured peace through strength.

But he did it with:

God’s help

The help of others

And the resilience to keep fighting persistent enemies

Both Israel and David began in humility, low origins, small beginnings, but they expanded because of God’s grace and David’s trust and obedience.

These chapters also reveal the economic prosperity that would later enable Solomon to build the temple. David’s victories created the stability and wealth that Solomon would use for God’s house.

Yet even with all of that, David still needed help.

He needed Joab.

He needed Sibbecai.

He needed Elhanan.

He needed Jonathan.

He needed the mighty men.

And he needed the Lord.

Old Testament scholar Derek Kidner summarizes it well:

“David’s greatness lay not only in his victories, but in his ability to inspire and empower others to share in them.”

So this short chapter gives us two simple truths:

David fought the Ammonites.

David fought the Philistines.

But behind those truths lies a deeper lesson:

God’s people accomplish God’s work through resilience, teamwork, and trust in the Lord.

So what are the practical lessons this chapter teaches us about resilience, calling, community, and the God who fights for His people?

Now, I’ve mentioned some of this already, but it bears repeating because it’s important, and because many people misunderstand how biblical history works.

Samuel and Chronicles overlap, but they don’t always line up perfectly in detail or order. They’re not contradictory; they’re complementary. That’s the critical point.

Each author writes with a different purpose.

Different audiences.

Different emphases.

Different theological aims.

Samuel gives us the raw biography, the triumphs and the failures. Chronicles give us the theological highlights, the faithfulness of God and the strength of David’s kingdom.

God’s work is not done by a lone ranger.

God’s work is done by a leader with the help of others.

To get the job done, God uses a group, not just an individual.

Think about it:

God chose Abraham, but Abraham couldn’t fulfill God’s plan alone. It required Isaac, Jacob, twelve tribes, and a whole nation.

Do you remember how at one point Moses was overwhelmed trying to counsel the people, so God instructed him to appoint 70 helpers (Numbers 11)?

Joshua conquered the land, but he didn’t do it alone; he had an army.

Gideon’s forces were reduced to 300 men, but he still needed those 300.

David conquered the Ammonites and Philistines, but David also had help.

Jesus preached to crowds across Israel, but He sent out the twelve and the seventy.

Paul planted churches, but he travelled with a team and appointed elders.

God’s work is always a team effort.

And when we think about the church today, we know it takes more than a pastor. It takes:

Treasurers

Custodians

Administrators

Teachers

Volunteers

Encouragers

Prayer warriors

Cleaners and sometimes even gardeners for churches in rural locations

But those are not the only jobs God has in mind.

What about the spiritual ministry to believers in the body of Christ?

We tend to leave all of that to the pastor.

But God never intended that.

Paul says in Romans 12:3–8:

“We have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function… Having then gifts differing according to the grace given to us, let us use them.”

In other words:

To get God’s work done in the church, every believer must be involved.

God gives every believer a spiritual gift.

But here’s the key:

Don’t worry too much about discovering your gift; Because if you just fulfill your responsibilities, your gift will reveal itself as you serve.

For every spiritual gift, there is a corresponding responsibility:

There is a gift of giving— but everyone is still called to give.

There is a gift of exhortation, but everyone is called to exhort one another daily (Hebrews 3:13).

There is a gift of mercy, but all believers are called to be merciful.

So just do what all believers are supposed to do.

And one day you’ll discover, “Hey… I’m gifted at that.”

But that doesn’t mean you’re excused from the other responsibilities.

To get God’s work done in the church, it takes every believer doing the will of God….

Outro:

And now, before we close, let me invite you back for our next episode.

Because 1 Chronicles 21–22 takes us into one of the most important moments in David’s life. A moment that reveals the forgotten consequences of sin. It’s a story of pride, discipline, mercy, and the surprising way God turns judgment into preparation for the temple.

The next episode is titled:

“The Forgotten Consequences of Sin.” (1 Chronicles 21:1–22:1)

I believe it’s a powerful passage, and one that speaks directly to our walk with God today.

So, join me next time as we continue The Bible Journey Daily Podcast and discover what God wants to teach us through David’s failures, God’s mercy, and the path toward restoration.

Until then, walk faithfully, serve humbly, and remember:

God’s work is never done alone.

He calls us to serve together, and He strengthens us to do it.