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David’s Empire: A Glimpse of God’s Bigger Promise
From our last chapters, the Chronicler continues to tell the story of David’s quest to build an Israelite empire in 1 Chronicles 18, 19, and 20–and it’s a story full of conquests. But it isn’t just about military might. The mission matters to David because God promised it.
And if it matters to David, it matters to our Chronicler who wants the returned exiles to see that God hasn’t forgotten His promise. He will fulfill the Davidic Covenant from 1 Chronicles 17:9-10.
David plays a key role in cooperating with God to subdue Israel’s enemies. Under his leadership, Israel becomes a mighty nation. And the Chronicler is planting hope in the hearts of his readers–if it happened once, it can happen again.
The promise still stands. The Davidic Covenant isn’t over. But the people must do their part: return to God, be faithful, and trust that He will fight for them once more.
Every Victory Dedicated to God–1 Chronicles 18
In 1 Chronicles 18:1-13, the Chronicler begins with a summary of how David expanded the Israelite empire by defeating the nations surrounding Israel. Then he highlights the big victories.
“The Lord gave David victory wherever he went” is a phrase the Chronicler repeats twice in this short passage. His main point is that the Lord is the reason for David’s many successes, and it’s because of the Lord that Israel will be blessed again.
Basically, every nation surrounding Israel fell to David and his men.
- Philistines in the west.
- Moabites in the east.
- King Hadadezer of Zobah in the north and the Arameans, when they tried to help Hadadezer.
- Edomites in the south.
In addition to his victories, David dedicated all the gold, sliver, and bronze taken from these countries to God. Note the Chronicler mentions Solomon will use all that bronze plus some precious metal sent to him as a congratulations from Tou, King of Hamath, when he builds the Temple.
David: The Gold Standard Until the Son of Man Arrived
In 1 Chronicles 18:14-17, our author takes a little detail-detour to share about the efficient government David put in place. Have you noticed “all Israel” is one of the Chronicler’s favorite themes? The man is all about unification.
And David ruled over all by doing what was just and right for all people. He is the king all other kings were measured by–the standard for Israel. Until Jesus came, the perfect son of man, far surpassing David.
David’s Cabinet: Warriors, Priests, and Paperwork
David’s royal cabinet has three distinct departments: War Office, Priestly Office, and Administrative Office. The War Office consists of Joab, David’s nephew by his sister Zeruiah, who was over the army. And Benaiah who was David’s royal bodyguard.
David and Joab had a tumultuous relationship. Joab was a brilliant but ruthless military leader. He committed two murders that led to a falling out with David. As a result, David told Solomon to execute him and replace him with Benaiah.
The Priestly Office consisted of Zadok and Abiathar. Here the Chronicler gets his fathers and sons mixed up. He says Ahimelek son of Abiathar but 1 Samuel 22:20, 2 Samuel 20:25, 1 Kings 1:7 and Mark 2:26 all say that Abiathar is the son of Ahimelek.
Eventually Abiathar will be exiled because of his support for Adonijah as David’s successor. And Zadok will become chief priest in Solomon’s administration.
The Administrative Office consists of Jehoshaphat and Shavsha. Jehoshaphat’s position of recorder may have been similar to a herald or a person in charge of royal protocol and a public spokesman for the king. Shavsha’s secretarial position would have been as a royal scribe responsible for all official correspondence.
Then there’s the controversial line about David’s sons being chief officials. In 2 Samuel 8, they are referred to as priest, but not in the Levitical sense as David would never alter God’s plan for the priesthood. Commentators assume David’s sons served as trusted aides and may have represented the king in various regions.
Neighbors to the East–1 Chronicles 19
With the detail-detour about David’s cabinet complete, the Chronicler heads back to David’s expansion of the Israelite empire by defeating the neighboring enemies in 1 Chronicles 19:1-5.
The Ammonite’s territory was located across the Jordan River to the east of Jerusalem. Being so close, it was crucial to maintain a positive relationship with them. King Nahash was an adversary of Saul’s in 1 Samuel 11, so it makes sense he was David’s ally. Nahash probably befriended David when he was fleeing Saul.
From Allies to Enemies
David assumes Nahash’s son, Hanun, will also be an ally. However, when he tries to send his condolences to the new king, Hanun’s advisors misinterpret David’s gesture and suspect him of espionage.
In response, they humiliate David’s men by cutting off their beards and clothes. This was a serious insult in ancient culture.
Beards symbolized masculinity and honor. On top of that, they cut their clothes to expose their private masculinity. Clothes were not easily accessible in ancient culture, which meant there was no immediate way to cover up. Their humiliation would have been public for all the world to see.
David responds to his men’s shame with honor. After all, they were only following his orders. So he sends a message of encouragement and tells them to stay put until proof of their humiliation is gone and their beard is back. He likely also sent them new uniforms.
Hanun’s treatment of David’s men was essentially a declaration of war. Hanun should have realized David was a king who was very comfortable with war and would not sit idly by.
In 1 Chronicles 19:6-7, the Ammonites fear their army isn’t enough to defend them, so they hire mercenaries from three ares of Aram. These mercenaries are fully loaded with 32,000 chariots.
David sends Joab out to fight in 1 Chronicles 19:8-15. When Joab finds himself caught between two enemy lines, he sends his brother after the Ammonites while he faces the Arameans.
In one of Joab’s finest moments (he disappoints later) he shows his faith by adopting the tone of the great warrior Joshua saying, “Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
God delivered in a mighty way, and there was essentially no battle at all. The Arameans fled before Joab. The Ammonites fled before Abishai. And everyone went home to Jerusalem victorious without a scratch on them.
When God Fights Your Battles, Even the Bold Back Down
In 1 Chronicles 19:16-19, it’s as if the Arameans awake from their God-induced panic that caused them to flee before Joab and decide they couldn’t tolerate the humiliation. They’re going to set the record straight and start their own war with Israel without any payment from the Ammonites.
David doesn’t hesitate. In fact, he wants to be part of the action himself. Fighting wars is David’s calling.
Just like you’d expect, Aram flees. This time, David pursues and kills 47,000 including their commander.
When Heaven Chuckles…and Grieves
What must the heavenly hosts have thought about all these antics? Can’t you just imagine them kicked back in luxury theater seats observing all this with either a chuck or an eye roll?
Really, Aram? This is David who serves God. The God. Haven’t you heard? Do you really think you can do this after what happened last time? It makes no sense.
Do the heavenly hosts ever think this about us when we do obviously stupid things? Do they grieve the consequences for us? They must deeply grieve at times. We know Christ empathizes with our pain, even if our pain is self-induced.
Hopefully there is humor in heaven and they often view our mistakes as a comedy, not a drama. We can laugh at ourselves more too, knowing we have the joy of being forgiven, and we’ll one day be admitted to the theater where sin and hurt don’t exist.
Power in Motion–or in Idle Hands
In this chapter, the Chronicler copies Samuel’s word from 1 Samuel 11 repetitively using the word “send.” However, he does not copy the message this word was meant to send in 1 Samuel. His intention is to make David out to be an ideal, invincible king.
Each time Samuel uses the word “send” he is making the point that the king can send because he is powerful and has choices. When the king makes a choice, it is obeyed. When it is obeyed, there are consequences…good consequences if the king’s choice is good and bad consequences if the king’s choice is bad.
Power can be a blessing or a curse. Therefore, a king must be careful who he sends and what he sends for.
The Chronicler leaves out what happens next in Samuel’s story. We know every human is tested and tempted, even the ideal David. And what happens when David is not fighting battles? When he sends someone else to fight for him? He has too much time on his hands to think about matters unrelated to God.
Failure Between the Lines–1 Chronicles 20
In 1 Chronicles 20:1 the author uses the exact words Samuel did in 2 Samuel 11, “but David remained in Jerusalem.” However, he doesn’t go into what happens next when David, who remained in Jerusalem, gets up from his bed and takes a walk on the roof of the palace where he sees a woman bathing.
David was not where he was supposed to be–out battling, following his calling. And this man of action had too much time on his hands. And we all know what happens next.
- An affair.
- Pregnancy.
- Murder.
- A wedding.
- The birth of a child.
- The death of a child.
- Repentance.
- Forgiveness.
- And eventually a future king named Solomon.
Our Chronicler skips this whole sin-filled story and jumps ahead to the victory. Because this is David. The author’s purpose is to offer future hope for Israel, and that hope can only come from David.
So our author wants to focus on the good. But as good as David is, he isn’t perfect. That honor is reserved for the greater king–Jesus Christ. Our poor Chronicler had no idea what was to come.
Another Battle, Another Reminder: God Gives the Victory
Back to those silly Ammonites who also decided to take a second stab at Israel. This time they’re going to battle without the help of the Arameans. Cue the heavenly host eye roll as we read 1 Chronicles 20:1-3.
David defeats the Ammonites and subjects their people to forced labor. He takes the crown from the head of their king and puts it on his own head, but it couldn’t have stayed long. It was huge, weighing an estimated 75 pounds.
The Sons of Rapha Rise Again
The sons of Rapha weren’t just any adversaries–they were the descendants of the legendary Rephaim, ancient inhabitants of Canaan renowned for their intimidating stature and strength. In other words, they were giants. The most famous among them was Goliath who understandably left the sons of Rapha with quite the grudge against David.
The Rephaim shared bloodlines with the Anakites, the giants Joshua largely wiped out during the conquest of Canaan in Joshua 15:21-22. The few surviving Anakites and Rephaim took refuge in the Philistine strongholds of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod–three of the five major Philistine cities. The sons of Rapha that David was battling were likely descendants of the Anakite survivors, especially those who settled in Gath.
A Giant Showdown
The relationship between David and the Philistines is a fascinating thread woven throughout Scripture. Our Chronicler wants the returning exiles to understand something profound: David’s victories over these terrifying giants weren’t just military achievements—they were fulfillments of divine prophecy.
When Samuel anointed Saul as king, God promised in 1 Samuel 9:16 that a king would “deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines.” However, it was David, not Saul, whom God used to fulfill this promise.
In 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, David’s mighty warriors defeat the Philistines and their giant champions in three separate battles. It’s worth noting, in the parallel account in 2 Samuel 21, four victories over giants are recorded.
Why does the Chronicler omit one? Perhaps because in that battle against the giant Ishbi-Benob David showed weakness. He grew exhausted requiring Abishai to rescue him and slay the giant. After this close call, David’s men insisted he no longer join them in battle.
The three battles the Chronicler focuses on are:
- The slaying of the giant Sippai by one of David’s mighty men.
- Another of David’s mighty men Elhanan killed the Giant Lahmi, the brother of Goliath.
- A third giant who wasn’t named but was known for his extra fingers and toes was slain by Jonathan, David’s nephew by his brother Shimea.
You Are the Chronicler Now
It’s a full-circle story. David’s first battle was the shepherd versus the giant Goliath, and now the Israelites finish off the family under David’s leadership by killing Goliath’s fierce relatives.
It’s a testimony to David’s faith and God’s faithfulness. If only the Israelites could have the same faith.
This is the purpose of every testimony–David’s and ours. If we spot faith and tell the story, we are like the Chronicler, exhorting others to consider a life of faith.
God promised a king to save us, and He has delivered. His part is done…ours is not. The ball is in our court to share that story, just as our Chronicler shared King David’s story. You are the Chronicler of God’s victories…today.
🎧 Ready to dive deeper? Listen to episodes of the Bible Book Club Podcast here.
Themes of this podcast for 1 Chronicles 18, 19, and 20:
God’s faithfulness echoes through every victory. From battlefields to royal cabinets, the Chronicler isn’t just writing military history—he’s spotlighting divine consistency. The returning exiles needed that reminder. And so do we. Because if God was faithful then, He will be faithful now. These chapters pulse with this hopeful refrain—God keeps His promises.
The power of testimony: you are the Chronicler now. The Chronicler didn’t just recount David’s wins—he curated them for impact. He chose stories that would inspire a tired, disheartened people to believe again. His testimony wasn’t just about the past; it was fuel for the future. Likewise, we’re called to record and retell God’s victories in our lives. Your faith story—yes, yours—is part of God’s grand narrative. Don’t keep it to yourself. Be the Chronicler of your generation.
Giant-Slaying Is a Generational Legacy. David’s battle with Goliath wasn’t a one-time miracle—it was the beginning of a ripple effect. The Chronicler shows us that David’s legacy isn’t just about his own faith—it’s about how that faith empowered others. This is what discipleship looks like: fighting your giants so others learn how to fight theirs.
