1 Chronicles 18:1-17; 1 Chronicles 20:4-8
Chapters 18, 19 and 20 are concerned with the wars of David. They group together the deeds which, in the 2nd. book of Samuel, are separated by various events in the history of the king. We have already considered them there, and there is no appreciable difference between the two accounts. There is only one exception: the total silence which is observed from the beginning of ch. 20 about the terrible sin of David, and of its tragic consequences. Neither the scandalous affair of Uriah, nor the sin of Amnon, followed by his assassination, nor the conspiracy of Absalom, nor the criminal part played by Joab find any place in this book of the Chronicles. This is how grace acts. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" David says in Psalms 32. Does each of our readers form part of that happy company of people?
David triumphs in turn over the Philistines, the Moabites, the Syrians, the Edomites; then again over the sons of Ammon (1 Chronicles 19, 20). All the traditional enemies of Israel are subjugated, a picture of the moment when God will subject all things to Christ and will put His enemies as a footstool under His feet (Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 2:8).