DAVID PRAISED THE LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, O LORD,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
14“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”
20Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the LORD your God.” So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.
21The next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD that day.
Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the LORD to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. 23So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon.
25The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.
26David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.
29As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, 30together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.
Original Meaning
TWO MAJOR PARALLELS in the second-Exodus motif typologically applied to the postexilic restoration of Judah surface in the concluding section of 1 Chronicles. (1) The first we have already examined in the previous chapter, namely, the gifts given by the Israelite community for the building of Yahweh’s sanctuary (cf. 29:6–9), the temple eventually erected by Solomon—similar to the gifts given for the tabernacle of the Egyptian exodus (cf. Ex. 35:20–29). More than gifts of gold and silver, the Chronicler seeks to encourage the same “willing response” to God in the hearts of his audience (29:9; cf. Ex. 35:22, 29).
(2) The other parallel is that of divinely appointed succession in the leadership of the community. The Chronicler portrays David as a “second Moses” in that David is prohibited from building the temple, just as Moses was denied entry into the land of covenant promise (22:8; cf. Num. 20:2–12). Likewise, Solomon exemplifies Joshua in that both are given the same charge and each completes the task commissioned for him by his predecessor (1 Chron. 22:13; cf. Deut. 31:7). Theologically, the Chronicler assumes by analogy that the full measure of blessing Israel experiences under the guidance of past heroes such as Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon can be shared by his audience because they worship the same Lord Almighty, the God of their ancestors (1 Chron. 29:10, 15, 18).
David’s Prayer (29:10–20)
DAVID’S PRAYER OF thanks for God’s enabling him to complete the necessary preparations to build the temple is one of ten royal prayers in Chronicles.1 According to Throntveit, the royal prayers are an important vehicle for themes enhancing the Chronicler’s theology of hope, especially the ideas of human inability, the power of God, and the effectiveness of prayer.2
The prayer divides naturally into three sections and blends three major psalmic types, the hymn, the song of thanksgiving, and the lament.3 The three stanzas of the prayer include doxology (29:10–12), thanksgiving (29:13–16), and supplication (29:17–19). Thematically, David’s prayer-poem has affinities to Psalm 145 as a psalm of the kingdom of God. Selman reminds us that “this magnificent prayer demonstrates beyond contradiction that Chronicles’ priority is with the heart of worship rather than its form.”4
By way of literary structure, the Chronicler sandwiches the account of David’s life between two psalms or prayer-poems (16:7–36; 29:10–19), each commemorating momentous events in the worship life of Israel. The transfer of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem centralizes the worship of Yahweh in that city and makes Mount Zion Yahweh’s “home” in fulfillment of Moses’ words that one day God will choose a place for his name (16:1–6; cf. Deut. 14:23–24; 16:2, 6). The building of the temple, God’s “palatial” abode (1 Chron. 29:1), will establish a permanent structure for Israelite worship worthy of his holy name (29:16).
Both events set the stage for the next major section of the Chronicler’s history, the reign of King Solomon (2 Chron. 1–9). With the ascension of Solomon, God has made good his promise to build the “house of David” (1 Chron. 17:11–14; cf. 2 Sam. 7:16). With the construction and dedication of the temple, Solomon makes good on David’s promise to build “God’s house” (1 Chron. 17:1–2; cf. 2 Sam. 7:1–2).
Doxology (29:10–12). A hymn or doxology tends to offer praise to God in general terms for his greatness and faithfulness as Creator.5 This doxology includes a stylistic device that multiplies adjectives describing the attributes of God in a connected series (29:11; cf. 16:25–27). According to Japhet, this technique, known as “accumulation,” becomes a characteristic feature of postbiblical liturgy.6 This liturgical feature influenced early Christian worship as the first portion of the verse was appended to the Lord’s Prayer as a doxology (29:11a–b; cf. Matt. 6:13 [see NIV note]).
The repeated word “praise” (Heb. baruk, 29:10, 20) may be rendered alternately in English as “praise” (so NIV) or “bless” (so NRSV). Here David “blesses” God as an act of homage or reverence because God is the source of all blessing. To bless God in this context is to show gratitude for the bounty of God’s provision, enabling the people to give generously to the temple “building fund.” In blessing God, David also indirectly blesses the materials freely given and the people responsible for the outpouring of resources for the construction of the temple (cf. 29:16, 18). By his pronouncement of this liturgical formula, “blessed are you, O LORD,” King David takes on a priestly role of sorts—a role connected with Davidic kingship (cf. Ps. 110:4).
The key theme of the doxology is the eternal kingdom of God (29:11d). David equates God’s kingdom with the entirety of the created order (29:11c, 12a) and acknowledges that temporal human kingdoms (including his own) can only survive and thrive as they concede all power and strength and honor and wealth belong to God alone.
Thanksgiving (29:13–16). Typically, a song of thanksgiving opens with a statement of the worshiper’s gratitude (29:13), moves to a narration of some past experience of God’s gracious help in a time of need (29:14–15), and concludes by confessing Yahweh’s graciousness and goodness (29:16). David continues his priestly role here, expressing the gratitude of the people in the collective “we” (29:13). The expression “aliens and strangers” (29:15; cf. Ps. 39:12) evokes the wanderings of the Hebrew patriarchs and matriarchs (cf. Heb. 11:13). The illustration has a parallel in the reference to the wandering of Abraham from “nation to nation” (1 Chron. 16:19–20). David appeals to the imagery of the resident alien to remind his audience that they are little more than “widows and orphans,” having no rights and utterly dependent on God for their security and physical well-being.7 No doubt the Chronicler inveighs David’s blessing for the purpose of inspiring this same attitude of humble faith in his own audience.
To reinforce the idea that God’s people are “resident aliens” in this life, David offers the evidence of the brevity and frailty of human life (“our days … are like a shadow,” 29:15; perhaps a reference to Ps. 102:11). The concluding confession in 1 Chronicles 29:16 reiterates 29:12 in extolling God as the source of all gifts (cf. Deut. 8:18; James 1:17).
Supplication (29:17–19). David’s blessing closes with a petition for the people of his realm: “Keep their hearts loyal to you” (29:18). The Chronicler can seek nothing more significant for his own audience. The “heart” is crucial to physical and spiritual life. David well knows that divine “cardiac stress tests” are essential to a healthy spiritual life (29:17). Moses also understood that God must test the heart to reveal motives for the sake of encouraging dependence on God and loyalty to him (cf. Deut. 8:2–3). This Old Testament principle of divine testing, including the complementary work of “self-testing,” is affirmed in the New Testament (James 1:3–8; on self-assessment, cf. Lam. 3:40; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 6:4).
Prominent on the “answer key” of the “divine testing” exam for David are two words, “integrity” and “honest intent” (29:17). These words are more than theological jargon for David, given the crucible of his own experience. As shepherd, poet and singer, loyal friend, warrior, king, repentant adulterer and murderer, and broken-hearted parent, David has learned the way of “integrity” (mešarim; cf. Ps. 9:8 [NIV = “justice”]) and honesty (yošer; cf. Ps. 25:21) through “trouble” (cf. Ps. 9:9; 22:11; 27:5).
Finally, David is sensitive to the need of a role model for the people, an individual who can foster honesty and integrity within the Israelite community by virtue of personal example. Hence, David petitions for his son Solomon, that he might exhibit “wholehearted devotion” through obedience to the law of God (29:19).
Response (29:20). The worship response of the people includes the recitation of a doxology and bodily prostration, a common worship posture in the Old Testament (cf. Ps. 95:6; 138:2). Though not mentioned in this context, on the basis of 1 Chronicles 16:36 it is possible that a congregational benediction is also recited. David mentions the “God of our fathers” in his prayer (29:18), and this phrase is repeated in the report of the people’s worship response (29:20). Spiritual linkage to the past is a crucial element in the Chronicler’s theology of hope for the postexilic nation, demonstrated in the more than twenty-five occurrences of this phrase in Chronicles. It is important to the Chronicler that his audience understand that the God of Abraham, David, and Solomon is their God as well.
The report that the people do obeisance in reverence to “the LORD and the king” is both striking and theologically significant. The king of Israel is the anointed of God, and the occupant of the royal office is God’s servant (cf. Ps. 45:6–7). The throne of Israel, however, belongs to Yahweh, and to bow to the king is ultimately to bow to God, who has installed the king as his agent of justice and righteousness (cf. Ps. 2:2, 6).8
Solomon Anointed a Second Time (29:21–25)
THE FIRST DAY of the “pre-groundbreaking” ceremony for the temple of the Lord is a celebration of Israel’s God and his kingdom established through the family of David. The second day of the festival (29:21) is a celebration of God’s provision of an heir to David’s legacy. Solomon is anointed as the steward of the promises of the Davidic covenant, and the temple he will soon build symbolically embodies the theological tenets of God’s treaty with David’s descendants. The Chronicler indicates Solomon is anointed a “second time” (29:22). It seems likely this installation ceremony for King Solomon is the formal and public sequel to the hurried and private appointment of Solomon as David’s successor (1 Kings 1:28–40), although apparently David has named Solomon coregent prior to his “first anointing” (cf. 1 Chron. 23:1).9
Zadok (29:22) was previously named as a priest in David’s cabinet (18:16). The anointing of Zadok here probably refers to his promotion (or reappointment under a new king) to the office of high priest. According to 1 Kings 2:27, 35, the former high priest Abiathar was demoted for his role in the failed coup of Adonijah. Overall, the Chronicler largely ignores the palace intrigue surrounding the process of selecting David’s successor reported in 1 Kings 1–2. For the Chronicler, the office of kingship transcends the person ruling as king. This explains his preoccupation with the outcome of the tangled succession story rather than the process.
The record of the pledge of loyalty by David’s mercenary guard and the other princes (29:24) is a significant political datum. The stability of the Davidic throne was twice challenged by rivals within the royal family: by Absalom (2 Sam. 15–18) and by Adonijah (1 Kings 1). Solomon knows that such an oath of allegiance is crucial to the smooth transfer of power in the aftermath of Adonijah’s attempted coup. It is significant that the prince (i.e., Solomon), with the support of David’s mercenary guard, is eventually installed as David’s successor.
The changes introduced by the Chronicler in the citation of the parallel account from 1 Kings 2:12 are instructive of his theological agenda. According to 1 Kings 2:12a, “Solomon sat on the throne of his father David.” The Chronicler, however, correctly recognizes that kingship in Israel belongs to God; thus, he writes: “Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD” as David’s successor (1 Chron. 29:23a).
Even more significant for the Chronicler is the reality that the God of Israel reigns over all creation, regardless of whether there is a throne in Jerusalem. Rather than repeat 1 Kings 2:12b (“his rule was firmly established”), the Chronicler unpacks the theological meaning of that clause for his audience: King Solomon prospers because all Israel obeys him (1 Chron. 29:23b). The analogy is clear for postexilic Judah: They will prosper only as they remain unified in their loyalty to their historic roots, the God-given commandments of the Sinai covenant (cf. Deut. 28:2).
The summary statement touting the glory of Solomon’s reign prior to the account of David’s death is unusual. The alteration in the format calls attention to the place of “all Israel” (29:25) in this new regime, a key theme in Chronicles. In fact, the word of measure “all” occurs frequently in this literary unit. It expresses both the totality of God’s rule and the unity of the Israelites as God’s people. No doubt the Chronicler envisions a similar scenario: all Israel once again unified under a divinely ordained Davidic ruler.
David’s Death (29:26–30)
THE NOTICE OF David’s death finds its parallel in 1 Kings 2:10–11. Again the Chronicler has modified the earlier account for specific theological purposes. Unlike Kings, the Chronicler inserts the phrase “son of Jesse” (1 Chron. 29:26). The point is not to review David’s family heritage, which has been done in a comprehensive way in the genealogical prologue. Rather, the Chronicler uses the name “Jesse” as a word prompt to remind his audience of the selection process by which David came to the throne of Israel (cf. 1 Sam. 16). I suspect the key episode in the whole narrative for the Chronicler is the criterion by which the prophet Samuel was instructed to make his choice among the sons of Jesse: “but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7; cf. David’s concern for the “hearts” of his people in his prayer, 1 Chron. 29:18).
The role of David and Solomon in solidifying the tribes into a nation cannot be overlooked, given the repetition of the phrase “all Israel” for the fourth time (29:21, 23, 25, 26). Implicit in all this is God’s faithfulness in making good on his promise to make Israel into a great nation (Gen. 12:2; 22:16–18). The tally of the length of David’s reign agrees with that of 1 Kings 2:11, both rounding off David’s seven and one-half year rule of Judah from Hebron to seven years (cf. 2 Sam. 5:5; 1 Chron. 3:4). Long life, wealth, and honor (1 Chron. 29:28) are blessings from God for those who walk in humility and who fear the Lord (Prov. 22:4). David has admitted as much in his prayer of thanksgiving (1 Chron. 29:14, 16).
The reference to Solomon as David’s successor (29:28b) is both a statement of simple fact and a subtle reminder that in Solomon God has fulfilled his promise to the house of David through Nathan the prophet (2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 17). The Chronicler essentially tells two related stories in closing the book on David’s career: the subplot of David’s greatness as Israel’s ideal king and the main plot of God faithfulness as Israel’s “king maker.”
The bibliographic citation to the records of the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (29:29) probably refers to the books of Samuel and Kings and perhaps an additional source available to the Chronicler. The writer is careful to inform his audience that his record of David’s reign is based reliably on the authoritative word of God’s prophets. Selman has observed that prophetic interventions by these three seers were pivotal in the life of David: Samuel anointed David king (1 Chron. 11:3; cf. 1 Sam. 16:13); Nathan mediated Yahweh’s covenant with David for the building of a dynasty (1 Chron. 17); and through the prophet Gad the temple site was chosen (1 Chron. 21:9–13).10 As noted earlier, the Chronicler’s emphasis on the prophetic office is intended to present the priests and Levites as the legitimate heirs of that tradition to the postexilic community.
The interplay of the nation of Israel with the kingdoms of the other people groups surrounding the Hebrews is an important dimension of the Chronicler’s history because God’s sovereign hand is seen in that arena as well. Israel continually assessed her place among the nations in light of the Abrahamic covenant, the promise to make the people of God “a great nation” (Gen. 12:1–3). Myers is probably correct to identify “the kingdoms of all the other lands” (1 Chron. 29:30) with those sovereign states David subjugated during his reign (i.e., Philistia, Moab, Edom, Ammon, Aram, and Tyre).11 Thus, the reference to “foreign policy” in this passage serves as a retrospective summary of the record of David’s imperialistic expansion found in chapters 18–20. This phrase is prospective in that it anticipates Israel’s interaction with the nations in 2 Chronicles, especially the ancient superpowers of Assyria and Babylonia.
RECURRENT THEMES. The “bookends” of King David’s life for the Chronicler are the two great events shaping the worship life of ancient Israel: the installation of the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem (chs. 15–16) and the preparations for the building of Yahweh’s temple (chs. 28–29). Both accounts conclude with doxology and contribute purposefully to the recurrent themes of Chronicles as a “biography of God,” a “theology of hope,” a “call to worship,” and “joy.” Not surprisingly, all four remain timely topics for consideration in the church.
(1) David’s prayer begins with the adoration of God, a recurring theme in Chronicles and an important component of the Chronicler’s biography of God (see the introduction). Allen has identified four specific elaborations of God’s greatness in David’s prayer: God’s ownership of creation by virtue of his role as Creator (29:11), God’s rule as sovereign King over the world he created (29:11), God as the source of all human wealth (29:12), and God’s providential endowment of human beings with power (29:12).12 The first two reinforce the key theme in the Chronicler’s biography of God, namely, his sovereignty (cf. 2 Chron. 20:6). The second two illustrate another central idea in the biography of God, his goodness (cf. 30:18–20).
(2) Both of these themes contribute to the Chronicler’s development of a theology of hope because God is the Father of Israel “from everlasting to everlasting” (29:10). Even as God was sovereign in the life of Jacob and the other Hebrew forefathers, so God’s sovereignty extends to the postexilic era and the audience of the Chronicler (note the emphasis on the ancestors of Israel in 29:10, 15, 18). By the same token, all that is good still comes from God. Much like the apostle Paul, the Chronicler has reminded the people that they can only give to God what they have already received from him (29:14; cf. 1 Cor. 4:7).
(3) All three sections of the verses under consideration form a call to worship God. David’s praise-prayer (29:10–20) closes with the king’s invoking the “whole assembly” to praise God. One senses that the Chronicler is issuing the same invitation to his audience through the declaration of David. The narrative preserving the second anointing of Solomon (29:21–25) climaxes with “all Israel” celebrating “in the presence of the LORD.” No doubt, the Chronicler envisions a similar experience for the people of postexilic Judah. Even the eulogy of David (29:26–30) serves as an indirect call to worship because the king’s long life, wealth, and honor are understood as gifts from God (cf. Prov. 22:4).
This call to worship incisively supports Allen’s observation that Chronicles may be considered a commentary on Psalm 84:4: “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”13 It seems the Chronicler is inviting his audience, all of postexilic Judah, to share in the joy experienced daily by the priests and Levites in their service of worship to Yahweh in the Jerusalem temple.
David’s invitation to share in the joy of worship represents a significant contribution to the role of a worship leader. As Israel’s worship leader, David models and encourages the people to participate in worship “knowingly,” “actively,” and “fruitfully.”14 Or as Allen has rightly observed, “it must ever be the concern of the worship leader to ensure that the congregation does not lag behind as silent observers, but keeps pace with the leader as sincere participants.”15
In a real sense, King David lays the foundation for participatory corporate worship in ancient Israel and later Judaism (esp. the synagogue tradition) in two dimensions. (a) The physical dimension of Israel’s worship is secured in David’s purchase of the property for a temple site and his preparation for building the edifice as a replacement for Yahweh’s portable sanctuary and in his securing of the raw materials necessary for construction. The development of a permanent site for corporate worship localizes the notion of “sacred place” for the Hebrews.
(b) David reestablishes the elemental spiritual principle of Hebrew worship when he prays that an obedient heart might characterize the people and his son Solomon (29:18–19). Here David essentially echoes the sermon of Moses that called for absolute obedience to God’s decrees because he alone is Israel’s praise (Deut. 10:12–13, 21).
(4) Finally, Michael Wilcock offers insightful reflection on a subject of great importance in our section and one that has received scant attention in commentaries on Chronicles. This topic is a theme (though perhaps more minor) in the poems that commemorate the two “bookend” events of David’s kingship mentioned previously. I speak of the term joy (cf. 16:27, 33; 29:17, 22). Wilcock notes that it is the inner principle of “the perennial joy that God’s people should know” that binds the Hebrew people together through changing circumstances.16 Praising God for his greatness, power, glory, majesty, and splendor (29:11) incites joy in his people because they celebrate the constant source of joy—God himself. According to Wilcock, the expression of joy as a responsive emotion “can be abiding only because God’s bounty, which gives rise to it [i.e., joy], is itself an abiding thing.”17
King David is fully aware of the secret to cultivating this attitude of joy as a characteristic or habit of the godly life. It is found in the word “alien,” which he uses to identify himself and the Israelites and their relationship to God and the physical world (29:15). This term (Heb. ger) refers to a resident foreigner (or the “green-card holder” as a contemporary parallel). The Old Testament uses “alien” to distinguish the Hebrew (and heir of the covenant promises) from the non-Hebrew (those without entitlement to the promises of God but beneficiaries of his blessings because of the goodwill of the rightful title holders of the land of Canaan).18 Isaiah likens the experience of the goodness of God to buying milk and wine without money (Isa. 55:1). Similarly, the apostle Paul marvels: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Little wonder the early Christian apologist Tertullian proclaimed: “Sunday we give to joy!”19
Thus, perception of our “pilgrim” status as the faithful of God fans gratitude that expresses itself in continual praise as we become shareholders in the divine kingdom despite our lack of entitlement. David’s insight comes from his firsthand experience as an “alien,” first as a fugitive from King Saul (1 Sam. 21:10) and later as a fugitive from his own son Absalom (2 Sam. 15:14). The undeserved goodness of God not only sparks gratitude but also prompts the emotive response of joy. Joy, permitted its complete work, issues in loyalty or continued obedience to God. The Chronicler’s “praise formula” may be diagrammed something like this:
“pilgrim” status → gratitude → joy → loyalty
This is not, however, a simplistic and mechanical cause-and-effect relationship between the Creator and his creatures. God cannot be manipulated in this way. Rather, it is the result of “wholehearted devotion” to God (29:19)—the mystery of a “synergistic” faith relationship between a people called to obey God and a God who keeps their hearts loyal to him (29:18).20
VIRTUAL JOY. In his commentary on the message of Chronicles, Michael Wilcock (perhaps) unwittingly and (certainly) prophetically observed that the Christian subculture mirrors its secular counterpart in its penchant for a “virtual reality.” By virtual reality we mean a simulated world of images (whether illusion, fantasy, feeling, etc.) created and manipulated by the individual for the sake of entertainment, as an experiment in detached and riskless life-simulation, or as an avenue of escape from the events and circumstances of life normally beyond the control of the individual.21 In his discussion on “joy,” Wilcock discerned that “we live in a time in the church’s history which tends to value Christian experience more than the cause of that experience.”22 Or put another way, Christians today tend to value the circumstantial experience of joy more than the personal relationship with the God of joy.
In one sense, to divorce the God of joy from the emotive response of joy is to fabricate an alternate or virtual reality in which God becomes either the victim or the cause of any human circumstance that fails to match some preconceived or culturally conditioned ideal. This human tendency both to desire control over the events of our lives and to blame another when circumstances careen out of our control and render us powerless may be traced back to the first sin and its aftermath. That first human pair yielded to the temptation to be “like God” (Gen. 3:5) and then proceeded to blame God and each other when that decision went awry (3:12–13).
Dysfunctional behavior patterns associated with megalomania and displacement have been part of the human psyche ever since. Both psychological disorders encourage a virtual reality theologically speaking because they promote self-justification at the expense of divine justice (cf. Job. 40:8).23 Whether God be indicted as loving but impotent or as omnipotent but unjust, given the fact that evil seemingly still overcomes good, he is effectively discounted as the sovereign Lord overruling events in a fallen world for good in the life of the Christian (cf. Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28).
Of course, the notion of putting God on trial for theological malpractice with respect to the problem of evil is not the exclusive property of modernism or postmodernism.24 Well before the time of Moses a man named Job challenged the absolute goodness of God, actually naming God as the defendant in his lawsuit (Job 23:1–7; 31:35). The psalmists also lodged complaints against God for his apparent failure to keep his word concerning the blessing of the righteous and the cursing of the wicked in a psalmic form known as the “lament” (e.g., Ps. 10; 13; 22; cf. Deut. 28:2, 15). According to Anderson, the lament “is an appeal to God’s compassion to intervene and change a desperate situation.”25 The lament is a legitimate vehicle for the believer’s expression of honest doubt in the biblical tradition and an important testimony to God’s power in answering prayer and meeting human need. There is always the danger, however, that theological truth may be misappropriated and enlisted for the purpose of manipulating God’s intervention in the everyday course of human events for selfish reasons—another form of a virtual reality.26
The separation of the emotion of joy from the God of joy has led us to pawn satisfaction for gratification. The rise of the insidious contemporary idolatry of technology further demeans our humanness in the swapping of an abundant life lived in time and space for a virtual reality logged in cyberspace. Social critics have observed that the American right to “pursue happiness” in the form of instant emotional “fixes” has created a society addicted to fun but bereft of joy.
Interestingly, the thematic structure of the psalm of lament speaks to this dichotomy in that the lament typically concludes with a “vow of praise.” The vow of praise, according to Anderson, is a vote of confidence in Yahweh as the God who hears and answers the prayers the needy.27 It is testimony both to the sovereignty of God in human circumstance (i.e., affirmation of Yahweh’s ability to change the situation if he wills to intervene) and to the goodness of God’s character (i.e., the recognition that God is good whether or not he chooses to intervene and remedy a situation). This helps explain the Chronicler’s report that the people of Israel “ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD” at the coronation of King Solomon (29:22). He apprehends the theological truth that joy is connected to the person and presence of God (cf. 16:27).
C. S. Lewis made a similar discovery in his personal odyssey through atheism, theism, and pantheism to Christianity. Lewis came to understand that joy was a desire, but unlike pleasure, it is never experienced as a result of human power. Rather, as a desire joy “is turned not to itself but to its object.”28 Finally, Lewis realized that joy is something other, something that lies outside of himself. The ultimate question became not, “What is joy?” but, “Who is the desired?”29 Much to his surprise, Lewis perceived a direct connection between God and joy. Joy is not a place but a Person, the very person of God revealed once for all in Jesus Christ. Much like Job, who no longer needed an answer to the question of why the righteous suffer after his encounter with God, Lewis wrote that he lost all interest in the topic of joy when he became a Christian and met the “God of Joy.”30