The material in chapters eleven and twelve of 1 Chronicles cannot be found anywhere else in the Bible. You should notice three important places mentioned here: the “stronghold” (David’s cave fortress where he hid from Saul), Ziklag (a Philistine city given to David while he was on the run from Saul) and Hebron, where David was crowned king.
Chapter eleven begins with Hebron. Chapter twelve ends with Hebron. In between is the account of those who came over to David’s side during the Saul conflict – and their number and quality is significant. Saul’s own family (the Benjaminites) even defected to David. In the middle of chapter twelve is the reason: God was with David.
Notice the number of times the word “help” is used in chapter twelve – more than in any other chapter in Chronicles. The scene is one of God’s people, banding together in a common cause, behind God’s chosen leader, helping him and one another – a scene of unity. The result is blessing. The chapter ends with this note: “Their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
This is the way it is supposed to be: God’s people acting in concert, supporting and helping one another as they move to make God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.