Tag: 1 Chronicles

God On My Terms

Saul decides to forego God’s path and forges his own way. Yet, somehow, he seems surprised that when he seeks God’s guidance He is silent… so he consults a medium… effectively! (But that’s a whole thing for some other time)

I think this is a temptation common to many of us. We want God, but only if He will do what WE want and how WE want. We treat God less like the almighty author of life and more like a faithful manservant. Let’s make sure we check ourselves and make sure that we understand who God is and who we are; what His place is and what our place is. Otherwise we might become like Saul.

1 Samuel 26-29; 1 Chronicles 12:2-7,19; Psalm 56 | 108/365

Step Into Your Destiny

Samuel anointed David as the new king over God’s people. Now David is hiding in a cave with his merry band of 400 rejects while the current monarch and his bloodthirsty hangers-on plot to assassinate him. And from that circumstance David pens this:

⁹I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Psalm 57:9-10

Things are looking about as bleak as they can and yet David declares God’s faithfulness. I pray that I can have the faith to trust in God’s promises when they are looking unlikely, I would advise you to do the same. Don’t be afraid if you don’t understand how the road you’re on will lead to the place God has called you. Indeed, sometimes it is a long and winding road.

He is faithful. Let’s act like we believe that.

1 Samuel 22:1-23:12; Psalm 52, 57, 142; 1 Chronicles 12:8-18 | 106/365

The Beginning of the End

Saul’s son Jonathan decides to “go rogue” and take on the Philistines by himself with his armour-bearer and is extremely successful. This is often credited as a great act of faith and trust in the Lord. But is it?

Earlier in the story we read that Saul becomes impatient waiting for the man who is designated by the Lord to provide sacrifices and decides to offer the sacrifices himself. When that man — Samuel — arrives he tells Saul that he has done a bad thing and shown his contempt for the Lord, and so his reign as king is over. A new man after God’s heart will become king.

Of course this doesn’t happen right away, at this point it’s more prophecy than proclamation.

But! later we see this episode with Jonathan and his armour-bearer. Jonathan declares that if the Philistines do X then God IS NOT in the plan, but if the Philistines do Y then God IS in the plan! What struck me about this was the lack of any kind of prayer. There is no record that Jonathan ever consulted God on this in any way. Yet the results make it clear that God showed up.

Is that how this works? We don’t need to submit our plans to God? We just need to have faith and dare Him to show up? I don’t think so… but then how do we square this circle?

My theory: God is showing Saul that His blessing is on Israel as a nation rather than Saul as its king. We often see God do amazing things in spite of ourselves. I think this is no different. I don’t know that God was thrilled to have Jonathan dictate to Him what He was going to do, but I think God used this as an opportunity to show Saul, who had been sitting, waiting, doing nothing that His anointing was on the people. This was God signalling the beginning of the end.

I guess what I’m saying is this: don’t start thinking of yourself as a giant of the faith because God seemed to bless what you did. Remember that every good gift comes from Him and that sometimes we succeed in spite of ourselves. Let’s do everything we can to stay humble. God can use anyone he wants to achieve his purposes. Even a donkey! And I don’t know about you, but I would way rather be Moses than Pharaoh.

1 Chronicles 9:35-39; 1 Samuel 13:1-14:52 | 102/365

The Prayer of Jabez Revisited

If you like genealogies you will LOVE today’s reading. But there is some more interesting tidbits sprinkled in here as well. Like the conclusion to the story of Ruth & Boaz as well as Elkanah’s just… really terrible attempt at consoling his wife. But what struck me most today was the prayer of Jabez. He disappeared from the Biblical account as quickly as he entered it, but his prayer was included by the author for a reason. What can we learn from this prayer.

Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory. May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain.” God answered his prayer.

Jabez prays four things. 1) That God would greatly bless him. 2) That God would expand his territory 3) That God would be with him 4) The God would keep him from harm. Let’s take a quick look at each of these.

That God would greatly bless him — We get nervous about asking for God’s blessing because of name-it-and-claim-it preachers and theology, but there’s nothing wrong with asking for God’s blessing! We see a great many Biblical figures do so. We just need to remember not to put a fence around what God’s blessing “should” be. We should consider ourselves blessed when we can use whatever we may have been given to bless others.
That God would expand his territory — We are told that if we are faithful with little, we will be trusted with more. If you have been using what you have been blessed with for the glory of God, you should not be surprised that God is “expanding your territory” and trusting you with more.
That God would be with him — As the Lord has been teaching me this year: I am very capable of doing a great number of things on my own. But this means that I often tell God to “sit this one out” because I don’t NEED Him. This is — and has been — an error on my part. We should have a standing invitation to God. We should ask Him to be a part of everything we are doing.
That God would keep him from harm — I think this would be our desire, but one we ought to hold loosely. We should remember that it is a privilege to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus did. Paul did. Peter did. I would not mind being mentioned alongside these fellow.

Let’s try to employ these principles as we pray, seek the Lord, and try to live lives worthy of the One who saved us.

Ruth 4:13-22, 1 Chronicles 2:9-55; 4:1-23, 1 Samuel 1:1-8 | 098/365

(Un)Fulfilled Promises?

Today’s reflection delves into a notable aspect of biblical interpretation: apparent contradictions. While some may relish pointing out such instances to discredit the Bible, it’s crucial to engage earnestly with these passages to grasp their deeper meaning.

Let’s examine Joshua 21:43-45, where it’s proclaimed that the Lord fulfilled His promises to Israel, giving them the land and defeating their enemies. However, earlier passages seem to present a different picture. For example, Joshua 13 outlines areas still unconquered, indicating an incomplete fulfillment of promises. Joshua 15:63, Joshua 16:10, and Joshua 17:12-13 further detail instances where enemies remained unconquered or subjugated.

How do we reconcile these apparent discrepancies? One key lies in understanding the Hebrew concept of completed (perfect) and ongoing (imperfect) actions. While the text presents events in past tense, indicating completion, it signifies ongoing fulfillment rather than a one-time occurrence.

Additionally, we must consider the conditional nature of Israel’s possession of the land. Their continued possession was contingent upon faithful obedience to God’s commands, as outlined in Deuteronomy 29-30. Thus, the presence of unconquered enemies reflects Israel’s failure to fully uphold their end of the covenant.

However, amidst Israel’s shortcomings, we find reassurance in the Abrahamic Covenant, an unconditional promise of land boundaries that will ultimately be fulfilled in the eschaton.

In essence, while the Bible may present apparent contradictions, a deeper examination reveals a consistent narrative of God’s faithfulness and humanity’s failure. Rather than dismissing these passages, we’re challenged to engage critically, recognizing the complexities of biblical interpretation.

As we reflect on this, let’s reaffirm our commitment to faithful obedience, understanding that God remains steadfast in His promises, despite our shortcomings.

Joshua 19:49-21:45; 1 Chronicles 6:54-81 | 088/365

Exercising Control In Order To Yield It

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All To Jesus I Surrender // Judson W. Van DeVenter (1896)

This old hymn exemplifies what I want to focus on in today’s passage. The story of Achan. Israel is given the city of Jericho and Achan decides to keep for himself some of the things to be set aside for consecration to the Lord. Dude literally steals from God.

Steals.

From God.

But what is interesting is that this one guy — out of a nation of more than 1 million members — decides to go rogue and cuts off the blessing of the Lord for everyone! The Apostle Paul gives this analogy in his first letter to the Corinthians:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

One rogue member of our body NOT under submission can jeopardize everything. Your hands, eyes, mouth, heart, mind? Is everything ‘disciplined’? Satan only needs a foothold, he is patient and willing to play the long game. He’s not likely to jump out and challenge you to abandon God, but rather take our uncontrolled mouth and use it as a vector for attack that will rob us of the blessing of God. And slowly, insidiously, he will rob us of our imperishable reward. And just like Achar, that one area that went unchecked will disqualify us from receiving the prize that had been waiting for us.

Don’t let any part of you be an Achar, bring every part of you under control. So that you can indeed surrender all to our blessed Saviour.

Joshua 7-9; 1 Chronicles 2:7 | 083/365

What Was God Waiting For?

Exodus opens with the Israelites growing into a mighty sub-nation within Egypt. And so the Egyptians seek to subjugate them with slavery. They do so successfully. But God does nothing. Pharaoh orders all the newborn male children drown, and God does nothing.

Eventually one little boy is hidden in the reeds down the river by his mother. Her hopes and motivations are not stated in the text, but by having her daughter — Miriam — keep watch, it’s clear that she hopes someone will come rescue the child and his sister can report back what has happened.

Moses is taken in by the daughter of Pharaoh. He is raised by Egyptian royalty in the lap of luxury while his people are beaten and enslaved. One day Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man and killed him. The next day Moses saw two Hebrews fighting each other and asked why they would be attacking their friend!

Shortly after this, Moses fled for his life after Pharaoh put out a decree to have him killed for the murder of the Egyptian man. While in Exile Moses got married and had a son. All the while the Israelites are still enslaved and God still hasn’t done anything. But now, now God begins to move.

What took God so long? Why didn’t he step in right away? Because He was waiting for Moses. Moses demonstrated a zealous (maybe a little OVERzealous) love for his fellow Israelites. And this was the man God wanted to task with bringing the law to His people. This man would be the one who would FIRST write down the words and instructions and history of God and His people.

We need to remember when things are going sideways that God has a plan, a purpose, and a person in mind to do address what’s happened. We have a hard time seeing beyond where we are at in any particular moment, but while we only see what’s on the road in front of us, God can see every road. And he knows when our course will change even if we can’t see it yet.

We need to trust enough to wait on God. He is coming. When the time is right.

Exodus 1:1-4:17, 1 Chronicles 6:1-3a | 032/365

Bold As Love

Anger! He smiles
Towering in shiny metallic purple armor
Queen jealousy, envy waits behind him
Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground

Jimi Hendrix rightly recognizes that jealousy often fuels the wrong kinds of anger. Such is the case with Joseph’s brothers. There’s plenty to be jealous about, Joseph is the youngest and the apple of his father’s eye. The little brother is a snitch. And Jospeh also appears to have no filter of any kind. When Joseph shares the dreams about his family bowing down to him, it is not clear from the text whether he is trying to flaunt/taunt his brother with it because they are so mean to him, or whether Jospeh just has a hard time reading the room.

In any case, his brother plot to kill him, but Reuben talks them into merely abandoning him in a well to die of starvation or exposure. Of course his real plan was to go rescue Joseph later, but that part is never said aloud. Well, Judah realizes they can make some cash off the deal by selling Joseph to the passing Ishmaelite traders. Later Reuben comes to rescue his brother only to find that he is gone. Similarly, Jacob is told that Joseph was mauled to death by a wild animal and mourns for a long time.

If we know that something is wrong, it isn’t enough to simply think it’s wrong and make a secret plan to circumvent the wrong-doers, we must be willing to stand up, be unpopular, possibly even be hated in order to do what is right. And by ‘right’ I mean righteous. We cannot allow ourselves to have a timid love, that is hidden and only allowed out when we think we are in the majority or it won’t ruffle any feathers. We must be bold. Bold as love.

Genesis 37-39; 1 Chronicles 2:3-6, 8 | 014/365

Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust

Immediately after Jacob returns home and he and Esau bury their father, Isaac, Esau moves his household out of the land because, basically, this town ain’t big enough for the two of us. He settles outside Canaan in Edom. They appointed kings and traded with Egypt, and eventually warred with Israel. How does Esau go so far wrong?

He showed no respect for his birthright, giving it away from some stew. This flippant, careless attitude would have reflected very poorly on him, and likely affected how his family, friends, and possibly even the wider community saw him.

Then he is cheated out of his Father’s blessing by his brother and his mother. It is possible that Rebekah was worried that Esau would treat his father’s blessing with the same contempt as his birthright, and thus sought to put it on the son who appreciated it’s value.

Possibly Esau was scarred by his own regrets and the actions of his family against him, and as a final act of breaking from both his family and the God of his ancestors, Esau leaves the promised land.

And so Esau’s rejection of his family and of God is complete. He will be a ‘self-made man’. And he flourishes into a small, semi-nomadic kingdom that would trade with Egypt and flourish under the Persians…

But eventually the Prophets Jeremiah, Obadiah, and Malachi would all pronounce God’s judgement on Edom. They were wiped off the face of the earth, and until 2021 they were totally absent from the archaeological record.

You can go it on your own. And you might even be quite successful at it. But as God tells Adam in Genesis 3:19, “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” When this life is over the self-made men and women will return to the ground from which they came and then stand before the judgement throne of God. All their hard work and determination will counted for nothing and their death will be eternal.

Let us appreciate the gifts that God has given. Recognize them for what they are. Cherish them and keep them close to our hearts. In that was we can build something of value that lasts forever.

Genesis 36; 1 Chronicles 1:35-54, 2:1-2 | 013/365

Hard Things are Harder, but They’re Better

This is a little piece of wisdom from my wife. She always laughs at it, but I’ve always thought it was profound in it’s obvious simplicity. I think this is what we see in God’s method of bringing his covenant with Abraham to fulfillment. Sarah had trouble conceiving, but Hagar had no such issues. Even elderly Abraham had 6 children with the woman he married after Sarah’s death.

In the same way, Isaac marries Rebekah, who also has fertility issues, they pray to God and she does eventually have twins. Jacob and Esau. But Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son had no issues producing heirs. 12 boys, not to mention however many girls may also have been born to him.

And then Jacob, the one who would become the namesake for the entire nation of Israel, was called “deceiver” at his birth (and engaged in plenty of shenanigans throughout his life). God seems to enjoy subverting expectations, taking the hard road, and achieving the improbable.

When God says, “Trust me”, He really means it. I’ve witnessed it personally in my life. Several times. There is nothing He cannot do, yield yourself to Him and watch His plan work itself out.

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