Bible Reading Challenge Week 22 Day 5

Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Chronicles 25-29. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

1 Chronicles 25 - See how the music - the liturgy - is well cared for. These clans of musicians were appointed by God through human means to see that God’s people would faithfully sing His praises.

1 Chronicles 26 - As the nation of Israel has settled down with Jerusalem as its capital the Levites end up serving as civil servants in some ways. They keep the gates of the city and will care for the temple and its treasuries in one place rather than working with the tabernacle and moving from place to place.

1 Chronicles 27 - We see a sort of numbering of troop strength. Yet this one may not be incurring God’s judgment. Observe that the forces are divided out for service in different months. There is a legitimate civil reason for numbering these people, as it is important to keep the military forces balanced from month to month. It is also important to know how many people need to be fed, clothed, and housed while on duty. This is different from taking a wholesale census so as to find out how well the troops can defend the nation.

1 Chronicles 28-29 - See again the concern of the author of Chronicles. The religious life of Israel is first and foremost in these chapters, as David passes the kingdom and all the plans for a glorious temple to his son, Solomon. We know of the problems in David’s later years from Kings, but the author of Chronicles emphasizes the centrality of God’s provision and command through David.

We, like David, are at the same time saint and sinner. Though our lives may be plagued by sin and shame, at the same time we can look to the Lord in hope, being instruments of his grace.

Bible Reading Challenge Week 22 Day 4

Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Chronicles 20-24. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

1 Chronicles 20 - We seldom think of Goliath as having relatives. But we see there is a group of warriors rather like him, apparently with some genetic abnormality. People are people, just different from one another.

1 Chronicles 21 - David’s census of Israel is evil before God because it implies the security of the people is based on their numbers, not their Lord. See how the folly of the leader has results among the people.

1 Chronicles 22 - David is not to build a temple for God but he makes every effort to smooth the way for it. May we all have many ways to set the stage for works that honor our Lord.

1 Chronicles 23-24 - The mighty army of those who have special service before God as priests and Levites are rightly numbered. See again how the author is specially interested in religious rather than political life.

Bible Reading Challenge Week 22 Day 3

Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Chronicles 15-19. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

1 Chronicles 15-16 - David strives to make everything pertaining to bringing the ark to Jerusalem proper. He researches the way that the ark was to be transported. He has it accompanied by people singing the praises of God. He sings his own praises to God. What kind of song of praise do we have for our Lord? Notice how David’s song emphasizes God’s character and what he has done in history. So often our songs of praise emphasize our need and how God makes us feel. May the Lord help us look to him as our standard.

1 Chronicles 17-19 - David wishes to build a house for God’s presence. Instead, God appoints him to the task of being a great ruler in a time of conflict. God promises to establish David’s house, his realm. It is from the house of David that Jesus comes, the one whom David calls “Lord.” Is David’s reign perfect? Not at all. Yet David is fulfilling the vocation which God has given him. Whether your calling is to be a father or mother, husband or wife, single person, scholar, laborer, or king, it is a calling from God to be carried out with dignity.

Bible Reading Challenge Week 22 Day 2

Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Chronicles 10-14. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

The passage of time slows down considerably here with an account of Saul’s death. Notice the author of Chronicles tends to assess guilt, saying that Saul died because of his unfaithfulness. The author goes on to talk about all the mighty men and how they do their deeds because God is with them. The author is also concerned with the false gods of the people in the area.

What interest do we take in God’s priorities and those of the people around us? Do we look to the Lord as the ultimate hope of all? Do we see that he is engaged in all our acts of valor and all the acts which bring shame?

Bible Reading Challenge Week 22 Day 1

Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Chronicles 1-9. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

In this lengthy reading we see that God is concerned about the heritage of his people. He is particularly interested in tracking the genealogy of his chosen one, the line of the Messiah. In the time after the Babylonian exile he provides a record for those who are the line of promise to identify themselves.

In the New Testament we see that all those who look to Jesus in trust are his chosen people. We are identified as the chosen ones of God because of his Son of Promise, Jesus, the Savior of the World. It is not because of who we are. It is because of whom we trust.