Scripture Passage For Today
GENESIS 36:1-19, 1 CHRONICLES 1:35-37, GENESIS 36:20-30, 1 CHRONCLES 1:38-42, GENESIS 36:31-43, 1 CHRONICLES 1:43-2:2
“These are the kings who ruled in Edom before there were kings in Israel” (1 Chronicles 1:43 NLT)
Observation
I’ll say it again—when it comes to the Biblical genealogies, my eyes glaze over.
A list of Esau’s descendents does nothing for me. I’m sure they were all nice guys—well, okay, I’m not even sure of that. I’m sure that—like me—they wanted their lives to have meaning, to be significant. But because I’m not real big on the details, I just don’t care much to read a list of names of guys who lived centuries ago.
I do, however, know that often my perspective on things (life, history, the world) is way too small. And I’m reminded of that by this simple verse in 1 Chronicles. As a lover of Scripture and a lover of God’s redemptive plan, I still sometimes forget that history is bigger than I make it, that God is bigger than I make Him, and that His redemptive work begins only as a simple, single thread in a vast tapestry of darkness. It’s kinda cool for me, today, to think that if you could back up and take a look at the whole of human history as one big tapestry, you’d have to have a really keen eye to pick out God’s “thread of redemption” early on. Only in His time does the redeeming act of God in Christ take on the epic, world-wide proportions we see today.
Even at that, many today (more than I can imagine) live unaware of God—of who He is, of His lavish grace, abundant love, and atoning sacrifice. And I often live as unaware of them as they live unaware of the God who created them, loves them, and gave Himself to redeem them. Today I want a bigger perspective—a broader worldview. Today I want to know—today I want to remember—that there were “kings who ruled in Edom before there were kings in Israel.
2 comments:
I am the same way Pastor. I cant even pronounce some of these names. So many decendants, so many tribes, so many people. how did they pick the king to be the successor of the king already in place. I guess there was alot of fighting between tribes that we dont know about. Maybe, I dont know.
How about the fact that they were Second Cousins to the kings of Isreal. (Or was it third)? Anyway no wonder God was upset with the way they treated moses and joshua when they were passing through.
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