1
Chronicles 9-10
We're almost out of the woods.
1 Chronicles 9
Vs. 1-9 This gives you the point of this chapter and the
past eight chapters. Who were the first of the people to return from exile in
Babylon? Those who could trace their roots.
Vs. 10-35 The particular interest in this chapter is the
Levites and setting up the worship of God. One of the questions you might ask
yourself is how they were so ready to return, both in terms of organization and
genealogies. Did they have a "heads up?" God did some amazing things
during their time in Babylon. More on that later. I'm amazed how organized this
was.
Vs. 10-13 These were the priests who returned ready to roll.
Vs. 14-16 These are the seven families of Levites who
returned to serve in the temple.
Vs. 17-27 Since the temple operated every day for morning
and evening sacrifices, the gatekeepers were important and appropriately
organized.
Vs. 28-32 They apparently needed fewer Levites to attend to
the services in the temple.
Vs. 33-34 And then you have the singers. We'll hear more
about them later.
In a way this shows that when Israel returned they knew it
was God's grace. Where the worship of God had been a mess before the exile,
they wanted to return and worship God properly with the proper people. This was
a very good thing. What is interesting is that this was prepared for during the
exile. When we begin the book of Daniel you will see how these preparations could
have been possible.
Vs. 35-44 Once again, this is the lineage of King Saul going
up to those of his descendants who returned to Jerusalem after the exile.
1 Chronicles 10
This is a very abbreviated rendition of Saul, in fact, only
his death. The real point is to get to David in the next chapter.
Vs. 1-12 This is the account of Saul's death and his sons.
Notice that this account is at odds with the guy who came to David and said he
had killed Saul (2 Sam. 1:14). Saul was dead before his armor bearer killed
himself. It gives proof to the fact that the kid lied in order to win David's
favor. His lie got him killed.
Vs. 13-14 This is an interesting commentary on Saul's sin
and death. How do you reconcile the fact that Saul said he had tried to contact
God, but God wasn't talking, with this report that Saul didn't seek guidance
from the Lord? Sometimes seeking is a matter of how and how long. Also, we
never heard that Saul was in any sense repentant for killing a town of priests
and unjustly seeking to kill David. Sometimes seeking God needs to happen the
right way. It is clear that most of his life Saul didn't seek God.
Acts
27:21-44
Vs. 21-26 Some people wonder why Luke included this story of
Paul's trip to Rome. The trip is evidence of God's working. And, I'll bet it
made the centurion's report exciting to read.
V. 21 Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul says, "I told
you so."
Vs. 23-24 Once again we have confirmation, that even in this
catastrophe at sea, God was in it. Remember too, that the centurion would have
to file a report.
Vs. 27-32 That's a long time. I definitely would have been
beyond seasick.
V. 29 Nelson, of Her Majesty's Navy, took a lesson from this
use of the anchors and did likewise before one of his battles.
Vs. 31-32 It wasn't a matter of God needing the crew
together to save them all, it was a matter of needing all the experienced
sailors present when they struck land so they could save everyone else.
So the centurion wrote in his little book. "Once again,
that Jewish criminal was pretty helpful."
Vs. 33-38 Paul had faced so many storms for Jesus, that he
was definitely in control and able to serve them.
Vs. 39-44 The centurion was a good guy. I'll bet he wrote in
his little book, "We all made it safe to land. Little Jewish criminal was
right again. His vision must have been true."
It is interesting to me that as Paul and company were going
through this, they were encouraging those who had given up and helping others
see that God was in the situation. It is a good thing Paul knew God was
present. As disciples, we don't determine the harvest field; the Lord does. All
He asks us to do is to follow with the passion to reach lost people and make
disciples. He does the rest. He trains us and gets us to the place where we can
bring calm into a storm. The people around us see that it is because of our
Lord. He does this. It isn't a strategy. It is following in the harvest.
Psalm
8
I wonder if David wrote this one evening in the wilderness
when there was a pause in running from Saul.
Vs.
1-2 It is interesting that even in a praise psalm like this, David still had
his enemies in view. He says that God's wonder, spoken through the lips of babes and infants, is so strong that it
defeats and confounds His enemies. This is what Jesus meant and what the
Pharisees would have understood in Matthew 21:16, when the Pharisees said to him, "Do you hear what these
are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out
of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?’"
In the context of this psalm, the Pharisees would have understood they were
God's enemies and that these babies were defeating them.
Vs.
3-4 This is part of the purpose of God's creation.
Vs.
5-8 There is an important contrast in v. 5. The angels are heavenly and
glorious, yet man is crowned with glory
and honor. This definitely applies to Jesus in Hebrews 2:7, and in the
future it will apply to us. This is what made Satan mad enough to become proud
and rebel. He was the beauty of God's creation and should he serve mankind?
V. 6 David the shepherd appreciated this command from the
creation to have dominion over the work of God's hands. Notice that under his feet prophetically applies to
Jesus, but in terms of man's dominion, it doesn't mean to crush or treat in a
demeaning way. David as a shepherd loved and cared for his sheep, protecting
them with his life, pulling a lion's beard here and clubbing a bear to death
there. Authority means different things depending on the degree of rebellion
and submission of the followers.
V. 9 Amen.
Proverbs
18:23-24
I guess this is saying that the poor make real friends
because they are humble and know they are needy. There is something about
adversity that teaches you humility and bonding together. I'll bet that Paul
and the centurion on the ship were friends after their adventure together. Both
were needy and humble, and the centurion was willing to trust the word that
Paul had heard from the Lord.
In our lives here on earth, I think it is the harvest that
gives us this kind of humility and this kind of closeness. Churches and pastors
herniate themselves trying to produce the kind of unity that only comes from
knowing we're saved by grace to follow Christ and work together in the harvest.
Musical worship and potlucks and summer missions trips will never replace
living as disciples in the shadow of His grace, in the shadow of the coming
storm, working together in the harvest.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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