Lasso of Truth

I Chronicles 4-6

Chapter 4

v9-10 Remember all the hype these two verses got a few of years back? Some prosperity-pastors jumped on it and adopted it as a sure way to get health and wealth.  They dissected the prayer, put it in modern form, and assigned it as a mantra to their followers.  Really? I think the key phrase here is that Jabez was honorable.  And he had a prayerful dependence on God.  Making this into anything else just seems kind of icky.

v14,21,23 I love these family businesses.  There was no such thing as a college education, so these trades, along with their secrets, were passed down through generations.  I wonder how much skill has been lost over the years since we don't really do things this way anymore.

Chapter 5

v1 Can't remember what Reuben did to lose his birthright?  It's gross, but you can find it at Gen 35:22

v2 From Judah came the leader.  King David, and later Jesus Christ.

v24-26 Seeking after valor, fame, and power will get you nowhere with God.  These things are impressive to men, but if God isn't pleased what is the point?  He enabled the king of Assyria to carry them into exile.  Their fame and power didn't do them much good after that.

Chapter 6

v15 Isn't the wording here interesting? "The Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar."  Whether victory or defeat, never forget Who actually holds the power.

Next time:

I Chronicles 7-9

I Chronicles 1-3

Hello, friends!  How have you been doing in your Scripture reading?  A word about the books of I and II Chronicles before we get started.  And that it "recap". Why is there so much recap? According to the intro in my Bible, these two books were written after the Israelites returned from captivity, to remind them that they were still God's chosen people. 

When Ethan (5) is continually disobedient in an area, there is nothing I can do to avoid disciplining him.  It's my job.  He has to learn, right?  While he has a tendency to push the boundaries where obedience is concerned, he is also more sensitive than my other children to the temporary "break" in relationship that it causes.  Punishment makes him almost desperate to be held and hugged and reassured that he's mine, and that I still love him.

When you think about it, these next two books are like God reached down, took His people in His arms, and held them in His reassuring grasp.  We could all use a reminder of who God is, and how He regards His people--especially after a "break" in the feel-goods.

Chapter 1

v1-54 It's tempting to skip over some of these long genealogies.  But as you read them, notice that some of the names have become familiar to you. We recognize their legacies and how their descendants interacted with God's people.  It's also OK to marvel at how God has brought you through the time lines of all these people, just through obediently reading His Word.

Chapter 2

v3-4 a refresher on the history of Judah and how he got 5 sons instead of just 3.  Gen 38:2-10

v7 How would you like your footnote to read: "the troubler of Israel"? Josh 7:1

v15 David--the seventh-born in his family.  Who would have thought that the history of the world could begin with a 7th-born?  Not in a tradition where the inheritance was always passed through the first son.  What would even be left for a 7th?  Do you ever feel like that? Maybe you were dealt a bad hand from the beginning. But look what God did with this unlikely candidate!  What could he have in store for you?

Chapter 3

v4 In seven years, David had six sons by six different women.

v10-14 I like how the rhythm of this list changes here.  Abijah his son...Asa his son....These are the kings we've just finished reading about.

OK, so we're at the end of the study for today, and we honestly don't have a ton of notes here.  Don't worry.  We're going to take the pace a little quicker so we don't get bogged down in the review. Three-four chapters each time sounds about right, doesn't it?  Good.  See you here next time with I Chronicles 4-6.