First Chronicles 1-3

God’s message to me: History is important to God. Whether it’s the descendants of Esau, the history of the US Civil war or the rise of the European nations it is important to know how things came about. If you don’t understand the past you can’t understand the present and you have no hope of seeing the future. The relationships of family members can translate to the relationship of nations and national interests can effect personal relationships. By understanding what came before you can realize where others went wrong and find the way to avoid their mistakes. Learning by example is what the bible is all about so it is wise to try and understand other histories as well.

Promises: God fulfills his promises no matter who He makes them to. Ishmael and Esau both were promised they would be the father of nations and the family trees given here show the nations they founded. The relationship of family members can be seen in the relationship of nations later as their descendants become nations that become neighbors, allies and even opponents. It’s also important to understand the fall of nations later. Often, the fate of nations in the bible is the result of their founders actions.

Commands: Be ready with a reason for your faith. God doesn’t call us to blind faith. He has given ample proof, evidence and historical records to back our faith and give reason for the way we believe. While this may be dry reading it establishes a history which we can point to and prove to support our beliefs. the next time someone tells you it isn’t proof and isn’t historically accurate point them to Simon Greenleaf. Dr Greenleaf was an atheist who put the bible to the test of evidence acceptable in court and found the bible to be proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Since then any number of other skeptics and unbelievers have tried to do the same and, like Greenleaf, they became evangelists. They also found ample historical and Archaeological evidence so that there is now more evidence supporting biblical history than there is for any other historical document in existence.

Timeless principles: Genealogy has been in practice for as long as man has been on the earth. The descendants of Adam and how they effected the earth before the flood are recorded. The descendants of Noah and how they became the nations of the world are recorded. The descendants of Abraham are described and explain the layout of the nation of Israel as you realize where the cities and regions got their names and how the families of the nation interacted. The genealogy of the kings is a habit that has been carried on throughout history and become the foundation of recorded history.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: I honestly don’t know yet. I hope I’ll have a better answer by the time I’m done with the genealogies that will be most of the study for the next couple of days.

more to learn for in-depth study: for those comparing timelines, this section should give you a lot of writing time.

tomorrow: First Chronicles 4-6