First Chronicles 10-12

God’s message to me: It is important to understand the times. Past, present and future come together to form a picture we can use to understand our place in the world and God’s will for us. We are not of this world but we are in it and we are expected to effect it for the better. We cannot hope to do that unless we understand and act on the times.

1) Stand up for what God’s word tells us.
2) Stand up for the principles that protect our rights to worship and to teach the truth.
3) Stand up for God’s chosen people Israel.
4) Stand against those who label sin as personal choice.
5) Stand against those who demand we accept their “personal choice”.
6) Stand against those who redefine Christianity and Godliness as accepting everyone regardless of evil.
7) Stand up for the truth of the Gospel.

In the past few years I have heard leaders tell us that religion is the source of evil, that man is the source of law, that government is the source of wisdom, that Israel is a racist and evil state, that the US Constitution is an impediment to government and that the government can ignore the rights of the people when it is in the governments best interest(that last one is a supreme court decision regarding campaign finance reform). I see the present. I understand the past and how the progressives led us into the evils of Eugenics and Socialism while pulling us away from God. I see the future in the pages of scripture and know that Christ will return within my own life expectancy.

Promises: God’s word will tell us what is coming and what to do about it if we simply read it. While current events in the US may not be precisely predicted in scripture, the scripture can still be applied. Through it we know when what our leaders are doing is leading us in opposition to God. We can also see when the path our country is taking is right, wrong or even leading towards the end times.

Commands: Understand God’s word. When Saul was killed and David was made king there was a period of strife in the land because of those who didn’t understand or refused to acknowledge the prophecy of Samuel. Saul had disobeyed God in his first major act as king and was doomed by God to lose the kingdom. David was raised up to be Saul’s replacement. Those who knew and understood God’s will in the matter joined him immediately. Those who failed to keep up with what was going on found themselves on the wrong side of God’s will.

Timeless principles: Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. The time of the Judges was a steady stream of Israelites repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The time of the kings was a steady stream of kings who followed God and kings who didn’t and history meaning nothing to most of them. Josiah learned history through the book of the law and mourned and prayed forgiveness for the sins of his fathers. Most kings served God or didn’t based on personality. Some would follow in their father’s footsteps while others did the opposite of their fathers. Few ever gave a glance at history or the idea of turning from God would scare them to death.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Understand the times. 1 Chronicles 12:32 mentions that members of the tribe of Issachar, that understood the times, came to make David king. God commands us in many places to understand the times and to understand prophecy so that we can be prepared. Like the men of Issachar that did not come, we will no be prepared to do the right thing and avoid the wrong actions if we don’t know what is happening and what God has to say about it.

more to learn for in-depth study: Keeping up with current events, understanding politics, knowing prophecy and learning history are all things people tend to avoid. Without and understanding of history you cannot hope to understand the present or to know the future. (those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it) Without understanding current events you will find the world passes you by. Without understanding politics you will find others control your life and you don’t even know why. Without understanding prophecy you will not know how the other 3 subjects apply to God’s plan and how you should react to what is happening and what is coming.

tomorrow: First Chronicles 13-16

First Chronicles 7-9

God’s message to me: God has a purpose, plan and place for me. While the genealogies may seem pointless and refer to people we don’t even know, they show the plan that brought great things. While the you may need to check center column references you will see many names you have heard before. Some people were known by other names and, translation sometimes resulted in different spellings over time but, the references can show you the name you are familiar with. You’ll see the line of king Saul, the line of the priests. The line of later kings and other lines to important figures, even prophets.

Promises: God planned things long before we got here. You can see through these genealogies the path that brought high priests and kings into power and provided a place for the prophets. You can see how that plan was developed over generations and began to take shape decades or even centuries before the major players were born.

Commands: Another command for Israel. Take a census every ten years. The US Constitution provides for a census every 10 years based on that command. For us it is a simple count of the population to establish political districts. In Israel it was an exercise in Genealogy. Keep in mind that these were not separate family trees. These are all part of the same family tree going back to Jacob (Israel) for the family of Israel and beyond to Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Esau and others because they are cousins to the brothers of Israel. The relationship of Israel towards Edom and the Ishmaelite was determined by their familial relationship. God commanded Israel not to harass them because they were brothers. Edom and the Ishmaelite weren’t quite as good about recognizing that reason for peace which led to conflict and eventual destruction for them as we will see.

Timeless principles: No matter how much we try to stand out as individuals, our heritage will always be a factor in our lives. Whether we are descended from royalty or rug makers, Whether our families were rich or coal miners, we are a product of our background. Family ties are generally the strongest and determine how we interact with others. Even if we don’t like our family we are stuck with them and the influence us.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: The genealogies become more interesting as we realize how they effected who was king and how different kings were influenced by family loyalties. We’ve seen the line of kings in Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem), these genealogies make it easier to understand the family ties that caused people to chose different kings.

more to learn for in-depth study: As the genealogies bring us up to date on where the major players came from we approach the details of stories we already heard. King Saul is the first person we see in the next section and we will flesh out details for a great many more.

tomorrow: First Chronicles 10-12

Additional Study

I Was WRONG! At the least we have a clear time for Shem.
Shem was born in 1453 before the death of Lamech in 1546 and the death of Methuselah in 1551. He would have known his grandfather for 93 years but, he would have known Methuselah for 98 years so the timing is still valid. Adam was around to teach Methuselah who was around to teach Shem.

People who lived after the flood: Noah was born in 951, Shem was born in 1453, Arphaxad was born in 1553, Salah was born in 1588, Eber was born in 1618, Peleg was born in 1652, Reu was born in 1682, Serug was born in 1712, Nahor was born in 1742, Terah was born in 1771, by 1841 Terah was 70 and had Abram and Nahor and Haran - Haran died young and Abram and Nahor moved to Canaan with Terah to live in Haran, Nahor showed another dramatic drop in lifespans and died in 1890, Peleg showed the reality of shortening life spans not even outlasting Noah and dying in 1891, Noah died in 1901, Reu died in 1919, Serug died in 1942, Terah died in 1976, Arphaxad died in 1991 - 62 years before his father, Salah died 32 years before his grandfather in 2021, Shem died in 2053, Eber - great-grandson of Shem - has the distinction of being the first of Shem’s descendants to out live him - Shem and Eber shared 435 years on earth and Eber died in 2082.

The Lineage of Noah goes something like this:(numbers indicate generation)
1)Noah- 2)Shem- 3)Elam
\__\________3)Asshur
\__\________3)Arphaxad- 4)Salah- 5)Eber- 6)Peleg
\__\__\__\__\_________________6)Joktan- 7)Almodad
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Sheleph
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Hazarmaveth
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Jerah
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Hadoram
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Uzal
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Diklah
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Obal
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Abimael
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Sheba
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Ophir
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Havilah
\__\__\__\__\__\____________________7)Jobab
*__*__*__*__*__*__*_______________________Living from Mesha towards Sephar (the mountain of the east)
\__\________3)Lud
\__\________3)Aram- 4)Uz
\__\__\___________4)Hul
\__\__\___________4)Gether
\__\__\___________4)Mash
\_____2)Ham- 3)Cush- 4)Seba
\__\__\___________4)Havilah
\__\__\___________4)Sabtah
\__\__\___________4)Raamah- 5)Sheba
\__\__\__\______________5)Dedan
\__\__\___________4)Sabtechah
\__\__\___________4)NIMROD-ruled
\__\__\__\______________Babel
\__\__\__\______________Erech
\__\__\__\______________Accad
\__\__\__\______________Calneh
\__\__\__\______________the Shinar
\__\__\__\______________Assyrian lands
\__\__\__\__\_________________Nineveh
\__\__\__\__\_________________Rehoboth Ir
\__\__\__\__\_________________Calah
\__\__\__\__\_________________Resen
\__\________3)Mizraim- 4)Ludim
\__\__\___________4)Anamim
\__\__\___________4)Lehabim
\__\__\___________4)Naphtuhim
\__\__\___________4)Pathrusim
\__\__\___________4)Casluhim- the Philistines
\__\__\__\______________the Caphtorim
\__\________3)Put(Phut)
\__\________3)Canaan- 4)Sidon(1st born)
\__\__\___________4)Heth- the Jebusite
\__\__\__\______________the Amorite
\__\__\__\______________the Girgashite
\__\__\__\______________the Hivite
\__\__\__\______________the Arkite
\__\__\__\______________the Sinite
\__\__\__\______________the Arvadite
\__\__\__\______________the Zemarite
\__\__\__\______________the Hamathite
\__\__\__\__\_________________From Sidon going towards Gerar as far as Gaza
Then towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim as far as Lasha
\_____2)Japath- 3)Gomar- 4)Ashkenaz
\__\__\___________4)Riphath(Diphath)
\__\__\___________4)Togarman
\__\________3)Magog
\__\________3)Madai
\__\________3)Javan- 4)Elishah
\__\__\___________4)Tarshish
\__\__\___________4)Kittim
\__\__\___________4)Dodanim(Rodanim)
\__\________3)Tubal
\__\________3)Meshech
\__\________3)Tiras

Quick note. Tomorrows daily reading is Genesis chapters 17-19. My blog for that devotion will be late because it is 2:40 in the morning now and I should still be sound asleep at 9am.

This had a nice outline feel to it before it posted. Someday I need to learn html so I can ad the proper indents.

Genesis chapters 4-8

Jumping in with both feet we head strait to a number of passages that many struggle with. I'll dig into the meat after the basic study.

God's Message to me: Timing is important. The first man that didn't die lived 365 years. The father of Noah lived 777 years. The bible gives exact dates for entering and leaving the ark and tells the ages of each mans death and the years for each birth. Rule one, God has a schedule we can't rush. Rule 2 if God considers it important we should also. Rule 3 (from Cain and Able) God respects obedience, not position.

Promises: God will forgive sin if we obey Him and follow His path for forgiveness. We can't reinvent the path to suit our situation. Cain was a farmer but burning grain and fruit could not replace a blood sacrifice.
God will never again destroy all the earth for the sins of men. The curse on the ground given as a result of Adam's sin is lifted forever in spite of the evil in men's hearts.

Commands: Obey God's commands.

Timeless principles: When God told Moses he would test the people of Israel to see if they obeyed His law he did so before giving them "the law of Moses" His law was simply his command. Not all commands are for all people. Not everyone is called to be a pastor but it is sin for one who is called to refuse the calling.

How can I apply what I've learned: First, learn what God seeks to teach. If he didn't want us to learn it he wouldn't put it in the book. Second, obey Gods commandments both in the bible and in my life. God never tells us to do something wrong and he doesn't contradict himself. He would never order us to do something the bible says we shouldn't. He does call some to do more and we should obey those commands just as we should obey the 10 commandments and the other commands.


more to learn for in-depth study:

Cain and Abel both brought offerings of the first fruits. They tithed. Why was Cain's offering less acceptable?

While both offerings were proper tithes Cains was an offering of grain and fruit. Able brought a blood sacrifice which is necessary for the remission(cleansing) of sin. Abel's blood sacrifice cleared the slate and renewed his relationship with God so that his tithe could get full respect from God.

Christ became the ultimate blood sacrifice for all sin which is why Christians no longer practice the blood sacrifice that was mandated under Old Testament law. For those who see a blood sacrifice as barbaric remember that it was commanded by God under the law given to Moses and documented in Leviticus.

The story of Lamech seems to be a useless aside but it serves as a reminder of the adage "give them an inch and they'll take a mile." God protected Cain from the death penalty he earned for murdering his brother. Lamech, who didn't see his murder as wrong but justified it by saying the man hurt him, felt God should protect him 10 times as well.

Moving to the genealogy there are 2 reasons for documenting all this. The first is found in Luke chapter 3 which traces the lineage of Christ back to Adam. Matthew chapter one shows the need for this lineage by reminding us that there are 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to Babylonian captivity and 14 more from the captivity to Christ, all in fulfillment of prophecy.

The second reason is a time line. Counting from creation (I'm not trying to establish the year BC yet) Adam is created at year zero, Seth was born in year 130, Enosh was born in year 235, Cainan was born in year 220, Mahalel was born in year 290,Jared was born in year 355, Enoch was born in year 517, Methuselah was born in year 582, Lamech was born in year 769, and Adam finally died in year 930. For those concerned by oral history it should be noted that Lamech, the father of Noah, had 161 years to learn history from the man who had lived it from the very beginning, Adam.

Noah was born in year 951, Seth died in year 1042, Enosh died in year 1140, Cainan died in year 1130, Mahalel died in year 1185, Jared died in year 1317, Enoch was taken by God in year 882, Lamech died in year 1546 having lived 777 years, Methuselah is the oldest man on record living 969 years until year 1551 and dying shortly before the flood, The flood occured in year 1551. While it is unclear whether Noah's sons could have known their grandfather it is quite clear that their great grandfather was around almost until the flood. Methuselah had 384 years to learn history from Adam and then could teach it to Shem, Ham and Japeth. For the Oral history concerns that is Adam teaches Methuselah who teaches the sons of Noah.

Chapter 6 discusses the nephilim, These "mighty ones" were the offspring of humans and fallen angels. The bible also calls them giants and men of renown. This implies they may be the origin of stories regarding both fantastical monsters and half human half god heroes.

FUN FACT: The ark was about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Draw a picture and you realize that it was a lot like a big barge. 15 yards high or around 4 1/2 stories, 25 yards wide is just a bit more than the length of most mobile homes. 150 yards is a football feild and a half. That's a big boat.

On the 17th day of the 2nd month in the year 1551, the rain began. The rain continued for 40 days and the water raised 22 1/2 feet above the highest mountain. The ark remained closed for 370 days until God told Noah and his family to take the animals off the ark on the 27th day of the 2nd month of the year 1552.