We are Making History

1st Chronicles 1

I have always wondered about my ancestors. I know that I have some different European races but to follow it to a specific time and group is a little difficult. There are websites that are made to help people with knowing their family history. Now, I am a little bit of a nerd as I like reading about history and about how people lived. 

In this chapter as well as up to chapter 9 we will read about the genealogies of Israel. Chapter 1 is about the genealogy of Adam all the way to Jacob.

Purpose:

Before you get frustrated with boredom you need to understand why the writer of Chronicles felt the need to give the reader all this information. 1st and 2nd Chronicles is found at the end of the Old Testament in the Hebrew Bibles. The author wrote Chronicles to give the post exilic (those who came back to Israel after Babylon took everyone as exiles) history as well as theology. If you want to do some studying of your own, look at Genesis 5 with this chapter. The author focuses not necessarily who came in order but who has more significance and that would be those in the line of Judah.

The group of people are in a land that was destroyed by the Babylonians, their temple was destroyed, their way of life was altered. The author needed to teach them history so they would be able to appreciate God even more as he did not blot out Israel forever and that he would provide for them and allow them to come back to their land.

History for Us:

We may feel disconnected as we read the next few chapters and before we start feeling like we are in a classroom we need to realize God is the author of history. He has allowed all the events that took place to happen for a reason. He is active in life and we see that he has a plan. The plan for Israel was to know that he will keep his promise and the line of David will see the Messiah. We know that Jesus did come and died and rose again for the salvation of mankind. We read the past but need to look forward to what is ahead and that is the return of Christ. Just as the angels told the disciples in Acts 1, that Jesus will return the same way he left.  Every second that goes bye is history and we need to make the most of it. We are making history everyday. It may not be recorded for the world to know but what is done in the past is history. Lord, please help us to be bold for you. Help us to share Jesus Christ with the people around us and to the world.