Genealogies And Censuses

Focus verses: I Chronicles 9:1-34

Several chapters in the book of I Chronicles seem to be endless lists of names and relationships. In this section we are given the names of the people who resettled in and around Jerusalem after the exile.

In that nation, people had possessions and value by the way the land was divided when the children of Israel crossed the Jordan into it. Records of who begat whom were important because it established a man's right to live where he was living and to possess the land he lived on.

The resettlement is simply a continuation of those records.

It seems a contradiction. God says His name is I AM. Why would He be interested in historical records and genealogies?

Time after time, He says "remember." When the people crossed the Jordan, they set up a memorial. It was a signpost to give them opportunity to teach their children and their children's children about the power and provision of the Lord.

My grandmother used to tell me "those who won't learn from history are condemned to repeat it." She was obviously paraphrasing or misquoting George Santayana. She also said she was never punished twice for the same misdemeanor, but it was amazing the number of new things she could find to get into trouble.

We need to learn from and remember history. But we cannot live in it. We have today which is all we are responsible for at this moment. Today is where we find God. Today is all we can do anything about. Yesterday is unchangeable. Tomorrow might not come.

So we remember who we are, children of God. We remember the past simply not to repeat yesterday's errors. We look well to this day, striving to make it the best we can to honor God. We let God provide for the tomorrows. He already knows what is coming. We can only speculate - and we often speculate wrongly.

Father, God,

Help us to learn from yesterday so that we do not muddle today. Keep us ever mindful of the tasks at hand and faithful to execute them to Your glory.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.