DEVOTIONAL

Let’s spend today looking back at how David journeyed to King of Israel from a genealogical and historical perspective. Sounds boring? Hang with me. Typically, my reaction is skip on the day’s reading or flip pages in my Bible until I land on the next narrative, but the mix of genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-10 and the historical recap in Psalm 78 produce a sweet taste of God’s faithfulness.

Although the main reading today is not 1 Chronicles 1-10, I highly encourage you to spend time reading through it. Deep breaths. You can tackle it one section at a time. Maybe take a jolt of caffeine before you start, but it really adds meaning to God’s story. Remember the names you read are God’s people who came before us. These are God’s people who faithfully obeyed like Abraham yet fell into seasons of rebellion that led to exile. The piece that connects each genealogy together is the God over them. He is faithful to them. He restores what they lost. He gives them victory over enemies.  

Now, how do I keep from getting lost reading names like Jabez, Shemaiah, or Mibsam? Underline the names that stick out. Catch the names you know. I like that in between the genealogies the chronicler includes “news clips” of important facts that help me see them as a person and not a name to skim over. For example, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 we learn Jabez is highly honored and favored by God. The end of that chapter closes to tell us the descendants of Simeon find rich, good pasture in Gedor that is quiet and peaceful. A place once chaotic and marked by war is a place of refuge and peace for God’s people. The story of redemption is on every page in the Bible, even tucked in genealogies. Finally, 1 Chronicles 10 wraps up with a high overview of Saul and his sons which we read the full story in 1 Samuel. This brings us to David anointed as king in 1 Chronicles 11 that we will look at next time.

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14

As you look back through the genealogies, you see the lives of each generation impacted by God’s hand from Adam to Abraham, then to Jacob and Israel. The list expands on the twelve tribes of Israel and zeroes-in on the line that leads us to David. Why? You have to ask why we are spending so much time on each of these names. Does it lead somewhere? Yes. Saul and his sons are mentioned briefly, but the descendants of David are meticulously outlined which later connects down the line to the New Testament with Jesus who this is all about.

With all this background, turn with me to Psalm 78. David is not the author of this psalm, but verse 70-72 speaks to how God chose David because he has an upright heart. David walks in the same obedience from shepherding sheep to shepherding people. Circumstances change for David, but the God he serves does not change.

Q: Maybe your circumstances changed recently to place more responsibility on your shoulders. Are you believing God is still with you? How has your relationship with God changed?

Reading through the psalm on the first pass you may pick up on parts of the sin, rebellion, repentance, and redemption story between God and Israel. The purpose of Psalm 78 is in the title “Tell the Coming Generation.” The psalmist wants the generations to come to see the ebbs and flows of God’s people and how faithful God remains. Why? Because God loves His people Israel and will never forsake them. The words in Psalm 78 challenge me to examine what message my life testifies to the next generation. Is the message to work hard, be successful, and find loyal friends? Or maybe, do your best to stay relevant in culture so that others accept you? Or give back where you can, to ensure people remember you? Those things only scratch the surface to what God really wants our lives to testify to the next generation. The “meat” missing is what the psalmist speaks in verses 5-8. Tell the next generation to set their hope in God and not to forget the works of God. The same way it was for Israel and David, it is meant for us too.

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Psalm 78:5-7

And one last note to close out today. Because I am reading the Word of God this year through the lens of “mercy”, I want to bring attention to verses 38-39. God shows Israel compassion in life-changing ways. When I sit still under the truth of verse 38 for a few moments to ponder, my mind is consistently blown away by the mercy of God. How can this be? It is the wonder and beauty of God. Lastly, a favorite line in scripture for me is verse 39, “He remembered that they were but flesh.” Yep, that’s right. He is God, I am not. He is apart of every generation. My part in this generation is to testify of my hope in God and remember His wonderful works.

Q: Will you ask God for a surprise (random) conversation with someone younger than you in the next week to share the hope of God with them?

Additional Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-10; Psalm 102-104