Looks like another beautiful Saturday. I hope you are enjoying all that God gives us. Today we read 1 Chronicles 9-11.
Records
As stated, we believe Ezra wrote this book. He may have been a person whose job was to keep the chronicles. This may have been a position, like a secretary, which was handled by many people.
They had scattered, too local, and incomplete records.
Ezra, if he was the author of this book, gathered all these records and compiled this history.
Because of this, we have a lot of duplication.
Today we read of Saul, and how he and his family die.
Then we read about how they anointed David as the king of Israel.
It’s easy to brush by these stories, we just read them. But when God repeats something in the Bible, He has a reason. This is something we need to know.
Our first verse today, 9:1, states that Babylon took them captive because of their unfaithfulness. God has much more to show us. We must be faithful to meditate on all of it.
We know of kings and judges, but here we read of priests, Levites, and gatekeepers.
Everyone has a job to do. That is God’s will for humanity.
None of us are here to just take up space and consume resources. Each has a purpose.
Ceremonies
At the AWANA ministry, we start with three children being assigned the special task of taking part in the opening ceremony. One will hold the American flag, one the AWANA flag, and the third the Bible.
The group will say a pledge to each of these three objects.
I remember how special it felt when I was young to be chosen to do one of these duties.
Though I was not in AWANA, there were similar situations in clubs and school programs.
Then we read about a Levite named Mattithiah. I’m sure we all know who Matt is, right? Probably not.
People have recognized him as the Korahite responsible for baking the offering bread (v9:31) for over 2600 years. Shallum, his father, must be very proud.
He might also be the same Mattithiah that stood by Ezra while he read the law in 8:4, or that David will appoint to minister before the ark in 16:5.
No minor jobs
There is an unlikely possibility that he is the Mattithiah listed in the genealogy of Jesus, in Luke 3:26. I say unlikely because that Mattithiah was the son of Semein.
Every day we all get up, get dressed and go to work. Sometimes, it feels meaningless and demeaning.
Here is a man who served God. We know nothing more about him, but we know he served the Lord.
There are no minor jobs. Everyone is important.
If someone writes about me in the distant future, I hope they say I served the Lord in some context.
What will be your legacy?
Awesome https://t.ly/tndaA