1 Chronicles 7:1–8:40
Today’s Old Testament reading includes genealogies of:
The tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:1-5).
The tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:6-12).
The tribe of Naphtali (briefly) (1 Chronicles 7:13).
The tribe of Manasseh (west) (1 Chronicles 7:14-19).
The tribe of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20-29).
The tribe of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:30-40).
We conclude with the Tribe of Benjamin, honing in on the family tree of King Saul.
To us, most of these are random names, but to the Lord, every name is valuable – He knows us all by name (Exodus 31:2; John 10:3).
Woven in and throughout the genealogies you may have noticed that phrase, “mighty men of valor.” It’s found nine times in today’s reading. Mighty men of valor speaks of strong men of heroic courage, fighting men, fit for war, full on warriors. We need men like this in our nation, and we need men like this in the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 2:3-4).
Acts 27:1-20
Paul had appealed to Caesar, so he was placed into the custody of a Roman centurion, and off to Rome he goes. Typically, it was a 36-day voyage, from Syria, a journey of over 2,300 miles.
By the time they reached Fair Havens it was very dangerous to sail, so Paul warned them not to, perceiving disaster on the horizon, but they ignored him, and off they went. They thought a little sailing “right around the corner” to Phoenix (see map below) would be a simple thing. It almost cost them their lives.
Sandy Adams, “Paul warned the captain not to take the 45-mile voyage up the coast of Crete, but the tiny hamlet of Fair Havens would be a boring place to spend the long, cold winter. They set sail for a more luxurious layover. But they should have heeded Paul’s warning. The 45-mile voyage turns into a 645-mile detour.”
Sure enough, a tempestuous headwind arose, and they were driven out to sea. “Caught in the violent wind, the ship was driven along. They were now out of control, at the mercy of the wind and sea.” – NET Notes
They battled vigorously, securing the skiff, undergirding the ship with cables, lightening the ship by throwing things overboard, including the ship’s tackle, and later the wheat. It didn’t look good. We read in:
Acts 27:20 (NKJV) “Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.”
Have you ever been there? Where you felt, or you thought, you were just sure that all hope was lost? May we never let the enemy strip us of all hope, which I like to define as “A certain certainty about a good future with God.” We are never hopeless as we journey with Jesus, but if we ever find ourselves in a similar situation, we really should pray like never before.
Psalm 7:1-17
Once again, David prays for deliverance. I can’t even begin to imagine the “wars” he went through. David was being persecuted and asked God to deliver him, to save him from it, lest they tear him like lions. The devil is described as a lion in:
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
David’s sobriety and vigilance was prayer.
He also checked his own life. As far as he could see, he was living a life of integrity. David spoke with God and basically said, “If I’m in sin, if I’m at fault…”
Psalm 7:5 (NKJV) “Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah”
That’s a heavy prayer! I don’t think I can pray a prayer like that, for I do fail and fall short, every day and in every area of my life.
David prayed for God to deal with his enemies. With New Testament light we realize that our battle is not against people, but it’s against the demons behind them (Ephesians 6:12). We are to love our enemies and pray for them to be saved – we give it all to God, praying for wisdom and then let Him handle it (He always does a better job).
As God’s people, when it’s all said and done – we will praise Him. We have peace and confidence. That’s how David ends this Psalm – yes almost all the Psalms end on a high-note, on an “up” beat (Psalm 7:17). Yours should too.
As we find ourselves traveling through tough and trying times, may we
Proverbs 18:22
This is my wife’s favorite verse in the Bible!
So true! The NLT translates the words “good thing” as “treasure.” The NET translates it as “enjoyable.”
Proverbs 19:14 (NKJV) “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.”
Proverbs 31:10 (NKJV) “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.”
If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.