1 Chronicles 6
I love genealogy. I’ve studied my family’s genealogy back about five hundred years. But can I just be real? I still get lost in this sea of “son of” this and “son of” that!
As I read God’s Word, I always ask Him to show me something new, something applicable, that I’ve never seen in the passage before. Let’s just say that today’s chapter required some extra time in prayer.
Here’s what I’ve gleaned.
These are all the descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe. These are those who were tasked with leading the people of Israel in worship. These were the priests who either led Israel to embrace idol worship, turned a blind eye when paganism crept in, or remained steadfast in faith and continued to point the way to Truth even as the society around them slipped further into sin and degradation.
Suddenly, this chapter becomes as relevant to us as the evening news. We see these same choices being made by Christian leaders today. Some are turning from the truth and leading others with them as they raise idols of political figures (and this on both sides of the aisle) and allow “sacred cows” to take precedence over Jesus’ call to love and serve one another. Some blindly allow sin to slip in unchecked to their congregation, their ministries, and even their own lives. It erodes their foundations and their moral authority until the church crumbles when their sin is exposed.
A few stand and fight. They stand on the Word and refuse to alter God’s standards to adjust to man’s latest whim. They devote themselves not only to prayer and seeking God, but to obeying Jesus’ call to serve the least of these. They resist the temptation to exalt themselves over those caught in sin, but also resist the temptation to ignore, make light of, or tolerate sin within the body. They model and call their congregations to submission to the Holy Spirit, confession and repentance, accountability, and dependence on God, rather than their own strength to fight sin.
In Israel, through all of God’s judgment on sin, through their exile and bondage, God always preserved a remnant. There were always those few who remained faithful despite the prevailing culture. As our culture seems to turn farther and farther from God, may we be the faithful remnant.
I love genealogy. I’ve studied my family’s genealogy back about five hundred years. But can I just be real? I still get lost in this sea of “son of” this and “son of” that!
As I read God’s Word, I always ask Him to show me something new, something applicable, that I’ve never seen in the passage before. Let’s just say that today’s chapter required some extra time in prayer.
Here’s what I’ve gleaned.
These are all the descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe. These are those who were tasked with leading the people of Israel in worship. These were the priests who either led Israel to embrace idol worship, turned a blind eye when paganism crept in, or remained steadfast in faith and continued to point the way to Truth even as the society around them slipped further into sin and degradation.
Suddenly, this chapter becomes as relevant to us as the evening news. We see these same choices being made by Christian leaders today. Some are turning from the truth and leading others with them as they raise idols of political figures (and this on both sides of the aisle) and allow “sacred cows” to take precedence over Jesus’ call to love and serve one another. Some blindly allow sin to slip in unchecked to their congregation, their ministries, and even their own lives. It erodes their foundations and their moral authority until the church crumbles when their sin is exposed.
A few stand and fight. They stand on the Word and refuse to alter God’s standards to adjust to man’s latest whim. They devote themselves not only to prayer and seeking God, but to obeying Jesus’ call to serve the least of these. They resist the temptation to exalt themselves over those caught in sin, but also resist the temptation to ignore, make light of, or tolerate sin within the body. They model and call their congregations to submission to the Holy Spirit, confession and repentance, accountability, and dependence on God, rather than their own strength to fight sin.
In Israel, through all of God’s judgment on sin, through their exile and bondage, God always preserved a remnant. There were always those few who remained faithful despite the prevailing culture. As our culture seems to turn farther and farther from God, may we be the faithful remnant.
RSS Feed