“Adam, Sheth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.» I Chronicles 1:1-5

I will admit…I was not excited about the first 8 chapters of I Chronicles in my old Testament reading. This morning, I made it through 4 chapters. But, believe it or not, I was actually revived by meditations that God brought to my mind from the chronicling of the human race, and specifically of Israel. Let me share:

1. Every one of these names represents a human being who actually lived. Everyone of these left behind a legacy whether good or bad. And everyone of these (and us) will one day stand before a sovereign God and give account of his or her life. That made me want to worship such an awesome God who knows every single action and motive of every single life and will render a righteous judgment. It also made me want to live a life, the only one I have, for God’s glory. 

2. God is sovereign over human history. From a long list of people, God purposely called out Abraham (1:27), changed him from being an idol worshipper to believing in the one true God. Through Abraham started a long line of people through which one day the Messiah, the Savior of sinners, would be born. All of that history, with all of the names was under God’s sovereign jurisdiction to bring about salvation. Abraham was no better than his many neighbors, but God chose him according to His own good pleasure. Your love and faith in Christ today is traced back to God’s sovereign choice of you long, long ago. You could have been left to your own sin and darkness like Abraham’s neighbors, but God chose you. Rejoice! History is His story. He still has purposes today. Let us trust Him fully. 

3. God has a purpose. None of these lives were accidental. When we think of the lineage of Jesus of Nazareth all of the «begats» led to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Redeemer, at a certain time in a certain place for a certain purpose. He is just the same today. He has wise purposes in you and my life, even with life is hard. Let us trust Him fully!

Este artículo también está disponible en: Inglés