Category Archives: Spirituality
Seeing Jesus through Palestinian eyes
Reflections on Coptic Martyrdom
Is ’the blood of the martyrs the seed of the church’? It’s best we ask Egypt’s Copts, whose resilience is being sorely tested in the midst of ongoing oppression and persecution in an increasingly dangerous nation.
False Fears and Egg Freezing
It seems that, apart from a small number of women who will benefit from egg-freezing, it is mostly a marketing ‘false fact’ designed to play on women’s guilt.
ANOTHER LOOK AT DAVID: WHY STUDY I CHRONICLES
Now all theses things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come — I Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)
He is one of the most famous and significant figures in the Bible. The covenant God made with him changed history and paved the way for the coming of the Messiah. He set an example of leadership, worship, and service of God. He was not perfect but so dedicated was he to the Lord that he was called the ‘man after God’s own heart’ (Acts 13:22).
The person in question is David, king of Israel. The book of I Chronicles is primarily about him. Out of love for God he wants to build a temple, but God forbade him because he had shed too much blood. So though his son and successor Solomon will be the temple builder, David will do all the planning and preparation necessary to make the temple possible.
Chronicles was written after the Israelites returned to Judah from the Babylonian exile in the 5th Century BC. It serves as a reminder that God is faithful to those who keep His covenant and put all their trust in him.
HEBREW NAME
Dibere Hayyamim meaning ‘The words or accounts of the days.’ We get the word ‘Chronicles’ from the Latin Vulgate Chronicorum Liber which speak about sacred history of the time of the Judean kings.
AUTHOR
Author is anonymous but Ezra is nominated by the Talmud and makes a good candidate. In any case, the author wrote the book at after the Babylonian exile.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
Seed of David who will sit on his throne forever. Christ is simultaneously Son of God and Son of David, thanks to the Davidic Covenant (I Chronicles Chapter 17).
THEME OF I CHRONICLERS
I Chronicles is the official priestly-prophetic account of David’s genealogy and reign.
KEY VERSES
I Chronicles 17:11-14:
And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. 13I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: 14But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
I Chronicles 29:11:
Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
SUMMARY
I and II Chronicles is a single volume in the Hebrew Bible. It speaks of people and events found in II Samuel and I & II Kings.
Here in I Chronicles there is a focus on the royal lineage of David (chapters 1-9), followed by his reign as king of Israel (chapters 10-29). Unlike the other books of Samuel and Kings, there is no mention of Saul’s persecution of David, David’s first 7 years as king in Hebron, the rebellion of Absalom, the wives of David or his adultery with Bathsheba. While Solomon gets credit for building and dedicating the temple, it is David who made it possible with his meticulous preparation.
DISTINCTIVE OF I CHRONICLES
Samuel-Kings Chronicles
From Samuel to Cyrus From Adam to Cyrus
David at his best and worst David the good king
Kings of Israel & Judah Kings of Judah alone
Emphasis on all kings: good & evil Emphasis on good Judean kings
Solomon builds the temple David plans the temple
Response of kings to God’s covenant Focuses on faith institutions
OUTLINE OF I CHRONICLES
I. Royal Lineage of David (1:1-9:44)
A. Genealogy from Adam to Abraham (1:1-27)
Adam to Noah, Noah to Abraham via the 3 sons of Noah: Ham, Shem, and Japheth
B. Genealogy from Abraham to Jacob (1:28-54)
The Patriarchs, Esau’s descendants, kings and chiefs of Edom
C. Genealogy from Jacob to David (2:1-55)
D. Genealogy from David to the Babylonian Captivity (3:1-24)
E. Genealogies of the 12 tribes of Israel (4:1-8:40)
12 tribes listed except Dan. Great emphasis on Levites, the lineage of the priests, and Aaron.
F. Genealogy of the returning exiles (9:1-34)
Lists those Israelites who returned to Judah from Babylonian captivity
G. Genealogy of Saul (9:35-44)
II. David’s Righteous Reign (10:1-29:30)
A. David Becomes King (10:1-12:40)
Saul’s death, anointing of David, Jerusalem captured, David’s mighty men.
B. The Ark of Covenant (13:1-17:27)
After a bad start, David brings the Ark to Jerusalem. God makes a covenant with David.
C. The Military Victories of David (18:1-20:8)
Victories over the Philistines, Zobah, Ammon, Moab, and Syria.
D. David’s Preparation for Temple (21:1-27:34)
Disastrous Census and material preparation of the temple.
E. Final Days of David (28:1-29:30)
Briefs Solomon, prepares for the temple, prayer of thanksgiving, Solomon coronated, and David’s death.
7 PILLARS TO UNDERSTANDING THE FUTURE: PILLAR Four God Has Called Us to Fearlessness
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go – Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)
Whose playing in the football match this weekend?
Where will we spend our family holiday?
What kind of cuisine shall we have for dinner tonight?
People give attention to short-term issues of today and tomorrow, but seem to give little thought to the long-term future. Why is this the case? There are several reasons, but one of the key explanations is that people think the future will be unpleasant. If people are struggling to balance their budget or handle their teenage children, how can they cope with the notion that the world is being turned on its head – or going out of business altogether.
If we are going to achieve the worthy goal of becoming ‘future ready,’ we need to understand what the future is about. One means is to keep well informed by reliable, truthful, and balanced news sources.
More importantly, it is important to understand Bible prophecy. Yet amazingly, despite talk of ‘wars and rumours of wars,’ ‘antichrist,’ ‘harlot of Babylon,’ ‘seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments,’ there is a very clear prophetic call from God to His people: ‘Fear not.’
God does not want you to be afraid of anything. The phrase ‘fear not’ is used 63 times in the Bible, ‘be not afraid’ 26 times, and the word ‘peace’ 429 times. The only fear you should have is the ‘fear of the Lord’ (Proverbs 9:10) and it has the divine ability to cancel all other fears.
Read Joshua 1:6-9 and amazingly God commands the man Joshua three times to be ‘strong’ and ‘courageous.’ Despite the fact that he stood at the backdoor of Canaan, where seven nations (another name for people groups) awaited Israel’s invasion. Some of these nations had tall giants and even taller walls. Yet God shows the possibility and necessity of being strong and courageous in the face of all challenges.
In the Book of Joshua, the basis of courage and fearlessness comes from three sources:
1. A Decision to Hear and Obey God’s Command to be Strong and Courageous;
2. Putting God’s Word in Your Heart;
3. The Presence of the Lord;
Yes, the challenge of conquering Canaan is softened greatly by making a decision to be strong and courageous. Yes, strength and courage are a decision you make to obey God and He will do the rest.
The command to be ‘strong and courageous’ is not just for Joshua – it applies to every believer. Twice in the psalms God promises the psalmist that if he will be of good courage, God will strength his heart (Psalm 27:14; 31:14). Preceding the command to be courageous is to ‘wait on the Lord.’
Practically speaking, in order to obey the command is to believe it, affirm it, and confess it.
Second point is to put God’s Word in your heart. This comes from devotion, study, and meditation. With the Word in your heart, faith levels arise. You become more aware and attentive to what God says. From the fullness of your heart, you will be strengthened and encouraged to do what God says.
Finally, understand that God’s presence with you and in you will be a source of tremendous courage. The promises of Scripture are clear: God is with His people. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus says to His great commission obeying disciples that He will be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
How can we forget the reality of the Twenty-Third Psalm, Verse 4:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
David the psalmist had every good reason to fear in the natural. The wilderness where he tended the sheep had wild animals, venomous reptiles, scarcity of water and food, and it was easy to get lost. Yet he says that even in the ‘valley of the shadow of death,’ he will fear not evil. What is the basis of his fearlessness: For you art with me.
When God is with you and for you, no one and nothing can be against you.
It is like the story of the 12 year old student. For him, recess was not a time of fun and games but of torment. Why? Because a 14 year old school yard bully was waiting in the playground to taunt and harass. A dark cloud hung over his head and a knot tightened in his stomach as the bell rang. Yet, the time came when he could go into the playground and the bully could not touch him. Why? Because the student’s 16 year old brother accompanied him there.
If an older brother can keep us safe from schoolyard bullies, how much more will the promised presence of God keep us fearless despite the uncertain and tumultuous times in which we live.
Remember that true courage is not the absence of fear; it is the mastery of fear through the tools God has given us. So if we are to be ‘future-ready,’ hear and respond to God’s wonderful call to fearlessness. It will open all kinds of wonderful doors for you.
How can work make us happy?
On May Day, Kara Martin responds to an editorial in The Age on job satisfaction and time spent in the workplace, drawing on research to show that Christians experience greater purpose and meaning in their work.
Strength in Weakness
By seeing disability as gift not punishment, strength not weakness, we can more fully embrace those with disability – and learn, from their disability and our own, the beautiful simplicity of faith.
Link highlights | April 2017
Highlights of links to online news and opinion pieces for April 2017.
MARRIAGE EQUALITY: KEY RESOURCES
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