Reading

• 1 Chron. 4:24-43; 5:1-9, 11-17; 6:1-81; 7:1-12; 8:1-40; 7:13-40; 9:1-34

Devotional

Today we conclude our two-day look at the genealogical recordings in 1 Chronicles. Recall that genealogy is a study of family history. Today’s reading covers the family history for:

• Simeon,
• Reuben,
• Gad,
• Levi, including the priests as well as the musicians, high priests, and the Levite cities,
• Issachar,
• Benjamin, including King Saul’s family,
• Naphtali,
• Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim,
• Asher, and
• The exiles who returned to Jerusalem.

Outside of the family names, there are few details which give us insight into these individuals’ lives. As I mentioned in yesterday’s devotional, one of the great tragedies of human existence is that it is not many years before our lives—the contributions we made, the character we exhibited, the details regarding what made us unique such as our personality, likes and dislikes—will all be forgotten. Thankfully we live in an age where it is easier to capture, retain and record information regarding our lives. However, this too is not without its drawbacks, because the human mind can only sort and process so much information at a time. Thus, even our digital records will largely be lost over time.

Thankfully we serve a GOD who never forgets any detail about us. This is both a blessing for the righteous and a curse to the wicked. GOD says that He keeps a record of our deeds in His book, and we will stand before Him in judgment with our deeds exposed, and we will be sentenced to eternal life if we are found in Jesus Christ (forgiven of our sins) or to eternal punishment in hell because of our sins. Solomon correctly observed that a man’s days on the earth are typically between 70-80 years, although people die much younger and older each day. Our life on earth is a training ground for our eternal destiny.

What will be quickly forgotten by humanity will never be forgotten by GOD. We need to think seriously about these things. Thankfully we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who will stand in the breech on our behalf and declare us righteous before the Father at our judgment, if we abide (stay) in Him—which means we must do our best to obey His commandments, which demonstrates our love for Him.