1st Chronicles

Today was the final program for our Vacation Bible School at church. Close to 200 children attended at some point during the week, but considerably fewer than that took part in the program. It was typical of these programs. Kids wiggling, waving, moving where they weren't supposed to, not singing along to the taped music, quoting Bible verses. It was kind of enjoyable. The pastor gave a brief sermon geared to visitors, and we were out in an hour and five minutes.

One service today, and no Life Groups. So I didn't have to study a lesson this week. Since the pastor finished his sermon series last week, and we start a new, 13-week series on August 18, I don't know what the lessons will be about for the next two weeks. We'll find out soon.

So I'll talk a little this week about my recent Bible reading which, somewhat surprisingly, is in 1st Chronicles. Why, you ask? Well, I read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy to improve my understanding of Jewish religion and culture at those times. Then it seemed right to move on with Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The next logical books would have been 1st and 2nd Samuel followed by 1st and 2nd Kings, but I read a lot in them not all that long ago.

But it's been a long, long time since I read through 1st and 2nd Chronicles. I can see why with 1st Chronicles, with it's lists of names of heads of clans and who were gatekeepers and which Levites served in what capacity. I'm sure when I read this before, more than twenty years ago I would guess, I didn't feel much like reading it.

Not this time. For some reason the words are just jumping off the page for me. I'm reading every name, every word, and thinking about them as I do. I'm still not ready to call it the Bible's most interesting book, but I've found quite a lot of interesting stuff in there. It's 1st Chronicles from which the prayer of Jabez comes. Also it's in 1st Chronicles that we learn that Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba (the woman King David had the tryst with) was one of David's mighty men. So it was a long-term relationship with one of his 30 key soldiers that David violated when he took hold of Uriah's wife.

I won't go into all of them, but I find among the many names other tidbits of information that helps to round out my understanding of the Jewish nation as it was during those times. I have four more chapters to go, so I'll finish it this week and move on to 2nd Chronicles. Looking forward to it.