READING FOR APRIL 28, 2025: 1 CHRONICLES 7, 2 CORINTHIANS 1, PSALM 36:1-4 1 CHRONICLES 7 DESCENDANTS OF TRIBES WEST OF THE JORDAN
Verses 1-5 describe Issachar’s son Tola’s sons as being mighty warriors. Otherwise, few descendants are mentioned here, likely because most of Issachar was carried away before the Babylonians exile when Assyria captured the northern tribes. By the time 1 Chronicles was written, few were left. Verses 6-12 briefly list some generations of Benjamin. They will be more fully listed in Chapter 8. They continued to be important because they mostly sided with the southern kingdom along with Judah. “He [Rehoboam] acted wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin” (2 Chron 11:1). Verse 13 is the only verse for the northern tribe of Naphtali. Verses 14-19 remind us that Manasseh’s concubine was not an Israelite but an Aramean. This kind of marriage would later be forbidden because it often led them away from God. Verses 20-29 tell us that Joshua, the great successor to Moses, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.
Verses 30-40 give quite a tribute to the tribe of Asher: “All these were the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice, valiant mighty men, and heads of the leaders.” Years later we learn of an even higher honor given to a woman of Asher: “There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the temple grounds, serving night and day with fasts and prayers. And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, andcontinued to speak about Him [Jesus] to all those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusa-- lem.” Unlike Anna, some church goers today won’t speak about Jesus due to embarrassment.
2 CORINTHIANS 1 Paul takes a long time explaining his past actions and motivations related to the Corinthians in this letter. He doesn’t really get through it all in chapter one. He wants to be certain they were clear about his thinking towards them. After all, he was a bit tough on them at times in his first letter. Let’s be certain there are no misunderstandings among the Body of Christ. Maybe it is better to go to extreme lengths rather than to leave a wrong impression.
Paul finds purpose in his afflictions and comfort. Do we do the same? Usually, we pray only for comfort rather than for also finding value in our afflictions. Pay attention the next time prayer requests are made in church. According to Paul, the value in both is how they can benefit others, including for their salvation (vs.6). Can we pray during times when we experience both afflictions and comfort that these might help others find Jesus?
READING FOR APRIL 28, 2025 CONTINUED: 2 CORINTHIANS 1, PSALM 36:1-4
Now Paul wasn’t so unworldly spiritual to suggest his troubles were not really painful. He said they were “beyond their strength” and “they despaired of life.” Yet he lists what helped them: trusting in God, the prayers of believers, and the joy of knowing others would feel thankful when he and his colleagues would be delivered (vs.11). That last one is surprising, isn’t it?
Paul believed he conducted himself with holiness, sincerity, and God’s grace—not human wisdom. That’s a model for us. He stressed he tried to communicate clearly and understandably with them—not with impressive words above their heads. He revealed that he wanted to visit them twice, but he decided it would be better for their faith and joy not to do so. Usually, it is best to reach out to others after difficult communications, but there may be times to let matters rest a bit.
PSALM 36:1-4 If we consider the evil done by Sodom and Gomorrah, the disappointing comments by Lot, and the poor choices made by his daughters, how can we deny the truth of the Psalmist that transgression and not the fear of God often dominates the hearts of people? This is confirmed every time we hear the news of the day. Consider the wars, crime, and exploitation that abounds. It is confirmed whenever we are honest with ourselves.
Let’s pray the very opposite of these four verses for our hearts. May our hearts not be fertile ground for transgression, but instead may we fear the Lord. May our hearts be grieved when our sin or hateful thoughts are discovered by us. May our words reflect the wisdom of God and our actions be helpful to others. May we use our leisure moments to consider how we can better obey God and make our lives more aligned to His purposes.
