Scratching the Surface of 1&2 Chronicles

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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    Ever notice how blood is thicker than water?

    Most families hang together rather than separately.

    Family members can do to each other what no one outside of the family could ever do and get away with it.

    Families are linked together by blood.

    Though some seem to try, it's hard to get kicked out of the family.

    While I may be wrong, I think the only way to cut family ties is to cut family ties.

    It's like our Lord's family of faith.

    The only way to forfeit the relationship is to renounce it; which is why blasphemy against the Spirit is the only unforgivable sin.  When we deny God's Godness as Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior, we distance ourselves from His graces.  Removing ourselves from the forgiveness offered to all by God is unforgivable.  We choose to exclude ourselves from God's inclusion.

    The genealogy at the beginning of 1 & 2 Chronicles like genealogies throughout the Bible and most notably Matthew and Luke link everyone in history - His story - as having one Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior.

    We are all in the family by divine design from Genesis.

    All genealogies go back to the garden and our first parents Adam and Eve.

    We could call ourselves the Adamsons - daughters and sons of Adam and Eve; yet recalling Grandpa Kopp's warning not to miss the forest for the trees, the most important common denominator linking all of us into one family with no respect for color, class, or culture is God as our one Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior.

    And while God's special relationship with Israel cannot be denied - David prayed, "No other nation on the earth is like Your people Israel.  You redeemed us to be Your people...You made us Your own people forever!" - the genealogies of Holy Scripture include everyone as special to Him without favoritism to color, class, or culture.

    Indeed, as you learn more about each name linked together by the genealogies to God, it's like going to a wedding and being shocked to see the strange cast of characters who are kin.

    1 & 2 Chronicles focuses on one of the most important dimensions of God's family of faith - worship as the foundation of life.

    Specifically, worship is the glue or true blood bonding the family together.

    Worship, as Dr. Macleod declared repeatedly for seminarians, is the only indispensable activity of the church; reminding us in the highest degree of who He is, who we are, and what He has done for us and our salvation as Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior.

    He often lectured, "God acts for our salvation in Jesus and we respond by worshipping Him."

    Worship becomes a pattern for life; transforming the words of worship into faithful actions in the streets after leaving the sanctuary.

    Worship is the obvious preoccupation of people who get it/Him; or as I recall Luther commenting by contradiction on those who don't get it/Him, "Who would believe our people should be so unthankful towards the Gospel?"

    Worship is, primarily, praise and thanks for what He has already done as preface to what He will do.

    It's like the fellow who asked the salty sage, "What must I do to be saved?"  Answer: "Too late!  It's already been done for you in Jesus!"

    This brings me to an interesting discovery while scratching the surface of 1 & 2 Chronicles.

    While the books read so much like 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings in recording history - His story - I noticed David's accomplishments are highlighted while the details of his dirty deeds mentioned previously are dropped.

    Hmm.

    I may be wrong on this but I'm convinced it has something to do with that being exactly what God does for everybody as Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior.

    It's a family thing.

    He knows our sins; yet ultimately overlooks them because we're kin.

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    ...to be continued...

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Blessings and Love!