Here’s another way to think about all the names in 1 Chronicles 1-9. The first section lists all the generations from Adam to Abraham. Next comes Abraham’s children (the remainder of chapter 1), and a special focus on the genealogy leading to David (chapters 2 and 3).

From there, most of the rest is organized by this formula: “the descendants of…” and one of the 12 tribes of Israel. We find Judah and Simeon in chapter 4, Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh in chapter 5, Levi in chapter 6, Isaachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher in chapter 7. Chapters 8 and 9 include a special focus on Saul and the exiles.

Do you see the signficance here? The fathers of the 12 tribes were the sons of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac. And Isaac was the son of Abraham. And this is what God said to Abraham in Genesis 15:15-6:

“‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Here’s what I’m getting at: God has kept his promises. Just think how many people are represtented in these chapters. How many children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren came after them? Hebrews 11:12 makes the connection for us:

“Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

Can you think of other Old Testament promises that God has kept?

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1 Chronicles can be a challenge. If you are still reading through the Bible in a year (way to go!), then you are probably bogged down with me in 9 chapters of genealogical tedium. These chapters can be hard to read, since we don’t know who most of these people are. Their names are very foreign to our ears (Ishbak, Hashabiah, Jehozadak). Every year, I think: “why are these chapters here? What does this have to do with me?” And every year, the Lord gives me a little more appreciation for these chapters. I think there at least three reasons to be grateful for 1 Chronicles:

1. God pays attention to the details. It’s not just that God knew these people existed–He’s keeping track. Try to imagine the number of details contained in every life represented here. God not only knows their names, but their birthdays, their hair color, their favorite foods, their hopes, dreams, fears, and so on. That intimate knowledge of people continues today: He is so familiar with our lives that Jesus says he even knows how many hairs are on our heads: Matthew 10:30.
2. God works in and through real people. These nine chapters could have been condensed into a sentence or two, something like this: “There used to be all these people. They were God’s people, but they’re all dead now.” But it’s not like that; there are actual names of actual people who had actual lives that God worked in and through. This should give us hope and faith that God is actually at work in and through our lives today.
3. These chapters lead us to Jesus. The first three chapters of 1 Chronicles lead us right to the great King David. David was the high-water mark of human leadership in the history of Israel. But you know the story: though he was a man after God’s own heart, he was also a sinner: a man who broke God’s laws in disastrous ways. His sin proved that even a human king could not provide the leadership that God’s people need. These chapters build an expectation and a desire for a greater king even than the great king David. You could say that the entire Old Testament is about building expectation for this great future king. This is what makes the words of Isaiah 11:1-2 so full of joy and hope:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him…”

Read the rest of Isaiah 11 to find out more!

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2 Thessalonians 1:10 reads, in part:

“…when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at among all who believed…”

Theologian John Stott explains:

“So how will the coming of the Lord Jesus be glorified in relations to his people? Not ‘among’ them, as if they will be the theatre or stadium in which he appears; nor ‘by’ them, as if they will be spectators, the audience who watch and worship; nor ‘through’ or ‘by means of ‘ them, as if they will be mirrors which reflect his image and glory; but rather ‘in’ them, as if they will be a filament, which itself glows with light and heat when electric current passes through it.” John Stott, The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 149.

How amazing to think that God will be glorified not just ‘by’ us, but ‘in’ us!

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A question I like to ask people is: “On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that, if you were to die today, you would go to heaven?” A person’s honest answer tells me a lot about their understanding of grace and the gospel.

I like how Hebrews 7:25 helps us answer that question:

“Consequently, he [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

If you have drawn near to God through faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross, your confidence can and should register a ‘10.’ May this verse fill you with faith today as you remember the gospel!

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Today is Veterans Day. Originally named “Armistice Day” to commemorate the ending of World War I, Veterans Day is celebrated every November 11 to honor those who have served and are serving in the military. Unlike Memorial Day, which is intended to help us remember those who lost their lives in the service of our country, Veterans Day is intended to honor those still living who served in the armed forces, and especially those who served in wars.

If you know someone who is active or former military, especially veterans of wartime service, it would be very appropriate to extend thanks to them today for their service. We enjoy incredible freedom in this country, and it is only right for those who have fought to preserve that freedom.

Learn more here.

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Parents, I thought of y’all when I read D.A. Carson’s 10/29 meditation in For the Love of God:

“[Consider] the mother and grandmother briefly mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:5. Timothy’s grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice are women of “sincere faith,” according to Paul, and they have passed this heritage on to their son and grandson, Timothy. How they did this is not detailed. But judging by patterns laid out elsewhere in Scripture, the least they did was display personal example and provide concrete instruction. They passed on their own “sincere faith”–not only the pattern of their own walk with God, but the integrity that characterized their lives as a result… blessed are those whose sincere faith stamps the next generation.”

Parents, I hope Dr. Carson’s words encourage you and provoke you. I hope you’re encouraged because so many of you are indeed stamping the next generation through your sincere faith. And I hope you are provoked to keep it up: to continue the hard work of displaying personal example and providing concrete instruction, knowing that your hard work will pay off:

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

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We have a five15 BIG MEETING on Saturday evening. As always, pizza and ping-pong starts at 5:15pm, and the meeting begins at 6:30pm.

You can prepare for this meeting by reading the verses from which I’ll be preaching: 1 Timothy 5:1-2.

See you on Saturday.

Update, 11:26am: The five15wear shirts are in, and will be available Saturday night!

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Speaking of worship… By now, you’ve probably heard about the WorshipGod Live CD, the latest from Sovereign Grace Music.

This CD is the source for many of the new songs we’ve been learning at church, including “Grace Unmeasured,” “Isn’t He Good,” and “Jesus, Thank You.” You can listen to samples and download sheet music here.

I love this album for the lyrics; I don’t know of any other source for music that is so consistently Christ-centered and God-exalting. I highly recommend this album. Best of all: it’s in our bookstore now.

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Bob Kauflin has launched a blog called “Worship Matters: on Worship, Music, and More.” If you know Bob Kauflin at all, or have ever heard him teach, you know what you can expect from his blog: helpful and practical instruction on all things related to worship, clearly informed by and derived from Scripture. I don’t know of anyone I would rather hear teach on these topics, and now we have daily installments right on the blogosphere. Check it out at: WorshipMatters.com.

Here’s a sample of some of the good stuff in store for us:

“But, maybe you’re like me. Your efforts to steal God’s glory make you weep, and you ache to be undone by the splendor of Jesus Christ. You realize that attempts at “worship,” however musically skilled, historically rooted, emotionally moving, passionately expressive, culturally relevant, or theologically precise, can never adequately express the praise God deserves. You want worship to extend beyond singing to influence your every thought, word, and action.

“If that’s you, I pray this blog will encourage you. If you grow in your understanding of worship and music that will be great. But my real hope is that you’ll see more clearly that the only life worth living is the one that magnifies God’s supreme worth and the grace found in Jesus Christ.

“Thanks for reading.”

Quoted from “Starting a Blog, Part 2” posted 11/3/05.

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This will be of interest to all of you, but is particularly relevant to Seniors. New Attitude is coming back! New Attitude is a four-day conference for singles in Louisville, KY over Memorial Day weekend this spring. High school seniors are eligible to go - but you have to be graduating in June.

There are two websites promoting New Attitude:
NewAttitude.com - All the facts and details. Not yet updated, but will be soon.
SaveTheWheel.com - An undercover New Attitude promotion. What is SaveTheWheel about? Here’s how they explain it:

“We’re baffled. Why would anyone pick on the wheel? Timeless design, trustworthy perimeters, and a buttery smooth circumference - the wheel is perfect. And yet, some think the idea of the wheel is dated and should be scrapped. They hope to invent a hip, cutting-edge, “relevant” wheel.

We’ve created Save The Wheel Dot Com because we love the wheel, and we think it’s worth protecting. And we need you to help us. Join us when we reveal the wheel. In the meantime, follow the story of how two college drop-outs tried to “reinvent the wheel”, or check out other ways to get involved above.

Don’t miss the feature movie, “Drowning Melville” and the shorts by our own AndrewTheG. Enjoy!

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