I am catching up on here with last week's readings, and I will post something on Job later, I hope. I found the contrast between the history in Kings and Chronicles fascinating. Chronicles covers a lot of the same ground as kings, but from a simple reading it comes from a post-exilic perspective, with very little on the Kings of Israel after the schism on the death of Solomon.
The spin doctors were at work on David's life too. My bible helpfully highlights where the story appears in another book, and so 1 Chr 20 has this note "this is also told in 2 Samuel 11:1; 12:26-31". What is the missing chunk? The story of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite and David's sin. Chronicles does include the story of the census however.
Chronicles has a greater focus on the priestly and temple life. Possibly this is because the author of Chronicles was a priestly scribe (I haven't looked into this, I'm afraid). It also mentions the repentance of Manasseh. I discussed this with Nick Page last year, and he said there was a theory that this was preistly spin post facto to fit into a theology that linked long life to God's blessing. If Manasseh reigned for more than 50 years, there had to be some sign of rightousness to account for this long reign. The Lynn Austin novel on this is a good read, albeit just a novel.
Reading of the problems of the people in Ezra and Nehemiah, not least the problems with inter-marriage, remind me that the great rescue that God provides is just the beginning not the end destination. It was true then for the Jews, and it is true to use as Christians. Today is the 24th anniversary of when I became a Christian. A lot has changed, but far too little of my character shows that I am new creation. I know I cannot reach perfection this side of glory, but I am so frustrated with my own failings. But I just need to KBO as Churchill said.
I have been thinking of what happened to us as a family in Sweden in 2002. At the end of the morning, we were packing up. Miriam was changing Grace's nappy, and I was making shade. I saw Ruth (who was 3and a half then) going to wash her bucket out in the lake. 10 seconds later, I turned round and she was nowhere to be seen. I ran and saw the top of her head under the surface and pulled her out. It was only 20 minutes later that the shock and impact of what nearly happened hit us. My point here is that Ruth was a very small girl when she was saved, but is now growing into a young lady with her life stretching before her. Yet, as a Christian, I am very prone to staying as an infant, immature in faith, in a comfort bubble, and not growing in maturity, with all the challenges, ups and downs, and frustrations and rewards that it brings. Have I moved on since I was rescued? Yes, but not enough.
Phil 3:7-16 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. "
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