I tend to skim the genealogies when I come to them in Scripture; in fact this morning I skimmed through the first nine chapters of I Chronicles. However while skimming, which I think is completely acceptable (unless you are doing intensive study on Israel's history), you have to watch for the occasional "pearl" and pause to appreciate it.
This morning I paused several times, even though I kind of ignored the famous Prayer of Jabez. I noted sadly, that you can be brave and famous and fail to follow God. (5:24, 25) I noted that God is always in control even when terrible things happen like the people of Judah and Jerusalem being taken captive by a pagan king and deported to Babylon. (6:15)
But most notable for me this morning was the fact that "the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria." (5:26) The text does not simply note that Pul took some Israelites captive into exile. Rather it emphasizes God at work, stirring the spirit of a king who worships only idols (as far as we know).
It reminds us not only of God's sovereignty but also that we never know in whom God is working. Or who God is using to accomplish His purposes. He is not limited to only those who believe in Him (since some of us either aren't sensitive to His leading, or refuse to obey, or both). You never know who God may be using to accomplish His purpose.
I know these are not new observations, but I love finding them in the midst of mostly boring genealogy lists. Never limit God and never claim to know exactly what God is doing. We really don't want to, and we really can't put the God of the universe in a box.
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