Saturday, April 10, 2010

1 Chronicles 1-3: Fearfully and Wonderfully

The chronicles of the children of Israel seem to go on forever, name after name, generation after generation, begat after begat.  And yet there is a story here.  The story is that each person, no matter who their father was, no matter what tribe they were descended from, no matter if the dates of their birth and death are unknown, whether they lived in peace or under oppression, each person was created by God for that time and that place.  There was no other person who could have been them or lived the life that they lived. 

This was very clear to David who knew his place in the whole scheme of things:

O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. - PS 39:1-13 KJV

The Israelites and all that came after them, were not nameless and they were not in this alone.  They were fearfully and wonderfully made.

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