Genealogies, Widows, and a Shepherd who is also a Lamb

1 Chronicles 8:1–40, 1 Timothy 5:10–17, Psalm 78:53–72

Today’s Old Testament passage reminds me why doing family tree research is both exciting and frustrating. Yesterday, I found some interesting tidbits in the history of Israel. Today I found this... and much more just like it:

“Benjamin fathered Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. And Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. These are the sons of Ehud (they were heads of fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they were carried into exile to Manahath): Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, that is, Heglam, who fathered Uzza and Ahihud. And Shaharaim fathered sons in the country of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. He fathered sons by Hodesh his wife: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers’ houses. He also fathered sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal. The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns....” (1 Chronicles 8:1–12)

This information is included in the Word of God for a reason, but today that reason is beyond my grasp!

The NT reading is more practical but still a puzzle. There is not much explanation for these verses regarding the church’s care for widows, but a few principles can be seen...

“Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.” (1 Timothy 5:9–16)

Obviously the church had a list of widows that they supported. Apparently they expected those under sixty to take care of themselves or be cared for by their family. Yet being on the list also included the lifestyle of the widow. Had she shown herself to be a godly person? Was she doing good things?

The younger widows seem to be forbidden to remarry yet verse 15 says otherwise. Certainly the phrase about their passions drawing them away from Christ was something far more serious. In that culture wives usually took the religion of their husband so Paul might have been referring to some who were marrying outside their faith.

He also seemed concerned about widows remarrying for financial support that would free them to idly spend their time in gossip and other folly. Some had “already strayed after Satan” so Paul obviously was writing about a particular issue in that church.

It made me think of the issues concerning widows today. Financial care now comes from government social programs, not the church. Yet widows are lonely, often taken advantage of by unscrupulous people, even their own family members. They have practical and medical needs. Those who have lived for Jesus may not struggle with sins like gossip and meddling, but they will need to be encouraged in their spiritual lives and respected for their age and wisdom. Most congregations could do better in caring for widows.

The reading from the psalms surprised me with a short bit about widows as well. In this passage, God was angry with His people for straying into idolatry and other sin. “He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.” However, in mercy He did not stay angry... “Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.” (Psalm 78:62–66)

The widows in that day also suffered under the hand of God, yet they did not cry out to Him with a lament normally to express sorrow for sin. Their lives were in great peril, yet sadly without repentance. This is horrifying, yet God continues with His promise to send a shepherd (David) to lead them, hinting at His eventual plan to send another Shepherd, also known as the Lamb of God who would deliver all His people from their sin.

Choices: needing a staff, or being one . . .

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

The rod is about training and correction, but a shepherd’s staff is more about comfort. It is used to draw a newborn lamb near its mother (who will reject it if it smells like human hands). It is used to gently draw sheep near to check for illness or injuries, but a staff is mainly used is to guide and encourage the sheep with gentle pressure, letting the sheep know the shepherd’s touch.

My sister is going through a tough time. Her home was flooded last year and that recovery is incomplete. Her husband is in the hospital in need of a miracle so he can walk again and return home. To visit him, she drives one hour or more depending on traffic. She is overloaded with work at home (their only livelihood) and her workspace is being renovated because of water damage. Her house is upside-down and her to-do list a nightmare.

But she called last night to tell us about the team of people who showed up at her house this weekend and did all her yard work and clean-up. She said it would have taken her months to do and they did it in a few hours. This is the touch of the shepherd.

Sometimes our stresses are external like hers. Sometimes they are internal involving fear. To that, God also says, “I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth . . .?” (Isaiah 51:12–13) He adds, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted . . .” (Isaiah 66:13)

Of all the things humans can seek, comfort is near the top of the list. We have our ideas of what will make that happen, but God’s comfort often comes as a surprise. In the New Testament, it is often described as coming from other Christians . . .

I (Paul) am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. (2 Corinthians 7:4–7)

Paul’s afflictions didn’t cease, which would fit my idea of comfort. He had no rest and his fears did not go away either. But, God comforted him with the visit of Titus and the news that he brought from the church at Corinth. He was blessed by the comfort those Christians gave to his coworker and friend, and also glad that they cared for him too. For Paul, this was a touch from the Shepherd.

I understand. My home and circumstances do not change much, but I can get stressed over other issues and be comforted by a visit or a hug. Knowing people care is felt in their touch. Knowing Jesus cares is also in His touch.

Yesterday, our pastor talking about choosing to bless others. If I always want comfort for myself, I can earn the label of “high maintenance.” However, if I can touch and bless others, then I become a shepherd’s staff in the hands of Jesus instead of a silly sheep who always needs it for myself.

Each obedience counts . . .

A beach was littered with starfish washed up by the surf then abandoned there as the water receded. A young man walked the shore, picking up starfish as he went and tossing them back into the ocean. An older man appeared and said to him, “With so many, what possible difference can you make by tossing a few back in the water?”

The young man reached down and picked up another starfish and as he threw it, he said, “It makes a difference to this one.”

Today’s devotional writer asks a similar question. He points out that during the trial of Jesus before Pilate, Pilate left it up to the crowd what to do with Jesus, thinking that because Jesus was so popular that they would set Him free. But they did not; not one person voted for Christ.

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8)

What was the “this” that they didn’t understand? This passage in 1 Corinthians says it is the mystery that had been hidden but was now revealed by the Holy Spirit to those who love God. Obviously Pilate did not love God, but neither did the people shouting “Crucify Him” for they didn’t get it.

But were there no others? Where were the people who did love God? Were they standing on the other side of the street thinking, “My voice will never be heard in that crowd” and so remained silent? Were they thinking this didn’t involve them? Or that rescuing Jesus was not their responsibility? Or that their to-do list was more important? Maybe some of them were worshiping in the temple, or they had seen Jesus walk through a riotous crowd in the past so figured He would do the same this time?

Jesus had to die. We know that from the Scriptures that reveal that this was the plan of God. His holy Lamb would be sacrificed for our sin. He was the One who would redeem souls and secure eternal life for all who put their faith in Him. If the situation before Pilate proved nothing else, it proved the need for the human heart to be redeemed. Jesus was innocent, but the crowd wanted Him silenced and dead.

Today’s reading says that Jesus died an unnecessary death. I do not agree. Because of sin, because of the great love of God for sinners, He had to die. There were no people who cared enough for the spotless and pure Lamb of God to intervene and rescue Him, and that alone proves that His death for sin was needed. If no one can love the most loveable person ever born enough to speak up for Him, then surely human hearts are corrupted beyond hope and God’s intervention must happen.

These thoughts do point to another issue in my heart, the problem of “let someone else do it” and the excuse of “what difference can I make anyway?” As any city, ours is full of social problems, such as homeless people facing winter that can go to -40, children who are being abused, people without enough resources to eat properly, ill and elderly who languish alone without anyone to visit and cheer them, youth whose parents live in addictions leaving them to fend for themselves, and so on.

So easily I can be like those who claimed to love God but stood on the other side of the street when the important decisions were being made. So easily I can be like the man who said, “What difference can you make with so many” when God asks me to be like the other man who did what he could, one starfish at a time. 

To Live is Christ — caring about souls

My granddaughter’s Facebook entry had a comment from one of her friends that said the Bible belongs on the shelf with Cinderella, Snow White and other children’s fairy tales. Regardless of my subjective feelings about the input she might have into the mind of my granddaughter, this statement reveals a great deal about this young person.

She has no idea that evidence and history support the history recorded in Scripture. The ancient sites have been found. Other writings tell many of the same stories. Further, Jewish historian Josephus writes about Jesus. Our calendar is based on Christ’s birth, which would be nonsense if He and what has been written about Him were in the same category as a fairy tale.

Today, I again read from Proverbs. “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). Without communication from God, people do whatever they please. Keeping the laws of God is not their desire or priority.

The only other part of my devotional reading for today is a prayer at the end. It says, “Dear Lord, reveal Yourself to me more each day, and give me the boldness to look.”

God reveals Himself to those who seek Him. People will not seek Him when they think He will crimp their lifestyle. This makes belief in what the Bible says both one of spiritual revelation and a moral issue. Anyone who does not want to see Him will not look.

Yet God reveals Himself, in Scripture, in nature and by the Holy Spirit. The evidence is there for those who are willing to see it. But those who are not looking have chosen their own path. Often they also have cast off any sort of self-control in their lives.

I clicked on the link to this friend’s profile. Most fb profiles are hidden but hers was not. It revealed a ‘restraint-free’ lifestyle, not a surprise. As I read about her, I felt like sticking my words into the conversation, yet I know that anything I say would be seen as opinion rather than truth. Those who want to live without restraint are not interested in proof, solid evidence, or anything else that contradicts their opinions.

I have never met this girl, but when I read, “those who mind (what she says) don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind” — her words and the attitude behind them brought tears to my eyes and a prayer to my heart.

THEN I cried out . . .

The theme this week from God is Enough continues with the idea that if I fully realize the purposes of God concerning trials, I would be far more quick to say, “Thy will be done” and think twice before I tried to “fix” situations that trouble me.

Psalm 107 highlights the history of God’s people in a survey of their sin and troubles. Each time, the results are the same. Skimming through this song of praise, I picked out these portions.

“They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. THEN (caps mine) they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. . . .”

“Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons—because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. THEN they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. . . .”

“Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. They soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. THEN they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. . . .”

“They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. THEN they cry out to the Lord in their trouble. . . .”

In my own life, I refused to call on God until the wheels fell off everything that I tried to do. I stubbornly resisted Him and tried to run my own life, but when nothing worked, I wanted God to help me.

Right now, I’m not experiencing trials like that, but I know that my sin nature continually tries to rule. I also see this in those around me. Friends and family need to know the love and power of God in their lives, but they reject Him and try to do things their own way. As I watch their distress, I want to do something to ease their journey. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about them and praying for them, asking God what I can do to help them.

This morning I asked God what He wants me to do regarding one person who is in terrible distress. As I read from God is Enough and read this Psalm, I sensed Him telling me that I need to better understand why He is allowing this distress; it is so this person will cry out to Him. Essentially, He is saying you stay out of it.

I wonder how often I’ve interfered with God’s plans? It is exceedingly difficult to watch others wandering, hungry for answers, in darkness, in affliction, hating life, reeling to and fro in trouble and seemingly at their wits end. I have been there myself and it is not fun.

I want to help them, yet these verses and the end of the Psalm caution me to make sure I know God is motivating me. He says, “When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction and sorrow . . . wander in the wilderness where there is no way. . . .” THEN they turn to God.

The last verse tells me that God is not being mean, and that these distresses have a purpose. It says, “Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.”

Oh, this is difficult. Watching is difficult. Realizing that God’s lovingkindness isn’t always a feel-good thing is difficult. On top of all that, this Psalm also exhorts me over and over to “give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.” He is saying that I must thank Him for these “wonderful works” — even before I see the THEN part, even before the people I love cave in to His mercy.

For me, this is a trial also, different from theirs, but one that makes me cry out to the Lord too. I want His enduring mercy to guide them. I want them to call out to Him, and to see His purpose fulfilled in their lives. I want them to see His goodness and give thanks. Yet Psalm 107:42 says, “The righteous see it and rejoice . . .” and God exhorts me to “observe these things” and “understand” and then do myself what I want others to do.