Day 350- Today we are reading chapters 22-24 of 1 Chronicles/Divrei Hayamim 1.

Day 348- Today we are reading chapters 16-18 of 1 Chronicles/Divrei Hayamim 1.

• 
  Dawn Marie McAlister
  December 14, 2019 at 2:57 pm  /

  I admit it, I was one of those who was “stuck in the list of genealogies” (Keith’s response to Denise on day 2 of Chronicles 🙂 ) and got a little behind in my reading.

  Today I had to go back to chapter 15 because I felt like I missed something when I got to 16:38 and Odem-Edom was mentioned. When I did go back I got really excited. The rest of this post is just sharing that excitement.

  Isaiah 56:6-8 (NASB) – “Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yehovah,
  To minister to Him, and to love the name of Yehovah,
  To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the [S]abbath
  And holds fast My covenant;

  Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
  And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
  Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;

  For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” The Lord Yehovah, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
  “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”
  (Okay I cheated, I copied and pasted from the NASB/BlueLetterBible.com instead of typing from TIN.)

  Did this run through anyone else’s mind while reading chapter 15? I spent an inordinate amount of time in that chapter because of Obed-Edom; Obed-Edom the Gittite is mentioned among the Leviim David appointed as gatekeepers and musicians. He got to
  do BOTH (double portion!). Apparently Ebed-Edom the Gittite joined (“levited”) himself to Yehovah and His people and was rewarded by being counted among the tribe of Levi. How awesome is that?!

  As a foreigner who has chosen to do exactly what Obed-Edom did – what Isaiah told the people in Israel would happen in the future – this passage in Chronicles excites me like few other passages do. I am not Jewish by birth; as far as I can tell there is no Jewish heritage in my lineage, but I can join myself to the God of Israel and His people just like
  Obed-Edom did. Those 3 months of blessing were not wasted on him; he left his home to follow the Ark and the God who’s Name it was called by, as did 67 others of his kin (1 Chron 16:38), and he got to be counted among the Leviim, those who “minister to… and love [His] name” and are called “to be His servant” long before Isaiah declared his prophecy.

  And if Yehovah was doing that for people who joined themselves to Him long before Isaiah, it is obvious that Isaiah’s prophecy WILL be fulfilled. I am part of that future promise, and may the fulfillment of it be soon.

  • 
    Edie Ellingson
    December 16, 2019 at 10:21 am  /

    What a brilliant observation, Dawn! Thank you for bringing that to light – truly amazing!

    I did notice that Obed-Edom was named among the Levites later on and in the back of my mind I was thinking, “Wasn’t he a foreigner?” but it was not a strong enough thought to go back and check. I just kept reading on, thinking I misread who he was earlier. This is why group discussions are so great, though, because everyone seems to find a different gem to share! I will be mulling this one over for the rest of the day… maybe for the next week! 😀

    I agree the genealogies in this book are really difficult to wade through because there are so many people listed that we don’t know. I forced myself to slog through them (it felt like slogging!) even though the temptation was so strong to skip ahead. I kept telling myself they are there for a reason whether I see the reason or not.

    One thing I did pick up on in the genealogy of Levi, in chapter 6:27-28, was that Elkanah and Samuel were of the tribe of Levi, of the sons of Kohath (vs. 22). The book of 1 Samuel states that Elkanah was an Ephraimite (1 Sam 1:1). They must have been considered Ephraimites because they were of the sons of Kohath, who dwelt in cities in Ephraim (vs. 66). I always wondered how an Ephraimite (Samuel) served in the tabernacle, like a Levite would, and now I know it’s because he was a Levite whose mother did what she was supposed to do.

    Thanks again for sharing about Obed-Edom!

    • 
      Dawn Marie McAlister
      December 16, 2019 at 11:49 am  /

      I’ve always wondered about Samuel, too but I will wonder no more!

      I’m very nearly in tears of joy right now. The Father of all creation, our Father continues proving in His Word that He keeps His promises. Those promises are for all who would & will join themselves to Him & we can see that through so many foreigners mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.

      I agree, group discussion is so important. Thank Yehovah for technology.?