God made you a people person

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

Chronicles is more interesting than it appears. FAR more interesting, based on first appearances, I know. What have we started reading here? The Hebrew phone book? Crib notes for the world’s dullest but most spiritual pub quiz? This is a very easy book to skim over (and you probably should skate through the first bits at least), but if we overlook it, we are going to miss something huge.

This is a retelling of the whole Jewish history from a particular perspective. God’s people had been exiled, their way of life practically obliterated. Can you imagine not being able to meet for worship every week? I know you can. But this was on the biggest scale, with God’s people formed around precious symbols of God’s presence, then scattered, their physical recognition of God destroyed and, for the people telling this story, this was generations ago.

But this was changing. The chance was emerging to regroup and rebuild. Could they “build back better?” That would depend. First, they had to remember who they were, who God had made them to be, not just their history but their vision and destiny.

This is what we have started today. I love how the author goes for “big picture” from the first word, “Adam.” Why not start at the very beginning? A very good place to start! As I listened to the family roll calls, a big picture formed in my mind of each name connected to others like tiny but important details on a leaf, which was part of branch, then part of a tree.

Bits of this tree were recognisable. I know some clusters of names as branches, I’ve heard stories of how some parts grew into unmistakable shapes. David grabs my attention, with a royal line of famous and infamous names following. Stories of his praise for God resonate with me. We’ll hear more of them soon! Which names and branches stand out to you?

I think God has prompted me not to look at this as an historical register but a picture of his provision. In fact, I think this is the point of this book. It’s a reminder to anyone breathing and searching for purpose from God today that everything we are and have is from God. I love how this account of provision doesn’t start with materials but with people. And this is not a random, disconnected crowd of people. This is a connected body, a family. You might not know where you fit in the line exactly, but you do – biologically from Adam, emotionally from the stories you remember and relate to, and spiritually from our adoption into this family through Christ. Take it from God: you are a very well-connected people person.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God provides for his people, primarily through people. He provides this reminder of the richness of his blessings and a reassurance that we are far more connected than we feel.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Thank God for his provision of people around me, and in my past, who made me who I am.

Who am I going to share this with?

My family – we have an extraordinary history as well as incredible God-given potential.