Daily Bible Devotionals

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Chronicles 6. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s…“  1 Chronicles 5:1-3 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter focuses our attention to the Biblical ideas of “Birthright” and “Blessing.”  Biblical birthright is the right bestowed to the firstborn male to lead the family spiritually.  (That spiritual leadership is primarily after the father has passed on.)  Furthermore, the paternal “father” was not the sole determiner of birthright; it was also determined by the mother.  In the Bible, we first see the concept of that father/mother conveyance of birthright in Genesis 21.

“But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.’” Genesis 21:9-10 (ESV)

(For New Testament clarification of this instance, see also Romans 9:6-8)

While the birthright is conveyed through very specific terms, it is also transferable to another child if the firstborn son refuses to follow God and be a spiritual leader.

“Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field exhausted.  He said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.’ That is why he was also named Edom.  Jacob replied, ‘First sell me your birthright.’  ‘Look,’ said Esau, ‘I’m about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?’  Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him. Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away.  So Esau despised his birthright.”  Genesis 25:29-34 (HCSB)

Blessing is different from Birthright.  Blessing is the byproduct of leading spiritually.  The Blessing naturally follows when a person answers the call to spiritually lead.

“But he replied, ‘Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.’  So he said, ‘Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?  For he has cheated me twice now.  He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.’ Then he asked, ‘Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?’” Genesis 27:35-36 (HCSB)

While Jacob used deceptive measures to secure the Blessing, he suffered because of how he acquired it.  Peaceful Blessing did not come until Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord (Messiah) and was blessed by Him. Jacob’s decision to become singularly focused on living up to the character of the Birthright led to his being blessed.  That is 1 Chronicles 5 in a nutshell: When Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh led according to God’s Word, they were blessed.  But, their rejection of the Lord (in favor of idolatry) diminished blessing, leading to exile.

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.  His mother named him Jabez and said, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez called out to the God of Israel: ‘If only You would bless me, extend my border, let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain.’ And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (HCSB)

In the winter of 2000, I walked into a management meeting with my band, Big Tent Revival.  A few weeks earlier, we had the #1 song on Christian Radio, Choose Life.  The band and management expected to discuss an upcoming tour and the next radio single.  But that meeting took a different turn when I announced that I felt the Lord was leading me away from the band to focus more time on raising my family.  Unexpected news is often unwelcome news.  While not everyone agreed that the band should break up, we eventually coped with the reality that the company was actually dissolving.  We then set out like gentlemen to honor the Lord.  In the months following that decision (to shut down the band), Big Tent Revival performed all of our contracted concert obligations.  We paid all of our T-Shirt and merchandise vendors, sold our tour bus, semi and trailer, sound and lights, and set a target date for our last concert: New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2000.  Riverside CA.

In the fall of 2000, about a month before Big Tent Revival played our last concert, someone handed me a book that had just been released by Multnomah Books, authored by a gentleman named Bruce Wilkinson.  The book was called “The Prayer of Jabez,” and it centered around today’s passage, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.  I was interested in the book because I had never heard of this guy, Jabez.  Growing up, I never heard anyone preach about Jabez, and none of my hip-music business friends talked about him.  The book quickly became a best-seller, and then things got weird.  Soon, churches all over the globe were praying the “prayer of Jabez” as if it were some sort of incantation to stir up the Lord to do whatever they wanted Him to do.  As you can imagine (or perhaps you experienced firsthand), a tremendous amount of controversy was stirred up.  Skeptics began refuting Bruce Wilkinson’s hermeneutic and “prosperity” theological leanings.

So, there I was.  A guy who had followed the Lord and whose recent decisions had caused quite a few people a considerable amount of inconvenience.  I had no plan for how I was going to earn a living after the band played its last concert.  So, I read the book and was encouraged.  I also asked God why He included the passage in His Word.  Jabez’s story seemed tailor-fit for my situation yet did not include directions concerning how I should apply its message.   In the end, here is what we know about how Mr. Jabez relates to us.  If we call upon the Lord, He is available and concerned.

“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NKJV)

“These were David’s sons who were born to him in Hebron: Amnon was the firstborn, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; Daniel was born second, by Abigail of Carmel; Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, was third; Adonijah son of Haggith was fourth; Shephatiah, by Abital, was fifth; and Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah, was sixth.  Six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he ruled seven years and six months, and he ruled in Jerusalem 33 years.  These sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.  These four were born to him by Bath-shua daughter of Ammiel.  David’s other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine sons.  These were all David’s sons, with their sister Tamar, in addition to the sons by his concubines.”  1 Chronicles 3:1-9 (HCSB)

Who knew David had so many children?  We typically only think of Absalom (the rebel) and Solomon (the wise-king-turned-idolater).  And how about those wives?  Most people only know of Michal (Saul’s daughter) and Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife).  So, what are we to learn from these other women and children?  They seem to have been trouble for David.  Was there a time when God actually encouraged multiple wives?  Simple answer: No.  

Sure, God allowed multiple wives (and ancient Middle-Eastern secular culture had no problem with it), but we never see Him command it, nor do we see anything positive come from it.  Just because God allows a scenario to occur in Scripture does not necessarily mean He endorses it.  Multiple spouses always lead to conflict.  And the battle between spouses led to conflict between siblings.  Eventually, the question arises, “Who inherits the birthright and blessing?”  Consider how the apostle Paul in the New Testament describes the difference between children of the multiple-wife marriages of the patriarchs and how only one spouse carried the “child of the promise.”

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed.  For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants.  On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. And not only that, but also Rebekah received a promise when she became pregnant by one man, our ancestor Isaac. For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election [to His design] might stand— not from works but from the One who calls—she was told: The older will serve the younger. As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”  Romans 9:6-13 (HCSB)

It is good to know that Messiah Jesus has only ONE bride, the Church!  (Ephesians 5:25-27; Isaiah 54:5; Revelation 19:7-9; Revelation 21:9; 2 Corinthians 11:2)

‍

“The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah.  These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess.  Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; so He killed him.  And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah.  All the sons of Judah are five.” 1 Chronicles 2:3-4 (NKJV)

Do you remember your great-great-grandfather on your father’s side?  Perhaps you have researched an ancestry website and discovered his name.  You may have even uncovered some military and civic records, but you probably do not know his worldview, how he treated his neighbors, or whether he loved his kids enough to spend time with them after work.  But, chances are, your values for those exact aspects of life were shaped by your relatives, two or three generations removed.  Values are passed down throughout the generations by those people with whom we live in close proximity.  Values aren’t taught; they are caught.

With that in mind, it is important for us to understand that genealogies in the Bible are more than just a list of ancestors.  They are telling the history of a person’s values instead of communicating a direct narrative.  So, a phrase like “son of…son of…son of…” conveys a familial pattern of either sin or righteousness.  Basically, “He is no different from his father, who was no different from his…”.  And the Lord, speaking through the Bible writers, assumes that every Israelite was seeking His Word every day.  (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)  Therefore, He does not feel the need to keep telling their stories.  He just mentions the characters, and we should already know the story by heart.  The fact that most Christians get bored in the genealogies is more a testimony to their Biblical illiteracy than a commentary on how boring the genealogies are!

Now, to today’s passage, notice how the tribe of Judah - the family through whom Messiah would come - was rife with Jews who acted like pagan Gentiles and Gentiles who acted like righteous Jews.  By verse 17 in today’s chapter, King David’s own sister has a child by an Ishmaelite!  (see also: 2 Samuel 17:25)  The New Testament begins with a similar genealogy, albeit a more gracious retelling.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.”  Mathew 1:1-6 (NKJV)

Notice how Matthew 1:1 calls Jesus “Son of David, Son of Abraham.”   David, the shepherd of Israel; Abraham, the Gentile from Ur who heeded the call of the Lord.  Not only was Jesus’ genealogy (the tribe of Judah) mixed between Jew and Gentile, but He came to save Jew and Gentile: In short, He came to save the World.  (John 3:16-17)

“Two sons were born to Eber.  One of them was named Peleg because the earth was divided during his lifetime, and the name of his brother was Joktan. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these were Joktan’s sons.  Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram (that is, Abraham).  Abraham’s sons: Isaac and Ishmael.” 1 Chronicles 1:19-28 (HCSB)

Arms folded, feet up and crossed on the table.  That is how he sat, the scoffer pastor who laughed at my idea of leading people through the entire Bible, a chapter a day.  “They may follow you through the New Testament, but when you get to Numbers and Leviticus, you will lose half of them!  And you will lose the rest when you get mired in those genealogies in 1st Chronicles!” So, will you quit today and prove the scoffer right?  Or will you muddle through these next few days to discover why the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, included this holy roll call in His eternal Word?

Today, we focus on the sons of Eber: Peleg and Joktan.  The Bible tells us Peleg’s name means “divided.”  And with a little research, we discover his brother’s name means “small.”  A fairly bleak outlook, huh?  Divided and Small.  Those words describe Israel in the days when a terrified Gideon was visited by the Messiah (Angel of the Lord), Who sat beside Gideon and pronounced his calling.

“Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12 (HCSB)

Divided and Small was how Jacob felt as he nervously awaited the reunion between himself and his brother Esau, whom Jacob deceived and Esau swore to kill years earlier.  

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant.  Indeed, I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.” Genesis 32:10 (HCSB)

Later that night, Messiah (Angel of the Lord) would wrestle with Jacob and elicit Jacob’s immense single-minded profession: “I will not let you go!”

Divided and Small is what Messiah (Jesus) prayed against in the upper room.

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.  May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.” John 17:20-21 (HCSB)

Are you feeling Divided and Small?  Put your trust in Messiah Jesus!  He will make you whole (John 5:6-KJV), and He will never cast you out.  (John 6:37)  Remember, God shines brightest when the days are at their darkest.  (See also: Abraham)

“On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.  As for his allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.” 2 Kings 25:27-30 (HCSB)

Anne Moody was a college student who was active in the American civil rights movement in Mississippi in the 1960s.  At one time, part of the civil rights strategy involved sending black students to “white” churches during Sunday morning service.  Sometimes police officers were waiting along with ushers.  It was common for black students to be turned away.  But there was one Episcopal church they entered, where two ushers asked them to sign the guest list and ushered them to their seat.  Moody describes her reaction:

“I stood there for a good five minutes before I was able to compose myself.  I had never prayed with white people in a white church.  The church service was completed without one incident.  It was as normal as any church service.  However, it was by no means normal to me.  When the services were over, the minister invited us to visit again.  He said it as if he meant it, and I began to have a little hope.”

It was only the fact that a church did not turn her away, only the freedom to sit in a worship service with whites, only the convicting earnestness of a minister inviting her back, not much at all.  But it was enough to give her a glimpse of hope.  That is the impact that Jehoiachin’s fortunes should have on us.  We should begin to have a little hope.  In the midst of His punishment, God did not completely abandon Judah or the dignity of its king.

Matthew 1:12-16 lists the noble Messianic genealogy from Babylonian exile to Jesus’ birth.  It picks up where 2 Kings 25 leaves off.  Who would think that any sure hope from God could be hidden under this failed, dilapidated, and captive people?  At this time, Israel had lost the land (the Abraham promise) and the kingship (Davidic promise).  Read Haggai, Nehemiah, and Malachi.  Life was hard for the dispersed Jewish people.

But precisely in this time, this darkest, bleakest segment of Israel’s history, that the Messiah was given!  It was when the people were trampled, beaten down, and teetering between faith and compromise, that the “Sun of Righteousness” began to blaze.  This all sends a powerful message to America today.  It is not solely our repentance but also the Lord’s stubbornness that brings redemption.  The God of power and fury turns from His fury in Jehoiachin’s “Descendant,” Jesus.  God dispensed grace and mercy for the sake of His gracious promise while at the same time weighing judgment according to His Word.  And this should give us more than a little hope.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Kings 24. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord. Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel. He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars.  Then he returned to Jerusalem.  The king commanded all the people, ‘Keep the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.’  No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem. In addition, Josiah removed the mediums, the spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem.  He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the Lord’s temple. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.”  2 Kings 23:19-25 (HCSB)

Let’s recap Josiah’s reign.  He was installed as Judah’s king at age eight, too young to have been negatively affected by his father’s idolatry.  Righteous priests taught Josiah to value worship and believe in God “as a child,” something Jesus exhorts us to do.  (Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:3; Luke 18:17)  At age 26, Josiah begins repairing the temple, worn down by years of idolatrous worship and neglect.  As the workers are repairing the temple, Hilkiah, the priest, finds the Book of the Law.  When God’s Word is read to Josiah, he realizes the seriousness of Israel’s spiritual condition.  The temple didn’t just need a new coat of paint; it needed a coat of armor!  In response, Josiah begins a campaign of tearing down the “high places,” temples, and shrines of idolatry.  More than just demolishing buildings, Josiah puts to death pagan priests in an effort to rid Judah of idolatry completely.  For Josiah’s efforts, the Lord commends him.  No other king has exemplified Deuteronomy 6:1-7 like Josiah.

One problem: You can tear down the pagan “high places” from atop the hills, but you cannot destroy the high places in the heart.  Even though Josiah swept the nation clean and idolatry became a capital offense, the people still chose to be idolatrous in private, in their hearts.  So, despite all the smoke rising from the burning pagan shrines and altars, a fire is being stoked in heaven.  God’s judgment upon Judah is imminent, and their bend towards idolatry snaps back into place when the next king takes the throne.  It is not enough to turn away from our sin; we must turn toward God and pursue Him!  Revival must permeate the hearts of the people, not just their laws.  A nation can’t sustain greatness unless its people choose the Lord’s greatness.

“In spite of all that, the Lord did not turn from the fury of His great burning anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had provoked Him with. For the Lord had said, ‘I will also remove Judah from My sight just as I have removed Israel.  I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said ‘My name will be there.’”  2 Kings 23:26-27 (HCSB)