Other comments on this day's readings can be found here.
Reading 1 - 1Chronicles 1
Like the Book of Kings, 1Ch and 2Ch were originally one book according to Jewish tradition. However, the Chronicles are not simply a repeat of the history already recorded in the books of Samuel and Kings. The Book of Chronicles was written to remind the nation of their entire history, and of their position among other nations, emphasizing the history of priestly worship from the death of Saul to the end of the Babylonian captivity. The Chronicles contain more of the relationship of the kings to the worship of God, than does the Book of Kings. The history of the Northern Kingdom is omitted from the Chronicles because the Northern Kingdom had no bearing on the development of the true worship of God in Jerusalem.
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The first portion of 1Ch (1:1 through 9:44) consists of genealogies, of:
The patriarchs: 1Ch 1:1–54
Judah: 1Ch 2:1 – 4:23
Simeon: 1Ch 4:24 –43
The tribes east of the Jordan River: 1Ch 5:1–26
Levi: 1Ch 6:1–81
The six other tribes: 1Ch 7:1 – 9:44
Reading 2 - Ezekiel 14:3
"Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces" (Eze 14:3).
"Idolatry is an attitude of the mind, not a posture of the body. It [that is, idolatry of the HEART] is the easiest, most subtle form of idol worship; its danger lies in the fact that it is not seen by others" (Len Richardson).
Reading 3 - Luke 10:36
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" (Luk 10:36).
"Jesus didn't answer the question 'Who is my neighbor?' (Luk 10:29). Instead, he answered another question -- 'To whom are YOU a neighbor?' [cp Mat 25:35-46]. It doesn't matter who is good and kind to us. What matters is to whom we are good and kind. The real lesson of the Good Samaritan is that the two great commandments (to love God and to love our neighbor) are inseparably linked. We should love as we have been loved. We should show mercy as we have been shown mercy. We should serve as we have been served. The inheritance of eternal life is a gift that must be shared in order to be received" (Kyle Tucker).
Or, to put it another way, 'If YOU were in trouble, who would you want to be a neighbor to YOU?' The obvious answer: 'Why, everyone, of course!' Go, and do thou likewise.
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