As I read this list of names, yet another list of names, I had the nagging question, “Where do I fit?” For the Israelites it was important for the people to be able to account for their lineage. What is your ancestral line? Not only did this establish your right to be considered part of God’s family, it also delineated where you fit in. Clans had particular areas of the country designated as their territory and this by the nature of the land affected occupations. And when it comes to Levites –not listed in this chapter –your lineage also determined your function.
While that system worked in the ancient world and for Israel at the time, I ‘feel’ the constraints which that system imposes. Some of my feelings are certainly due to my living in the ‘modern’ age and western culture where for the most part individuals choose their path.
A second aspect of my thoughts is generated by the New Testament where God doles out His gifts, not based on lineage but by His calling (see 1Corinthians 12:4&11). This is not the same as the individualism of the modern western world, because I do not get to choose my gifts and callings, God does… so I am not captain of my own life but servant seeking to do the will of my God and Father.
My time with the Lord spins at this point, as I consider if I am serving my God and Lord well, using my gifts to serve His purposes and advance His reign in the world.
The Lord has saved and called me and gifted me for a purpose… to do the good works He has prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Am I serving Him well and faithfully? This is the question that is burning into my soul and heart this morning… Am I serving the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit well and faithfully?
Oh, God, I pray so. I pray so… in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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