Bible Study: The Importance of Your Name 05.11.10

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Today is Tuesday May 11, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of I Chronicles, chapters 1-2. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-may-11

Title: Bible Study: The Importance of Your Name
The book of I Chronicles is the thirteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twenty-nine chapters. The author of the book is Ezra, the prophet. The purpose of the book was to record the religious history of Judah. What we are to learn from the book is that God blesses those who exalt Him. The Chronicles cover the same history as II Samuel, I and II Kings. However, the Chronicles focus on Judah and Temple Worship and the prophetic promises of the Messiah centered on them. Their primary purpose is to emphasize the importance of worship and having a right relationship with the three persons of God that make One Great God, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, emphasis is made of the importance of the Law and Temple restorations which are associated with them.

You may not realize it, but you are a part of the genealogy of Christ, a special person chosen by God Himself to be a part of the Kingdom of God. He knew that you were going to choose Him and serve Him at the exact time and place of your earthly life, He chose you even before He created the earth. If you believe in God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that He came to earth to shed His blood and die for your sins, then resurrected three days later then you are a part of Christ, a brother or sister and a part of God's family. All who accept God's Son as their Savior are written in the Book of Life and a part of the Kingdom of God. I Chronicles opens with the longest genealogical record in the Bible and covers about 4000 years before Christ, it lists the genealogy from Adam to the Israelites captivity into Babylon. It may first appear to be an unimportant list of names, but every name was important as it not only shows how the Israelites came about, it also explains the division of tribes all the way back to Noah, including where the Canaanites and Philistines originated. This ancient genealogy reveals the exact plan of our Creator in selecting the people whom He qualified to serve Him, beginning with Adam. “Adam, Sheth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth....And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.” - I Chronicles 1:1-4, 34. They were not all great men of faith like Noah and Abraham, but they were all needed. This genealogy was exceedingly important after the Israelites' captivity. The long list of genealogies was to encourage the Israelites, to realize how God foretold their return to Jerusalem. It showed how God continued to protect the family line of the coming Messiah, whose descent can be traced from Adam to Noah to Abraham and David.

The second chapter is devoted to the descendants of Judah because the promised Messiah would descend from this tribe. We are now come to the register of the children of Israel, that distinguished people, who were to dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations. “These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him. And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five. The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul....The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai. And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, 13And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: ” - I Chronicles 2:1-5,9-15. The tribes of Judah and Levi became the lineage of where the Lord, Jesus Christ would be born. Today, you no longer have to be of a special tribe to be a part of the family of God. Christian's who accept Jesus Christ become part of the genealogy of Christ. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." -I Peter 2:9-10.

God decided who would be included in the genealogy of Christ. He is personally involved in every Christian's life, desiring to guide us through every detail. But He gave everyone a free will either to do His will or to follow the deception of the human mind. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6. when Christ is Lord of our lives, we let Him direct our paths and He oversees every detail. You can be sure that things that happen to believers are never accidents, they are allowed by God. He is preparing us to be the people He created to accomplish the things that ordinary people can not. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” - Luke 10:19-24. There are many, especially Theological scholars who claim to know the Bible, yet the majority have no clue what the true word of God is. Why? Because Jesus chooses who He reveals the truth to, there is something strange about some people who carry PhD's or other forms of doctorate degrees, they are so smart yet they have no common sense. The simple things are passed up in the fight for proving, I know more than you do. The Pharisees were the most wisest, religious people of the New Testament, claiming to know God, yet failed to see right before their eyes that the truth was standing right in front of them. They witnessed something that we as Christians could have only dreamt about, they saw Jesus in the flesh before anyone else has and yet they were blind to the truth. We are blessed because we know the truth, Jesus Said, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” - John 20:29b.

As we prayerfully read all His Word, He continually reveals His will to us. Although we cannot understand many of the things that He brings into our lives, by faith we can be sure that all things work together for our own good and for His glory. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:26-28.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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