Scripture: "Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt" Ex. 1:8 NIV "The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one." Numbers 1:1-2 NIV Application: Why it is relevant to hear all this about the tribes of Israel, the numbers, the names of the descendants, and where they ventured? Of course, on one level, it's instructive to see the power of God leading people through peril and into the Promised Land. But then consider who these people were in the natural sense. These were once slaves. They had no identity. They were mixed up and had no history that anyone respected. Their persecutors certainly didn't remember or care. (Ex. 1:8) So these records are genealogical records. Their roots. These Old Testament passages tie a people to a history that no one else respected. But God respected them. That was true then, and it remains true today, for more people than Israel. Respect the lineage. Prayer: Father, give us compassion for people detached from their forefathers, whether voluntarily or forcibly. In all things, You are the Father to us all. Amen. Comments are closed.
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