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Chronicles 7 reminds me there comes a time when each of us must step
out in faith and face the challenges that hinder us. Some of us
avoid the things that are hard for us and settle for less than God’s
best. Far too often we simply go through the motions, making excuses
for ourselves. Colossians 3:23
challenges us, “And
whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men“.
Often, we do not recognize that our biggest battles are not
physical, but spiritual. Ephesians
6:12 explains;
“For
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this age, against spiritual hosts
of wickedness in the heavenly places“.
If we miss that, we are simply unarmed for battle. Jesus
told His disciples, “In
the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world”
(John 16:33). Don’t
go into the situation you face today unarmed!
The
chapter gives us the genealogies of the remaining tribes of Israel
with what sounds like comments about their spiritual toughness. The
chapter begins with, “The
sons of Issachar”
and summarizes, “The
relatives who were fighting men belonging to all the clans of
Issachar, as listed in their genealogy, were 87,000 in all“.
It says of the “sons
of Benjamin”
that they were “fighting
men ready to go out to war“.
Of “The
sons of Naphtali“,
only 3 names are listed with no commentary at all. Maybe because
they were only partially committed? Neutrality on the battlefield
means you will get shot at from both sides! The list continues with,
“The
descendants of Manasseh“.
His descendants list, “his
Aramean concubine… wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites …
Zelophehad, who had only daughters“.
It seems like lots of compromise lead to a lack of abundance of male
children. Next is listed “The
descendants of Ephraim“.
And it is noted that “Their
lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages“.
This was the geographic center as well as center of wealth and
power. And we are reminded that these are the “descendants
of Joseph son of Israel“.
Finally, we read of “The
sons of Asher“.
They are described as “heads
of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The
number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was
26,000“.
Interestingly, there is no mention of tribe of Dan; possibly because
they were unwilling to fight for their land?
According
to Joshua 19:47; the tribe of Dan “had
difficulty taking possession of their territory“.
Rather than accepting their responsibility, they took the easy way
out. Judges 18 explains, instead they came to the land of Ephraim
and found a private priest for hire. Micah had created his own false
house of worship complete with idols and “the
Danites set up for themselves… the idols Micah had made“.
This idol worship continued “until
the captivity of the land“.
Please don’t settle for counterfeit faith. The battle is the
Lord’s and He will not turn away from you in time of need. “For
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 8:38).