First, props to Dr. Pratt for writing about what I was going to write about today with the concept of foreigners coming to Israel because they recognized God's glory. The only thing I'll add is that this is not a new concept--going all the way back to Genesis 12:3, where God said to Abram:
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
I alluded to it Sunday, but today's reading marks the (incredibly brief) zenith of Old Testament Israel. In Solomon's comments in 1 Chronicles 6:4-6, he acknowledges that God has chosen Jerusalem to be his holy city, and the timing of that choice coincides with the final peace that had been brought to Israel. All external enemies had been defeated, internal strife had been quelled, and after almost 500 years of non-stop war, Israel was at peace. Imagine that--500 years of conflict and strife. To put that in perspective, if we had done that, we'd be HALFWAY THROUGH fighting the Revolutionary War.
It will be a short-lived peace, and we'll see the gradual unraveling of the kingdom beginning around June 10th, but for now, everything the people had been sacrificing for was finally achieved, and that's worthy of a celebration. The people understood that everything they have is from the Lord, and everyone says the right words. I can only imagine what it was like to witness the consumption of the sacrifices described in 1 Chronicles 7:1--I'm sure that got the people's attention.
There's no grand theme in my post today, just a reminder for us to always remember the source of everything we have in this life, and to also remember that no matter what we give, it will pale in comparison with what was given us at no cost--salvation through Christ's death and resurrection.
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