Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Just Ancient Things

1 Chronicles 4:21-23 KJV
The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,
And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.
These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.


The passage begins speaking about a people who are lifted up. They wrought fine linen and had dominion in other lands. But then the Bible says all of that was just "ancient things." Their children's children are just potters and dwell among the plants and hedges.

Matthew Henry says, "Those that now have dominion know not what their posterity may be reduced to, nor what mean employments they may be glad to take up with."

Despite the glorious past of Israel,
Her great leaders,
Her wealth and
Her former power

The grandchildren of some of the more prominent people are those who are now content to dwell in Babylon and keepers of the hedges of the king, rather than attempt great things for God.

While what I do with my life matters, it matters much less if I am not able to pass on my faith and convictions to those generations who live after me. I am not content to have compiled a list of beliefs my children and grandchildren can talk about as "ancient things." I long and beg God that I am able to pass those things along so that they become not ancient things, but their own things.

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