Just a Tiny Understanding of God

Scripture: Here are the men who served, together with their sons:
From the Kohathites:
Heman, the musician,
the son of Joel, the son of Samuel ...
1 Chronicles 6:33

Observation: Just before this, the chronicler has documented the lineages from Levi, and now he will take them from a different order, documenting backwards the lineage of Kohath, who was assigned by David to lead worship before the tabernacle in Jerusalem. This lineage will extend 22 generations to Israel (Jacob), and if we assume that, on average, each man is around 25 when he bears his son, that's 550 years ... exactly in the sweet spot from the perspective of historical timing from Jacob to David.

It is interesting to think about this. 550 years seems like a very long time, but ~20 generations actually seems pretty small, especially given some of the historical events that have happened (from all the stories of Jacob, to then David becoming king ... that's a LOT of events).

However, it also seems like life in the world in that time ... has stood still. Yes, from the perspective of Israel, they have grown from being one man working for his uncle for payment in wives and sheep, to being millions. On the other hand, they are still ... mostly shepherds. They evaluate their cities by the surrounding farm and pasture lands so they can survive. Distances are measured in how far one can walk in a day. Hard labor requires oxen. Their weapons are slings.

These lists of genealogies - lists that are hard to read and repetitive - don't just list names. They mark time, and they mark something else ... the consistent love of the Lord.

Application: Even after reading the historical books of the bible over and over as I have, it is interesting to consider that this timeframe - from Jacob to David - is over twice as long as the current history of the United States! Throughout the writing, it feels like Israel as a country is barely holding on, about to be destroyed at any second, yet by modern standards it's already a firmly established cornerstone of history at this time.

I come back to this and think again ... only God can do that. It is true, only the God of the universe, maker of heaven and earth, in control of everything, could take one prideful and conniving man and turn him into a people-group, with a centuries-long established country, millions strong.

Prayer: Lord, I do love reading your word, because sometimes you just reveal a small, tiny piece of yourself that is beyond understanding. How you could do this is amazing. How a list of unpronounceable names can reveal something meaningful to my soul is just as amazing. You are the Lord, and I worship you, singing songs inspired by Kohath. Amen.